Andalusia

Andalucia is also home of flamenco and bullfighting, which can be best enjoyed at the region´s countless ferias and romerias.

But perhaps the most unique feature of this enchanting region are the remants of its Moorish past. The Moors were a mixture of Berbers and Arabs who crossed into Spain from North Africa by the Straits of Gibraltar and occupied the peninsula - which they called al Andalus - for more than seven centuries, dating from 710 when they first landed in Tarifa. Within a mere four years they had virtually conquered the entire country, although they soon withdrew to the southern part of the peninsula, where they established, in the towns of Cordoba, Seville and Granada, one of the most sophisticated civilisations of the Middle Ages. Each of these Andalucian capitals boasts spectacular remains of their monuments, the most unforgottable of which is, undoubtedly, Granada's Alhambra palace.

Andalucia has 500 miles of coastline and of which 70% are sandy beaches. The Mediterranean seaboard is graced by the Costa de Almeria, Costa Tropical and the glamorous, cosmopolitan Costa del Sol, while the Costa de la Luz lies along the Atlantic shore to the west of Gibraltar.

As well as Andalucia´s fascinating cities and dazzling shores, the region is sprinkled with tiny unspoilt villages and whitewashed towns - the famous pueblos blancos - which tourists often overlook, even though they are of easy access, such as Competa, Canillas de Albaida, Archez, Salares...

Natural Park "Sierra Tejeda and Almijara"
Designated a natural park in 1999, this large and rugged mountainous region (see photo on top of this page) of 40,663ha stretches across the provincial border of Granada and Malaga. Its western part in Malaga province is known as the Axarquía and is famous for its attractive villages dating from Moorish times. It is also superb hiking country and its numerous steep mountainsides make it ideal for climbers. Its highest peak is La Maroma, at 2,080m.

Geologically, the area has some distinctive features. It is rich in quartzite and gneiss, which date from over 300 million years ago. The Sierra Almijara has one of Spains's most important areas of dolomitic marble, which gives the landscape its characteristic grey and white hues where erosion has broken down the marble into small stones. The main rock in the Sierra Tejeda is limestone, which has been severely weathered leaving a landscape riddled with steep-sided ravines and plunging cliff faces.

There are many caves, the most famous being those at Nerja. Others are near the sierras' highest peak, at La Sima de la Maroma, and close to the village of Canillas de Aceituno.

Its relative remote nature has meant that it has a high number of endemic species of flora and is rich in wildlife, particularly raptors and mountain birds. Its inaccessibility has also meant that historically, it has harboured bandits and later on, anti-Franco guerrillas during the Civil War.

Walking is an important attraction in the region. The natural park Sierra Almijara and Tejeda offer a wide variety of walks.

The summer in the area is very hot. If you want to have an active walking holiday the summer is not the best time of the year. The rest of the year the climate is agreeable (usually 10 to 15 degrees higher than Great Britain and the Netherlands).

Spaniards in general are not great walkers, although the walking area here is immense. So it often happens that while walking a whole day in a fantastic area, you won’t encounter any other walker.

General
For those who like to combine the usual holiday pursuits of swimming and sunbathing with naure, some history and culture, there is plenty to see in this area.

Discover the real Spain! unspoilt countryside, magnificent mountain views and glorious weather!