November 2008

NATURE

Andalucía

So muchto seeSo muchto see

A region with a lotto discover andenjoy INSIDE

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Luciano Alonso is about to facehis first major tourism fair:the World Travel Market in

London. He is full of enthusiasm,maybe because as he says, “It iseasy to ride a winning horse”'. Asthe Andalusian Minister forTourism, he understands thatAndalucía is not only one of the bestpossible alternatives available forthe British market, but is also thebest option in a time of economiccrisis such as that which is beingexperienced internationally at themoment. “The proximity of the

destination, the price-quality ratio,the range of offers available andalso the exclusivity of the same; thisis what places us in the bestpossible position because, besides,people aren’t giving up their leisurebecause it is necessary and possiblythe biggest social conquest of thepast century, but neither are theyprepared to spend moneyunwisely”. For the Minister, theimportance of the WTM in Londonis not based solely on this fact,which affects all levels, but alsobecause the tourism model which

Andalucía is going to present at thefair is totally different to what hasbeen seen before. “We are seekingthe individual client and themessage will be relayed to him notonly from the place where the travelfair is being held but also from themain railway and undergroundstations in London and from thebiggest shopping centre in thecapital city of the United Kingdom.New times need new ideas and alsonew challenges”. How do tourists of today seeAndalucía?

The new tourist of the 21st centuryis more demanding and also moreindividualistic. He prepares histrips, acts as the organiser of hisleisure time from the beginning tothe end, and seeks the highestquality possible.He wants quality, because thenthere is no chance of being cheated,as he is responsible for organisingeverything right from start tofinish. The tourist of today is fullyaware that his holidays are a greatbenefit and he is not prepared to

give them up. He seeks excellence:the place that he chooses to spendhis holiday must be different. Andeverybody is the same, fromsomeone who has a great deal ofmoney to spend to someone who hasto find an economic balance for therest of the year in order to enjoy afew days far away from home.Everybody designs a differentprogramme of holidays according tohow much they can afford, choosingsomething which suits their tastesand, above all, something differentfrom the rest. Tourists have nowbecome their own travel agents,maybe because they think nobodycan look after them better than theythemselves can, and of course theyuse the new technologies whichhave opened up the tourist industrythese days.And what do we offer these

tourists?We offer them everything. A widerange of possibilities, which noother destination in Europepossesses. This is our advantage.The law of supply and demand inthe tourist industry has changedand we are at the forefront, we areprepared to be the best competitorsin the new market. We have takencare of all the details and althoughit is not the best moment because ofthe economic situation which isaffecting international society, thetruth is that we are in a perfectposition. We don’t want to sit backand make no effort, in the sense thatwe mustn’t relax and think we arethe best and that’s all there is to it.It’s not enough to think it, you alsohave to make it work. Tourism is a weapon with whichto fight the crisis for areas likeours, don’t you think?Undoubtedly. Look, tourism hasstopped being a ‘sector’ and hasbecome an ‘industry’ and this is adetermining factor for any country.For Andalucía, this industryaccounts for 12.5 per cent of its GNPand 450,000 stable jobs, and in 2007 itgenerated 16,400 million euros.These figures say it all. But apartfrom this it is the biggest industryand the one which has the bestfuture ahead of it, because the rightto leisure has been the greatestsocial conquest of the 20th centuryand nobody is prepared to give upsuch an important achievement. Itmay be that the tourist of today, inthe middle of an economic crisis,may stay away for a shorter time,may choose somewhere closer, mayspend less money, whatever. But heis not going to say “No” to his rightto leisure time, his right to rest.Leisure is now considered byeverybody to be nothing less than anecessity, not a luxury. And there isan important fact. While theeconomy is falling, in Andalucíatourism has risen by 1.6 per cent.That is less than anticipated, true,but it is the only economic sectorwhich has showed a rise. That sayseverything, because, besides, thedata in our hands shows thatdespite the delicate moment we arepassing through, the figures wehave are very hopeful. .What are you referring toexactly?For example, at the moment 218 newhotel projects have been lodgedwith the Tourism Registry ofAndalucía; 43 travel agencies haveclosed down and ceased trading butwe still have 193 brand newestablishments which will beopening within the next fewmonths. Thirdly, the Ministry forTourism has also offered incentivesto improve the competitiveness ofthe hotel sector this year, under thePlan Quyalifica and financialassistance to help boost theeconomy in Andalucía. The figuressay it all, and for that reason we cansay with satisfaction that we have

received a total of 103 projects witha total investment of 307 millioneuros. These figures permit us to beoptimistic although we always keepour feet on the ground, now morethan ever. The tourism sector isstrong, there are plenty of projectsin the pipeline and there is the willto go ahead and this will help us toweather the crisis and face it with acompletely different perspective tothat of other economic sectors. And how is tourism in Andalucíapresented within an economicsituation like the present one?In moments of crisis, the besttourism opportunity available forthe citizens of Britain and the restof Europe is in Andalucía, without ashadow of a doubt. Why do I saythat? Because of its proximity, forwhat it offers, for the price-qualityratio and for the excellence of thedestination. At the momentAndalucía is the best possibletourist destination. Definitely. Thebest option for any citizen of Europeduring a period of crisis isAndalucía but particularly for theBritish. It’s only two hours awayfrom home, they already know

about its quality, they know itsatmosphere, they have alreadyexperienced it, and theirsatisfaction is more thanguaranteed if the results of oursurveys are anything to go by. GreatBritain is our main ‘exporter’ oftourists, and that says something.British tourists know that theywon’t be experimenting if theycome to Andalucía, in fact quite theopposite. In times of economic crisisyou don’t start experimenting orplaying around with the idea oftaking holidays in unstable places.You have to look for safe, qualitydestinations close to home. That’swhy I say that with the currenteconomic crisis, Andalucía is thebest destination for British tourists.Also, the Andalucían economy isbeing supported by tourism at thistime of crisis.What is Andalucía going to do atthe World Travel Market?We have to change the philosophyat fairs like the World TravelMarket, which continues to beessential for our interests. If youwill forgive me the expression, weare going to ‘take over London’. Our

concept of the fair has changed,because the concept in itself haschanged. We’re not just staying putin the ExCel centre, we’re going outinto the street to offer our product.We’re going to be at the biggestrailway stations and undergroundstations in London, and the biggestshopping centre. We’re going tocarry out individualised activitiesaimed at masses of people. And ofcourse we will also be at the fair. Wehave to do whatever we can becausenew times demand new ideas andalso new efforts. At this WorldTravel Market we are going to dealdirectly with the consumer becausethat is what we understand willproduce the best results and thebest benefits. We’re going to sell oursegments and our provinces; we’regoing to sell Andalucía as a wholeand in individual detail. We havethe best offer and we are going topresent it to each and every one ofour potential clients.Tourists are becomingincreasingly demanding.And that’s normal. It’s logical. Weare also more demanding in termsof what we do and what we offer.The tourist continues to be ourmain priority and for that reasonwe will dedicate all our best effortsfor him or her. We are continuallyoffering a better environment andfor that reason we promotesustainable tourism. This is givingvery good results, and now we areincorporating I+D+I, because inthis technological age you have toadopt the technology if you are tosucceed. For that reason, in ourregion we are gong to develop arevolutionary laboratory, theAgency for Tourism Intelligence ofAndalucía, which will be based inMarbella. In this totally newlaboratory we will analyse tourists,those who come just as much asthose who don’t. It will provideextremely valuable information forcompanies in the tourist industryand will analyse the results ofsurveys to enable us to respondproperly to tourists’ demands.And after the World TravelMarket, what will you do inBritain?We will continue to aim ourmessage at the public and for thatreason we are going to carry out abig campaign in January in the fivebiggest cities in the UnitedKingdom which also have air linkswith our part of the world. We, atthe Andalucían Ministry ofTourism, can’t just continue whatwas done before. The change isgoing to be brutal, but there is noother way. Other markets are alsoincreasing their efforts, but we havethe advantage and we must makesure we don’t lose it by being laidback. We have the card trickbecause our region has everything:culture, gastronomy, sport, sun andbeaches, spas, cities, nature....Where else has all that to offer at thesame time? Nowhere but Andalucía. BEST OPTION. / SUR

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Luciano Alonso Andalusian Minister for Tourism

LUCIANO ALONSO. / SUR

“Proximity, price-quality ratio,exclusivity,here we have it all”

“In times of crisis, thebest option for Britishtourists is southern Spain

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Andalucía is a land ofcontrasts. Among its eightprovinces you will findbeaches of white or golden

sand, green valleys, majestic snow-topped mountains, rivers, salt flatsand natural lakes, environmentallyprotected nature reserves, ancientcities, modern towns and Arabvillages, but no matter which partof Andalucía you visit, you won’tfail to notice its very specialatmosphere.

Andalucía is the largest andmost populated region of Spain, butit is still a land of vast open spaceswhere you can walk for hours ordrive long distances without seeinganother soul. Its landscape isincredibly varied, and in Granadaprovince, for example, it is onlyforty kilometres from the capitalcity or the snowy Sierra Nevada tothe Costa Tropical. This variety ofscenery is reflected in the climate,with coastal areas being severaldegrees milder than inland regionsduring the winter and if you haveheard that it is possible to ski inthe morning and sunbathe on thebeach in the afternoon, yes, it’sabsolutely true.

ClimateIn Andalucía as a whole the sunshines on more than 300 days of theyear and some places, such asAlmería, can even break thatrecord. This is the most southerlyregion of Europe and at its south-ernmost point in Cadiz province it isonly fifteen kilometres from NorthAfrica, so it gets extremely hot in

the summer. However, unlike morenorthern climes, Andalucía has adry heat and high summer tempera-tures can often be more comfortablethan lower ones in places where thehumidity is higher. Seville, Cordobaand Jaen provinces get particularlyhot in July and August and temper-atures there have been known toreach 50 degrees Celsius althoughthey are normally in the 40s duringthose months. The city of Seville lieson an enormous flat plain which isnicknamed ‘The frying pan ofEurope’ because, it is claimed, italmost sizzles in the fierce summerheat. Elsewhere, temperatures arenormally in the 30s during the sum-mer, and the spring is delightful inAndalucía, with temperatures in the20s and the countryside full of flow-ers. Autumn can be rainy in mostplaces, turning the arid landscapegreen again after months of no rain,and inland areas do get cold in win-ter, particularly at night, but thechances are that the sun will shineduring the day and it will be warm enough to sit outside.

CommunicationsGone are the days when it took agesto travel from one part of the regionto the other, or even from one townor village to the other. Andalucía’sinfrastructure has progressed inleaps and bounds in recent years,with new motorways and dual car-riageways being opened and moreunder construction or planned. It isnow possible to travel long distancesin a comparatively short time, some-thing which would have been

unthinkable a decade or two ago.Train travel is also high on the

list of priorities when it comes togetting from one part of the coun-try to the other. It is now possibleto reach Madrid in two and a halfhours from both Seville andMalaga, thanks to the new railwaylines and the high speed AVEtrains which have revolutionisedrail travel in this region. The AVEis also due to begin operating toand from Cadiz within the next fewyears.

Those travelling from abroad toAndalucía now have a choice offour airports so they can fly directto many parts of the region. Malagais currently undergoing extensionworks which will transform it intothe most important airport of theMediterranean region, and Jerez,which is the only airport in Cadizprovince, has also proven sopopular that extension works havebecome necessary. Sevilleinternational airport and thesmaller one at Granada are theother airports in Andalucía, sowherever passengers are heading,their destination is likely to bewithin reach of at least one airportand possibly convenient for more. .

When travelling withinAndalucía, it is always worthconsidering public transport.Urban bus services are frequentand inexpensive, and coachservices between different parts ofthe region are surprisingly cheap ,convenient and very comfortable.There are also several ports inAndalucía which run ferryservices, and it is possible to take aferry from Malaga, Algeciras orTarifa to visit Morocco for a day orlonger. Cadiz city has also begunan innovative catamaran service totransport commuters and touristsacross the Bay to and from ElPuerto de Santa Maria and Rota.

Andalucíais different Contrastinglandscapes anda lovely climatebid you a verywarm welcome

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Andalucía’scountryside isfull of colourful flowers inthe spring

Publictransport hasimproved inleaps andbounds inrecent years

SUMMER HEAT. Seville, Jaén and Cordoba (above) are very hot in summer/ SUR

INLAND. The region has many vestiges of Arab times/ SUR SNOW Skiing in the Sierra NevadaSURWATER. Commuters in Cadiz can use a catamaran service / SUR

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ONE is on the Costa de la Luzand is famous for its vastbeaches of white sand. Theother sits inland, amid a sea

of olive trees. Huelva is known forits seafaring links with ChristopherColumbus and the discovery ofAmerica. The province of Jaén, inthe north-east of Andalucía, hasmany historic and beautiful towns,two of which have been declaredWorld Heritage Sites. They couldn’tseem more different, but in fact theprovinces of Huelva and Jaén havea great deal in common, not leastthat they are both home to some ofthe world’s most importantprotected natural parks.

HuelvaIf you mention Huelva to most peo-ple abroad, they will probably thinkof its links with Christopher Colum-bus and his discovery of America.The small town of Palos de la Fron-tera now has an information centreabout Cristóbal Colón, as he isknown locally, and his epic voyage,and each year a Mediaeval Festivalis held here in his memory. MentionHuelva to a Spaniard, however, andhis or her first thought is likely to beEl Rocío, the tiny village to whichpeople flock from all over the coun-try and from abroad each year onone of Spain’s most famous pilgrim-ages. Anyone who has been to Huel-va, though, will hear the name andimmediately think of beaches. Thisprovince has more than 120 kilome-tres of uninterrupted coastline andperfect pine-fringed beaches whichnever fail to elicit gasps of delightfrom those who see them for the firsttime. One of the loveliest is at PuntaUmbría, which was one of Spain’sfirst tourist resorts, but otherswhose reputation has spread far andwide include Isla Cristina, La

Flecha de Rompido, La Antilla,Islantilla, La Redondela, Isla Canela,Punta del Moral and Matalascañas.There are beaches suitable for fami-lies, beaches for naturists, beachesof virgin sand and beaches whereyou won’t see another soul and theonly sound is the lapping of theAtlantic against the shore. TheCoast of Light lives up to its namehere. The clarity of the light is extra-ordinary and captivating. It intensi-fies the blue of the sea and sky andthe green of the landscape, especial-ly, of course, at Huelva’s othermajor and well deserved claim tofame: Doñana. This part of Spain istruly a natural paradise. Of the10,000 square kilometres whichmake up Huelva province, 3,000 areprotected. This is the home of theDoñana Natural Area, whichincludes the National Park and theNatural Park. The latter is so envi-ronmentally valuable that the num-ber of daily visitors is restricted toprotect the varied ecosystems andthe only form of transport is by spe-cially laid on four wheel drive vehi-

cles but it is worth making a reser-vation because this is a life-enhanc-ing experience. The trip takes youfrom the sand dunes to the marsh-land via the pine woods, and one ofthe highlights is the return journeyalong the deserted sands from themouth of the Guadalquivir rivertowards the outskirts of Matalas-cañas while the setting sun coloursthe sand different shades of orangeand red and where you are likely tosee wild boar along the seashore orthe silhouettes of deer on top of ahigh dune.

Visitors are free to travel at willthrough Doñana’s National Park,which is equally beautiful and var-ied. Bird watchers and walkers arein their element here, and Doñana’speace and tranquility is balm for thesoul of those who need to escapefrom the stresses and strains of nor-mal daily life for a few days. Otherenvironmentally valuable and pro-tected areas of Huelva provinceinclude the Odiel and Isla Cristinamarshes, the Sierra de Aracena andPicos de Aroche Natural Parks, andnatural reserves such as the lagoonsof El Portil, all of which are rich inflora and fauna and bound to delightany visitor.

JaénThe colour ‘olive green’ must haveoriginated here. Half of the world’solive oil is produced in Spain; 80per cent of that comes fromAndalucía and 60 per cent of thatfrom Jaén. This province has beengrowing olives and making olive oilfor thousands of years. These daysthere are olive groves as far as theeye can see and an olive is theemblem and the pride of thisprovince. The people of this regionalso have an awful lot more to beproud of. Jaén city is fascinating,with its streets winding down from

the castle on Santa Catalina hill. Itis rich in historic buildings andseveral days are needed to exploreit properly. The towns of Baeza andÚbeda, perched on fortified hilltopsand situated close together, havebeen declared World Heritage Sites.These two sisters share a romanticand interesting past and should not

be missed, but it is also well worthvisiting other important towns inJaén province such as Andújar andSegura, as they all have somethingspecial to offer. Jaén’s historicaland architectural heritage is notthe only reason for its importance:the Sierra de Cazorla, Sierra deAndújar and Despeñaperros natur-

al parks are also in this provinceand together they form the largestprotected natural area in Spain.Within its 214,300 hectares, thereare rocky mountains, green forests,fast-flowing rivers and some reallyimpressive waterfalls. Here youwill also find the source of theGuadalquivir river, which is the

longest in Andalucía. These naturalparks are the home of rare andendangered species of flora andfauna, some of which are unique tothis area. Among their treasuresare the Austrian pine tree, theCazorla violet, a daffodil which isbelieved to be the smallest in theworld, lynxes, wolves and the

Valverde wall lizard. The Jaén tourist board describes

the province as an ‘inland paradise’and it certainly lives up to its name.The countryside is spectacular, thetowns are charming, and there arecolourful festivals at differenttimes throughout the year. Oh, andof course there is the olive oil....

Two forms ofparadise fornature lovers Natural parks beside thesea and in the mountains

EL ROCÍO. Emotion at the appearance of the Virgin

HISTORY. Baeza and Úbeda (above) are World Heritage Sites/ SUR

CAZORLA. The natural park is one of nature’s miracles / SUR

OLIVES. Jaén has been making olive oil for thousands of years/ SUR

H U E L V A A N D J A É N

Many of theendangeredspecies inthe naturalparks areunique tothese areas

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Andalucía’s Moorish past stepsout of the history books inGranada and Cordoba. Thesecities are homes to two of

Spain’s most precious monuments,the Alhambra and the Mosque-Cathedral respectively, and theyprovide a fascinating glimpse intothe history and culture of the sevenhundred years when Andalucía wasunder Moorish rule. Many storieshave been written about thesemonuments and the cities whichhouse them, but they have theirown very individual stories to telland you will begin to hear theirwords as soon as you step over theirthresholds.

GranadaA winter sunset over the Alhambra,witnessed from the Mirador de SanNicolás, is all it takes for mostpeople to fall in love with Granada.The sight of the ancient, elegantred-hued buildings, reflectedagainst the snow of the SierraNevada, is one of the most romanticin the world. But the narrow streetsof this fascinating city holdhundreds of other reasons tobecome enamoured of it. Some places in Granada provincedate back hundreds of thousands ofyears but the city has its origins inwhat is now its Albaicín district,some five thousand years ago whenit was the village of Ilbyr.Numerous peoples have passedthrough what is now Granada, theGreeks, Phoenicians,Carthaginians, Romans andVisigoths among them, but it wasthe Moors who produced the mostsignificant change in the history ofthe city. Granada came to glory andreached the peak of its splendourunder the Nazari dynasty whichwas founded by Muhammad inNasr in 1238. It was in this era thatthe Alhambra and other

emblematic buildings of the citywere built. These are a perfectillustration of the rich artistry ofHispanic-Muslim architecture, andthe Generalife gardens which werebuilt in the early sixteenth centurystill retain the grace and ambienceof those times.

There is a wonderful view of theAlbaicín district from theAlhambra. This was the marketarea and it is still composed ofnarrow winding streets lined bywhitewashed houses and prettyinterior patios. Almost as famous isthe Sacromonte district, which lies

above the Albaicín and is known asthe heart of flamenco in Granada.With such a long history behind it,the city is not lacking in interestingbuildings. Granada was the lastMuslim city in Spain, and itscathedral, built with jasper andcoloured marble, is a fitting finalresting place for the CatholicMonarchs who ousted the Moorsand who considered the reconquestof Granada to be their greatestachievement. They are buried in itsRoyal Chapel. Granada hasRenaissance, Baroque andNeoclassical churches and palaces,pretty tree-lined squares withfountains, the remains of its oldcity gates and bell towers whichwere once minarets. It is now agrowing and modern city but it isjustly proud of its past and theghosts of the Moors are never faraway.

If you can tear yourself awayfrom the delights of Granada city,you will be equally delighted by therest of the province. The SierraNevada forms a stunning backdropto the city, and is one of Europe’smost popular ski resorts. Thecountryside around Granada hassmall and pretty villages dottedabout the hillsides, and the flat-roofed Berber villages of themajestic green Alpujarramountains are only about half anhour’s drive away. Good roads leaddown to the coast, where there arelovely beaches and traditionaltowns such as Salobreña, Motriland Almuñécar. This is the CostaTropical, and its mildmicroclimate is said to be unique inEurope. There is an airport atGranada, so it is easily accessiblefrom the U.K. The only problem isthat, once you know Granada, youwill love it so much that you won’twant to leave.

CordobaCordoba takes your breath away.As you approach the historic part ofthe city, the beauty of the ancientbuildings viewed across theGuadalquivir river is almostenough to move you tears, andeverybody who wanders around the

network of tiny streets which sur-round the Mosque will alreadyhave fallen in love with this exquis-ite city before they have evenentered its most famous monu-ment. This mosque is unusual. It isthe best example of its type in thewhole of the Western world, butwhereas most mosques face Mecca

in the east, this one faces southbecause the numerous extensions ithas undergone have changed itsorientation. Inside there is also amajor surprise for the visitors whomake their way through its ocean ofcolumns and arches - instead ofdemolishing the mosque, theCatholic Monarchs built a cathe-

dral inside it. Outside, Cordoba oozes history

from every pore. The labyrinth oftiny streets around the Mosqueleads to the Jewish Quarter of thecity, whose appearance is the samenow as it was during the Moorishera. The synagogue dates back to1315 and is the only one from this

period which still remains inAndalucía. On the banks of theriver you will find the Alcázar ofthe Christian Kings, the fortresswhich was also used as an occasion-al residence by Ferdinand andIsabela, the Catholic Monarchs. Itsbeautiful gardens are a reminderthat Cordoba is a flower filled city.Apart from the Botanic Gardenwith its collection of Ibero-Ameri-can flora, the Gardens of Juan Car-los I, near the University, are thevenue for poetry festivals eachsummer and in the city centre theJardines de Plan Renfe are areminder of the modern world, asthey lie in an area which has beenspecially created around the newAVE high speed train station.

Cordoba province also offers his-toric delights such as the ‘Route ofthe Caliphate’. This leads throughvillages which are a legacy of thedays of Al-Andalus, and eight kilo-metres outside Cordoba are theremains of Medina Azahara, thelarge town whose construction wasstarted by Abd-al-Rahman III in thetenth century. Historians say it wasbuilt to highlight the power of thekingdom over which the Caliphruled, as this was one of the largestin mediaeval Europe, but popularlegend has it that he really built itin honour of his favourite lady, whohappened to be named Azahara.

A romantic legend. A romanticcity. Nobody can fail to fall in lovewith Cordoba and everyone wholeaves longs to return.

Finding love atfirst sightThese two romantic andfascinating cities neverfail to bewitch visitors Cordoba is

a flower-filledcity withbeautifulparks andgardens

The viewof Cordobaacross theGuadalquivirriver isbreathtaking

The SierraNevada is astunningbackdrop tothe Alhambrapalace

HISTORY. Both cities have buildings which date back to the time of Moorish rule. Above, Granada. Below, Cordoba

G R A N A D A A N D C O R D O B A

THEY are two of Spain’s mostpopular tourist destinations.Both are on the coast, bothhave capital cities dominated

by a fortress and with a wealth ofhistory. Both have small and prettyvillages, inland and by the sea. Bothoffer a wide range of leisurefacilities. So how can Malaga andAlmeria be so different? The answer

lies in their landscapes and theirscenery. These two provinces havemany attractions for visitors, butthey appear to have been cast fromvery different moulds.

AlmeriaAlmeria, on the eastern coast, isblessed with a wonderfulsubtropical climate and is the

sunniest region of Spain. It hasabout 3,000 hours of sun every year,low rainfall, and a large area of theprovince is desert. This is where the‘spaghetti westerns’ were madebetween the 1950s and 1980s, andany film buffs who visit the Almeriadesert will recognise the landscapeswhich served as a backdrop forscenes in films such as Lawrence of

Almeria’sdesert has featured inmany films

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Arabia, Indiana Jones and manyothers. In total, Almeria’s deserthas featured in over 200 films andTV series. As one would expect, thebeaches of this region are superb,especially the one at Carboneras, inthe beautiful Cabo de Gata-NíjarNature Park, which has beenofficially classified as the BestBeach in Spain, but this region alsohas a great deal of other attractionsto offer its visitors.

The bustling city of Almeria iswell worth a visit. It dates back tothe time of the Phoenicians and wasat its prime in the eleventh centurywhen its port was the busiest inwhat was then Al-Andalus and itspecialised in trading silks andtextiles. Commerce is stillimportant in modern Almeria, as ithas become a thriving shoppingcentre. It is also strong on culture,with art exhibitions, concerts andtheatre performances throughoutthe year. Despite its modernity, thecity retains many vestiges of itshistory. It is crowned by its fortress,which was built to hold more than20,000 soldiers, and its historic oldtown centre surrounds its Gothicand Renaissance 16th centurycathedral. Almeria is also famed for

its cave district, the Barrio deChanca.Outside the capital city, Almeria’s

varied coast and countryside offersan extensive range of outdooractivities ranging from nauticalsports and diving, mule rides andpot holding, to hang-gliding andmountain biking. It is also popularwith golfers, as some of Spain’s bestgolf courses are situated in thisprovince.

MalagaWhile Almeria is famed for itssubtropical climate and its desert,Malaga province is very green formuch of the year and its scenery ischaracterised by pretty small whitevillages dotted among woodedmountainsides. There are twoMalagas, really. One is the ruralpart of the province, with beautifulhistoric towns such as Ronda andAntequera, and the other is thecoastal region, also the touristdestination par excellence, theCosta del Sol. This contrast makesit possible to enjoy the beaches andstate of the art leisure facilities ofthe coast while on holiday but alsoto step back into a different worldby travelling just a short distance

inland.Many people who arrive here on

holiday leave Malaga’sinternational airport and headstraight for the delights of the Costadel Sol without even thinking aboutvisiting the province’s capital city,but just one day in Malaga is a daywell spent and this charming,vibrant city merits a longer stay. Itsmain attractions are the cathedral,which is known locally as the ‘littleone-armed lady’ because one of itstowers was never finished, theGibralfaro castle and Alcazabafortress, the Roman theatre and, forart lovers, the Picasso museum andthe Museum of Contemporary Art,but there are plenty of othertreasures to be discovered for thosewho have enough time. Malaga isalso a shopper’s paradise and awander round the narrow streets inthe city centre or along thepedestrianised Calle Larios isbound to be a rewardingexperience. Those same lovelystreets are transformed twice ayear. During Holy Week they arethe setting for the beautiful,emotional candle-lit processionsevery evening, when religiousstatues on flower-filled floats areborne slowly through the city to thesound of a slow drum beat and thefragrance of incense. In August thesame streets which witnessed thesolemnity of those processions arefilled with colour and music aslocal people celebrate their annualFeria.

Some of the most famous beachresorts of southern Spain are only ashort distance from the provincialcapital. To the east lies the prettytown of Nerja, with its incrediblecave. To the west, Malaga’s nearestneighbour is Torremolinos, theCosta del Sol’s first tourist resort,which is known nowadays not onlyfor its beaches but also for itsextraordinary nightlife. A littlefurther along the coast you will findBenalmádena, ideal for familyholidays because it offersnumerous attractions including acable car trip to the top of themountain behind the town and amarine park. Benalmádena’sleisure port has won awards for itsstunning design, and it is alsofamous for its nightlife. AdjoiningBenalmádena is another favouritefamily-friendly resort, Fuengirola,and about half an hour’s drivefurther along the coast is a namewhich is associated with luxurygoods and the high life: Marbella,and of course the jet-setters’ port ofPuerto Banús.

In Malaga province, it is possibleto have the best of all worlds. Thosewho can tear themselves away fromthe attractions of the coast willsoon find themselves in atraditional world of small townsand villages, of majestic mountainsand green valleys. Malaga even hasits own Lake District, near Ardalesand the impressive gorge of ElChorro, in an area which is verypopular with rock climbers,walkers and bird watchers. It is thisvariety and contrast which makesMalaga such a delightful place tovisit and explains its popularity forall different types of tourism.

Two cities and twoprovinces with verydifferent attractions

M A L A G A A N D A L M E R I A

One of Almeria’sbeaches is officiallyknown as thebest in Spain

Malaga is acharming and vibrant citywhich isrewarding toexplore

ALMERIA. The province has some of the best beaches in Spain/ SUR MALAGA. The city has some wonderful historic buildings / SUR

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CADIZ was founded three thou-sand years ago by the Phoenicians,who called it Gadir, and from thattime onwards it has played animportant part in history. In 1812,the city became the birthplace ofmodern Spain when the first Span-ish Constitution was declared there,and preparations are already underway for some extremely impressive

celebrations throughout 2012 tomark the bicentenary of this majorturning point in Spanish history. Itis this blend of old and new, a senseof history combined with excite-ment, which makes Cadiz such aninteresting place to visit. It is also abeautiful city, situated on a promon-tory on the Atlantic Ocean and sur-rounded by water on three sides.

The beaches are fabulous, there is athriving shopping centre, and thenarrow winding streets and ancientbuildings of the historic city centreshouldn’t be missed. Most citieshave a cathedral but Cadiz can boasttwo, standing one beside the other,and known as the ‘Old’ cathedral -now the Santa Cruz parish church -and the ‘New’ cathedral, whose con-

struction began in 1722 and whosewhite walls and golden dome makeit a landmark which is visible fromall over the city and from the sea.The sea has always played a majorpart in Cadiz’s history and its pros-perity, and the port from whichChristopher Columbus set off on twovoyages now welcomes cruise linersas well as container ships.

Cadiz is particularly famous forits Carnival and its Holy Week pro-cessions, both of which attract manythousands of people. However, it is agreat place to visit at any time ofyear and there is a busy programmeof concerts, art exhibitions andother cultural events all year round.The city is also an ideal base for vis-iting the other attractions of Cadizprovince, of which there are many.Other towns around the Bay ofCadiz can be reached by catamaran,while the region’s other major city,Jerez, is just a short trip along amotorway or a train ride away.Jerez is the home of flamenco, goodwines and elegant Andalusian hors-es. The regional airport is also here.Cadiz province is known for itsunspoiled spectacular beaches andwater sports, but its inland region,particularly the mountainous Sier-

ra de Cadiz, is equally unspoiled andbeautiful, with traditional white vil-lages where time seems to havestood still and incredible scenery.Inland Cadiz is heaven for walkersand bird watchers, and the wholeprovince is a photographer’s par-adise.

. . SevilleCadiz was once part of the old king-dom of Seville for administrativepurposes, until it segregated in1833. Nowadays, Seville is still the

administrative centre of Andalucíaand the seat of the Andalucían par-liament but nothing could be fur-ther from the image of a dull, bor-ing city where the bureaucraticwheels of an autonomous communi-ty slowly turn, than this romantic,sophisticated and elegant place.

Seville is divided by theGuadalquivir river, and a leisurelyboat trip is an ideal way to take alook at the city’s architecture andmonuments such as one of the mostbeautiful towers in the world, thegolden Torre Del Oro, which oncehad a sister on the opposite bank ofthe river. Once back on dry land, awalk through the historic city cen-tre brings us to the famous Giraldatower, which used to be the minaretof a mosque. It is well worth climb-ing the numerous steps to the top ofthe tower to enjoy the spectacularviews over Seville, before descend-ing again to the Cathedral whichwas built on the site of the mosque.Seville’s Cathedral is one of thelargest churches in the world andthe greatest artists and architectsof the 15th century were involved inits design. The Real Alcázar, a for-tified palace with origins in the10th century, is another ancient

building which shouldn’t be missedwhen visiting Seville. Throughoutthe centuries, successive monarchshave improved the salons andpatios of the fortress and createdgorgeous gardens, each of whichhas been given its own specialname. With Seville’s aristocraticheritage there is no shortage ofpalaces, and a stroll through thepretty streets of the historic citycentre reveals beautiful residencesand numerous churches, many ofthem with extraordinary works ofart.

Bigger and betterSeville is not just about history andculture, however. The name Sevilleis synonymous with fun and thiscity likes to do everything biggerand better than anywhere else.Nowhere can compete with theannual Fair which takes place justafter Easter each year. For anentire week, the city centre and theenormous fairground are crowdedwith people singing and dancing,drinking and eating, partying andhaving fun. Those intricate danceswith the catchy rhythm, performedby couples or in groups, are evencalled Sevillanas, and the ladieswho perform the dances wear frillySevillana dresses. The people ofSeville are renowned for their highspirits and extrovert, lively charac-ter, and even if you miss the Feria,you are bound to have a good timein this city.

‘Semana Santa’ (Holy Week) issomething else that Seville cele-brates in style. The floats arebreathtaking, the atmosphere elec-tric and nobody can fail to bemoved by the sheer beauty andemotion of the event. Nor, if truthbe told, by beautiful, historic andevocative Seville.

Full of history andlooking to the futureModern cities with a colourful past

CADIZ. The city’s inhabitants dress up for carnival / SUR TORRE DEL ORO. Seville’s golden tower is one of the most beautiful in the world / SUR

C A D I Z A N D S E V I L L E

The Giraldatower hasspectacularviews overthe whole city

Seville doeseverythingbigger andbetter thananywhere else

Cadiz canboast twocathedrals, side by side

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Flamenco was born inAndalucía. The date of birthis arguable as many expertsinsist that flamenco in its

present form began only a couple ofhundred years ago, although itsorigins date back much further.This art form which is now such anintegral part of Andalucían cultureis a blend of different influencesfrom Arabic, Sephardic and gypsycultures. It's also widely believedthat sub-Saharan African cultureshad a strong influence on flamencobecause of the slave trade on theIberian peninsula. Flamencoconsists of acoustic guitar music,song and dance. The dancing girlsof Cadiz were aready well knownduring the time of the RomanEmpire and they are reported tohave used castanets even then, butsome of the movements of flamencodance also appear to be linked toHindu and Greek dances. Thegypsies came to Andalucía fromIndia in 1450 and their influencehas been decisive. Flamenco songmay have its roots in the religiouschanting of the Jewish communitywhich grew up in this region duringRoman times. Add to this the songsof the Moors who came here in the

eighth century and the sevenhundreed years of their muezzinscalling the faithful to prayer fromthe mosques, and we can find thebeginnings of an explanation offlamenco song. The Spanish guitarhas evolved from a five string lute,invented during Moorish timeswhen most lutes at that time hadonly four strings, and flamencoguitarists now use an instrumentwith six strings. Even flamenco’sname is ambiguous. Some claimthat it comes from the Arabic‘fellah mangu’, meaning ‘workerwho sings’; others believe it datesback to the early 16th century whenthe colourfully-dressed andflamboyant Flemish courtiers werenicknamed flamingos. Anothertheory is that the first gypsies tosettle in Andalucía were knowncolloquially as ‘flamencos’.Certainly, flamenco and the gypsyculture are very closely entwined.Whatever its heritage, flamencowas born of pure emotion andseeing a real flamenco performancethese days is an emotional andgripping experience. The songs areheart-wrenching and the dancepassionate. There is a hugedifference between the flamenco

shows which are laid on for touristsand the genuine art form which isfound in the ‘tablaos’ of manycities, towns and villages inAndalucía. We talk about flamencoas if it were just one thing, but ithas different components anddifferent forms. In fact, flamencodiffers in each Andalucíanprovince. Few people come toAndalucía just for the flamenco,although many tourists areinterested in seeing it. There isrivalry among different cities as towhich is the home of flamenco andwhose version is the best and mostauthentic, so it is interesting to visitmore than one to compare them.

Flamenco has a basic core. Thereis a singer, the ‘cantaor’ or ‘cantao-ra’. The guitarist who accompanieshim or her, called the ‘tocaor’, is inturn accompanied by a group ofpeople known as ‘el jaleo’. Theyclap out the rhythm, stamp theirfeet and shout encouragement tothe dancer and to the guitarist as heplucks the strings and simultane-ously taps the wood of the guitar tocreate percussion. Nowadays, thereis always one or more dancer, the‘bailaores’. Originally, public fla-menco performances consisted of

just the song and the music. Thishad many enthusiasts in Spain butwasn’t really popular elsewhereuntil dance was included and it isprobably the flamenco dance which

is still the main attraction fortourists. Granada claims to be thehome of flamenco, as it was devel-oped in the gypsy caves of theSacromonte district and this is stillone of the best places to experiencethe real thing.

Seville also has a convincingclaim to be the birthplace of flamen-co, particularly the Triana district.The city has numerous flamencovenues, many of them in lovely oldbuildings.

The other city which played avital role in the development of fla-menco is Jerez. Here, flamenco istaken very seriously and there is amuseum, a flamenco centre andinternational conferences everyfew years. The best places to see fla-menco song and dance in Jerez arethe small clubs, the ‘peñas’, ofwhich there are more than a dozen.

Flamenco can be found all overAndalucía, in cities, towns and vil-lages. Look out for festivals andcompetitions too, as these are to befound in different provincesthroughout the year. This art formis now an important part of life inthis region, and is representative ofits fiery passion, its grace and itsbeauty.

The birthplace of true flamencoThe music and dance ofthis art form is veryimportant in Andalucía

L I S T E N T O A N D A L U C ÍÍ A

Flamencodance is whatattractspeople from abroad

TrueFlamencois emotionaland gripping

PERFORMANCES Most cities have flamenco bars and clubsMUSIC. The ‘jaleo’ clap out the rhythmCOLOUR. Flamenco dress is widely worn for festivities

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One novelty of Granadaprovince is that in winter it ispossible to spend the morningon the ski slopes and the

afternoon on the beach, or vice versa.This is made possible by thewonderful climate of this part of theworld, with more than 300 sunnydays a year and an averagetemperature of 20 degrees Celsius,and the region’s excellent highways.The Sierra Nevada is only 32kilometres from the city of Granada,is easily reached from the coasts ofGranada and Malaga provinces, andis now one of Europe’s leading skiresorts.

Although the Sierra Nevada skiresort is not large, its facilities areconsidered to be first class and it hashosted national and internationalchampionships. If you are abeginner, however, don’t let this putyou off. The Sierra Nevada has pistesand runs for all levels of expertiseand complete novices will feel just athome as those who have been flyingdown snowy mountains for years.

The snow season generally begins inlate November or early Decemberand lasts through until April or thebeginning of May. Artificial snowmachines are used in addition tonatural snow on some runs whennecessary. These can produce 1,940square metres of snow per hour andthey operate 24 hours a day so slopesare always in optimum condition.Thanks to Andalucía’s lovely climateit is often possible to ski under brightblue skies and in warm temperatureseven in the depth of winter, amidscenery which is incredibly beautifuland majestic.

The Sierra Nevada ski resortcovers 61 square kilometres and has39 slopes. There are different meansof being transported to the slopes,including cable links, chair lifts andski lifts.

Keen skiers often want to spend allday on the slopes and at the SierraNevada it is possible to ski at night aswell as some of the slopes are floodlit.For those who can bear to take offtheir skis occasionally, the Sierra

Nevada also has other snow-relatedfacilities to enjoy, such as sledgerides, carriage rides, ice skating andsnow boarding.

Although those lucky enough to beliving or staying within easy reach ofthe Sierra Nevada will travel home atthe end of the day, it is also a greatholiday desination. There is

accommodation at the ski station ofPradollano, where there are severalrestaurants and a lively nightlife.Alternatively, a rented apartment onthe outskirts of Granada city willmean that you can be in the SierraNevada in about 45 minutes by car.Otherwise, to combine a skiingholiday with a city visit, stay in thecentre of Granada and enjoy thesights and many attractions of thisbeautiful and historic city as well asits skiing facilities.

Although the lure of the SierraNevada is so strong that you may betempted to do nothing but ski duringyour stay, it seems a shame to be in aregion with so much to offer and notexplore a little of it. The short trip tothe Berber villages of theAlpujarras, such as Capileira,Pampaneira and Bubión is worththe effort, or perhaps you wouldlike to prove that it really ispossible to ski in the Sierra Nevadain the morning and then spend theafternoon lying on a sandy beachbeside the blue Mediterranean sea.

The great outdoorsSnow, sea, sailing and sunshine

S I E R R A S A N D B E A C H E S

The SierraNevada skiresort is notlarge but itsfacilities arefirst class

SIERRA NEVADA. Professional slopes, and fun for all the family / SUR

With more than 800kilometres of coastline, it isnot surprising thatAndalucía is famous for its

beaches. The Mediterranean coast ofthis region is 460 kilometres long andincludes the Costa Almería, CostaTropical and Costa del Sol, and theAtlantic coast, the Costa de la Luz, is240 kilometres long and stretchesalmost to Portugal, so no matterwhich part of Andalucía you visityou will be guaranteed to find abeach to suit you.

Almería province can proudlyboast that it has the Best Beach inSpain - it’s official. This is the beachat Carboneras, which is in theglorious Cabo de Gato-Níjar naturalpark, but it has close competitors allalong the Andalucían coast. Take theCosta de la Luz, for example, to thewest of the region. It begins in Cadizprovince, in the windsurfing capitalof Tarifa, and stretches all the wayup into Huelva province. There arehuge expanses of white sands, tinysecret coves, busy beaches withfacilities for families and wilddeserted beaches which are a Meccafor naturists. Another attraction ofAndalucía is that its coastal citiessuch as Malaga, Almeria and Cadizalso have lovely beaches so you canlie in the sun with all the facilitiesand attractions of a major city atyour fingertips.

The Andalucían government is inthe process of improving all facilitiesfor disabled people, and the beachesare part of this scheme. Manybeaches in this region have accessramps and fixed pathways forwheelchairs, some have adaptedshowers and dressing rooms andsome have Cruz Roja (Red Cross)volunteers on hand to help thosewith limited mobility get in and outof the water.

Of course, being beside the seadoesn’t only mean lying on thebeach. Andalucía is perfect forsailing and water sports, and is alsohome to many leisure ports andmarinas. There is a waiting list forberths at most ports, and many ofthem are planning to expand to meetdemand. Ports are also popular nighttime locations as they all have goodrestaurants and the larger ones alsohave discotheques and nightclubsthroughout the region.

Beach safety is also important inAndalucía. Town and city beacheshave watch towers manned by lifeguards, and a flag system operatesto warn people if the sea is roughand swimming is not advisable.Many towns have also introduced abracelet system for children, with adifferent colour according to whichpart of the beach they are on, sothey can be easily reunited withtheir parents if they wander off.

Andalucía has 800kilometres of coastlineWater sports are practised all year

SEA. The Mediterranean and the Atlantic bathe the shores of Andalucía / SUR

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One novelty of Granadaprovince is that in winter it ispossible to spend the morningon the ski slopes and the

afternoon on the beach, or vice versa.This is made possible by thewonderful climate of this part of theworld, with more than 300 sunnydays a year and an averagetemperature of 20 degrees Celsius,and the region’s excellent highways.The Sierra Nevada is only 32kilometres from the city of Granada,is easily reached from the coasts ofGranada and Malaga provinces, andis now one of Europe’s leading skiresorts.

Although the Sierra Nevada skiresort is not large, its facilities areconsidered to be first class and it hashosted national and internationalchampionships. If you are abeginner, however, don’t let this putyou off. The Sierra Nevada has pistesand runs for all levels of expertiseand complete novices will feel just athome as those who have been flyingdown snowy mountains for years.

The snow season generally begins inlate November or early Decemberand lasts through until April or thebeginning of May. Artificial snowmachines are used in addition tonatural snow on some runs whennecessary. These can produce 1,940square metres of snow per hour andthey operate 24 hours a day so slopesare always in optimum condition.Thanks to Andalucía’s lovely climateit is often possible to ski under brightblue skies and in warm temperatureseven in the depth of winter, amidscenery which is incredibly beautifuland majestic.

The Sierra Nevada ski resortcovers 61 square kilometres and has39 slopes. There are different meansof being transported to the slopes,including cable links, chair lifts andski lifts.

Keen skiers often want to spend allday on the slopes and at the SierraNevada it is possible to ski at night aswell as some of the slopes are floodlit.For those who can bear to take offtheir skis occasionally, the Sierra

Nevada also has other snow-relatedfacilities to enjoy, such as sledgerides, carriage rides, ice skating andsnow boarding.

Although those lucky enough to beliving or staying within easy reach ofthe Sierra Nevada will travel home atthe end of the day, it is also a greatholiday desination. There is

accommodation at the ski station ofPradollano, where there are severalrestaurants and a lively nightlife.Alternatively, a rented apartment onthe outskirts of Granada city willmean that you can be in the SierraNevada in about 45 minutes by car.Otherwise, to combine a skiingholiday with a city visit, stay in thecentre of Granada and enjoy thesights and many attractions of thisbeautiful and historic city as well asits skiing facilities.

Although the lure of the SierraNevada is so strong that you may betempted to do nothing but ski duringyour stay, it seems a shame to be in aregion with so much to offer and notexplore a little of it. The short trip tothe Berber villages of theAlpujarras, such as Capileira,Pampaneira and Bubión is worththe effort, or perhaps you wouldlike to prove that it really ispossible to ski in the Sierra Nevadain the morning and then spend theafternoon lying on a sandy beachbeside the blue Mediterranean sea.

BeachesWith more than 800 kilometres ofcoastline, it is not surprising thatAndalucía is famous for itsbeaches. The Mediterranean coast ofthis region is 460 kilometres long andincludes the Costa Almería, CostaTropical and Costa del Sol, and theAtlantic coast, the Costa de la Luz, is240 kilometres long and stretchesalmost to Portugal, so no matterwhich part of Andalucía you visityou will be guaranteed to find abeach to suit you.

Almería province can proudlyboast that it has the Best Beach inSpain - it’s official. This is the beachat Carboneras, which is in theglorious Cabo de Gato-Níjar naturalpark, but it has close competitors allalong the Andalucían coast. Take theCosta de la Luz, for example, to thewest of the region. It begins in Cadizprovince, in the windsurfing capitalof Tarifa, and stretches all the wayup into Huelva province. There arehuge expanses of white sands, tinysecret coves, busy beaches withfacilities for families and wilddeserted beaches which are a Meccafor naturists. Another attraction ofAndalucía is that its coastal citiessuch as Malaga, Almeria and Cadizalso have lovely beaches so you canlie in the sun with all the facilitiesand attractions of a major city atyour fingertips.

The Andalucían government is inthe process of improving all facilitiesfor disabled people, and the beachesare part of this scheme. Manybeaches in this region have accessramps and fixed pathways forwheelchairs, some have adaptedshowers and dressing rooms andsome have Cruz Roja (Red Cross)volunteers on hand to help thosewith limited mobility get in and outof the water.

Of course, being beside the seadoesn’t only mean lying on thebeach. Andalucía is perfect forsailing and water sports, and is alsohome to many leisure ports andmarinas. There is a waiting list forberths at most ports, and many ofthem are planning to expand to meetdemand. Ports are also popular nighttime locations as they all have goodrestaurants and the larger ones alsohave discotheques and nightclubsthroughout the region.

Beach safety is also important inAndalucía. Town and city beacheshave watch towers manned by lifeguards, and a flag system operatesto warn people if the sea is roughand swimming is not advisable.Many towns have also introduced abracelet system for children, with adifferent colour according to whichpart of the beach they are on, sothey can be easily reunited withtheir parents if they wander off.

The great outdoorsSnow, sea, sailing and sunshine

S I E R R A S A N D B E A C H E S

The SierraNevada skiresort is notlarge but itsfacilities arefirst class

Andalucíahas morethan 800 kms of coastline

SIERRA NEVADA. Professional slopes, and fun for all the family / SUR SEA. The Mediterranean and the Atlantic bathe the shores of Andalucía / SUR

Andalucía is the most southerlyregion of Spain and of Europe.Its 87,000 square kilometresmake it the largest

autonomous region in the country,but it only takes up about 17 per centof the land in Spain despite beingdouble the size of Denmark, largerthan Belgium, Switzerland, Austriaand Holland and almost the same

size as Portugal. Andalucía has avery diverse landscape, and much ofit remains unknown to manyvisitors, not least its lakes andcastles which are a delight to explore.Let’s take a look at some of them.

LakesAndalucia is known as Spain's lakedistrict. This region has more than

300 natural lakes and numerousreservoirs, most of them set amongbeautiful countryside. In Malagaprovince, the gorge at El Chorro isstunning, and is close to the threegreat reservoirs at Ardales. El Chor-ro and the reservoirs are known asMalaga’s own Lake District. Hereyou can walk, ride, picnic and swim,or enjoy a meal at one of the local

Parts of Andalucíaare like a LakeDistrict

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restaurants and the area is also pop-ular with climbers.

The lagoon at Fuente de Piedra isnineteen kilometres outside the townof Antequera, and is the largest nat-ural lake on the Iberian peninsula,being 6.5 kilometres long and 2.5 kilo-metres wide. It was designated as anarea of special interest for birdstwenty years ago, and is home to alarge colony of flamingos. Back inthe 16th century people believed thatthe water of the lake was medicinal,and unlike similar stretches of waterin other parts of the country it wasnever permitted to dry out.

In Cadiz province, there are lakesat the lovely hilltop town of Arcos dela Frontera and the village of Bornos,and a reservoir lies at the foot of the

picturesque white village of Zaharade la Sierra. The historic town of SanFernando has to be mentioned whentalking about lakes, because it is sit-uated like an island between salt flatsand the sea. It used to be called theIsland of León and is still referred toas ‘La Isla’ by locals.

Huelva province has been a bit ofan undiscovered secret for some timebut more people are now choosing itas a holiday destination because ofits glorious beaches and unspoilttowns. Although many people haveheard of the Doñana natural andnational parks, they remain relative-ly unknown despite this being one ofthe world’s most important wetlandreserves and protected under inter-national environmental laws. Thedunes, forests and marshlands ofDoñana are home to abundant floraand fauna, and are fabulous placesfor a day trip.

In Seville province, the UtreraNature Reserve has three salt lakeswhich are protected, and it is best tovisit these during the winter orspring as they dry up during thesummer. Seville also has anotherNature Reserve, that of Lebrija-LasCabezas, which has six lakes. Ofthese, the Laguna del Taraje contains

water all year round.Jaén province has no shortage of

natural lakes and reservoirs, partic-ularly in the Cazorla, Segura and LasVillas Natural Park, which is alsowhere the Guadalquivir and Segurarivers begin. This is still a mainlyundiscovered area, but is one of themost beautiful natural regions of thecountry.

The north of Granada province ishome to the Sierra Castril naturalpark, a mountainous region whichborders the Sierra de Cazorla. Its dra-matic scenery of cliffs, caves andgorges includes a great many water-falls, springs and water courses justwaiting to be discovered.

Almería province is famous for itsdesert and many people will be sur-prised to learn that it, too, has lakes.The Albufera de Adra nature park isten kilometres east of Adra, and thelakes are situated between the coastroad and the beach. These wetlandsare of important ecological impor-tance, and one of the bird observato-ries is open to visitors.

CastlesAndalucía has so many castles that itis impossible to mention more than afew. Some sit on hills above theregion’s major cities and otherswere built to protect tiny villages.They differ in size and state of repair,but offer a fascinating glimpse intoAndalucía’s history. In Jaén province, the castle at Segurade la Sierra was declared a nationalmonument in 1965 and has been wellrestored. Two of the castle’s watchtowers also still remain.

Alcalá de Guadaira has one of themost important fortified complexesin Seville province, the Castillo deMarchenilla, situated five kilometresoutside the town. The complexcontains a fortified church, old citywalls, two fortified mills, and a towerwhich is all that remains of anothercastle.

In Cordoba, visit Almodóvar delRío to see the Gothic-Mudejar castlewhich towers above it, or Posadas tovisit the 14th century Guadacabrillastower.

When in Granada province, it isworth stopping off at La Calahorra,whose 16th century castle was thefirst building in Spain to includeRenaissance elements in itsconstruction.

The walled castle of tiny Castellarde la Frontera in Cadiz province isfascinating because it was restoredand converted into residential homeswithin the castle walls. There is alsoa restaurant and a hotel. The castle isbeautifully situated overlooking areservoir.

The Sohail castle in Fuengirola, inMalaga province, is unusual becauseit is only slightly raised aboveground level and sits beside the riverand next to the sea. It dates back tothe tenth century, was recentlyrestored and is the venue forconcerts in the summer.

So many castles to see, so littletime. Perhaps the best way to explorethis important part of Andalucía’sheritage is to follow one of the CastleRoutes which have been speciallyorganised by the Tourism Board forthose who like to walk the rampartsof times long past.

A large region with such a lot to discover On the trail of lakes and castles

A C R O S S A N D A L U C ÍÍ A

The lagoonat Fuente dePiedra is home tocolonies offlamingos

There are now houseswithin the ancient wallsof Castellarcastle

Fuengirola’sSohail castlewas built bythe sea

DOÑANA. An oasis which is protected by law

ARCOS DE LA FRONTERA. There are lakes outside Arcos and at Bornos CASTLES. Cities, towns and even tiny villages were protected

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Andalucía is the perfectdestination to practice manydifferent types of sport andoutdoor activity. Golf, of

course, because this region is agolfers’ paradise, and its beachesand coast are also ideal for sailingand water sports, but there arenumerous other options.

Take adventure sports forexample. Anyone who lovesparagliding will find themselves inheaven in Andalucía. Paragliding isthe nearest you will come to flyinglike a bird. Unlike hang gliding,which uses a rigid wing frame,paragliding is slower and uses anaerofoil canopy to float on the windand air currents. Paragliders have abird’s eye view of the world below,and what a view that is in Andalucía!Soaring above the Sierra Nevadamountains in Granada, the miles ofgolden beaches in Tarifa or thespectacular scenery of theGrazalema natural park, it is notsurprising if these intrepid

enthusiasts are reluctant to descendto terra firma once again.

This region is also very popularwith climbers. The area around ElChorro in Malaga province has somechallenging rock faces, the protectedparks of the Sierra de las Nieves, alsoin Malaga, and the Sierra deGrazalema in Cadiz province providegood climbing country, and Jaén andAlmería have the Sierra Mágina andthe Sierra María respectively.

If you prefer to go downwardsinstead of upwards, Andalucía hassome great caves for potholers. Thesmall village of Montejaque, not farfrom Ronda in Malaga province, hasa potholing information centre, andhappens to be close to the Cueva delGato, just outside Benaoján. Thiscave system is four and a halfkilometres long and is only for theexperienced. A permit is necessaryand the cave should only be tackledwith a guide. Many caves inAndalucía have been prepared forvisits and can be explored easily

without any equipment, but othersare only for experts and even theyshould be accompanied by a guide.The most challenging of all is theGESM chasm in the Sierra de lasNieves in Malaga, which is 1,090metres deep and has still not beencompletely explored. It needs highlyspecialised equipment and shouldnot be tackled by anybody withoutdiving experience.

For a less exacting sport, but onewhich still needs a certain amount of

fitness, try mountain biking. This isa terrific way of exploringAndalucía, and it is easy to hire bikesand helmets anywhere in the regionbecause cycling is such a popularsport in this part of Spain.

RidingHorse lovers will love Andalucía. Notonly is it home to the beautifulAndaluz breed of horse, but the coun-tryside just lends itself to excursionson horseback. Gallop at the edge ofthe waves along immense sandybeaches on the Costa de la Luz orAlmería; hack through woodlandsand forests in Malaga or Jaén;explore the Alpujarras mountains inGranada. Horses can be hired by thehalf day or the day, and many com-panies organise riding holidays last-ing from a couple of days to a week.It is also possible to take ridinglessons almost everywhere inAndalucía. If you love horses butdon’t want to ride, you may be tempt-

ed by the horse races along the beachat Sanlúcar de Barrameda in August,the twice-weekly displays of ‘HowThe Andalucían Horses Dance’ at theRoyal Equestrian School in Jerez, orthe polo at Sotogrande in Cadizprovince. The Andalucíans havealways had a love affair with horses,and are proud to show them off atlocal ‘ferias’, so these festivals arealso a good way of admiring yourfavourite creatures.

WalkingIf you prefer ‘Shanks’s pony’, i.e.walking, to riding, Andalucía isblessed with some of the best walk-ing country in the world. The sum-mer heat can be enervating so it isbest to choose a walking holiday atother times of the year, especiallythe Spring when the countryside isfull of flowers or in the Autumn ifyou are keen to see migratory birdsas you walk.

You could almost stick a pin intoa map of Andalucía to choose yourwalking itinerary. The wholeregion has stunning countryside,protected natural parks and moun-tains, so you really can just takeyour pick. Trails are well signpost-ed and there are some excellentguide books available. Some routesthrough protected areas arerestricted and a permit is needed.These are easy to obtain, butremember to book your permits inadvance to be sure of being able todo the walk on the day you want to.In most areas it is possible to bookan English-speaking guide toaccompany you and he or she willprovide valuable information andinsights about the flora and fauna,history and folklore of the areathrough which you are walking,

DivingAndalucía’s oceans are almost asbeautiful as the land above them.Diving in either the MediterraneanSea or the Atlantic Ocean reveals asurprising and rich array of thenatural wonders of a very differentworld. The waters off the easterncoast of Andalucía, such as the Cabode Gato in Almería, or Almuñécar onthe Costa Tropical in Granada areexcellent for diving as there is a greatvariety of marine life. Off the Cabo deGato you can expect to see coral,conger eels, sea horses, Moray eels,barracudas, lobsters and sunfishes.The water temperature in this areain summer is normally around 22degrees Celsius.

The waters around Almuñecarhold similar species to those offAlmería, but you can also expect tocome across octupus, groupers andscorpion fish.

The sea around the Rock ofGibraltar, which stands just off LaLínea de la Concepción in Cadizprovince, is also home to a largenumber of different species and isalso characterised by having severalwrecked ships below its waters.Slightly further west, the Isla de LasPalomas off Tarifa is also a goodplace for diving, as it has a wealth ofmarine life, even including turtles.This dive must be done with a localclub, as individual diving isforbidden due to dangerous currents.

Try something newAll types of sport are available here

S P O R T

Andalucía’scoastline isperfect forscuba diving

RIDING. Horse racing in Sanlúcar. / SUR SPORT. The possibilities are endless. / SUR

NOVEMBER 2008SUR IN ENGLISH ANDALUCÍA WORLD TRAVEL MARKET XXVIIANDALUCÍA WORLD TRAVEL MARKETXXVI NOVEMBER 2008 SUR IN ENGLISH

The Mediterranean diet is infashion but in Andalucía it isthe norm. Basic products suchas vegetables and salads, fruit,

fish and virgin olive oil havealways played an important role inAndalucían cooking.The dishes of Andalucían cuisineare based on the region’s primeproducts. People on the coast tend toeat fish, while those inland usuallychoose meat dishes. There is anenormous variety of fruit which isenjoyed everywhere. Perhaps theonly real difference between areasis that everywhere adds its ownpersonal touch to traditional localdishes.True to its history, Andalucíangastronomy is full of aromas,flavours and colours. It is a complexcuisine, made individual andattractive by the use of traditionalproducts. It is the result of thecombination of Arabic cuisine, thetraditional Mediterranean cultureof olives and grapes and productsand condiments which originated inAmerica.Andalucían cuisine still retains agreat deal of the Arabic cuisine ofAl-Andalus. Its refinementtransformed many traditionalcustoms. It was the Andalusianswho created dining rooms and theorder in which dishes are servedwhich is still used today.Food in Andalucía can be dividedinto two different areas according tothe content of the dishes: foodprepared on the coast, and food fromthe mountains and the inlandregions. Stews made with pulsesand vegetables, meat stews whichare often made with game, togetherwith fish prepared in differentways, are the essence of thiscuisine. The most universallypopular dish, because of itsnutritional value and its ease of

preparation, is the famousgazpacho. This is a cold soup, madewith tomatoes, cucumber, peppers,garlic, oil and vinegar, but there areseveral variations of it such as‘salmorejo’, ‘la porra’ and‘ajoblanco’, all of which areabsolutely delicious and bound toplease even the most demandingpalate.

SpecialitiesThe traditional cuisine of Malagaprovince stands out for thesimplicity of its ingredients, thevariety of dishes and its exceptionalflavour which comes from the bestuse of natural products in itsrecipes. It is also firmly based on theso-called ‘Mediterranean diet’ whichgourmets have raved about in recentyears because of its benefits tohealth.In Malaga, dishes are mainly basedon pulses, vegetables, meats, fishand fruit. These are the basic ingre-dients, together with olive oil, which

is essential in the preparation ofdishes from this region. The olive oilfrom Malaga province is of excep-tionally high quality and it addssomething special to any dish.In general, no matter where you arein the province of Malaga you canenjoy wonderful stews andcasseroles, but there are also certainspecialities which define the gas-tronomy of a particular area. On theother hand, some dishes are servedeverywhere and it is impossible todetermine where they originated.They are, however, all slightly dif-ferent according to where they areprepared as each area adds its ownpersonal touch to them. It is only natural that a province likeMalaga, with such a varied land-scape, should have different gastro-nomic traditions, but the mostnotable of these has to be the per-ceived difference between the foodwhich is prepared in inland townsand villages and that of the coast.While dishes in rural areas areexpected to be hearty and made withmeat, the cuisine along the coast islighter. However, although there is adivision along these lines in general,it does tend to be somewhat exagger-ated. Restaurants offer dishesaccording to demand, wherever theyare situated, so meat dishes areavailable on the coast and fish dish-es feature on menus inland, and thegeographic division and ‘exclusivi-ty’ is not as rigid as it once was. Hav-ing said that, local specialities arestill very much in demand.If any gastronomy of this provincehas crossed over its own borders, ithas to be the famous fried fish ofMalaga, the ‘pescaíto frito’ which isusually eaten as a starter on thecoast. Whitebait, red mullet, smallhake, squid and similar small fishare used in this delicious dish, andanother popular starter is shellfish

such as clams of different sizes, andof course the sardines which arecooked on wooden spits on thebeach. The spits are stuck into thesand very close to the fire, but nei-ther the smoke nor the flames actu-ally touch the fish. This is anotherlocal speciality and is truly deli-cious as well as being healthy.In Malaga, the Andalucían versionof gazpacho is a popular starteralthough it isn’t exclusive to thisprovince. Another cold soup whichis popular in summer is ‘ajoblanco’,

which is similar to gazpacho but ismade without tomato and with theaddition of ground almonds. It isusually served with peeled grapes orraisins. La Axarquía region is espe-cially famous for its ajoblanco. Another popular first course is ‘ajocolorao’. This is made with crum-bled cod, olive oil and paprika. Orthere is the ‘salmorejo’, which actu-ally comes from Cordoba, not Mala-ga, but in Malaga province it is pre-pared with green pepper, tomato,onion, tuna, hard boiled eggs, olive

oil, salt and vinegar. Another spe-ciality of Malaga is the ‘porra’,which is like a thicker version ofgazpacho. It is actually a mixture ofgazpacho, but made without water,and salmorejo and it is usuallyserved with boiled eggs, Serranoham and fritters of streaky bacon.The ‘porra’ made in Antequera isparticularly famous, but it is also aspeciality of other towns in the areasuch as Archidona and Fuente dePiedra and can often be found onmenus all over Malaga province.

Eating well andhealthily inAndalucíaThe local cuisine is basedon good fresh produce

ON THE BEACH. Fish dishes are a speciality of the Malaga coast

G A S T R O N O M Y

The food inrural areastends to beheartier farethan that ofthe coastalregions

There areseveraldeliciousversions ofgazpacho

All around thecoastline thereare places to eat fresh fried fish

CUISINE. Typical of southern Spain / SUR

OLIVE OIL. Locally produced olive oil featurs in many dishes/ SUR

NOVEMBER 2008SUR IN ENGLISH ANDALUCÍA WORLD TRAVEL MARKET XXIXANDALUCÍA WORLD TRAVEL MARKETXXVIII NOVEMBER 2008 SUR IN ENGLISH

The Costa del Sol will behosting a major women’sprofessional tennis circuitover the next three years.

Malaga Airport’s expansion plansare well under way. The AVE highspeed train service has slashed thejourney time between Madrid andMalaga. The provincial capital willsoon have its own metro system.The airport is undergoing majorextension works. New hotels areplanned throughout the region.There’s a lot happening on the Costadel Sol.

TennisOne of the aims of AndalucíanTourism Minister Luciano Alonsois to generate more sports tourism.As part of this objective, the Costadel Sol will be organising and host-ing high quality events in differentsports in forthcoming years. To startoff, the Ministry of Tourism hasacquired the rights to a women’sprofessional tennis circuit, and thefirst tournament will be held inMarbella. This tournament willattract some major stars in theworld of tennis, including theWilliams sisters who have takenWimbledon by storm. This initiativeis aimed at attracting tennis fans ofmedium to high spending power,and it will be strongly featured inthe media and televised live for theU.S.A. At the moment the Americanmarket is on a high in Andalucía,especially on the Costa del Sol, main-ly due to the enormous success ofthe direct flights which are beingrun by Delta Airlines betweenMalaga and New York. This brought120,000 tourists from the U.S.A. toAndalucía in 2007, which was a sig-nificant boost to a market which hadpreviously been negligible. Thesetourists have plenty of money to

spend and are very demanding, butthey remain loyal if they are satis-fied.The tennis tournament has all the

ingredients to attract British fans tocome and watch it in person. Asmentioned earlier, it will be held inMarbella the first year, and it ishoped that in 2010 it will be possibleto hold it in La Malagueta bullringin Malaga city, and in 2011 in Rondaor Vélez-Malaga. It is hugely expen-sive, because it is a professional ten-nis circuit with big prizes, but theprofits which the tourism authori-ties believe can be made are excel-lent.

Luciano Alonso says he is con-vinced of the importance of organis-ing major sporting events to bringpeople to Andalucía, because thesealways attract international specta-tors and are undoubtedly good forbusiness. “If people want excellenceand high quality, we have to give itto them, but without forgetting thatit has to be through the whole sec-tor” advises the Junta deAndalucía’s Minister for Tourism.

He also said that once the WorldTravel Market in London has fin-ished, he will provide further infor-mation about the tennis tournamentwhich is to be held in the heart of theCosta del Sol in 2009.

CultureIf any city deserves to be declaredEuropean City of Culture it isMalaga, and the capital of the Costadel Sol is making a strong bid forthis title in 2016. This is a majorenterprise, and the results of theseefforts are already beginning to beseen. New museums have been cre-ated in Malaga in recent years,including the long-awaited andworld famous Picasso Museumwhich is housed in the beautiful 16thcentury Buenavista Palace, theContemporary Art Centre, and theInteractive Music Museum, to namebut a few. Malaga has art, Malagahas theatre, Malaga has film festi-vals, Malaga has historical trea-sures, but this forward-thinking cityis aware that new infrastructureand communications are necessaryif it is to receive the recognition itdeserves. For this reason, MalagaAirport is undergoing extensionworks which will transform it intothe most important airport in south-ern Europe. A new railway stationhas been built, with the capacity tohandle 24 million passengers a year,and works are already under way toconstruct the city’s own metro sys-tem. The AVE high speed trainmeans that people can now travelbetween Malaga and Madrid in justtwo and a half hours. New highwaysand motorways are being built tomake the Costa del Sol and Malagacity more accessible by road thanever before, and there are plans toopen numerous new hotels to accom-modate all the visitors who takeadvantage of the ease of travel.

Looking to thefuture of tourismin southern SpainMajor sports events andimproved infrastructure

MALAGA. The city is bidding to be the European Culture Capital in 2016

TENNIS. Marbella will host a major women’s tournament/ SUR

W H A T ’ S N E W

The regionwill behosting athree yearwomen’sprofessionaltennis circuit

AIRPORT The Pablo Picasso Airport in Malaga is being extended SUR

CULTURE. Andalucía has a great deal to offer/ SUR

NOVEMBER 2008SUR IN ENGLISH ANDALUCÍÍA WORLD TRAVEL MARKET XXXIANDALUCÍÍA WORLD TRAVEL MARKETXXX NOVEMBER 2008 SUR IN ENGLISH

For anyone consideringemigrating, Spain, and thesouthern region of Andalucíain particular, is perhaps one of

the best options, and the reasons forthis are tenfold. Andalucía, or ‘Al-Andalus’ as the Moors so named thearea during their 800-yearoccupation, offers its visitors muchmore than sun, sea, and sangría,even if these things themselves areenticing enough!

Eight provincesDespite being admired for itswealth of historic and cultural her-itage, it is important to point out

that the region, which consists ofeight provinces and is home tomore than seven million people, isfast becoming one of the most mod-ern and attractive options for a sec-ond or permanent home. It reeivedrecord levels of investment in theSpanish state budget this year,which can only mean that even big-ger and greater things lie in storefor the region.Getting to Andalucía is easier thanever thanks to the availability oflow-cost flights from numerousEuropean destinations toAndalusian airports, with millionsof passengers entering and leaving

every year. In fact, Malaga airportis in the top three airports in thecountry in terms of the volume ofpassengers.

PassengersMore than 20 million passengersare expected to enter Malaga air-port by 2015, and to cater to the evergreater number of passengers, asecond runway is being built wellas a new terminal building, addi-tional parking space and accessroutes.With regard to the nationality of itstourists, Brits comprise the biggestgroup of European tourists comingto Andalucía, and at just a couple ofhours’ distance from London byaeroplane, it is one of the easiest-to-reach holiday destinations inEurope.

Come and stayThe perfect place for a new home

R E S I D E N T I A L

The region isserved by a number of good airports

FAMILIES. Tens of thousands of foreign residents have already settled here / SUR