Most British tourists who visit Spain choose resorts on the Mediterranean coast, the Balearic Islands (Ibiza, Majorca) or the Canary Islands. However, there are many fascinating and beautiful destinations in other parts of the country. Andalusia, in the South of Spain, has many attractions for the tourist visitor. Seville, Granada and Cordoba are the largest cities in the region, but there are also many smaller towns which are worth visiting. Those who wish to visit this part of Spain can find many direct
UK flights to Seville, the largest city and capital of the region. There are also a fair number of charter flights to Malaga.
Andalusia is a region in the southern part of Spain. It contains ancient cities such as Cordoba, Seville and Granada, excellent beaches on the Mediterranean, and impressive mountains such as the Sierra Nevada range.
The summer in inland Spain is often extremely hot. Possibly the best time to enjoy a trip to Andalusia is during the spring, when the vegetation is still green and fresh. Part of the region is in fact a desert. The so-called spaghetti westerns were not actually shot in Italy, but were shot in the Andalusian desert near Almeria.
For a long time the southern part of Spain was under the Islamic rule of the Moors. Eventually the southern kingdoms were re-conquered by the northern Christian kingdoms of Castile and Aragon. This era of Spanish history is called the Reconquista (or reconquest), and was only completed at around the same time as Columbus sailed to America.
The old cities of the region therefore contain a fascinating mix of earlier Islamic and later Christian architecture. The beautiful Alhambra palace in Granada was originally the palace of the Moorish Emir of the territory, and the Mesquita Cathedral of Cordoba was originally a mosque (the word Mesquita means mosque in Spanish). Both these buildings are World Heritage sites.
Seville is both the largest city and the capital of Andalusia. During the time when the Spanish ruled in South America, Seville had a monopoly on trade with the New World. As a result the city enjoyed a great age of prosperity, during which vast quantities of silver and gold flowed through the city. Visitors will be interested in sights such as the Alcazar Palace, the Cathedral with its impressive bell tower (the Giralda), and the Torre del Oro (Tower of Gold), which at one time was used to store gold and silver imported from South America.
The Spanish festivals (or fiestas) are famous throughout the world. Many have religious significance, and are associated with local saints. Others are related to the period of the reconquest (the Reconquista). Moros y Christians fiestas (Moors and Christians) can often involve parades by troops of soldiers wearing medieval uniforms, and mock battles with lots of smoke, fire, and explosions.
Those who wish to see Andalusia will find scheduled UK flights to Seville, and many chartered flights to Malaga, which is the main airport for the Costa del Sol.
