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A Quick Guide to Andalucia

Over twelve million Britons take their holidays on the sunny shores of Spain year on year, and one of the most popular regions to visit is Andalucía. It’s at the southern tip of the country, and includes the Costa del Sol, as well as a number of Spain’s most exciting cities to visit. It’s famed for its great weather all year round, a long and honoured history and culture, and famous cuisine. Check out this article to get a quick feeling of this exciting region.

Weather

As already mentioned, Andalucía is home to the Costa del Sol, which translates into English as the ‘sunny coast.’ This coastline, which stretches from Malaga to the east of the Cadiz province, has truly superb sunny weather for much of the year, with average daytime temperatures at around 16 degrees in the winter, and 30 degrees in the summer. The rest of Andalucía doesn’t quite benefit from the Costa del Sol’s microclimate, but it is nevertheless temperate throughout the winter months and hot during the summer. Going anywhere in Andalucía during August is almost a certain way for building up a tan.

History and Culture

Andalucía’s rich culture stems from it being one of the gateways to Europe from Africa, and empires throughout the ages have taken head of its strategic position. It was a particularly important staging ground for the Punic wars held between Carthage and Rome – the two great Mediterranean Empires before Carthage was defeated in 146BC. It was ruled by Rome for many centuries, but a longer period of rule was established by the Moors from 711 AD onwards. Christian conquest of the entire region was only established in 1492, and the Arabic legacy lives on in many parts of Andalucía today.

Cuisine

Andalucía’s cuisine joins the eclectic blend of Spanish food with a distinct Arab taste. There is a rich Moroccan influence in the region, as well as a healthy range of traditional local dishes. The most famous of these is Gazpacho, a tomato-based cold soup containing cucumber, pepper, garlic and vinegar. The region is also particularly famous for seafood, especially in the city of Cadiz.

Cities and Places to Visit

Seville: The capital of the region is home to over half a million people and Europe’s largest cathedral. There is also an Old Jewish Quarter, Reales Alcazares, Plaza de Toros and Plaza de Espana.

Cordoba: This is one of the places strong with Moorish influence, and it is home to a great mosque called Medina Zahara. Other sites to see include the large cathedral, the Mihrab, the Torre de la Calahorra and the ancient walls.

Malaga: The second largest city in the region has over 500,000 inhabitants. Like many of the cities in the region it has a wide range of impressive ecclesiastical buildings. It is also the birthplace of the great artist Pablo Picasso, and there is a museum dedicated to him in the city.

If you’re planning on a holiday to Spain, then take a look at James Villas for cheap Spain holidays and Spain villas. They have a wide selection of temporary holiday homes and picturesque villas waiting for you in this popular region. Also, take a look at AA Travel for travel insurance.