If you are comming to Andalucia... - Andalucia - TravBuddy

Maybe your dream or your plan for your next vacations is to come to ANDALUCIA, South Spain. Then you can continue to read this review, i hope this will help you a little bit. My parents are from there. I was living there for 11 years (Almería and Granada) and that region is a part of me.

The best way to know that fantastic region is to start in the east coast and finally end in the South of Portugal, the Algarve, after the west coast of South Spain. I have done it in 2005, it was a fantastic experience. And if you are able to do it two times, in the summer and in the winter, its perfect. Because Andalucia is very different depends on the season you visit it. If you go there in the summer, you will find so many different things than in the winter.

Do you want to start your trip? Ok, lets go!

If you are comming from Europe, you can fly directly to ALMERIA. The german airlines Airberlin, LTU and Hapag Fly fly every wednesday directly to Almería International Aiport. Sometimes Airberlin has a stopover in Palma de Mallorca. If you are comming from England, there are also direct flights with British Airways, Easy Jet and Ryan Air.
If you are comming from other continents, you have to fly over Madrid.

After landing you go to the nature reserve region "Reserva Natural de Cabo de Gata". This region is a very big territory. Here you wont find the big hotels typical for the coast of Spain...Here you only will find little small fisher´s villages, where you have the chance to get a room and food for a very good price. This region was one of the favourites of the hippies during the 60s. Now you can still find some people that is looking for this kind of life, for example at the beach "San Pedro".

Here you have a lot of little creeks, where sometimes you are having the beach for yourself all alone! The water is clear, you can see the fishes swimming around you and the sand is fine and dark, because it is a volcanic region.

There are small restaurants at the beach where you can eat fresh fish. And people are so friendly here!

I recommend you to visit those places:
-Playa de los Genoveses
-Playa de Mónsul
-San José (with a beautiful fisher´s village)
-Agua Amarga
-Playa de los Muertos
-Las Negras
-Níjar (typical andalusian town with white small houses)
-Carboneras

If you go in the summer, some places will be full with people, but in the winter you will find empty beaches, it´s lovely!

You can also visit the city Almería, and go to the Alcazaba, a castle from the muslim time. At night you can take some "tapas" in "el barrio antiguo, la cuatro calles". But the city is not so nice.

Then you can continue your trip by bus (the transport system is good, especially by bus) to GRANADA. About Granada i can tell you much more, because i lived there for 3 years.
The best way is to rent a car and drive round the coast. You will need maybe 2 hours from Almería to Granada.
Here you will find avocado, pineapple, banana, mango and date trees. The climate here is very humid and hot in the summer. And very soft in the winter. It´s called COSTA TROPICAL.
So, now you are arriving at Granada. It is situated at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence of two rivers, Darro and Genil, at an elevation of 738 metres above sea level.
The Alhambra, a Moorish citadel and palace, is in Granada. It is one of the most famous items of the Muslim, Jewish, and Christian historical legacy that makes Granada a hot spot among cultural and tourist cities in Spain. The Almohad urbanism with some fine examples of Moorish and Morisco constructions is preserved at the part of the city called the Albaycin.
On January 2, 1492, the last Muslim leader, Muhammad XII, known as Boabdil to the Spanish, surrendered complete control of Granada, to Ferdinand and Isabella, Los Reyes Católicos ("The Catholic Monarchs"), after the city was besieged.

Granada is also well-known within Spain due to the prestigious University of Granada and, nowadays, wild night-life. In fact, it is said that it is one of the three best cities for college students (the other two are Salamanca and Santiago de Compostela).
Albaiyín, a hill located on right bank of the river Darro, transports the visitor to a unique world: the site of the ancient city of Elvira. It housed the artists who went up to build the palaces of Alhambra on the hill facing it. Time allowed its embellishment.
The Sacromonte neighborhood is located on the extension of the hill of Albaiyín, along the Darro River. This area, which became famous by the nineteenth century for its predominantly Gitano inhabitants, is characterized by cave houses, which are dug into the hilside. The area has a reputation as a major center of flamenco song and dance. The zone is a protected cultural environment under the auspices of the Centro de Interpretación del Sacromonte, a cultural center dedicated to the preservation of Gitano cultural forms.
If you are hungry and thirsty, you have to make a TAPAS TOUR (people go from one bar to another enjoying small dishes called tapas, literally "lids" or "covers" in Spanish, referring to their origin as snacks served in small plates used to cover drinks.When you order a drink, you recieve it and that´s included in the price of the drink). You will find a lot of good restaurants and bars in the down town area Plaza Nueva and in Pedro Antonio de Alarcón. Also for night life.

In Calle Elvira there are so many tea rooms, where you can taste the delicious arabian, pakistani, moroccon...tea and eat fantastic cakes. Sometimes you have life music and belly dance shows too.
I could write you a book about this awesome city. If you need some advices, please ask me and I will try to help you.

So, now you can continue your journey to CORDOBA.
The old town contains many impressive architectural reminders of when Córdoba was the thriving capital of the Caliphate of Córdoba that governed almost all of the Iberian peninsula. It has been estimated that Córdoba, with up to 500,000 inhabitants in the tenth century, was the largest city in Western Europe and, perhaps, in the world.
The most important building here is The Mezquita, a mosque, which dates back to the Umayyad period (its construction started in 784), was converted to a Cathedral after the Reconquista.
If you are going in the summer, be careful, it´s very very hot!!!

Now it´s the turn of MALAGA. Near this city you can find LA COSTA DEL SOL. Marbella and Puerto Banús are the Cote d´Azur of south Spain. Rich and famous people have here their yachts and if you are comming in the summer you will see interesting things and people! The night life is fantastic!
Visit the small town MIJAS. It´s beatiful. A typical small andalusian town, with white houses and a lot of flowers.
You have to eat "pescaíto frito" (fried fresh fish) at the beach!

Then continue to GIBRALTAR. It is a British overseas territory and has historically been an important base for the British Armed Forces and is the site of a Royal Navy base.
It´s a very strange feeling to be in Spain and in Great Britain at the same time! After crossing the boarder, you are not in Spain anymore. The streets, the people, the food, the language, the whole atmosphere is british!

Near Gibraltar there is TARIFA. One of my favourite places! It´s a small town. It´s located in LA COSTA DE LA LUZ. From here to Morocco there is only 14 km distance. You can see Africa from here!
Because if this there is frequent illegal immigration of Africans to the coast near Tarifa.
Near the port of Tarifa there is a well-preserved castle, the Castillo de Guzman. The coast near Tarifa is also popular with windsurfers and kitesurfers due to the stong winds of the straits. For this reason Tarifa is also dotted with hundreds of wind turbines. Tarifa is an excellent place to watch migrating birds, in particular the storks which cross the Straits of Gibraltar in spring and autumn. Also whale and dolphin watching can be done on the wide Straits. Like the name Costa de la Luz suggests, Tarifa enjoys many hours of sunshine each year. I was there two times and it was very windy. That could be a problem if you want to go at the beach.

Near Tarifa you have lovely places with sandy beaches and dunes like Zahara de los Atunes, Bolonia and Conil de la Frontera.

SEVILLA will be the next stop. It is the artistic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of Andalusia. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir. Places you have to see:
The city's cathedral. It is amongst the largest of all medieval and Gothic cathedrals.
The Giralda, originally a minaret, was converted into a bell tower.
The Alcázar facing the cathedral in Mudéjar style. Its gardens are a blend of Moorish, Andalusian, and Christian traditions.
The Torre del Oro was built by the Almohad dynasty as watchtower and defensive barrier on the river.

Seville is a gastronomic center, with a cuisine based on the products of the surrounding provinces, including seafood from Cádiz, olive oil from Jaén, and sherry from Jerez de la Frontera.

The tapas scene is one of the main cultural attractions of the city.
Local specialities include fried and grilled seafood (including squid, cuttlefish, swordfish and dogfish), grilled meats in sauces, spinach and chickpeas, Andalusian ham (Jamón ibérico), lamb's kidneys in a sherry sauce, snails, and gazpacho.
Typical sweet cakes of this province are polvorones and mantecados from the town of Estepa, a kind of shortcake made with almonds, sugar and lard; Pestiños, a honey-coated sweet fritter; Roscos fritos, deep-fried sugar-coated ring doughnuts; magdalenas or fairy cakes; yemas de San Leandro, which provide the city's convents with a source of revenue, and Tortas de aceite, a thin sugar-coated cake made with olive oil.
Except for "polvorones" and "mantecados", which are traditional Christmas products, all of these are consumed throughout the year.

JEREZ DE LA FRONTERA: The capital of sherry wine, the horse, and flamenco is situated midway between the sea and the mountain. You can see the famed vineyards, stop at a sherry bodega to see how the fortified wine is made, and taste the product as well. Jerez is the home of the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art. Jerez, the city where flamenco singing began, is also proud of its Andalusian Centre of Flamenco. There are two museums of note: the Jerez Archaeological Museum and a watch museum.
The old quarter of Jerez, dating from medieval times, has been named an "Artistic Historic Complex". The Easter week celebrations in Jerez are of "National Touristic Interest", and its remarkable Horse Fair (Feria del Caballo) in May is an event of "International Touristic Interest".
You drive one hour and then you arrive to our next destination: CÀDIZ.
This is a typically Andalusian city with a wealth of attractive vistas and well-preserved historical landmarks. The older part of Cádiz, within the remnants of the city walls, is commonly referred to as the Old City (in Spanish, Casco Antiguo). It is characterized by the antiquity of its various quarters (barrios), among them El Populo, La Viña, and Santa Maria, which present a marked contrast to the newer areas of town.
The city of Cádiz is often noted for having the most humorous people in Spain.

HUELVA: Among the attractions to visit in this province are the Columbus sites . These sites include the city of Huelva itself, Moguer, Palos de la Frontera, and the Rábida Monastery. La Rábida is where Columbus sought the aid of the Franciscan brothers in advancing his project of discovery. They introduced him to local rich sailors (the Pinzón brothers), and, eventually, arranged a meeting in Seville with Ferdinand and Isabella.
Thanks to those meetings, Christopher was able to arrange his first voyage.
Around Huelva there are small fishers villages. This part of Andalucía has the traditional feeling of the ancient Andalucía, without those big hotels around other places like the Costa del Sol. Food, people and nature are awesome. You have to visit the Doñana National Park. This is a national park and wildlife refuge.The park, whose biodiversity is unique in Europe, contains a great variety of ecosystems and shelters wildlife including thousands of European and African migratory birds.

From here Portugal is very closed. Then you can visit the Algarve. Here i spent only a day and i cannot really tell you so much about this region. It´s very similar to South Spain.

I have a lot of pics in my blogs Spain I, Spain II and in my new one TOUR DE ANDALUCIA.

****************FELIZ ESTANCIA EN ANDALUCIA ***********************