Vacation Rentals in Andalucia
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Travel destination Andalucia.
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Overview of Andalucia
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| Size |
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87,268 sq km (33,591 sq mi) |
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| Population |
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7,849,799 |
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| Language |
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Spanish |
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| Time Zone |
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1 hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (+1 GMT). |
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| Electricity |
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220 V, 50 Hz. Generally, round two-pin plugs and screw-type lamp fittings are in use. |
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| Clothing |
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Andalucia enjoys a sub-tropical climate which means that in the middle of
summer you may not need more than one layer of clothing even at 6 am in the morning. During
the spring and autumn, however it is wise to wear layers of thin clothing which can be peeled
off if and when necessary. |
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| Religion |
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90% Roman Catholic, 10% Protestant, Muslim and Jewish. |
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| Currency |
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Euro (EUR)
Currency Converter |
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Location of Andalucia
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Andalucia is the most populated and second largest of the seventeen autonomous communities that constitute Spain.
Its capital is Seville. Andalucia is bounded on the north by Extremadura and Castilla-La Mancha; on the east by
Murcia and the Mediterranean Sea; on the west by Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean (south-west); on the south by
the Mediterranean Sea (south-east) and the Atlantic Ocean (south-west) linked by the Strait of Gibraltar at the
very south which separates Spain from Morroco. In the south Andalucia bounds with the British colony of Gibraltar.
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Climate of Andalucia
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While Andalucia's coastal climate is temperate, inland the winters are fierce and summers scorching.
In July and August thermometers can hit a sweltering 36°C (97°F) in Seville and Cordoba. From December
to February, top temperatures hover around 16°C (60°F) on the coast and 13°C (55°F) in Granada, where
nights are close to freezing. Powerful winds come off the Atlantic, and the east of the region is
dryer than the west. The strongest winds pummel Tarifa.
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Best Time to Travel to Andalucia
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Andalucia is a pleasure to visit anytime of the year. Hot and sunny in the summer, spring
and autumn are warm and welcoming and it's brisk and bright in the winter. It's said that
there is more sunshine here than anywhere in Europe!
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Attractions in Andalucia
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With strong Islamic roots and a history of unrelenting poverty, Andalucia is perhaps the least European
part of western Europe; but the region's heritage is Spanish as well as Moorish. It gave us Velazquez,
Picasso and Lorca, and is also a hotbed of flamenco, fiesta and bullfighting. Andalusia is known
for its moorish architecture. Famous monuments include the Alhambra in Granada, the Mezquita
in Cordoba and the Torre del Oro and Giralda towers in Seville and the Reales Alcáazares
in Seville. Archaeological remains include Medina Azahara, near Cordoba.
Granada - during the period of Muslim domination of Spain, Granada was the finest city on the
peninsula. Today it is still home to the greatest Muslim legacy in Europe, and one of the most inspiring
attractions on the Continent - the 11th century Alhambra. The Alhambra is the stuff of fairytales.
From outside, its red fortress towers and walls appear plain, if imposing, rising from woods of cypress
and elm, with the Sierra Nevada forming a magnificent backdrop. Inside, the marvellously decorated emirs'
palace - the
Palacio Nazaries (Nasrid Palace) and the Generalife gardens, you're in for a treat.
Seville - one of the first people to fall in love with Seville was the poet-king Al-Mutamid, and
the city's ability to dazzle has not abated since. It takes a stony heart not to be captivated by its
exuberant atmosphere - stylish, confident, ancient, proud, yet also convivial, intimate and fun-loving.
Cadiz stands on a peninsula jutting out into a bay, and is almost entirely surrounded by water.
Named Gadir by the Phoencians, who founded their trading post in 1100 BC, it was later controlled by
the Carthaginians, until it became a thriving Roman port. It sank into oblivion under the Visigoths and
Moors, but attained great splendour in the early 16th century as a launching point for the journey to
the newly discovered lands of America. Cadiz was later raided by Sir Francis Drake, in the struggle
to gain control of trade with the New World, and managed to withstand a siege by Napoleon's army.
Cordoba - the long-time center of Moorish Spain preserves monuments of outstanding importance.
The Mezquita, the great Mosque, is perhaps most impressive.
The
whitewashed villages of Andalucia are impressive historical monuments in themselves,
and their people still live according to age-old traditions, inherited from their Iberian, Roman and
Moorish forefathers. Ronda - one of the country's most spectacular villages lying high above
the Costa del Sol in the rugged mountains of the Serrania de Ronda. Andalucia is a wonderful place
for beaches with some 900 km of coastline. The beaches on the Atlantic coast of Cadiz including Tarifa
(where the international windsurfing and surfing championships have been held) can be very windy with
large waves and undercurrents which are really only suitable for the professionals. The coast of Malaga
Costa del Sol is of great touristical importance, thanks to its splendid beaches, outstanding
installations and smooth climate. Among the most famous centers are Marbella, Torremolinos, Benalmadena,
Fuengirola, and San Pedro de Alcantara.
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Events in Andalucia
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There is no better way to get to know the Andalucians than through their many and fascinating feast
days. The local fiesta is the moment when every town and village strives to put on a splendid show,
not only for themselves but also for those who come from afar to admire and enjoy. Over 3,000 fiestas
are celebrated every year in Andalucia, including fairs, pilgrimages, carnivals, mock battles between
Moors and Christians and religious processions, throughout the some 800 communities of the region.
In fact, there is scarcely a day in the year without its fiesta, with special emphasis on the periods
before and after the autumn harvests. Each town has its own patron saint and yearly procession.
While Semana Santa is a national tradition throughout Spain, the "Andalucians" arguably "feel"
the week more than other regions of Spain. Throughout seven days, Andalucia is surrounded by a
spiritual halo. Semana Santa is a tradition which is repeated year after year; a time when the
devout and curious join together to participate in the procession and converge on the streets
and squares which take on the ambience and mystique of an open air temple. Every spring, the town
of Seville throws a week-long party for over a million people! La Feria de Sevilla originally
began as a cattle trading fair in 1847, and throughout the years it has evolved into an amazing
round-the-clock spectacle of all that is Spanish - flamenco, bullfighting and outrageous fun.
Seville is considered the centre of flamenco music and culture, also known as "Sevillana" because
many of the composers and songs come from this Andalucian city. Jerez holds the Jerez May Horse
Fair on the first week in May each year, an spectacular equestrian event, the Jerez Horse
show takes place in the Gonzalez Hontoria Park. Some of the world's finest horses and riders compete
in the endurance trials, coach driving, "pursuit and tumble" and dressage competitions, with a
stunning display of the finest horses of the region. Year after year, ritual and skill join hands
to stage Spain´s bullfighting season, which stretches from April to October. The most
important bullfight ferias - week-long events which feature a corrida every afternoon - are held to
coincide with the yearly fairs of Sevilla, Cordoba, Jerez, El Puerto de Santa Maria, Algeciras
and Sanlucar de Barrameda, with others such as Ecija, Granada, Malaga, Almeria, Antequera, La Linea,
Priego, Cabra, Pozoblanco, Villacarrillo, Ubeda, Baeza, Jaen, Aroche, Almonaster la Real and Campofrio,
Higuera de la Sierra and Huelva. Ronda holds a very popular type of bullfight known as a corrida
goyesca in early September, in which the fighters dress in the costumes shown in Goya's famous
18th century engravings.
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Food in Andalucia
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Andalucian cuisine is rather varied, corresponding to a region that is itself extensive and varied.
The cuisine of Andalucia is characterized by gazpacho, fried fish often called "pescaito frito"
in the local vernacular, the jamones of Jabugo and Trevelez, and the wines of Jerez, particularly
sherry. Andalusian desserts are heavily influenced by medieval Andalusian cuisine. Notable dishes
include pestinos a deep-fried pastry bathed in honey, alfajores, amarguillos a form
of almond macaroons from Medina Sidonia, the polvorónes almond cookies of Estepa, lard bread,
wine doughnuts, and torrijas.
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Society in Andalucia
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The Andalusians are a cultural group in Spain centered in the Andalucia region. They are usually
not considered an ethnically distinct people because they lack two of the most important markers of
distinctiveness: an awareness of a presumed common origin, and their own language. However, the Andalusians
do have a distinct Andalusian dialect, which some claim to actually be a language. Nevertheless, it is
clear that they do constitute a culturally distinct people and region.
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