ANDALUCIA - Southern Spain
Ronda
The giant region of Andalucia, located in southern Spain, is
extremely diverse and hard to distill into a few paragraphs.
Most Andalusian provinces, however, do share the hot, dry
sun and a reputation for being the haunt of poets and artists.
Above all else, it is the remnants of Moorish occupations that
typify Andalusia. Between 711 A.D. and the Christian
Reconquest of 1492, the Moors hosted the most
sophisticated civilization of the Middle Ages in the three
major cities of Córdoba, Sevilla and Granada. Each one
preserves extraordinarily beautiful monuments of the era,
the most notable being Granada's Alhambra palace.
Today, the autonomous region counts the provinces of
Almería, Cádiz, Córdoba, Granada, Huelva, Jaén, Málaga,
and Seville in its borders. Andalusia is bounded on the south
and east by the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean and
on the west by Portugal.
The regional cities run the gamut from chic resorts like
Marbella on the Costa del Sol to more industrial cities like
Málaga as well as historical landmarks like Granada or
Cordoba.
The capital is the city of Seville, which boasts the Alcazar, a
Moorish fortress, and La Giralda, the turret-turned-belltower
on the grandiose Gothic cathedral. The city of Mijas is an
example of an Andalusian institution, the "white villages," so
named because of the omnipresent brilliantly whitewashed
houses.
View Larger Map
There are too many local hotspots to even begin to describe
Andalusia, but no Andalusian guide would be complete
without mentioning the ever-present festivals and ferias, the
most famous being the giant April Fair in Sevilla, the
pilgrimage to El Rocío near Huelva in late May, and the Easter
celebrations at Málaga and Sevilla.
The Patio de los Leones ( The Lions Patio ) within the Alhambra - Garanada
Andalucia is one of the most popular holiday destinations in the world and being such a holiday hot spotthere is an enormous variety of accommodation on offer to suit all pockets and tastes. Some of the most popular hotels in Andalucia include
the Gran Hotel Guadalpin Puerto Banus in Marbella.
There is a fantastic beach club and a sunbathing terrace surrounding the large outdoor swimming pool. For children there is a kid's club. You can also enjoy a free sauna.
The Gran Hotel Guadalpin Banus has a range of places to eat, including seafood, international and Basque restaurants.
The centre and Puerto Banus with its marina and shops is just 15 minutes' walk away. Marbella is 6 km away. The hotel´s golf department can help with book rounds at local courses and arrange golf classes.
In Fuengirola there is the Hotal Yaramar
Located on Fuengirola's beachfront, this hotel boasts fabulous sea views from its outdoor pool, bar-restaurant, bedrooms and even its lifts. Play cards or pool in the games room and work out in the gym.
Spend the day on the renowned Boliches Beach, footsteps away or soak up the sunshine on the nearby golf course or make a daytrip to the aqua park only 10 minutes from the Hotel.
In Benalmadena the Sunset Beach Club features its own beach club, 2 outdoor pools and a fitness centre with sauna and jacuzzi. It has 6 bars and restaurants, an on-site supermarket and free Wi-Fi.
Free daily activities and entertainment for all ages are offered at the Sunset Beach Club in summer. Live evening entertainment is offered all year round. A Padi Scuba Diving Centre can be found on site
Apartments at the Sunset Beach Hotel have satellite TV, a terrace and a kitchen with oven, microwave and kettle. All are air conditioned and heated.
If you are searching for activity holidays in Andalucia
then you might like to try pick-n-mix-holidays . They are a family run holiday business based in the
pretty village of Castillejar located in the heart of rural Andalucia. They offer a good selection of activity holidas from the serene to the extreme
including Paragliding, scuba diving, mountain biking and horseriding to name a few.
 Videos of Andalucia
Google Map of Andalucia
You are reading some content from
The Rough Guide to Spain
|
