Basics — essential pre-departure practical information including getting there, local transport, accommodation, food and drink, festivals and events, sports and more. Background information — a Contexts chapter devoted to history, the background of flamenco, recommended books and a useful language section. We pride ourselves on our accurate, honest and informed travel guide. At Rough Guides, we understand that experienced travellers want to get truly off-the-beaten-track.
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Statistic cookies help website owners to understand how visitors interact with websites by collecting and reporting information anonymously. Marketing cookies are used to track visitors across websites. The intention is to display ads that are relevant and engaging for the individual user and thereby more valuable for publishers and third party advertisers. The Rough Guide to Andalucia. In October, the acorns drop and the pigs, waiting patiently below, gorge themselves, become fat and are promptly whisked off to be slaughtered then cured in the dry mountain air.
The meat of these black pigs is exceptionally fatty when eaten as pork but the same fat that marbles the meat adds to the tenderness during the curing process. The turismo can provide details of where to sample and buy. The journey west from Algeciras seems in itself a relief, the road climbing almost immediately into rolling green hills, offering fantastic views down to Gibraltar and across the Strait to the just-discernible white houses and tapering minarets of Moroccan villages.
Beyond, the Rif mountains hover mysteriously in the background, and on a clear day, as you approach Tarifa, you can distinguish Tangier on the edge of its crescent-shaped bay. Beyond Tarifa lies a string of excellent golden-sand beaches washed by Atlantic breakers and backed by a clutch of low-key resorts such as Conil.
Inland, the haunting Moorish hill town of Vejer de la Frontera beckons, while set back from the sea at Bolonia is the ancient Roman settlement of Baelo Claudia. As opposed to many other Costas in Spain, Costa de la Luz sees high-rise hotel buildings replaced with sand dunes and pine trees. The beaches are almost unspoiled with golden sands, hidden coves and clear waters.
There is plenty to do in the area, whatever your desire. For nature lovers, head to Sierra de Grazalema, famed as the best national park in the Andalucia area for its limestone landscape and exceptional wildlife, including a variety of birds.
Estrecho National Park and Bahia de Cadiz are just as impressive, with features such as natural monuments i. Tombolo de Trafalgar. Costa de la Luz translates quite literally to "Coast of Light", so what better way to enjoy the sunshine than on the beach!
The coast is divided into two sections from the mouth of the Guadalquivar River to Tarifa and the Southernmost point in Europe.
On the South side, kite and windsurfing is major - something to bare in mind if you love watersports. El Puerto de Santa Maria and Cadiz offer historic old towns to explore in between relaxing on the sands and Conil de la Frontera offers toned down tourism a beach stretching for several kilometres. Tarifa is in the east, along with Baelo Claudia and Atlanterra. Spain in general is a haven for the retired wishing to live out their days in the sunshine, this, added with the area being a popular holiday destination, has seen the construction of more than 20 golf courses in the area.
Alcaidesa Heathland, La Estancia and Villaneuva, to name a few, are any golfers dream. Tarifa is home to whale-and dolphin-watching excursions in the Strait of Gibraltar , which leave daily from the harbour. Exploring the cobblestone streets of the old town, surronded by orange trees is a charming way to get to know El Puerto de Maria. The coastal town boasts glorious seafood, with the cuisine offered at almost all restaurants in the area.
For a dose of Andaluz history, head to Castillo San Marcos, the famed castle built on the remains of a Moorish moque in Wine in this region of Spain is particularly tasty, thanks to the ideal climate. The wine route, or Ruta de los Sentidos as the Spainish call it, is exactly what you would expect - a walking route to several wineries that offer tastings and opportunities to learn about the wines as well as Flamenco music and dancing.
If you are seeking-fun as a means to entertain the family, head to Aqualand Bania de Cadiz nearby, the waterpark has rapids, whirlpools and a range of water rides along with a food court - making a great day out.
Playa de Valdelagrana sits between the Guadalete River and Levante Beach, so you can only imagine how beautiful of a destination it is. There is a promenade with restaurants, bars and hotels as well as watersport activities such as kitesurfing and windsurfing.
Nearby is Los Torunos Natural Park, ideal for a little mid-afternoon stroll on the boardwalks taking in the wildlife. Nearby beaches include Fuentebravia and Santa Catalina. The park boasts exceptional flora and fuana, known for its great ecological wealth and population of migrating birds. Access to the park is limited to ensure the wildlife is protected, however, there are boardwalks nearby visitor centres that allow sufficient exploring. The trip lasts approximately four hours and allows two short, guided walks inside the park to spot wildlife.
Also note that binoculars are pretty essential, and, while they can be hired on board, having your own is a distinct advantage. There are plenty of buses along these roads, making travel between the villages easy.
Overnighting, too, is possible, with plenty of places to stay — although Carmona is an easy day-trip from Seville. The tower is the first thing you catch sight of and it sets the tone for the place — an appropriate one, since the town shares a similar history to Seville , less than 30km distant. It was an important Roman city from which era it preserves a fascinating subterranean necropolis , and under the Moors was often governed by a brother of the Sevillan ruler.
The valleys are bounded to the north by the Sierra Nevada , and to the south by the lesser sierras of Lujar, La Contraviesa and Gador. The eternal snows of the high sierras keep the valleys and their seventy or so villages well watered all summer long. Rivers have cut deep gorges in the soft mica and shale of the upper mountains, and over the centuries have deposited silt and fertile soil on the lower hills and in the valleys; here the villages have grown, for the soil is rich and easily worked.
The intricate terracing that today preserves these deposits was begun as long as two thousand years ago by Visigoths or Ibero-Celts, whose remains have been found at Capileira. When they came to occupy the Alpujarras, the Moors set about improving agricultural techniques and modified the terracing and irrigation in their inimitable way. They transformed the Alpujarras into an earthly paradise, and here they retired to bewail the loss of their beloved lands in al-Andalus, resisting a series of royal edicts demanding their forced conversion to Christianity.
In , they rose up in a final, short-lived revolt, which led to the expulsion of all Spanish Moors. Even then, however, two Moorish families were required to stay in each village to show the new Christian peasants, who had been marched down from Galicia and Asturias to repopulate the valleys, how to operate the intricate irrigation systems.
Through the following centuries, the land fell into the hands of a few wealthy families, and the general population became impoverished labourers. Under Franco, the stranglehold of the landlords increased and there was real hardship and suffering.
Ironically, the land itself is still very fertile — oranges, chestnuts, bananas, apples and avocados grow here — while the recent influx of tourism is bringing limited wealth to the region.
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