Andalucia Tourist Information

Andalucía is one of the 17 autonomous regions in Spain, it is made up of 8 provinces, Malaga, Sevilla, Granada, Cordoba, Jaen, Cadiz, Almeria and Huelva. To put it into perspective, the region of Andalucía is bigger than a number of combined countries in Europe with a surface of 87,268km (33,694 miles2).

The region’s four main cities are Malaga, Granada, Cordoba and Seville, with the latter being the capital city of Andalucía.

You will find an incredible contrast throughout Andalucía, ranging from its glorious sandy beaches of Costa del Sol to the surfer’s paradise beaches in Tariffa, across the dramatic mountain ranges covering areas such as El Torcal, La Subbetica and La Axarquia to the snow covered peaks of the Sierra Nevada in the Granada province. Andalucía not only has a wide variety of countryside, it also has a wide spectrum within its climate, where else is it possible to be swimming in the sea, looking at snow-capped mountains, drive a couple of hours down the road and go skiing all in the same day!

Apart from the weather, beaches, countryside and wild life there are a number of products originating from towns in Andalucía. One of these products are the Mantecados and Polvorones which in recent years have become more widely available outside of Spain, these are Christmas sweets produced in Estepa, a medium sized town in East Seville province. The Polvoron, is allegedly named from the word for gun powder (Polvora).

There are many touristic places to visit throughout Andalucía, such as El Torcal which is a nature reserve famous for its rock formations, within close proximity you have the Wolf Park and a little further along the road the Donkey Sanctuary of Fuente de Piedra.

Locally there have been a number of legendary characters, one of the most famous ones was Jose Maria El Tempranillo , Spain’s very own Robin Hood, he was born in Jauja, a small village in the South West of Cordoba province, he was famous for stealing from the rich to give to the poor, but he was also famous for his manners too, well, according to folk law anyway.

One of if not the most famous of all places in Andalucía has to be the Ahambra palace situated in Granada, it is highly recommended that you split your visit into two days as it is hard to take it all in during one visit, also, highly advisable to buy your ticket in advance as there are limited numbers allowed to go in.

Even though Andalucía is just one region out of 17 throughout Spain, it has more to offer most people than many entire countries!