Andalusia

Andalusia is Spain’s south, where centuries of Moorish rule left the country’s most striking architecture. Seville has its vast Gothic cathedral with the Giralda tower and the Alcázar with its gardens, and in spring the city lives for Holy Week and the April Fair. Granada keeps the palaces and gardens of the Alhambra against the backdrop of the Sierra Nevada, with Córdoba’s Mezquita and cliff-top Ronda close by. Along the shore runs the Costa del Sol: Málaga, Marbella with the marina of Puerto Banús, Estepona and dozens of golf courses.

Summers inland are very hot, with Seville often passing 40 °C, so spring and autumn are best for the cities; on the coast the beach season is long and winters are mild. Andalusia suits lovers of history and flamenco, golfers, families by the sea and food lovers drawn to sherry and the regional kitchen.