Beaches, traditional culture and iconic cities
Think Spain, think flamenco dancing, sangria and never ending stretches of sun-soaked beaches. You can find all of that and more in Andalucía. This impressive region in southern Spain stretches all the way from Huelva – on the Portuguese border – to Almeria. It boasts more than 800 kilometres of coastline, meaning beaches of all shapes and sizes are on the cards. It’s also home to iconic cities like Seville, Granada and Marbella, as well as the popular beach holiday resorts of the Costa del Sol.
Spain has some of the most varied landscapes in Europe, and it doesn’t get much more varied than Andalucía. Whether you want to tick off wild deserts, sky-scraping mountains, sand-edged coastlines, or tree-blanketed countryside, you’ll be in luck. The region isn’t in short supply of amazing architecture, either – there are whitewashed villages (called pueblos blancos), fairy tale-like palaces and ornately decorated cathedrals.
Andalucía is actually where some of Spain’s most well-known traditions were born. Flamenco music and dancing were developed during the sixteenth century in eastern Andalucía, and since then have become popular across the globe. Be sure to catch a traditional show during your trip. It’s also rumoured to be where bullfighting started. There are a number of famous bullrings in Andalucía – known as Plazas de Toros.
Whichever part of Andalucía you choose for your holiday, you’ll get a taste of Spain at its most authentic. Oh, and plenty of sunshine…
Explore our map of Andalucia
All regions in Andalucia
Your Andalucia questions, answered
In this part of Spain, Castilian is the official language. This is the kind of Spanish that you’ll likely know snippets of – unlike Catalan, which is spoken in places like Valencia and the Balearic Islands.