Introducing Andalucía
Spain’s most southerly region is the true home of typically Spanish experiences. Bullfighting, tapas, flamenco, the guitar itself, all began in Andalucía and remain deeply embedded here. Other aspects of Spanish life take on their most extreme forms here: Andalucian fiestas are the noisiest and most colourful, Easter processions have more pageantry, the summer heat is more broiling, the people are at their most vivacious, fun-loving and family-oriented. And the coastal tourist resorts are the most densely crowded in the whole country.
But beyond the cliché images, Andalucía is a land of surprises and contradictions. Away from the mass-tourism resorts you’ll find some of the most pristine beaches in the country, on the Cabo de Gata promontory and the Atlantic Costa de la Luz. Inland are green hills, white villages, huge nature reserves (one-fifth of Andalucian territory is under environmental protection), and the snowcapped highest mountain range on the Spanish mainland, the Sierra Nevada.
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Tourists in garden patio.
- Micah Wright
- Lonely Planet photographer
