A journey through history
Andalusia, land of culture, history and landscape. A land conducive to travel with beautiful promises of extraordinary photos. This region of southern Spain is as large as the Aquitaine region, with a population of almost 8.5 million. Andalusia is the hottest region in Spain with an incredibly high number of hours!! I advise you to go there in May or June even if the temperature is already hot, or ideally in September or October which remains the best time for me. I will put you links throughout this Post to my other blogs on Andalusia in order to give you more details on these extraordinary places that we visited.
Let's start by locating Andalusia. This region is nestled between sea and mountains at the southern tip of Spain, where European and Muslim cultures have intersected for centuries. You can immerse yourself in these cultures by visiting many classified sites. This region is made up of 8 provinces:
Alméria
Cadiz
Cordoba
Granada
Huelva
Jaén
Malaga
Sevilla
Our week-long journey begins in Granada at the foot of the Sierra Nevada, a famous mountain range known for its skiing in the winter and its hiking and cycling in the summer. We will visit the Alhambra (which means red in Arabic), the Generalife, the Albayzin district which are all places not to be missed in Granada.
We continued our stay through the region of "white villages" (Ronda, Olvera, Grazalema, Setenil...and so many others) These typical villages of this region of Andalusia are nestled in the heart of the mountain between 2 natural parks (La Sierra de Grazamela and Sierra de la Nieves) White houses, small alleys, steep streets will be our daily life during our visits. If you have to visit only one... I recommend Ronda
Two days later we go further south towards Cadiz. A dreamy name, sung by Tino Rossi (known to the elders:)...Blue sky and fine sand. But Cadiz is not only that, we discovered its charming city center, its cathedral, its Tavira tower... A warm and gentle atmosphere.
We leave Cadiz not without regret to reach further north Seville, capital of Andalusia. We will stay 2 days in Seville to visit, the Alcazar (fortified palace with incredible architecture), the cathedral, the Spanish square (Built for the Ibero-American exhibition of 1929), the Maria Luisa park, the Torre Del Oro...and many other emblematic places.
Our journey ends in Cordoba, a city located more in the center of Andalusia, where Roman, Moorish and Christian cultures have intersected over the centuries. There again, many places are still to be seen without moderation, La Mesquita (former mosque transformed by the Catholics), the old Jewish quarter, the Alcazar where its Roman bridge will dazzle you with beauty.
Andalusia will enchant you with its diversity. Sea, mountains, picturesque towns, folklore, gastronomy, history, architecture... I would also have liked to tell you about other provinces such as Almeria and its bay, Huelva, Jaen or Malaga, but we didn't have enough time to tour this immense region. I could also have taken advantage of these numerous natural parks to do some treks that are worth the detour...but there too the time is short...We will see on our next trip. This region of Spain is full of tourist possibilities, there is something for all styles. You can go there by plane via Seville or Malaga, by train, or by car...I know it's not eco-friendly but it's practical given the number of kilometers to be covered on this loop. This stay, I am sure will remain a fabulous travel memory, you will have many places to visit... And remember to bring back beautiful photos.
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