Malaga is a town situated on the coast and is the ideal spot for cooling down within the region. It is the single biggest city of Andalusia. The city is the birth place of Picasso and you can of course stop by his house. You can also find different art museums in the city, among them the Picasso museum. With a hop on hop off bus you can quickly go on a discovery tour of the city. Wednesdays and Sundays there is always a market where you can find virtually anything you need. From shoes to vegetables, you can find everything here. You will find the market at the Avenida de Juan XXIII. For everyone who enjoys exploring nightlife, Andalusia is a great city. The city namely knows a buzzing nightlife, with something there for all tastes. One of the most important sights of the city is Alcazaba, this is a military building of the Moors from the 11th century. The building is built on the remains of an old Roman fort. You can also find the remains of an old Roman theatre in Malaga.
Seville is the capital city of Andalusia and you should have definitely visited this city during a tour through the region. There are different sights to be seen in the city, one of them being Alcazar. This is a beautiful palace with dozens of rooms and courtyards. The extravagant architecture is worth seeing the palace for. Another remarkable structure in the city is Plaza de Espana. This building was built for an exposition in 1929. You can find multiple buildings in the city that were built especially for this exposition, but this building is the biggest of them all. You can also find different remains of the old city walls. These are thick stone walls that have been well preserved in Seville. A large part is to be found at the Andalusian parliament. Another sight is Torre del Oro, also known as the Golden Tower. This is an old military tower in Seville. It was part of the river defence.
About a hundred kilometres from Malaga lies the beautiful city of Ronda. The city is a historical monument you could say and there are three high iconic bridges. Are you a lover of wine? Then you can not miss a visit to Ronda, it is namely a wine region. Do not forget to visit the wine museum in the city. Visit also the Puento Nuevo, which means "new bridge" in Spanish. The bridge crosses a 120 meter deep gorge, because of this the bridge has an amazing view down. In Ronda you can also find one of the oldest arenas, in which today bull fights are still being held.
Granada is a city with a rich history in Andalusia. Most sights also have to do with the history of the city. Most visitors that pay a visit to the city go and see Alhambra. This palace was a citadel for high government officials and sultans of Nasrid. Andalusia used to be in hands of the Arabs and different influences can be seen back in the region. One of these influences is for instance Alhambra, but you can also still find different mosques. Alhambra is situated on a strategic point and has a wonderful view over the city. A unique neighbourhood to visit is Sacromonte, this neighbourhood was built on a hill in the 17th century. Also don't forget to visit the 16th century cathedral.
The most southern tip of Spain is actually not a part of Spain. Gibraltar is an English enclave in which you even pay with the British Pound. In the city the inhabitants drive on the left side of the road and different English products are sold. The citizens of the city are bilingual which makes them speak both English and Spanish. You can also just pay with euros in Gibraltar. Gibraltar is especially an important place to cross to Morocco for Moroccans. This country is only 14 kilometres away from Gibraltar. The city is ideal to just visit for a day and to shop for duty free products.
Andalusia is known for people spending the winters here, but there are also areas in which in can snow in the region. Sierra Nevada literally means "snow covered mountain tops". The mountain range lies close to the popular city of Granada, and a trip to both is easily combined. Sierra Nevada is the only place in Andalusia where you can ski in the winter. In is also the highest mountain top of Spain's mainland. In the mountainous area lies Las Alpujarras, an area with pittoresque villages and handcrafted items.
Andalusia is the region of the Tapas. Seville is still convinced that they are the inventors of the little bites. Most places in Andalusia swear that they sell authentic tapas. It is a good recommendation to have lunch in a Tapas bar. In Granada it is usual that you are offered a free tapas when you order a drink. This is definitely a fun way to get to know the popular bites of Spain.
In Andalusia there are only two national parks of which Parque Nacional de Donana is a part of. The park is the home base of the Iberian Lynx, an incredible animal to see in the wild. Of course you have to be very lucky to see this lynx in the wild. If you do not encounter a lynx, this is okay, because you can still enjoy the amazing views and wild flamingos. You can spot more than 360 different species of birds in the park.
Cadiz is an old harbour town situated on the gulf of Cadiz. When making a tour of Andalusia, you will usually pass this city which knows a rich history. In the city you can find an old Roman theatre. The theatre was only discovered after a big fire during which many warehouses were burned down. The fire insured that the foundation of the theatre was rediscovered. Not only a theatre, but also a couple of medieval buildings were discovered. The theatre is even the second biggest Roman theatre in the world. Only the theatre in Pompeii was bigger. During a visit to Cadiz, it is recommended to visit Plaza San Antonio. This is a beautiful square and it is the most important one of the city. Around the square you can find mansions that were built in neoclassical style.
