Spain Holidays 10

Experience the Beauty of Andalucia

Andalucia is one of the most popular destinations in Spain, due to its amazing beaches, warm climate and relaxed atmosphere. The region is home to many ancient cities, including Seville, Cadiz and Granada. Although the region was first settled thousands of years ago, there are plenty of new attractions to keep you occupied.
There are numerous annual festivals or ferias that are held throughout this region. These festivals are a great way to get a true sample of the culture of Andalucia, from its regional cuisine to the spirit of its people.

Fiesta de Los Reyes - The Festival of the Three Kings. 

In all major cities in Andalucia, this festival is celebrated on the evening of January 5th. It is designed to commemorate the three kings of the Orient who delivered their gifts to the Christ Child. The next day, January 6th is a national holiday throughout Spain, which will give you plenty of time to relax and enjoy the events happening around you.

Cadiz Carnival 

Held in the ancient city of Cadiz, this festival occurs each year on Shrove Tuesday, or the Tuesday before Lent begins. A huge parade is held during the Carnival and the entire city gets in on the action. If you think the carnival in New Orleans is fun, you haven't seen anything until you've visited Cadiz.

Seville Spring Fair - This festival is held two weeks after Easter. 

The entire far bank of the Real de la Feria is taken over by enormous tents and pavilions where you'll find incredible bargains, great food and entertainment. The festivities start on midnight and continue for an entire week. As with the Cardiz Carnival, the dates of Easter change every year, so plan your trip accordingly.

San Lucar Manzanilla (Wine) Fair 

During the third week in May, in San Lucar de Barrameda you'll find the San Lucar Manzanilla Festival which is dedicated entirely to a type of wine that is produced in this region. Prepare for a lot of fun and a lot of celebration of this wine for an entire week.

Summer Fairs 

Every town in Andalucia has its own summer fair, so if you time it just right, you can experience at least one fair each week of your stay. The first fair starts in Seville in April and the last is held at San Pedro de Alcántara in October.The fairs are divided into day and night fairs. For the entire week of the fair, all businesses are shut down and the streets are turned into cafes where you can sample the regions best food and listen to live entertainment. At night, small amusement parks are set up complete with rides and more singing and entertainment.

Bullfighting Fairs 

These fairs are usually set up to coincide with the Summer fairs mentioned above in each city. In Ronda, they hold a very special bullfight where all of the fighters are clothed in costumes found in Goya's 18th century engravings.

The Verdiales Music Festival 

To round out a year filled with festivals and fun, you must visit the Verdiales Music Festival, which is held annually on the 28th of December in "Puerta de la Torre" which is near Almogia. Local musicians compete dressed in traditional costume and the wine is plentiful.



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Malaga is the birthplace of Picasso, which seems right since the historical architecture of this city along with the beautiful landscape would be inspiration for any artist. Malaga is by the Mediterranean Sea and is in the Spanish region of Andalucia. The temperatures stay hot all year through, making Malaga a great getaway for those tourists who are hoping to escape the snow and freezing cold of winter.


Getting to Malaga is not only easy, but can be inexpensive as well. You can take a plane there and land at the airport that is the third largest in all of Spain. This airport also caters to budget airlines, so you don't have to worry about an expensive flight over only to land at some crummy, out of the way airport. The AGP makes sure you can get to Malaga since there are buses, taxis, or trains. If you want to rent a car, don't worry. If you rent a car at the airport, you will find that this a very inexpensive thing to do as well. However, make sure you book a car in advance because even though the rates are cheap, thnking ahead not only ensures that you have a car waiting for you, but you can get discount rates, too.


There are many things to see and do in Malaga. There are the Moorish castles called the Alcazaba and Castillo de Gibralfaro. When visiting these castles, you will have a great view of the entire city of Malaga. If you have a health problem, are handicapped or can not walk far distances then it would be best to only visit Alcazaba. It is a long hike up the moutain to get to the Castillo de Gibralfaro.


You can also visit the birthplace of Picasso, called the Plaza de la Merced. There you will find tons of things that Picasso used when he was a child as well as some paintings. After this, check out the Picasso Museum to see more exclusive exhibitions of Picasso's artwork.

If you like to cycle, try going on the Malaga Bike Tour. It is approximately four hours long and will take you down many narrow back streets. While biking through these small streets, you will get to see lots of hidden places that are great to see and that many tourists miss when they don't take this tour.


There are many beaches in or near Malaga where you can spend a quiet day just sunbathing and taking in the beauty of Malaga while getting a tan. There is also an amusement park to be found in Arroyo de la Miel. It is called the Tivoli World Theme Park and is the oldest park on the coast. This park has beautiful gardens and fountains as well as many rides. There is a fee to get in the park that lets you see the gardens, visit the restaurants and bars and see the shows where there are theater performances as well as a comedy and western show. If you want to have unlimited amounts of times riding the 30 plus rides, then you need to purchase the Supertivolino. You can also purchase single tickets.

The food and drink in Malaga is wonderful. The restaurants serve the traditional andalusian dishes like fish, croissants, soups, baguettes and much more. The speciality of Malaga is espetos which is sardines on a stick. These have been grilled over a fire. You can also try pescaito frito. Basically this is a variety of deep-fried fish ranging from squid to anchovies.


There are several chiringuitos, or beach restaurants, in Malaga. El Tintero is a very popular chiringuito. You will find no menus at this restaurant. Instead, the waiters carry dishes through the restaurant, singing about what they are carrying around. If you want what they are offering you signal to them and they will bring you the food. A different way of ordering food to be sure! Another famous restaurant is La posada de Antonio. Why? Because it is owned by Antonio Banderas. Here you can taste some of the dishes from his home town and they are priced at very reasonable prices.

The best drink to try while in Malaga is their wine. Malaga wine is very sweet but be careful not to drink too much as it has a kick to it despite the sweetness of the taste. If you want to find a nice bar where you can try to meet some visiting celebrities then try El Pimpi.


From museums to amusement parks and from restaurants to chiringuitos, you will be sure to have a wonderful experience in Malaga no matter what type of budget you have for your vacation.


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Nerja is Only a Small Town, but is One of Southern Spain's Most Popular Tourist Destinations.


Nerja, in Andalucia in southern Spain, is only a small town but is a popular destination for tourists to the Malaga area. Built on a hill, Nerja is a traditional Spanish town with a wonderful atmosphere, beautiful surroundings, 12 kilometers of beaches and some fabulous places for walks. Add in the fun shopping and great restaurants, and it's no wonder Nerja is loved by hundreds of thousands of visitors, many of whom make repeat visits every year.


For a small place too, Nerja has alot to do. But, on any visit to Nerja, there are five must do and see things every visitor to the town should not miss.


Visit Nerja's Market - One of the most fun, must do things in Nerja is to shop at the town's street market. Held every Tuesday and Sunday mornings, it starts up at around 9am and runs through until 2pm.

The Tuesday market is the typical Spanish market, chockfull of fruits, vegetables, fresh bread, nuts, olive oil, pasta, meats and fish, plus some stalls selling clothing and accessories. A great place for bargains, particularly if you're on a self-catering holiday and making your own meals. You'll find the freshest food in all of Nerja here.

The Sunday market in Nerja is more of a flea market style, so this is the place to shop if you're looking for something unique or that's not just food stuffs. Take plenty of money, watch your wallet from pickpockets, and don't forget to bargain.

Browse at Mercadona - Nerja has five supermarkets and Mercadona is one of them. If you don't live in Spain, but want to know about the types of things Spaniards eat and drink, then head to Mercadona and browse. You'll find just about every food and drink item you could want, fresh meat, chicken and fish, cheap wine and beer, excellent cheeses, and don't miss the Mercadona brand chocolate. It's wonderful.

Just remember, it is Spain, so while it's open late into the evenings most days, Mercadona is closed on Sundays.


Cuevas de Nerja are Nerja's limestone caves and are quite phenomal, so a definite must visit. Massive stalagtites and stalagmites appear throughout the caverns and, at more than 5 kilometers long, are one of Spain's major tourist attractions. In fact, they're so big, several times a year there are concerts held here. Don't miss the skeleton near the entrance too.

The Balcón de Europa in the middle of Nerja's old town is the town's main meeting point and is the place to go for some truly spectacular views out over the ocean. Apparently, people who have stood on it and gazed around the magnificent vista have exclaimed "This is the balcony of Europe", thus the name.


Coffee on The Promenade - Nerja's typically Spanish promenade gives you ocean views and lots of superb cafes and restaurants, where you can relax over a cafe con leche and watch all of Nerja walk by. Take a walk, have a sit, grab a coffee. Walk some more, find another restaurant, eat lunch, watch the people. It's absolutely beautiful and one of the most interesting places in Nerja, particularly during the summer when artists, street vendors and musicians line the area.


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