  
SURFING HOLIDAYS IN ANDALUCÍA, SOUTHWESTERN SPAIN
ROUGH GUIDE TO ANDALUCÍA, THE PROVINCE OF CÁDIZ & ITS TOWNS
Andalusia (Spanish: Andalucía) is an autonomous community of Spain. Andalusia is the most populated and second largest of the seventeen autonomous communities that constitute Spain. Its capital is Seville.
Andalusia is divided into eight provinces named after the capital cities of these provinces: Almería, Cádiz, Córdoba, Granada, Huelva, Jaén, Málaga & Sevilla.
Andalucia is bounded on the north by Extremadura and Castilla-La Mancha; on the east by Murcia and the Mediterranean Sea; on the west by Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean (south-west); on the south by the Mediterranean Sea (south-east) and the Atlantic Ocean (south-west) linked by the Strait of Gibraltar at the very south which separates Spain from Morroco. Also in the south it bounds with the British colony of Gibraltar.
The name Andalusia is derived from the Arabic name 'Al Andalus', which refers to the parts of the Iberian peninsula which were under Muslim rule. The Spanish spoken in the Americas is largely descended from the Andalusian dialect of Castilian Spanish due to the role played by Seville as the gateway to Spain's American territories in the 16th and 17th centuries.
Quick links: Typically Andalusian | Conil de la Frontera | El Palmar | Seville | Cádiz | Ronda | Jerez de la Frontera | Córdoba | Doñana National Park
TYPICALLY ANDALUSIAN
Andalusia is known for its moorish architecture. Famous monuments include the Alhambra in Granada, the Mezquita in Córdoba and the Torre del Oro and Giralda towers in Seville and the Reales Alcázares in Seville.
Andalusian cuisine is known for its use of fish and shellfish, its desserts, and its world-famous sherry.
Think Spain and two clichés usually spring to mind. Andalusia is partly to blame as it the home of flamenco music and bullfighting.
Día de Andalucía (Andalusia Day) is celebrated on February 28.
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The village of Conil de la Frontera
Conil has a long beach backed by large cliffs in many stretches. A trendy little town with good bars and cafés and a good nightlife in the small disco-bars. However, it has still retained much of its character and is still a typical Andalucian town with narrow cobbled streets, tapas bars and an open air market at weekends and pavement cafes around the main plazas.
Conil has a spectacular beach, a wide bay of brilliant yellow sand stretching as far as the eye can see. Head for El Palmar beach for a couple of excellent beach restaurants for lunch. One or two become discotheques on hot summer nights.
There are also some historical monuments worth visiting:
• Tower of Guzman el Bueno
• Church of Santa Catalina
• Convento de la Victoria - featuring interesting paintings
• Convento de San Francesco de Paula - see the image of Nuestra Señora de las Virtudes (Our Lady of Virtue) the Patron Saint of the town.
Conil is well known for its seafood restaurants. Try the Ortiguillas (deep fried sea anemones), which you can only find in the Cádiz area and for a really reasonable meal check out the bar restaurant Pena Federata de Caza on the road to Barbate.
The beaches of Conil are in three sections: La Fontinilla near the town Paseo Maritimo Fuente del Gallo backed by cliffs to the north of the town. Calas de Roche numerous coves to the north, difficult access to some, make them quiet except for summer weekends.
Click on the following link to view your: surfing accommodation in Conil.
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El Palmar
a beachside hamlet with a good choice of places to stay, well known for its superb dune-backed sandy beach. From here you can see the lighthouse on the Cabo de Trafalgar headland that marks the beginning of the small resort of Caños de Meca, a hippy hangout with a laid-back atmosphere and a nudist beach at its eastern end.
Click on the following link to view your: surfing accommodation in El Palmar.
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Seville
is a city rich in history. Virtually everywhere you look you'll see magnificent monuments and buildings which stand as a legacy to the city's fascinating heritage.
Much of the architecture and monuments are Moorish in appearance and date from the time of the Moorish conquest in 712. The Cathedral was originally built as a mosque by the Almohads in the late 12th century and later became the largest Gothic church in the world.
Honeycombed narrow cobbled streets, pavement cafes/bars and plazas flanked by orange trees, the Barrio Santa Cruz is an enchanting part of the city. It is part of the old Jewish quarter, and many of the best known sights are in this area. This part of the city is one of the richest areas in terms of monuments.
El Corte Ingles (famous stores throughout Spain) have two branches in Seville. Seville is even host to stores such as C&A and Marks & Spencer's. Serious shoppers should head to the pedestrianized Calle Sierpes where familiar high street shops such as the Body Shop are located along with excellent boutiques, book stores and souvenir shops.
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Cádiz
Located just 30kms from your surfing accommodation in El Palmar, Cádiz is a must! With magnificent architecture and great shops, this vibrant city provides a real taste of Spain.
Cadiz stands on a peninsular jutting out into a bay, and is almost entirely surrounded by water. Some of the city's 18th century walls still stand, such as the landward gate. The old, central quarter of Cadiz is famous for its picturesque charm.
Here too Moorish architecture is everywhere giving Cádiz a more Eastern/African feel than Spanish. Narrow cobbled streets opening onto small squares. The golden cupola of the cities cathedral looms high above long white houses and the whole place has a mysterious dilapidated air. It only takes an hour to walk around the headlands where you will be able to visit the entire old town with sweeping views of the bay.
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Ronda
The town of ronda rises up from a ring of dark angular mountains. It is built on an isolated ridge of the Sierra and is split in half by the gaping gorge of the river Tajo with a sheer drop of 130 meters on three sides. The gorge is spanned by an incredible 18th Century bridge whilst tall, whitewashed houses, lean from its precipitous edges. Much of Rondas attraction lies in the view as the town is approached.
The day trips pass through the Grazalema and Alcornales national parks.
Jerez de la Fronterra
In 1587 Sir Francis Drake carried out a devastating raid on Cádiz, where he set fire to the whole of the Spanish fleet and helped himself to some 300,000 gallons of sherry! The huge supply must have contributed to establishing a taste for the wine in Britain. Subsequently in the late 18th and early 19th centuries a large number of English, Irish and Scottish merchants arrived and settled in the area.
On a day trip to Jerez you will visit one of the famous Bodegas and a visit to the Royal Equestrian school.
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Córdoba
The heyday of Córdoba came in the 10th century under Abd-al-Rahman III who was the first caliph. While some areas of Europe languished in the Dark Ages, Córdoba became a center of advanced learning: the sciences, medicine, philosophy and poetry. Along with Baghdad and Constantinople, it was one of the three greatest cities in the world. It has a population of 300,000. The synagogue and Jewish quarter as well as the mosque of Córdoba are a 'must see' for any visitor.
Córdoba day trips are also available on request.
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Doñana National Park
Doñana consists over over one hundred thousand hectares of protected land and is considered to be on of the most valuable natural landscapes in the whole of Europe. Within its landscape the national park accounts for a total area of some 50,720 hectares, as well as 2,040 hectares of protected land. within Doñana some very diverse ecosystems coexist. You can find pine forests, sand dunes strewn with fossils, beaches, marshes, lagoon complexes, reserves and many more areas of significant ecological interest which support a wealth of animal and plant life. The United Nations have recognized the park as an area of significant ecological interest, subsequently designating it as a 'Special Protection Area for Bird Life' UNESCO placed the title of Biosphere Reserve and it has been awarded the Council of Europe's Diploma for Management. The areas most significant distinction was achieve in 1994, when it was first included on the list of World Heritage Sites.
The day trips on offer include checking the park out in an all terrain 4x4.
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