If any region anywhere in the world has a recipe for success then Andalucia must be it, with a wonderful sunny climate, a mountainous backdrop to hundreds of miles of sandy beaches and a laid back way of life that is the envy of hundreds of thousands of people from the colder Northern areas of Europe. Andalucia is divided into eight provinces all with different personalities and traits which means that Andalucia really can offer something for every one. Starting in the far West of Andalucia we have the province of Huelva, which like all the provinces in Spain has as its capital the city of Huelva. The province of Huelva is quite heavily industrialised and since Roman times has been heavily involved in mining. Neighbouring Huelva we have the province of Sevilla (usually called Seville by the English), the city of Sevilla is also the seat of government of Andalucia, Sevilla is one of the most beautiful of Spanish cities and also because of the size of the river Guadalquivir is Spain’s only inland port for ocean going traffic. To the South of the province of Sevilla we find the province of Cadiz with the city of Cadiz set on a peninsular and almost surrounded by water. The province of Cadiz also has the famous sherry triangle formed by the towns of Jerez de la Frontera, El Puerto de Santa Maria and Sanlucar de Barrameda. Moving further along the coast we come to the province of Malaga, this is the major coastal city of Andalucia and Malaga airport is the entry point for millions of holiday makers heading for the Costa del Sol. Moving inland to the North of the province of Malaga we arrive at the land locked central province of Cordoba, in the eleventh century the city of Cordoba was considered to be the most important cultural city in Southern Europe with Christians, Jews and Muslims living in peaceful harmony and Cordoba’s centres of learning turning out many notable scholars. To the East of the province of Cordoba is the province of Jaen, probably one of the lesser known of the Andalucia provinces, the city of Jaen has some wonderful old buildings including the cathedral that took almost two hundred years to complete. Each year the plazas of the city of Jaen are lit up by huge bonfires celebrating the day of San Antonio Abad, the patron saint and protector of animals. The town's neighbourhoods vie with one another to build the biggest, brightest and most spectacular bonfire. To the South of the province of Jaen we discover the province of Granada which gives the resident or visitor a choice of skiing in the Sierra Nevadas in the winter based in the city of Granada or the chance of a visit to the coast and its attractions, whilst staying in the jurisdiction of the province of Granada. The city of Granada has one of the most brilliant pieces of universal architecture called the Alhambra, a series of palaces and gardens built in the fourteenth century. Our final point of call is the province of Almeria which contains areas of almost desert like nature as well as the quieter coastal areas and inland some beautiful mountains. The city of Almeria is located at the foot of a mountain range which is crowned by the magnificent Alcazaba, an Arab fortress built by the Caliph of Cordoba, Abd-arRahman lll with three huge walled enclosures (in the second of which are remains of a mosque, converted to a chapel by the Catholic kings). In times of war, the Alcazaba could hold an army of more than 20,000 men. The city of Almeria as well as the province of Almeria has like all the provinces of Andalucia had a chequered history of rulers from various parts of the world all of which have added their influence in creating fascinating Andalucia.
