Cities & Towns

Cities and Towns in Andalucia

Andalucia has eight provinces, and the capital of each province is a major city with the same name. For example, Seville city is the capital of Seville province.

This can, understandably, lead to some confusion, hence why the city is often referred to as “Seville city“ or “Malaga city”, to differentiate it from the province.

Each of these capital cities has its own provincial government, called a diputacion. Many important monuments and gastronomic attractions tend to be concentrated in them, from Michelin-starred restaurants and luxury hotels to cathedrals and palaces.

The provincial capitals are always worth visiting, as they will be the most important destination in the area. If it’s your second visit, you can expand your reach to take in secondary towns and cities.

In addition to these cities, there are also other important historic destinations, often located in strategically important spots, such as Ronda and Antequera (Malaga), Algeciras and Jerez (Cadiz).

Other towns are significant for their heritage and architecture, but smaller in size, such as the beautiful Renaissance towns of Ubeda and Baeza in the olive oil-rich province of Jaen.

In some cases, such as Jerez and Ubeda, five-star hotels or award-winning restaurants tend to cluster in a different city from the provincial capital (in these cases, Cadiz and Jaen).