The whole of Huelva, both city and immediately surrounding area, is imbued with the spirit of Cristobal Colon and his voyages to America. You can visit the monastery in La Rabida where he stayed while waiting for his request for funding to be approved by Queen Isabella.

Huelva has always been known more for the beaches in the surrounding area, than for the city itself. Known by the Phoenicians as Onuba, it has a long history, closely linked to the sea and nearby mineral riches, and apart from the less attractive industrial port area, has some interesting sights, although many monuments were destroyed in the 1755 Lisbon earthquake.

In 1981 a group of Spanish Muslims, mostly converts, launched plans for a brand new mosque in Granada, funded by various Muslim countries who have never lost their love for the city.

Granada boasts one of the most magnificently positioned palaces in the world, as wondrous to behold from across the gorge, with the white peaks of the Sierra Nevada glinting behind in the sun, as it is to examine close at hand, with its elaborate symbolic designs. The city has a fascinating history, which can still be seen today in Granada´s carmens and Arab baths.

As well as the typical collections of archaeology, fine art and bullfighting paraphernalia, Cordoba also has some more unusual museums: leather art, patios and torture. The city is famous for its leatherwork, and its most historic technique, guadameci, is an intricate embossed design with gold, silver and coloured paint, unique to Cordoba, which dates back to the 10th century. /p>

Cordoba is best known as being home to one of Andalucia's three great monuments: the Mezquita, the other two being Seville's Alcazar and Granada's Alhambra. Like the other two, the city embodies the region's rich cultural and religious history: the Mezquita - which dates from Cordoba's zenith, as capital of Al-Andalus and the largest and most important city in Western Europe, with 500,000 inhabitants.

The oldest continuously-inhabited city in the Iberian Peninsula, and possibly all of southwestern Europe - it was founded in 1104 BC - Cadiz´s fascinating history and varied fortunes can be glimpsed through the development of its name over the centuries. The Phoenicians called the city "Gadir", which means "walled stronghold"; the Berbers subsequently changed this word to "agadir", meaning "wall". In Greek, Cadiz was called was "Gadeira" - according to Greek legend, Hercules founded the city after his tenth labour.

Cadiz´s name and reputation have forever been linked with its maritime adventures. It was from this ancient port city, dramatically situated on a spit of land surrounded on three sides by the sea, that two of Columbus´ four voyages set out for the New World. During the Franco era it was known as a hotbed of dissent, with its legendary carnival continuing despite the dictator´s ban on such decadent events.

Like Rio Tinto, in Huelva province, Almeria became a focus for French and British mining companies in the 19th century, reviving the city's flagging fortunes, with the Alquife mines in the interior producing iron, lead and gold. A new railway line (Almeria-Linares) and port were constructed, the most notable remains of this period of industrial prosperity being the Cable Ingles, a huge iron railway pier used to transport the mineral ores to the waiting ships which dates from 1902.

Almeria was, until recently, the last well-known of Andalucia's provincial capitals. These days, however, thanks to the growing popularity of the province's beaches, especially nearby Cabo de Gata and its natural park, more visitors are getting to know Andalucia's fastest-growing major city. It remains, for now at least, largely uncommercialised.

Antequera is a medieval town in the hills to the north of Malaga, overlooked by a Moorish fortress or Alcazaba. It is located in a fertile river valley, with olive groves and fields of sunflowers, and has great climbing and walking attractions nearby.

The late King Fahd of Saudi Arabia had a fully-staffed compound, complete with private clinic and mosque, in Marbella, where he spent most summers.

Marbella is known as the playground of Europe's rich and famous. If the Costa del Sol was conceived as Europe's Florida, then Marbella is its Miami. Situated between Malaga and Gibraltar, this exclusive resort is where numerous international celebrities and royalty relocate for the summer, hiding out in private villas and exclusive five-star hotels, or on their luxury yachts.

As well as Americans Hemingway and Welles, many writers and artists stayed in the genteel mountain resort of Ronda in the 19th and 20th centuries. One of the least-known of these is David Bomberg, an English painter who lived locally in the 1950s.

Best-known for its spectacular setting atop a deep gorge spanned by a stone bridge, Ronda has a rich cultural and literary tradition, and is the home of modern bullfighting. Every September, the town plays host to one of Andalucia's most charming festivals, the Feria Goyesca.

Nerja offers an ideal base to explore the nearby mountainous region of Axarquia, famous for its dramatic scenery and unspoilt hilltop villages. The most famous of these is Frigiliana, 7km north of Nerja, voted the prettiest village in Andalucia.

Nerja is a seaside town on the eastern part of the Costa del Sol, the stretch between Malaga and Granada province's Costa Tropical. This part of the coast is less developed than the Marbella area, and Nerja itself is still relatively unspoiled. It has a famous viewing platform, the tree-lined Balcon de Europa, looking out over the Mediterranean, and some renowned fiestas.

These massive, majestic mammals swim between the Mediterranean (to the east, from the Costa del Sol across to Morocco) and the Atlantic (to the west, between the Costa de la Luz and Morocco) - the best months to see them are April to October.

Tangiers can be reached by ferry from Tarifa in just 35 minutes. The Moroccan port has a fascinating history: after years under joint French and Spanish control, it was designated an "international zone" in the 1920s and remained so until independence in the 1950s, becoming a haven for Europeans in search of an alternative lifestyle, spies and eccentric millionaires; writers attracted by its liberal multiculturalism and vibrant, exotic atmosphere, include Tennessee Williams; William Burroughs, Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg; and Paul Bowles (who died here). Matisse also painted in the city.

Famous for being the European capital of kite-surfing and located at the southernmost tip of Spain, Tarifa has a laid-back atmosphere all of its own. With its reliable breezes, kilometres of sandy beaches and a Moorish fort, it is a relatively small town which offers fantastic watersports all year round, fascinating history, and excellent nightlife.