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Summer 2026 Newsletter
Summer inttro and lead into part two. It’s hard to imagine now, but when Andalucia.com first flickered into existence on 17 April 1996, the “Information Superhighway” was more of a rough dirt track. Back then, the internet was a world of high-pitched dial-up modem tones and Internet for Dummies guidebooks. We continue the Story.
30 Years of Passion: The Time is Right
The Rise of an Internet Pioneer (1996–1998)
By the summer of 1996, the key pieces of the jigsaw were sliding into place for Chris and Michelle Chaplow. While Chris was busy configuring code, Michelle was embarking on a state photography contract for Turespaña, physically travelling to, and photographing 800km of beaches on analogue slide film in medium format, across Andalucia for the Spanish Tourist Board. Knowledge of the region was deepening.
It was a frantic, exhilarating era. Bill Gates was on TV warning of an incoming internet tidal wave, and Steve Jobs was predicting that the World Wide Web would completely revolutionise global commerce. However, in southern Spain, a parallel digital revolution was quietly developing under the palm trees.
The Original Internet Pioneers
Before search engines as we know them existed, getting local businesses online required a massive marketing effort to explain the internet in layman’s terms. The earliest believers to buy space on the platform weren’t corporate giants, but a colourful cast of local expat entrepreneurs:
Simon el Rubio: An English lawyer who made the life-changing decision to become a professional, award-winning flamenco dancer and guitarist. He used the web to promote his international dance tours in China and later sell flamenco apparel worldwide.
Don Lorenzo: A translator living in off the grid, in a remote mountain cottage in Montefrío who from where he translated important UN documents, He later used the internet to rent out cottages in the village and eventually met and married his wife in Montefrio. Lorenzo passed away in 2021.
Dany Car: Run by Swedish businessmen Percy and Robin became the site's very first car rental client.
Aviacion del Sol: The Ronda based hot air balloon company, run by pilot Graham Elson and his charming wife, Pam. They relocated The Massai Mara in Kenya to Andalucia, from the offered Hot air Balloon rides over the town of Ronda and nearby countryside with an authentic Andalusian breakfast and a toast of bubbles.
Summer Festival Ultimate Guide
Sun, Stars, and Flamenco
Your Ultimate 2026 Summer Guide Family Activities for the summer
The Andalucian summer is officially here, bringing with it long, warm nights and some of the most spectacular cultural celebrations in Europe. To help you plan your itinerary, we have updated our definitive regional festival guides. Keep this quick checklist handy, select your favourites, and click through to get our full insider survival tips on what to wear, where to park, and how to find the best local casitas!
Starlite Marbella (July – August): The boutique festival under the stars in the Nagüeles quarry is back. Check out the full 2026 line-up, VIP seating tips, and shuttle bus routes. [Explore the Starlite Guide]
The Málaga Feria (August): Get ready for the biggest street party on the Costa del Sol. Discover the crucial differences between the daytime feria in the historic centre and the nighttime fairgrounds. [Read the Málaga Feria Survival Guide]
Celebrations last eight days and nights from mid-August.
The Malaga Fair is one of the most well-known Ferias in Andalucia. This annual event marks the date, 19 August 1487, when the Reyes Catolicos (Catholic Monarchs) reconquered the city from the Moors for the Kingdom of Castilla.
Kicking off with the traditional firework display at midnight, this year taking place on 15 August, you can enjoy the Feria de Dia, or Feria del Centro, in the city centre until 6pm, with verdiales groups, ladies in flamenca dresses, horse-drawn carriages, and elegantly attired riders. Afterwards, the Feria de Noche with its bustling casetas, live music, and dancing lasts from around 9pm till dawn.
At the Feria de Noche you´ll need to be dressed up in order to be allowed access to the casetas where feriantes spend the night drinking Fino sherry and eating tapas as well as dancing sevillanas.
Celebrations take place throughout the city – be warned that many shops and businesses close for the duration of the Feria. It is well worth a visit if you are in Malaga.
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30 Summers of Discovery
Secret Spots Off the Tourist Trail
Over the last 30 years, the Andalucia.com team has clocked up thousands of kilometres exploring the region's most remote corners. While the coastal resorts are buzzing, we are sharing ten pristine inland lakes, quiet white villages, and secret valleys that we "discovered" back in the 90s that still offer a blissful escape from the crowds today.
Here are three sneak peeks from our definitive anniversary list:
The Secret Inland Lakes: Skip the beach traffic and head up into the hills. We’ve mapped out the cleanest, pine-fringed freshwater swimming spots where locals go to cool down. [
The Untouched White Village: Tucked away in the Serranía de Ronda, this particular hamlet has completely retained its slow, traditional pace of life since we first wrote about it in 1996. [Discover the Hidden Village]
The High-Altitude Sanctuary: Escape the summer heat entirely with our guide to the highest inhabited villages in the Alpujarra, complete with spectacular walking routes and shaded terraces. [Unlock the Hidden Gems List]
Contributor Spotlight: 30 Years of Words
Behind the Stories
Interview with Contributor Editor Fiona Flores Watson
To wrap up our summer edition, we are sitting down with one of Andalucia.com’s most prominent and enduring editorial voices, Fiona Flores Watson. For years, Fiona has been uncovering the region’s deepest cultural secrets, reviewing its most luxurious hidden hotels, and guiding our readers through the complex history of southern Spain.
In this exclusive 30th-anniversary chat, Fiona looks back at how travel writing on the coast has evolved since the dial-up era, shares her absolute favourite hidden corners of the region, and answers the ultimate question: "What is the most 'Andaluz' moment you have ever uncovered while writing for the site?"