Driving through Andalucìa, you will notice that the most abundant crop throughout the Andalucia - in particular, Jaen province, though also Seville, Cordoba and Almeria - is the olive. Line after line of olive trees, often on rolling hills, stretch for as far as the eye can see.
Andalucia has a magnificent variety of flora and fauna, thanks to its location between the African and European continents and between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic oceans. Not only that, but its topology and geology all contribute to the fact that it has the highest number of species of flora and trees in Europe.
Andalucia has over 1000km of coastline, along two seas: the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, which meet at the Straits of Gibraltar.
Andalucia has over 1000km of coastline, much of which is beautiful sandy beaches. You can find many long, straight, flat stretches of coast which are popular with families, swimmers, and watersports enthusiasts all around the region, although a large proportion of such playas are on the Costa de la Luz, specifically in Cadiz province, although also in the Huelva part too. Some are completely undeveloped, without even a chiringuito beach restaurant, while others are in towns.
Andalucia features massive swathes of fertile lowland, largely along river basins in Cadiz, Malaga, Sevilla, Granada and Cordoba provinces. Crops such as wheat, cotton and sunflowers are grown on the plains which stretch along near various rivers:
Andalucia has many extensive and ecologically important areas of marshes and wetlands, which attract thousands of birds. Since Andalucia is located at the crossroads of Europe and Africa, these places are also crucial for migrating birds to stop off and feed on their long journeys, and as breeding sites.
Dehesa is a unique ecosystem made up of mixed grassy pastureland and woodland of evergreen oak trees.
Andalucía is one of the most mountainous regions in Spain, although many visitors to the Costa del Sol may not realise this fact.
Their willowy, wispy branches and strong trunks grace hillsides and craggy cliffside areas, while the pink and white colours of their blossom, from late January to mid-February, cover the countryside in a soft blanket. Hills of almond blossom offer an unforgettable sight - well worth seeing if you ever have the opportunity.
Salt marshes are a natural source of sea salt. The marshes flood on a high tide and then a series of earth bund walls and sluice gates regulate the level of the seawater. As the water evaporates under the hot sun, the salt is left behind; it is then collected and stored, and the process is repeated. The main locations for this are Cabo del Gata (whose sea salt is highly prized in cooking) and the Marismas de Odiel in Huelva.
Andalucia´s principal mountain range, the Cordillera Bética, comprises two parts: the Sistema Subbético to the north and the Sistema Penibético to the south and accounts for much of Andalucia´s most dramatic and rugged landscape.
Part of the south-eastern coast of Andalucia receives little rainfall. This is the very dry province of Almería province, which contains vast semi-desert areas of bare, eroded terrain so similar to the Arizona landscape that it has been used as a location for western films.
The Rio Guadalquivir lies just to the south of the Sierra Morena, and runs from the Sierra de Cazorla in Jaen, on the eastern side of Andalucia, to the town of Sanlucar de Barrameda, on the coast of Cadiz province.
