The Alcázar Réal (Royal Palace) of Seville is one of the city’s most enchanting, and most popular, historic monuments. Along with the Cathedral and Archive of the Indies, it is recognised as UNESCO World Heritage. The word alcázar actually means fortified palace, and this one is hidden behind castle walls on Plaza del Triunfo opposite the Cathedral.
The cathedral's construction lasted over a century, from 1401 to 1506. It is said that when the plans were drawn up, church elders stated, "Hagamos una iglesia tan hermosa y tan grandiosa que los que la vieren labrada nos tengan por locos." (Let us build a church so beautiful and so magnificent that those who see it finished will think we are mad).
The name Alhambra comes from an Arabic root which means "red or crimson castle", perhaps due to the hue of the towers and walls that surround the entire hill of La Sabica which by starlight is silver but by sunlight is transformed into gold.
El Torcal Park and the protected El Torcal Natural Area is known for its unusual limestone rock formations. The park and natural area are located about 30 km north of Málaga city, heading towards Antequera near the village of Villanueva de la Concepción. Within El Torcal Park's 17 square km you can see some of the most beautiful and impressive limestone landscapes in Europe. The whole area was under the sea until one hundred million years ago.
The Atarazanas are Seville’s medieval Royal Shipyards in the Arenal district, formerly the port area. They are located about halfway between the Alcazar palace and the river, on the corner of calle Temprano and calle Dos de Mayo. The shipyards are currently closed to the public (January 2025), although long-standing plans for a cultural centre are predicted to be finished soon.
Nearly a fifth of Andalucia is protected, the largest proportion of an autonomous region in Spain, reflecting the unspoilt nature of its countryside and the high ecological importance of its territory. The environment department, the Consejería de Medio Ambiente, of the regional Andalucian government is in charge of overseeing the protected areas.
The Mediterranean garden is a subject of great interest to more and more people - not only avid gardeners looking for ideas for their own gardens but also tourists who find being surrounded by the peace and tranquillity of the well maintained garden enjoyable in its own right.
In Andalucia many monuments are important historical, architectural and cultural landmarks. Here is our list of Andalucia top 40 attractions, how many have you visited?
Many of these casa palacios, or mansions, look quite ordinary from the outside - perhaps as impressive entrance arch, but nothing else to make them out. Inside, you find beautiful arcaded patios with grand stone columns and potted plants.
With UNESCO classing a complex of three buildings in Seville as a World Heritage Site - namely the Cathedral, Alcazar Palace, and Archive of the Indies - it's no wonder that international and Spanish tourists alike flock to the city to see the magnificent monuments left behind by the cultures which have inhabited the city.
There is no shortage of fun to be had in this exciting city, from theme and water parks offering a great family day out, to an evening of local food and flamenco shows. With its beautiful surroundings, Andalucia attracts thousands every year keen to tee off from the green of one of the many golf courses this region offers.
The area of wine production known as the Serrania de Ronda forms part of the DO Sierras of Malaga, producing what are popularly known as 'the Ronda Wines'. Here modern bodegas at over 750m altitude in the Serrania de Ronda produce young red wines from Romé, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Petit Verdot and Tempranillo. Their white wine varieties include Chardonnay, Macabeo, Colombard and Sauvignon Blanc.
From the outside of the Orquidario, the state of the art building complete with three glass domes is eye catching, and from the inside it is pretty impressive too. There is much to catch your eye from the moment you step inside, from the 30m high central glass dome (the other two domes are 6m and 16m high) to the stunning display of plants.
Just outside Antequera you can visit three 5,000-year-old dolmens: Menga Dolmen (the largest in Europe) and Viera Dolmen, which are both located just outside the town, while El Romeral Dolmen is a few km away. These three prehistoric burial chambers represent some of the largest and most complete megalithic structures in Europe.
Just outside Malaga, "La Concepción Jardín Botánico-Historico de Málaga." is a magnificent botanical garden. There are regular guided tours of the gardens which pass through exotic trees and plants, Roman sculptures and a waterfall. There is also a beautiful mansion that once belonged to the creators of the gardens, the Marquis of Casa Loring and his wife, and several panoramic view points to enjoy.
The Telecabina takes you on an amazing 15-minute journey in a four-person cable car right up to the highest point on the Málaga coast at an altitude of almost 800m above sea level. From this superb vantage point, you not only have the most magnificent views of the Costa del Sol, but also the awesome panoramic vistas of the Sierra Nevada mountains (white with snow in the winter months), the Guadalhorce Valley and on a clear day you can see Gibraltar and the coast of Africa.
Selwo Marina offers a new concept in family entertainment, bringing together sea life and the Amazon in an unusual but happy combination. The Marina is a complement to Selwo Adventure wildlife park in Estepona.
Selwo is a fascinating adventure in contact with nature. The park covers 100 hectares and is home to more than 2,000 animals from the five continents. The animals live in liberty, recreating their natural habitat - you can see lions, rhinos and giraffes; gnus, cheetahs, red pandas, meekats, and the endangered Iberian lynx; also birds such as hornbill, ibis, stork and crane. Visitors are taken on a four-hour tour, on foot and in four-wheel drive trucks.
The park counts over 300 crocs among its inhabitants, including the massive Gran Paco (known as Big Daddy in English), the biggest crocodile in Europe, measuring five metres and weighing over 600kg.
Ideal for families with young children who want a gentler up-close-with-nature experience, the Butterfly Park has over 1500 of the colourful little winged insects. The park is inside a Thai temple-style building; the blue tiles were actually made in Thailand.
