Cadiz : the spirit of Andalusia

Cadiz include the sea, its people, its bay, its history.

Cadiz is very versatile, with its different areas worth visiting, from Jerez de la Frontera in the country villages of Campo of Gibraltar, the route through the white villages at the break relaxing on the coast between Tarifa and Sanlúcar de Barrameda.

Without forgetting its capital, Cádiz, which retains its walls in the heart of the culture and traditions that make it unique, just like its inhabitants.

Phoenicians, Greeks and Romans populated the province of Cadiz, leaving substantial evidence of their presence all along the coast.

On the other hand a series of historical events allow to see the close relationship that existed between Cadiz and the rest of the peninsula in the year 711, the Visigothic defeat on the Guadalete allows Muslims to conquer the land, changing the course Of the history; three times, the caravels of Columbus leave and return to the ports of the province to convert it into a meeting point for cultural currents of Andalusia and America; and finally, in 1812, the first Spanish Constitution was drafted in Cádiz, which will be the capital of the nation for three years.

The 260 km of Atlantic coast are famous for their long sandy beaches, most preserved of excessive urbanization and extreme tourism operation. While its coastline is part of the Costa de la Luz.
It includes excellent beaches in town, like those of La Victoria in Cadiz or La Barrosa in Chiclana, and pristine beaches such as El Puerto de Levante, Los Canos de Meca and Zahora in the municipality of Barbate, Bolonia Tarifa Vejer and El Palmar.

In the interior include the cellars of Jerez, the White Villages Route and Route of the bull.

The tasty gastronomy of Cadiz includes the most appetizing dishes in Andalusia. The products of the sierra and the sea, together, make a stay in the province a delightful experience. The varied offer of fish and seafood has made famous the prawns from Sanlúcar, the bienmesabe (marinated dogfish), the urta (indigenous fish) Fashionable Rota, sea bream baked in salt, clams vermicelli, small shrimp omelets and many other essential foods.

In the Sierra, game stews (deer, boar, rabbit, partridge, etc.) are famous, like ajo caliente (based preparation of bread and garlic), Grazalema soup, kidneys with sherry , small chorizos from El Bosque, pork fillet with white butter, etc.


Pastry, marked by its Arab heritage, offers unique products, such as Chiclana de cakes, alfajores (kind of gingerbread) and Christmas sweets from Medina, the tocinillos de cielo (a kind of custard) from Jerez, the amarguillos (almond biscuits) Grazalema, etc. All the villages in the province of Cadiz will satisfy the most demanding palate.

Source : www.andalucia.org

Marbella: luxury and beauty

Marbella is one of the main destinations of the Costa del Sol. It owes too many qualities, which are, among others: its excellent climate, beaches, natural environment and its sports complex.
Puerto Banús, Marbella's flagship complex, is the proof of the excellent quality of its infrastructure . Surrounded by exclusive residential areas, its famous marina each year welcomes the most important and most luxurious yachts in the world. Among its facilities also note the elegant leisure area, consisting of restaurants, shops bearing the signature of the biggest names of international fashion and luxury articles stores.

Marbella offers vacationers a beautiful coastline along 26 km where sunny beaches succeed each others equipped with all necessary infrastructure and lined with modern hotels, residential complexes, shops and restaurants. San Pedro de Alcántara is a major city located in less than ten kilometers from Marbella, is a fine example of harmony between nature and tourism development.Marbella will delight sports fans. A dozen superb golf courses are available to fans of the sport throughout the year. These lands have a landscape backdrop of rare beauty.
Water sports enthusiasts will find three ports where they can practice their favorite specialty.
Marbella also has equestrian schools, tennis clubs and other equipment of all kinds. Not to mention the many outdoor sports opportunities of Sierra Blanca.
The old town of Marbella is at the foot of Sierra Blanca, in front of a beautiful bay. the Andalucian character with orange trees scattered here and there and pretty facades whitewashed and decorated with grilles and geraniums.
In the center, spreads Plaza Los Naranjos, flanked by noble buildings such as the town hall (XVI century.) And the former Casa del Corregidor (XVII century.).
considered the largest of its kind in Spain, completes the cultural offer of Marbella. Housed in the Bazán Hospital (XVI century.), This museum houses an interesting collection of engravings of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries bearing the signature of renowned artists such as Picasso, Miró and Dalí.
The pescaíto frito (fried fish), ajoblanco (cold soup with almonds, oil and garlic) and gazpacho are among the tasty specialties of Marbella gastronomy. The desserts need to be accompanied by an excellent sweet wine.
Among the traditional festivities of Marbella there is the Feria y Fiestas de San Bernabé, the first fortnight of June. The program includes concerts, bullfights and other activities.
Holy Week and fiestas of San Pedro de Alcántara, held in October, are the other important festivities in Marbella.
The excursion possibilities along the Costa del Sol from Marbella, are numerous. A few kilometers away there is Mijas, a typical village of the sierra which extends to the coast. It is popular with tourists. Torremolinos, Estepona, Benalmádena and Fuengirola are other important tourist cities.
Natural Park Sierra de las Nieves, offers landscapes of extreme beauty. Close to Marbella, we get to Istán, a famous town for its springs, and Ojén, known with its great ecological wealth.

Source : www.spain.info

Malaga : in the heart of Andalusia

If you want to discover the most famous region of Spain (Andalusia), Malaga is the perfect city. It is located very short distance from towns like Marbella, Granada, Seville and Cordoba. 
Although it is not as well known as its neighboring towns, Malaga has a rich culture and a long and interesting history. Around the city, you will discover a Roman amphitheater from the 3rd century, a fortress of the 6th century. Just as in Granada, the presence of Muslims in particular left many traces in culture and Malaga has the advantage of the beaches ! 
In addition, art lovers will be delighted to visit the new Picasso museum. Pablo Picasso was born in Malaga and his most famous works provided can now be seen in the city where it all began.
Picasso Museum : Picasso's heirs have brought together 150 works by Picasso for the opening of the museum in 2003 and quickly became one of the most visited museums of Spain. It includes early works and drawings by the artist until his famous cubist works.

Alcazaba and Gibralfaro Castle : The Alcazaba is a Moorish fortress built betweens the eighth and eleventh centuries, over The Remains of a Roman fortress. It houses an archaeological museum with Phoenician, Roman and Moorish coins. Also take the time to go visit the castle of Gibralfaro. 

The manquita : A trip to Malaga would be incomplete without a visit to the very eblle Cathedral of the Incarnation. Construction began after the Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella got the dominance of the city in 1487. but in 1782, the contruction has been stopped leaving with only one of its two towers planned.

Harbor Beach Malagueta : The port of Malaga is the second Largest mediterranean port. Soak up the sun on the beach of the Malagueta, the biggest city beach All which is right next to the bullring.

source : www.malagaturismo.com