Andalucia, with Flamenco dances, beautiful beaches, resorts and palaces and remnants of Moor culture, is often overlooked by tourists who don’t go beyond Madrid and Barcelona, Jaideep Mukerji explores

Andalucia, with its main city of Seville, conjures up images of colourful Flamenco dancers, Moorish palaces and mile upon mile of olive groves bathed in sunshine. Sadly, this extraordinarily diverse region of southern Spain is often ignored by travellers who visit the beaches and resorts along the sunny Mediterranean coast—the well-known Costa del Sol—or limit themselves to Madrid and Barcelona. The Arab Moors from North Africa, who ruled most of Spain for centuries, left a lasting cultural influence on this corner of Europe with gloriously decorated castles, elaborate gardens with waterways and hilltop fortresses.

Andalucia or Al-Andalus, as it was known during the Moorish period from the 8th to the 15th centuries, reached its peak during the 12th century when most of the present-day Spain was under the Arab Almoravid rulers. The Christian kingdoms to the north gradually began to rebel from the 12th century; over the next three centuries, they re-conquered Spain. Finally, in January 1492, the last Moorish ruler, Emir Muhammad XII of Granada, surrendered to Queen Isabella of Castile who, along with her husband, King Ferdinand of Aragon, once again became the Catholic Christian rulers of the land. The surrender ended the Arab presence on the European mainland but the cultural, architectural and social contributions of Moorish Muslim rule persist in this region of Spain to this day.

The city of Malaga, on the Mediterranean coast, is a convenient place to start a visit to Andalucia, given its extensive flight connections to all parts of Europe and beyond. Often skipped entirely by tourists, Malaga, the birthplace of Picasso, has a Moorish palace-castle, a Roman theatre, a Gothic cathedral and great museums. Most places of interest in the city are contained within a small area and can easily be visited on foot. Narrow lanes, lined with street cafes, designer shops and bistros, lead away from the cathedral area and one could easily spend an evening here browsing and soaking in the relaxed atmosphere.



The Alcazaba, the palace-fortress from Moorish times, occupies the hill overlooking the city and was built on foundations laid during Roman times. The palace suffered during the 15th century Spanish re-conquest but was carefully restored in the 1930s. The Alcazaba consists of a series of terraces, fortified walls and grand gateways laid out with gardens and waterways in typical Arab style, making it a great place to wander around and catch a panoramic view of the city. At the northern foot of the Alcazaba lies the Roman Theatre unearthed during the 1950s. Not far is Malaga’s grand cathedral which was built on the site of a mosque in the 16th century with later additions over the following 200 years. One of the cathedral’s two towers has never been completed; it gives the structure a somewhat lopsided appearance. A Malaga ‘must see’ is the unique Automobile Museum with an amazing collection of cars that shows how car designs have undergone revolutionary changes over the decades.

Rent or arrange for private transport if you wish to visit the historic small towns that dot the countryside. Although travel between major centres is efficient on Spain’s excellent rail or intercity bus service, you tend to miss out on visiting the ‘off the beaten track’ towns. Travelling west along the fast ‘autovia’ highway through olive groves stretching away on either side, as far as eyes could see, we reached Estepa, a major olive oil-producing centre in Andalucia. Estepa’s narrow streets and hilltop convents of Iglesia del Carmen and Iglesia de Santa Maria have a grand view of the surrounding countryside.

About 30km before Seville, we exited at the hilltop town of Carmona, located on a promontory with spectacular views of the Guadalquivir River basin. Carmona, with its narrow streets meandering through whitewashed houses, is best explored with an overnight stay. The town has historic sites including two Moorish ‘Alcázars’ or palace-fortresses, one of which has now been converted into a luxurious ‘Parador’ by the Spanish tourism ministry. Paradores are historic mansions and castles that have been converted into four- and five-star hotels. Unfailingly, they are at locations with grand views evoking history. Parador de Carmona is one such hotel. You enter through an impressive Moorish archway and there are stunning views from the rooms overlooking the landscape. It is well worth spending a night here to experience the stay in an 800-year-old palace.

In the heart of Carmona is the Church of Santa Maria la Mayor built on the site of the Moorish Mosque which, in turn, was built over the Roman Temple of Hercules. The Patio de las Naranjas just inside the entrance retains some of the fine horseshoe-shaped arches typical of Moorish Arab architecture and the church tower has elements of the original mosque minaret. Located to the west of Carmona town, just outside the town walls, is a Roman burial ground which is unique in Spain with over 1,000 decorated tombs dating from the second to the fourth centuries.

The next stop on our journey was Seville, the largest city in Andalucia and one of the cultural capitals of Europe. Inhabited for thousands of years, Julius Caesar and his Roman army captured the area and renamed it Julia Romula or Little Rome. During Moorish Arab rule beginning 712 AD, the city prospered and became a centre for silk trade. With the Christian re-conquest of Spain, Seville became a centre from where many famous voyageurs, including Christopher Columbus, set off to explore the New World of the Americas. With wealth and gold pouring in from the newly conquered lands in South America, Seville became one of the richest cities in Europe during the 1500s; many of its important monuments were built during this period.

Start your walk of central Seville at the cathedral which is regarded as the third largest in Europe after London’s St Paul’s and St Peter’s Cathedral of Rome. Recent measurements confirm that Seville’s Gothic-style cathedral is actually the largest in Europe. Built on the site of the Grand Mosque, the Muslim world’s second largest mosque of the time, Seville’s cathedral took four centuries to build. The mosque’s minaret became the cathedral’s bell tower, the elegantly patterned brick and stone Giralda tower, is now Seville’s most famous landmark. The gigantic cathedral interior contains impressive chapels richly decorated with the gold and silver that was brought in from the overseas conquests. On the south side, is the Monument to Christopher Columbus completed in the late 19th century with the figures of four kings carrying the famous navigator’s casket. The actual remains of Columbus are said to be in an underground crypt. To appreciate the spectacular architecture that resulted from the blending of Moorish and Christian styles, the ‘Mudéjar’ style, visit the Alcázar Palace. Built during the 14th century on the orders of the Christian ruler, Pedro, who employed Moorish architects from the neighbouring Moorish Kingdom of Granada that was still under Arab rule, the Alcázar remains one of the best examples of Mudéjar architecture with its sunken water pools and arch-lined patios. The Alcázar is still used by the present Spanish Royal family during their stays in Seville.

It is said that Andalucians, given the warm climate, have more holidays than anyone else in Europe. Scarcely a week goes by without a ‘fiesta’ somewhere in the region. The most impressive festivals are the Semana Santa Easter week processions in April across the towns of Andalucia. The most important ones take place in Malaga and Seville. Other towns have ‘ferias’ which began in the distant past as local market fairs but are now week-long festivities with flamenco dancing, bullfighting and singing. Enquire in advance about the dates and locations to ensure that you can witness one of these colourful events. In a later article, we will continue our travels in Andalucia and visit the popular travel destinations of Granada and Cordoba.

Why Go There: Most visitors to Spain head for Madrid and Barcelona. Andalucia provides a convenient, easily travelled alternative to the discerning traveller to experience the Moorish part of Spain and its unique architecture. Additionally, the local food and wine is without parallel, the climate is temperate most of the year and there are many World Heritage Sites to explore.

Getting There: There are easy connections to Malaga and Seville on scheduled and low-cost airlines from every major European city. Also, there are high-speed trains from Madrid and Barcelona with Spain’s Renfe rail network:
www.renfe.com

Where To Stay: Hotels and transportation is best booked with a reliable Spanish or Indian tour operator experienced in making arrangements in Spain. My arrangements were made by the excellent English-speaking staff at Atlanta Viajes that has offices in several Spanish cities including Madrid, Malaga, Seville and Barcelona. Contact them at madrid@atlanta.es or malaga@atlanta.es. Spanish Tourism’s India-specific website also has a wealth of information:  www.spain.info/en_IN