Hot weather, undulating hills, beef farms, orange farms, the Mediterranean coast, villas and a slow pace of life with the obligatory siesta.

But still the Andalucians, like the other Spanish regions, believe in their autonmony as a separate nation under the Spanish flag. They are proud of their identity and celebrate it themselves

Seville

Inland and blisteringly hot in the summer, lies the city of Sevilla - the capitial of Andalucia.

As cities of The World go, this is a ‘must see‘ destination with one of the largest and most impressive historical centers in Europe and widely heralded as a vibrant centre of the arts. This is a city that grew to great wealth during the age of the Conquistadors at the expense of the many suffering native Americans.

To take a tour of the town you would také in many marvellous sights such as: the Cathedral; the Giralda tower (overlooking the old town); the Alcazar palace (with its splendid gardens); Santa Cruz (a part of town with cramped streets full of houses with decorated balconies and facades); the Casa de Pilatos (a magnificent 16th century mansion); the Triana bridge (over the wide Guadalquívir River) and Triana (another vibrant part of town around the church of Santa Ana with traditional ceramic workshops).

Many of the museums here are also well worth a visit… and not just to escape the heat, for example the Art museum Museo de Bellas Artes is host to many paintings by masters such as Velazquez.

Maybe the best time to visit, providing for climate and cultural interests, is Easter time. The Semana Santa (the week before Easter) is celebrated with hooded penitents marching in procession through the streets, followed by images of Mary and Christ on floats.

The Fería de Abril immediately after Easter, is an extravagance of drink, food and dance. This provides a supremely Spanish taste – the men parade on horses and the women dance in those brightly colored gypsy dresses (think flamenco). All of this is well organized and is hosted inside and outiside of tents throughout the city.

A Tour from Seville

The rolling farmland east of the grand inland city of Seville hosts a particullary rewarding Spanish experience when toured. There are some outstandingly traditional towns and villages (in terms of architichture and way of life) here – Such as Carmona (with its Mudéjar church towers, Renaissance period townhouses and a fascinating Roman Necropolis), Écija (which has ornately tiled Baroque church towers) and the towns of Osuna and Estapa finely representing the period of great wealth from the 16th to the 19th century, with grand mansions throughout.

This region also often shows the Islamic influence of the past Moorish empire, to which this region was a prized part form the 8th to the 15th centuries. Particularly as you head from Seville to Granada, where, for example, the town of Alcalá de Guadaira is overlooked by its massive walled Moorish fortification and Granada itself which was the last town of this Western Europe to fall into the hands of Christians.

Granada

Granada is famed throughout the World for the Alhambra palace. This is a palace that spans much of the great history in the region, but originally owed to the luxurious lifestyle of the Nazari dynasty in the 14th century.

This mighty compound with its fountains and gardens is sett against the background of very high (and snow topped for most of the year) Sierra Nevada mountains, and stands proud above the city of Granada and the surrounding fertile plains. At its centre, the Spanish Renaissance is also grandly represented by the Palace of Charles V.

This Moorish wonder is well touristed, getting very busy on weekends and holidays. As an alternative, you can simply take in the magnificent view from the Plaza de San Nicolas in the Albaicin, the Moorish casbah on another hill. The Albaicin is itself worth a visit for its labyrinth of narrow streets and white-washed houses with secluded gardens.

Other sights in Granada include Sacromonte hill (famous for its historical gypsy cave dwellings), the Cathedral, the Monastery of La Cartuja and churches built by Moorish craftsmen after the Christian re-conquest.

Cordoba

This city in the North of Andalucia was the Moorish city of Al-Andalus, once the most populated city in Europe. The Mestiza (a Mosque that can be found here) is the oldest example of Muslim architecture in the Western world.

Costa-del-Sol

The name Costa-del-Sol has become an infamous brand for the package holiday, but the fun in the sun image could only ever have happened because the coastline of Andalucia offers long stretches of sandy beach and a glorious weather.

Each town along this coast has its own appeal: Marbella being the centre of attention with its renovated old quarter and its swish restaurants. Then choose from the pristine beach of Estepona or the wild nightlife of Torremolinos.

Day trips are inevitable if you want to spend a fortnight here and so for a quick hire-car getaway the non-coastal villages of Ojén, Monda, Mijas, Alhaurín el Grande and Coín are each rewarding and refreshing.

The Costa del Sol continues East-wards past Malaga, and includes the Acantilados de Maro-Cerro Gordo, are nature reserve with magnificent cliffs, secluded coves and sandy beaches.