Andalucía 

Covering most of the southern part of Spain, Andalusia holds a charm that no other Spanish region can claim. It is, after all, the ancestral home of so many Spanish images–flamenco, Andalusian horses, bullfighting, sherry and tapas like pescaíto frito, the fresh quick-fried fish so ubiquitous in the south. Even by Spaniards, Andalusia tends to be painted as a single culture and destination, but in truth it’s perhaps the most varied part of the country. The wild coast of Huelva and Cádiz, with windswept beach bars and fresh seafood. The classic inland Andalusian cities of Sevilla, Jerez, and Córdoba, which are sisters but differ so much in their culture, food, history, and atmosphere. The mountain hideaway of Granada, the coastal metropolis of Málaga, the white villages of the mountains. To those with some experience in other parts of Spain, coming into contact with deep Andalusia is a revelation, like discovering a new world that begins south of Madrid.

What to Expect in Andalucía

Sevilla

What to expect

• Standing-room-only tapas bars

• Gold-laden alterpieces

• Lots of churches

Don’t miss

• The Mudejar Royal Alcázar Palace

• Convent sweets bought via secret turnstiles

Granada

What to expect

• The Alhambra, the Moorish palace

• Free tapas with every drink

• Views of the snowcapped Sierra Nevada

Don’t miss

• One of Spain’s best seafood restaurants

• The hillside Albaicín district

• Drinking fine wine at La Tana

Cádiz

What to expect

• The Atlantic Ocean on all sides

• Tiny plates of tapas

• Local gaditano sense of humor

Don’t miss

• Ultramarinos store bars serving charcuterie on butcher’s paper

• The Costa de la Luz wild beaches

Jerez de la Frontera

What to expect

• Sherry wineries in town

• Glasses of sherry everywhere

• Old-school tabanco bars

• Great elegant restaurants

Don’t miss

• Sanlúcar for refreshing Manzanilla sherry

Córdoba

What to expect

• The Mezquita

• Narrow cobblestone streets in the Jewish Quarter

Don’t miss

• Montilla-Moriles sherry-style wine

• Tasting olive oil

• The Roman bridge

Málaga

What to expect

• Plates of pescaíto frito

• Luxury and neighborhood restaurants side by side

Don’t miss

• Extraordinary seafood restaurants on the coast

• Málaga wine in Axarquia and in Ronda