Added: 04/18/2006 |
Holidays in Andalucia -- Diverse and Fabulous Ways to Spend Your Free TimeIt is easy to describe Andalucia as the lost world of the Moors - a place where time stands still - but this is too simple. Andalusia is a region with changing landscapes and a varying climate. Forests of pine change with dry and dusty plains, area with dunes and vigorous-green mountain scenery. Within a relatively small area, the region has the sea, hills and mountains, undulating countryside, forests, wide open spaces, lakes and rivers, major cities and tiny hamlets, hundreds of wonderfully sunny days, just the right amount of rain, snow, beautiful flora and fauna, dozens of species of wild animals and birds - enough to be going on with.
Painting or walking in the mountain regions of Spain, you will naturally see some of the fascinating old practices of rural Andalucia. Mules plough small terraces; families gather fallen chestnuts and friendly shepherds wander alone with their locks. At the same time Andalucia is embracing the 21st-century while still reinforcing its traditional identity. Rural tourism is bringing forgotten areas back to life and putting them on the map for discerning travelers willing to explore. Rural holidays in Andalucia are perfect in small and fairly remote villages. Rural cottages in Andalucia are something worth experiencing.
The sound of rural silence here is broken only by the bells of the goats. Streams flash in the brilliant sunlight and the branches of trees are laden with ripening fruits. You can also choose from guided walking holidays, self-guided walking holidays, painting holidays, cookery holidays, and photography holidays in Andalucia.
Andalucia has really fabulous coastline and beaches. The sunbathing on beaches generally becomes popular from late May until late September. There is a noticeable increase in beach popularity during the school holidays and especially in July and August when many residents from Madrid and other cities in Spain arrive on the coast for their annual holidays in Andalucia. There are no private beaches in Spain; you have the right to walk the entire coastline.
Andalucia has some of the best venues in the world for a range of sports, which should satisfy the desire for modest thrills and adventure. There are plenty of seriously high cliff faces, especially around the Sierra Nevada and Ronda. The legality of base-jumping is questionable, particularly in urban areas, although that does seem to add a certain frisson for some. Skydiving, for those with a bent for the mega-adrenalin rush, is similar to regular free fall parachuting, but much faster.
Speed skiing is exactly what it says - straight down a near-vertical, ice-covered track on a pair of skis, described as 'nearly past fear at terminal velocity'. The skis are wider than normal, you carry body-hugging poles, aerodynamic helmets are mandatory.
In Andalucia, those heading for the Sierra Nevada have to do their fastest down the black runs. Incidentally, you stop by the simple expedient of sliding up a gentle gradient at the end of the run. Then head for the nearest bar. With such great geographical diversity, there are many ways to spend unforgettable holidays in Andalucia.
Come and get the most out of Andalucia!
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