Andalucia - Walking Holidays and Moorish Spain

Magnificent scenery and Spain's most famous Moorish monuments make Andalucia the ideal place to combine a walking and wildlife holiday with city visits to discover its fascinating history and culture.

To take advantage of cheaper mid-week flights, why not add a few days to the beginning or end of one of our walking holidays in the Alpujarra to see some of the fabulous cities of Andalucia to which you can easily travel from Granada.

Our typical walking holidays in Andalucia include a rest day on which you may take an optional trip to Granada and a tour of the Alhambra, which is the most visited historical monument in Spain. This majestic palace and the gardens of the Generalife dominate the "Hill of the Sun" overlooking the old town, the Albaicin, and the gypsy cave area of Sacromonte. Walking up the narrow cobbled lanes to the Mirador of San Nicolas will give you fabulous views of the palace with a backdrop of the snowy Sierra Nevada. The splendid Cathedral and Royal Chapel are situated in an old area which was originally the Arab market, and you might also like to try the Arab Baths, guaranteed to remove walking dirt !

Andalucia has eight provinces and one of the nearest is Cordoba, famous for the stunning and enormous Mosque with its forest of pillars supporting red and white striped arches. Also of interest are the Christian Alcazar, the Jewish quarter and the Bull-fighting Museum. Eight km north west of the city of Cordoba is Medina Azahara the huge ruined city founded by Abd ar Rahman III in 936.

If you use the airport at Malaga at the beginning or end of an Andalucia walking holiday, a visit to Ronda is well worth while. This picturesque city is perched over a ravine and is famous for its bullring, one of the oldest in Spain. If going to Malaga from the Alpujarra you could stop at the spectacular Nerja caves full of weird stalactites and stalagmites, sometimes the venue for concerts and ballet. There are many cultural events and fiestas in Andalucia particularly at Easter and during the summer, which can enhance your walking holiday, and give you the real flavour of Spain.

The mountains of Andalucia are beautiful and varied with rare plants and interesting wildlife. They are a favourite destination for those interested in hiking, bird-watching and butterfly spotting. The Sierra Nevada is the highest mountain range in Spain and is wonderful walking country particularly on the southern slopes in the area known as the Alpujarra. The laid-back life style of Andalucia is conducive to a relaxed and enjoyable holiday, and if walking is too energetic for you we offer Bridge Holidays and "Summer House-stays". We also have a Self-catering annex from which you can try a beautiful day walk.