Historic, Exotic Andalucia

The interior of the southern Spanish region of Andalucia receives much less attention that the infamous Costa del Sol, but is equally captivating, with its year round sun and charming Moorish towns and cities.

We chose to fly direct to the provincial capital Seville, as an increasing number of carriers are adding flights to their timetables to the historic city in the heart of the region.

Situated on the Guadalquivir River, Seville is a vibrant, active city full of energetic Sevillans and provides a surprising amount for tourists to do. Supposedly founded by Hercules, the city has been ruled by both the Romans, Christians and Moors and was home to Don Juan, Carmen and Figaro.

The first day of our visit we walked from our hotel, a former townhouse in the centre of the city, to the Plaza de Espana in the sunshine and, although it was only Easter, the temperature was in above 30C. The extravagant plaza was built for the 1929 Seville hosted the Spanish-American Exhibition and lies on the edge of the attractive Maria Luisa Park.

The walk to and from the plaza was a delight, as streets of Seville are old and narrow, with beautiful balconies, ornate facades and flowers everywhere.

The holiday also afforded time to see the stunning cathedral La Giralda, one of the largest in Christendom and we climbed the steps of the tower to take in the breathtaking view over the city from the top. We also managed to pay a visit to the Alcazar Palace, wandering around its cool and ornate rooms and sitting in its verdant gardens, and the Fine Arts Museum, which houses an impressive collection and is the second largest picture gallery in Spain.

We were lucky enough to be in Seville for part of the lively Feria de Abril, which takes over the city once a year. Drinking, flamenco dancing, music and food were on offer day and night in tents along the river and the locals dressed in flamboyant and colourful costumes for the event.

One of the chief joys of spending time in Seville is sitting in the sun outside a tapas bar, sipping rioja, eating good food and watching the world go by. Seville claims to have invented tapas and certainly serves some of the best available, with more than 1,000 bars dotted around the city and a dizzying array of meat, seafood and vegetable options available.

The nightlife in Seville was excellent, with many restaurants, bars and tapas places to choose from and we ate and drank our way around the city during our stay, particularly enjoying the cool breeze and views afforded by the venues beside the river.

During an afternoon's shopping I purchased a richly embroidered Spanish shawl in pure silk, charming handpainted china and an intricately painted fan whilst browsing on the charming Las Sierpes and wished I had more space in my suitcase for the elaborate traditional items on sale.

We chose to take a day trip to the small, picturesque town of Carmona, around half an hour by car from Seville, which is situated above a plateau, offering views across the surrounding countryside. Home to a 15th century tower built to mimic Seville's Giralda, an ancient gateway and the ruins of a Roman necropolis, it also has a lovely square lined with bars and cafes, some pretty churches, narrow streets and Renaissance houses.

Andalucia is a large region and we chose to stay predominantly around Seville as there is so much to see. Had we had more time we would have loved to have visited the old spaghetti western sets in Almeria, taken a trip to the beach and explored more of the countryside.

We managed to drive to Cordoba, a Roman city and the capital of the Moorish kingdom of El-Andalus, about an hour-and-a-half from Seville, wandering round the attractive port, crossing the river on El Puente Romano (the Roman Bridge) and visiting the Calahorra Fort and the vast mosque-cathedral.

The province of Andalucia has an exotic vibrancy, rich Spanish and Moorish past and a busy present that fascinated me and left me eager to see more.

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