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Brandy is distilled in Cádiz Province, Córdoba Province and Huelva Province.

This brandy is made by ageing wine spirits in casks that have previously been used to age sherry. It is sweeter and more caramelized than French brandy.

The Iberian (Tartessian) civilization got its strongest start around 2500 BC when bronze began to be smelted and worked in Andalucía. Some early tribes built the oldest megalithic tombs (dolmens ) in western Europe.

In the Spanish view, this is not really a sport, but an art form, and to many Andalucíans, it embodies the soul of the region. The fight season runs from April to October and tickets are available from bullrings.

Almería Province offers some of the finest unspoilt beaches in the region, centred on this natural park. The main resort town is San José, and from here you can walk to a number of perfect finds, including the Cala de la Media Luna and the Playa de Mónsul (see Cabo de Gata-Níjar).

In Almería Province a stretch of pristine coastline has been set aside as a nature reserve, with towering rocks setting off beaches and coves. The semi-desert massif was designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1997. The zone is excellent for scuba-diving.

Said to be Europe’s oldest city, Cádiz still retains an aura of ageold mystery. The golden-domed cathedral on the waterfront is a spectacular sight.

Start at the northeast corner of Plaza de España and circumambulate the city, taking in the seascapes and gardens.

At the apex of the Atlantic’s untamed Costa de la Luz, this city floats like an ancient dream on what was originally its own island. With good claim to being Europe’s oldest city, it’s thought to have been founded by the ubiquitous Phoenicians in around 1104 BC. Much of what can be seen today, however, dates from the 18th century, the city having been almost completely razed by an Anglo-Dutch raid in 1596. The vast Catedral Nueva (1722) is one of Spain’s largest churches, and many Baroque edifices enhance this unpretentiously beautiful provincial capital and, apart from two weeks in February when it stages Spain’s most celebrated Carnaval bash, it remains very much under-visited (see Cádiz).