DK Travel : Andalucía and Costa del Sol

The diverse and politically semi-autonomous region of Andalucía has a population of some 7 million and embodies what is thought of as typically Spanish – an accurate portrait of the place and its people must include the bullfight, flamenco, gypsies, remote white villages, high sierras and mass tourism on endless stretches of beach. The memories you take with you after a visit here will be colourful, joyous, intense and deeply stirring.

Moorish Granada

The spectacular Alhambra palace is the gem of Spain’s Moorish heritage, while the adjacent Generalife offers sumptuous gardens (see Moorish Granada: The Alhambra).
Moorish Sophistication

The Moors were custodians of the best features of Roman civilization: religious tolerance, scientific and philosophical thought, and engineering and cultural refinements (see Moments in History). In the 10th century, under the Caliphate of Abd ar-Rahman III, Córdoba became the largest and wealthiest city in Europe.
Moroccan Crafts

The Albaicín area of Granada (see Moorish Granada: Albaicín) has become a mini-Morocco. Here you can buy leather slippers, embroidered robes, silver tea services and decorative ceramics.
Moros y Cristianos

Festivals centre on re-enactments of Christian take-overs of various towns throughout the year.
Mosque, Almonaster La Real

Virtually unchanged for 1,000 years, this is one of the few surviving rural mosques in Andalucía and has the oldest mihrab (Mecca-facing prayer niche) in Spain.
Muelle de las Carabelas, La Rábida, Huelva Province

Down by the waterfront, the “Pier of the Caravels” is a great treat for kids. They’ll love the chance to climb aboard full-size replicas of Columbus’s ships Niña, Pinta and Santa María and imagine themselves setting sail to discover the New World. There’s also a re-creation of a 15th-century European village (see Sevilla and Huelva Provinces).
Museo Arqueológico

This Renaissance-style pavilion was also one of the fabulous structures created for the 1929 Exposition and now houses Andalucía’s principal archaeological museum. The assemblage of artifacts ranges from Paleolithic finds, exhibited in the basement, to splendours of Roman and Moorish art, displayed on the upper floors. Outstanding are the Carambolo treasures of Tartessian gold, and the Roman sculpture collection is Spain’s most prestigious.
Museo Arqueológico Cueva de Siete Palacios, Almuñécar

This space was built into the side of the hill in the 1st century. The small collection includes artifacts from Phoenician, Roman and Moorish periods (see Almuñécar & Around).
Museo Arqueológico, Córdoba

A small 16th-century Renaissance mansion is home to this excellent collection, essential for understanding the city’s importance in Roman times. In fact, the mansion was built over a Roman structure and there is an ancient patio to prove it. A sculpture of the Persian god Mithras, from a mithraeum found at Cabra, is particularly fine. Other parts of the collection focus on Iberian finds and Moorish artifacts.
Museo de Artes y Costumbres Populares

Exhibits here include displays on flamenco and bullfighting.