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.

Olivia Valere, Marbella

This club is the Costa hot spot of the moment. Designed by the same creative genius who did Paris’s famous Buddha Bar, it attracts the rich and beautiful like moths to the flame. Very exclusive and expensive.
Oloroso

The layer of flor yeast is thin, or absent, as a fino ages, allowing partial oxidation. Oloroso is a rich amber, with an aroma of hazelnuts.
On Bread

Many tapas don’t really come to life until applied to bread. Some are served already perched on a slice.
Opera

Operas set in Andalucía include The Marriage of Figaro (1786, Mozart), The Barber of Seville (1816, Rossini) and Carmen (1875, Bizet).
Oratorio de San Felipe Neri, Cádiz

As the commemorative plaques adorning the façade reveal, this fine Baroque church is one of the most significant buildings in Spain – and not simply due to its unusual elliptical floorplan. On 29 March 1812 a group of Spanish patriots defied a Napoleonic blockade and met here to compose the country’s first constitution. The document’s liberal ideas have inspired fledgling democracies ever since.
Origins

Gypsies (Roma ) arrived in Eastern Europe in the 14th century and in Andalucía in the 15th century. Linguistic research shows that their language, Romany, was related to ancient dialects from northern India. Why they left India is unclear, but was possibly due to war with invading Muslims.
Osborne Bodega

Visitors cannot fail to notice the black cutouts of the noble bull adorning many Andalucían roadside hills. It is the symbol of this venerable sherry and brandy producer is a protected part of regional heritage.
Osuna

The enormously powerful Dukes of Osuna get the credit for endowing this town with exceptional architecture. The massive bulk of the Renaissance church, the Colegiata de la Asunción, dominates the scene; inside, there’s an impressive painting of the Crucifixion by José de Ribera. The Universidad, also Renaissance, has tiled towers at its corners and a beautiful central courtyard. Elsewhere, fine mansions evoke the wealth of Spain’s most powerful families (see Palacio del Marqués de la Gomera, Osuna).
Pablo Picasso

Picasso (1881–1973) was born in Málaga, although he settled in France in 1909. His native land, with images of the bullfight and later of the horrors of the Franco era, turned up in his work throughout his career.
Palacio de Jabalquinto, Baeza

This splendid 15th-century palace is a study in originality. The façade’s columns defy categorization, while the gallery evokes the Renaissance style, as does the double-tiered patio. The latter also sports a monumental Baroque staircase.