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The Sierra de Aracena is defined by soaring cliffs, wooded valleys and whitewashed villages. A good hike along the marked trails is the 6-km (4-mile) route from Alájar to Linares, via the hamlet of Los Madroñeros. It begins at the main square in Alájar and follows the old road, with only one steep section.

Leave Rute on the A331 south, veer left at the fork and then take the trail on the right about 500 m (550 yd) further on. This leads down to the reservoir; turn right and continue to a rocky promontory. Enjoy the views, then go up the hill and cross the bridge to the scenic village of Iznájar.

Andalucía is blessed with sierras in which to hike, from verdant, to desert-like, to rocky (see Nature Reserves). If mountaineering appeals, head for the Sierra Nevada. Maps and lists of refuges are available from the Federación Española de Deportes de Montaña (FEDME).

The bullfight may have roots in primordial religions involving bull sacrifice.

Andalucía is renowned for breeding some of the finest horses in the world, so one would expect to find a range of riding options. There are trails and schools in every province.

Most of Europe’s butterflies are found here, along with mosquitoes, scorpions and tarantulas.

Just north of Málaga City lies this impressive botanical garden, the work of a 19th-century English woman, Amalia Livermore, and her Spanish husband, Jorge Loring Oyarzábal. The garden is composed of a collection of palms and exotic plants from around the world. The grounds are also embellished with charming touches here and there, such as a domed gazebo decorated with tiles and columns.

These formal gardens used to be the orchards and vegetable plots for the Alcázar. Donated to the city in 1911, they are named after Seville painter Bartolomé Esteban Murillo. A monument to Columbus features the bronze prows of the Santa María , the caravel that bore him to the New World in 1492.

The park of this Churrigueresque palace is one of the city’s largest. The palace, built in 1682, is the headquarters of the regional government.

Stroll through the Barrio de Santiago, the town’s gypsy quarter (see Jerez de la Frontera).