The Spanish Andalusia is the southernmost region of Europe. Only the Street of Gibralta, 14 kilometers wide, separates the region from Africa.
Those who spend their vacations in Andalusia are often drawn to the approximately 800 kilometers of coastline along the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. The Costa del Sol in particular is a popular destination for seaside vacationers.
The hinterland is characterised by the Sierra Nevada. Here you will find snow-covered mountains almost all year round. If you like hiking, you will find a wide variety of routes of all levels of difficulty.
But sightseeing in cities like Seville, Málaga or Granada is also possible in Andalusia. Those who like to make a round trip will find beautiful towns and villages in the region.
Andalusia is known for its bullfights and flamenco. But the olive oil and sherry have also become famous far beyond its borders.
Andalusia vacation
Granada is a city with a great historical heritage, but at the same time a young and modern university city. It is located on the western edge of the Sierra Nevada.
Andalusia is one of the most popular destinations in Spain. A city break to Málaga is now almost as popular with travellers as a trip to Seville or Barcelona.
In the heart of the Costa del Sol, right on the coast of Spain lies Marbella. The city is considered the seaside resort in Andalusia and attracts many visitors who want to spend a relaxing vacation in Marbella.
Travel information about the region
Arrival
By plane
The largest airport in the region of Andalusia is located in Málaga. Numerous airlines fly directly to this airport. From Málaga there are shuttle buses to the resorts on the coast and also inland.
Seville and Jerez de la Frontera are other airports in Andalusia, but they are smaller and not served by as many airlines. Granade-Jaén airport is mainly used for domestic flights.
By train
High-speed trains run from Spain’s central rail hub in Madrid to Córdoba, Seville or Málaga. Twice a day there is a connection from Barcelona to Andalusia.
By bus
Those traveling to Andalusia from the south of Portugal can do so, for example, by bus from Faro in the direction of Seville in about 3 hours.
Within Spain, numerous long-distance bus connections are offered from Madrid. Although these take considerably more time, they are also cheaper than the train.
From Switzerland, a long-distance bus provider runs three times a week to Jaen, Granada, Motril and Málaga.
By car
Highways lead to Andalusia from all neighboring regions. For example, from Madrid the A-4, the A-7/AP-7 from Murcia and Alicante, the A-49 from Faro/Portugal and the A-66 from Extremadura.
The A-7 is toll-free.
On the way in …
By train
The major cities in Andalusia can be reached by the high-speed train AVE of the railroad company RENFE.
In the metroploregions suburban trains (cercanias) go to the nearer region. Otherwise, the offer in the more rural areas is not so good.
By bus
Buses from various operators run relatively frequently between the larger cities. In the larger cities, these start at the bus station (estación de autobuses).
Those traveling in the hinterland can use scheduled buses from the local provider.
By car
If you want to travel from one place to another and visit some remote areas, you need a car. However, it is not advisable to go to the big cities by car. There are hardly any parking spaces here and often the few parking spaces are paid for.
The larger cities are connected with autovias, which are toll-free.
Toll
The big cities like Córdoba, Sevilla, Cádiz, Málaga or Almería are connected by toll-free autovias.
The A4 freeway from Seville to Cadiz and the AP7 coastal freeway from Malaga to Gibraltar (which runs parallel to the toll-free A7 expressway) are toll roads.
Best time to travel
Andalusia advertises 320 sunny days a year. The average temperature here is 20 degrees.
It is important not to forget that temperature differences exist between the coast and the hinterland with the mountainous regions. But even in winter, temperatures in the Spanish region are quite mild.
Language
Spanish is spoken in Andalusia. Those who travel in the rural areas will often hear a dialect that is difficult to understand.
In the tourist regions you can communicate quite well with English.