However captivating they may be, Andalucia‘s cities are also gateway to vast stretches of relatively unspoilt and addictive interior

"K2T Wisata"

However captivating they may be, Andalucia‘s cities are also gateway to vast stretches of relatively unspoilt and addictive interior. Even there, between herds of bell-tinkling goats and pottery shops, a new sophistication is creeping in; many country cortijos are now the pastoral settings for some wonderful guesthouses and hotels. The terraced foothills of the Sierra Nevada and the Alpujarras, which lie between Granada and Malaga, have in recent years lured waves of expatriates in search of rural bliss and idyll. Here, you will find goats, jamon, almonds and yoga classes belonging in tandem.

Another area experiencing a surge in popularity is Costa de la Luz, south of Cadiz and Jerez. This greener side of Andalucia boasts some stunning hilltop villages (Vejer de la Frontera being particularly entrancing), breathtaking sandy beaches and strong Atlantic winds – Tarifa, its southern tip, is one of Europe’s best windsurfing spots. Further west to the Portuguese border lies yet another surprise, the Donana National Park, where shifting sand dunes and riverside pastures nurture one of Spain’s riches wildlife populations.

And then there is eastern Andalucia between Granada and Almeria, traditionally much pooper but catching up fast. Despite encroaching coastal development around Mojacar and Roquetas, there remains one unspoilt corner: Cabo de Gata Natural Park. Beyond a bright of plastic hothouses, it conceals a host of unexpected sights – derelict gold mines, tiny fishing – villages, deserted beaches, volcanic rock formations and the farmhouse scene of the crime of passion that Gracia Lorca’s “Blood Wedding”.