Reviews of Spain

The ideal holiday destination if you like sun, sea and sangria but also like a bit of culture, scenery and history.

Andalucia is the southernmost bit of Spain, and happens to include the infamous Costa del Sol. But if you cut out Malaga, Marbella and all that stuff then you'll soon find there's a whole lot of fascinating culture to occupy a week or more. Hire a car and stay in more than one town - the region is several hundred miles wide.

The whole place was conquered by the Moors (North African muslims) in AD800 or so, and they stayed until finally booted out of Granada by the Catholics in 1492. There are still dozens of Moorish palaces, bath houses, mosques, etc.

• Must see: Seville, city of tapas and oranges. (They do grow on trees there.) Go in late March and the orange trees will be in blossom. Hang out in the Alcazar gardens to avoid the heat. Climb up the Giralda (cathedral bell tower) and look at the old Expo 92 site over the river.

• Must see: Cordoba. The Mezquita is a vast tenth century mosque with row upon row of double arches. It's A THOUSAND YEARS OLD and still in great shape. A bit like one of those rooms with mirrors on both sides, where the reflections continue to infinity (and beyond).

• Must see: Ronda. A town split across a vast gorge, spanned by several bridges; the largest of which was used for chucking people over in the Spanish Civil war. Seriously.
Must see: Granada, home of the Alhambra (a 14th century Moorish palace, not a cinema). Like a cross between the Taj Mahal and the Tower of London. Watch out for the hordes of Saga tourists, though.

If you're interested in architecture, culture, history and all that stuff, Andalucia delivers in spades. It's not that expensive and (mostly) not too touristy. Great of you like fish, cheese and ham; not that great for vegans.

English is spoken in the main town centres but you might have to muddle through in Spanglish elsewhere.

Go in spring or autumn to avoid the heat - Andalucia is the hottest part of Spain.

Cheap charter flights to Malaga; more expensive but more reliable schedules flights to Seville and (I think) Jerez.