Holiday Rental in Andalucia

The old hill town of Ronda is perched dramatically above a deep gorge and Cazorla, with its fine architecture, is the gateway to Cazorla National Park with rugged mountain and dense forest landscapes offering some excellent hiking. On the Costa del Sol, Marbella is a pleasant place with good shopping, dining and an interesting old town. Malaga is the birthplace of Picasso and you can visit his house and the museum dedicated to his work. Malaga's also the birthplace of film star Antonio Banderas, who still has a home in the area - but no, you can't visit that.

If you want sun, sand, sea, nightlife and people, head for popular resorts and stay in villas in Fuengirola or apartments in Torrevieja on the Costa Blanca, but if you're looking for something a little quieter, head for the Costa de la Luz - though visit soon as it's catching on fast as a destination. It has long white sand beaches, but can be windy and the Atlantic Ocean is not as warm as the Mediterranean on the south east coast. Tarifa is a particularly attractive town on this stretch of coast. It has an old castle with views across to Africa and is popular with laid-back windsurfers and bird watchers - it's one of the best places to see birds in Andalucia as they migrate between Europe and Africa. Back on the Costa del Sol, Estepona has a good wide beach and is a relatively traditional seaside town. If you want to star-spot over lunch or a waterfront drink, head for Puerto Banus, five kilometres west of Marbella, the marina which is a popular haunt of local and visiting celebrities. Andalucia has some excellent national parks with great walking, hiking, mountain biking and driving country. Parque Natural de Carzorla in Jaen province is among the best but also the most popular. It has plenty of wildlife including ibex, deer, wild boar and some 140 species of bird.

You can be lucky all year round, though November to February can be inclement so if weather is a consideration, steer clear of those months. City visits are still worth doing in the winter months though as most museums and places of interest are open all year and there's plenty to see indoors if the weather is not so good. Weather wise, April, May, June, September and October are the best bets - July and August can be too hot, crowded and pricier. Andalucian's love a festival and there are many to choose from, including Seville's Feria de Abril - a huge fair, Cordoba's June guitar festival and a two-week fiesta of music and dance, especially flamenco, in Jerez in late April. The white village of Mijas with its traditional Mijas villas holds its annual fair in September.

Back to holiday villas in Andalucia, Spain