£133.31

Tourist Information

Historical Background

Andalucia has had a long, flavoured history stretching back over millennia. It has been occupied by many invaders including the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, the Romans, the Vandals, and the Visigoths but perhaps the greatest foreign influence upon the region was during its occupation by the North African Arabs, known as "the Moors".

The Moors invaded Spain in 711 AD and although their hold was not equal in all regions, they remained a power on the Iberian Peninsula until the late 15th century. With them came a golden age of learning in which astronomy, mathematics, medicine, and philosophy all blossomed. Their influence revolutionised European thinking.

Nowhere was their influence more strongly felt than in Andalucia, which was the heart of their kingdom. The cities of Cadiz, Cordoba, Seville, Malaga and the grand mountain capital, Granada, all stand as testaments not only to their ingenuity, but also to their architecture prowess. Much of the rich physical heritage which makes today’s Andalucia so unique can be traced to the Moorish era.

Almost exactly at the time of the fall of Moorish rule, Andalucia enjoyed another boom. This stemmed from the riches that came in the form of gold and silver from the New World. Starting in 1492, Columbus began the first of his three voyages and the Spanish conquest of the New World had begun. Riches flowed back to the Spain and many of it came through Andalucia. Seville saw a great deal of this treasure pass through its gates being a main port of the Spanish treasure fleet.

This rich melange of cultures, when mixed with the fantastic climate and wonderful beaches, makes Andalucia such a special place to visit. It natural and man-made wonders are also located within hours of each other and so much can be enjoyed by driving its picturesque countryside.