Andalucia is the southern
region of Spain and is made up of the eight provinces of Huelva,
Sevilla, Cordoba, Jaen, Cadiz, Malaga, Granada and Almeria. There
are airports at Almeria Malaga Seville Gibraltar Jerez Granada
& Cordoba. Malaga
Airport is 8 kilometres west of the city
of Malaga and is the main flight path for millions of people
arriving on the Costa del Sol each year. There is a wide selection
of bars and restaurants, bank cash points, postal and Internet
services for passengers. There is also a pharmacy and a children's
play area. However there is no left luggage facility. There is
a half hourly train service to Malaga City and Fuengirola from
the front of the main Terminal. There is also a half hourly Airport
Bus and an Airport Coach Service from outside the Terminal hall
to Malaga city centre. There are always plenty of Taxis waiting
for passengers. The Spanish
railway network is run by the state owned
company RENFE (www.renfe.es). International trains from France
terminate at either Madrid or Barcelona. From there you can catch
a train to many of the cities in Andalucia, including Huelva,
Sevilla, Cadiz, Jerez, Sevilla, Algeciras, Malaga, Cordoba, Granada,
Almeria, Linares / Baeza. There are various ferry companies and routes
to choose from, depending on your base. You can either drive
to the Spanish port and park your vehicle to embark as a foot
passenger, or take your vehicle across to explore further within
Morocco and North Africa. The general procedure is to turn up
and await the next ferry, with the exception of the Cadiz-Canary
Islands route for which a cabin or seat needs to be booked.
The coastal city of Almeria is located
at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. It is the capital
city of the province of Almeria, the most easterly province in
Andalucia.
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Almeria is a pleasant and largely
modern city with a wealth of history. It has a major ferry port,
a sports marina and a working fishing port. The old quarter,
the market area of Plaza Vieja and the caves in the old gypsy
quarter are worth exploring, while the magnificent Alcazaba,
a massive Moorish fortress, overlooks the city. Almerias
mild climate makes it a popular tourist destination, it holds
the title of being the Andalucian city with the most hours of
sun a year. There are long stretches of empty beaches and tiny
hidden coves with almost crystal clear water, usually warmer
than the air. To the east of the city 20 kms of beautiful beaches
stretch along the Cabo de Gata-Nijar Natural Park. |