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 5 miles 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.
Ayamonte is a fishing port located
in the far west of Andalusia, situated on the estuary of the
Río Guadiana, the second longest river in Europe which
forms the border with Portugal. Ayamonte is about 25 miles west
of Huelva. In 1991 an impressive new suspension bridge was opened
two kilometres north of Ayamonte that took away the town's cross-border
traffic on what is now a motorway linking the Algarve with Huelva
city and Seville.
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The attractive fishing port and resort
of Ayamonte is remniscent of towns in neighbouring Portugal
with tiled plazas lined with trees, restaurants and bars. There
are neatly whitewashed houses, pleasant squares and Baroque churches.
There is also a beautiful promenade along the harbour which is
lined with palm trees called the Paseo de la Ribera, as well
as stepped streets that are very steep, and some aristocratic
mansions and palaces. In the old town is the 15th century Iglesia
de San Salvador, from its tower are superb views across to Portugal.
Ayamonte is surrounded by protected areas teeming with wildlife.
The Marismas del Guadiana, the marshes of the Guadiana estuary,
are rich in birdlife, including herons, storks and flamingos. |