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.
Cordoba is centrally placed in Andalucia,
approximately 150 miles from both the Atlantic Ocean and the
Mediterranean Sea. Cordoba is around 65 miles from Jaen and 90
miles from Seville.
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Cordoba
has a fascinating history and is one of the most interesting
cities in Andalusia. It was founded by the Romans and became
a port city of great importance due to its strategic position
as the highest navigable point of the Guadalquivir River, used
for shipping Spanish olive oil, wine and wheat back to Ancient
Rome. In the 11th century, it was one of the most important capitals
in Europe. People of very different cultures and religions -
Jews, Muslims and Christians - lived peacefully together here,
and important philosophers, scientists and artists emerged. The
most important monument in the city is the former Mosque (the
3rd largest mosque in the world), known as the Mezquita. Cordoba
is a very lively town in the best Andalusian tradition, a town
of Flamenco and bullfighting, and one of the most attractive
destinations in southern Spain. |