History of Andalusia

Andalusia is Spain's most environmentally diverse region, and one of its largest. Andalusia was where Arab invaders first entered Spain in the year 711, to begin their lighting conquest of the Iberian Peninsula, the start of an occupation that lasted nearly 800 years, until their final defeat at the hands of the Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand and Isabel in 1492.

Al Andalus as it (and indeed all of Arab Spain) was called by the Arabs (often referred to as "Moors"), was the pride and joy of Islamic Iberia. It is a land of attractive landscapes of whitewashed villages nestled among terraced hillsides green with olive groves under the Mediterranean sun, meadows of cork oaks and carpets of wildflowers. Verdant valleys pungent with aromatic herbs and fertile orchards watered by the snowmelt from white-capped peaks.

The region's rich history has left a fascinating legacy making it one of the top places to visit in Spain for the modern visitor: practically any village offers sights of steep, narrow and twisting cobblestone streets, balconies overhead lined with geraniums. Arab castles and Christian chapels. Andalusia is internationally known as the cradle of flamenco music and dancing, and bull-fighting. also offers a wealth of wonderful terrain for outdoor activites of virtually any kind.

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