with its majestic Alhambra palace, venture further afield: visit cave dwellings in a desolate desert-like area, climb the Iberian Peninsula's highest mountains, and lose yourself in the region's rich Moorish history and fortified palaces. In the far south-eastern corner of Andalucia is a sun-baked province, with the highest hours of sunshine and lowest rainfall in Europe. GivenAlmería's climate, it´s no surprise that much of the province is comprised of semi-arid desert-like landscape much favoured with ‘spaghetti’ westerns of the 1960s and 1970s. Jaén is probably best known for its abundance of olive trees which dominate the landscape and punctuate the horizon, interspersed by stark white-washed farms and houses against a deep orange backdrop; the colour of the soil. This province is the world's leading producer of olives and olive oil. The countryside of Cordobaprovince is extremely varied, from rolling plains around Cordoba city, the Guadalquivir basin and south to Seville province, to forbidding mountain ranges with jagged peaks in the north and west. Dotted around the province are many pristine whitewashed villages with Baroque churches, Moorish castles and flower-festooned courtyards. Relatively few tourists venture beyond the delights of Sevillecity and the region's main transport arteries to Cordoba, Cadiz, Malaga and Huelva. But there are abundant places to explore - Baroque and Renaissance towns in the Campina, and the stunning Sierra Norte countryside of rolling olive fields dotted with small, characterful towns. Cadizprovince has some of Andalucia's most windswept beaches, prettiest white villages, and most celebrated Spanish wine: Sherry. It also boasts one of the region's most-visited protected areas and the rainiest place in Spain: the Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park. Its coastline has long been peppered with fishing ports that were established by the Phoenicians, Greeks and Romans. Finally, Huelva is one of the least-visited regions in Andalucía, but it has many unique places to discover and explore, from cork oakcovered hills, to deserted beaches. Indeed, this province's escape from mass tourism is one of its main attractions. Almost nothing beats enjoying delicious food on the beach as you watch the waves and enjoy the sunshine. But no, we’re not suggesting a picnic but a proper meal in one of the beach restaurants on the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts. Known as chiringuitos in Spanish and dotted all along the coast, these establishments are something of an institution, and everyone has their favourite. Many started life as little more than a shack with bar stools serving beer and grilled sardines. But over the years, they have evolved and become part and parcel of eating out and now abide by strict EU regulations to ensure sanitary compliance. what is A CHIRINGuITO? Sunset over the El Tajo gorge, Ronda, Province of Granada Seville Cathedral framed by oranges The white village of Zahara de la Sierra, Province of Cadiz Chiringuito El Bambu, La Herradura, Costa Tropical 6
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