Andalusia, Spain

Andalusia, in Spanish Andalucía, is one of 17 autonomous communities located in southern Spain.  There are eight provinces and the capital is Sevilla.  It borders Portugal and shares about a ¾ mile border with Gibraltar.  Morocco is only a 35 minute ferry ride away.  Andalucía is the only part of Europe that sits both on the Atlantic and Mediterranean.

Andalucía is home to about 8,4 million people which is over 17% of Spain's population.  The area bigger than Maine or a little smaller than Indiana.  



The area has been home to the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Greeks, Romans, Vandals, Visigoths, Byzantines, Jews, the Muslim Moors and Spanish Christians.

It is one of the sunniest and warmest parts of Europe which makes it popular with tourists.  In Spain, only Catalonia gets more tourists.  Some of the most popular places to visit are Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Granada, and Ronda.

Here's an hour long Rick Steves video I found out on YouTube about Andalucía (and Gibraltar).

©Rick Steves