other in the West, at the centre of a trading network that stretched from Africa to the Middle East and through Spain to northern Europe.
However, the Moorish Kingdom was always under threat, and the Reconquest – a process that was to last more than 800 years – gradually gained momentum as the Christian kingdoms of central and northern Spain became more unified. Córdoba fell in 1031, Sevilla in 1248, and the great Caliphate splintered into a number of smaller taifa kingdoms.
The Moors clung on for another 250 years, but the settlements along la frontera fell in the early 1480s, Ronda in 1485, Málaga and Vélez in 1487, and finally Granada in 1492. The whole of Spain was once again under Christian rule.
Spain’s Golden Age
If ever anybody was in the right place at the right time – that’s to say in the Christian camp at Santa Fe when Granada capitulated – it was the Genoese adventurer Cristóbal Colon, aka Christopher Columbus. His petition to the Catholic monarchs for funding for an expedition to sail west in order to reach the East fell on fertile soil.
The discovery of America, and along with it the fabulous riches that would make their way back to a Spain newly united under Habsburg rule, was to usher in Spain’s Siglo de Oro or Golden Age. Spain’s Empire would soon stretch from the Caribbean through Central and South America and on to the Philippines; riches flowed back from the colonies at a time when Sevilla and Cádiz numbered among the wealthiest cities in Europe. The most obvious manifestation of this wealth, and nowhere more so than in Andalucía, were the palaces, churches, monasteries and convents that were built during this period: never again would the country see such generous patronage of the Arts.
However, by the end of the 16th century Spain’s position at the centre of the world stage was under threat. A series of wars in Europe depleted Spain’s credibility as well as the state coffers: by the late 17th century Spanish power was in free fall. It remained a spent force into the 19th century, and yet further violent conflict in the early 20th century led to General Francisco Franco (‘El Caudillo’) sweeping into power in 1936.
Franco’s crusade
Franco’s ‘crusade’ to re-establish the traditional order in Spain – the Spanish Civil War – lasted three years, during which an estimated 500,000 Spaniards lost their lives. The eventual victory of the Nationalists in 1939 led to Franco’s consolidation and centralisation of power and the establishment of an authoritarian state that remained until his death in 1975.
A monument to victims of the Civil War close to Ronda
Franco had hoped that King Juan Carlos, who he’d appointed as his successor prior to his death, would continue to govern much in his image; but the young king knew which way the tide was running and immediately began to facilitate the creation of a new constitution for Spain and, along with it, parliamentary democracy. Andalucía, as was the case for several other regions of Spain, saw the creation of an autonomous Junta, or government, based in Sevilla.
The 80s, 90s and noughties were very good years for Andalucía, during which it saw its infrastructure rapidly transformed. New roads, schools, hospitals and hotels were built, along with a high-speed train line from Sevilla to Madrid. The huge construction boom put money into many a working person’s pocket; Andalucía had never had it so good.
Tourism continues to be a major motor of the Andalusian economy, along with the construction industry, fuelled by ex-pats setting up home in the south and other foreigners buying holiday homes and flats. But the economic downturn has hit the region hard and Andalucía currently has an unemployment rate among its adult workforce of almost 35% – the highest in Spain – while among young people that percentage is almost double.
However, at the time of writing (spring 2016) there are signs that the building industry – a major part of the region’s beleaguered economy and a yardstick for the rest of the economy – is beginning to recover, and that a naturally optimistic people are beginning to believe that the worst is behind them. ¡Viva Andalucía!
Getting there
The rocky eastern flank of La Crestellina (Cost del Sol, Walk 12)
By air
For walks on the Atlantic Coast the best choice of airports are Sevilla, Jerez and Gibraltar. The latter two are also within easy range of the western Costa del Sol while Málaga is the better choice for walks close to Marbella, Mijas and the Costa Tropical. Málaga also has charter flights from all major cities in the UK as well as scheduled flights with British Airlines and Iberia. The nearest airports to Cabo de Gata, at the eastern end of Andalucía, are those at Granada, Almería and Murcia.
By car
Car hire in Spain is inexpensive when compared to that in other European destinations, and all the major companies are represented at all airports. Prices for car hire from Málaga tend to be lower. Public transport is surprisingly limited in the coastal area so hiring a car will make trip planning much easier, especially when trailheads are away from the village centres.
By train and bus
None of the seven regions described have direct access to the rail network. It is possible to travel by train to Jerez, Cádiz, Málaga or Almería and then travel on by bus or taxi to the different parks. Bus transport along the Atlantic Coast is more limited than that along the Mediterranean Coast while this is even more so within Cabo de Gata.
When to go
As a general rule, the best time to walk in Andalucía is from March through to June and from September to late October. This is when you’re likely to encounter mild, sunny weather: warm enough to dine al fresco yet not so hot as to make temperature an additional challenge. Wildflowers are at their best in late April/early May and this is the time when many walking companies plan their walks.
Most walkers avoid July and August when temperatures regularly reach the mid to high 30s, making walking much more of a challenge. That said, if you limit yourself to shorter circuits, get going early and take plenty of water you can still enjoy walking in high summer.
If you’re prepared to risk seeing some rain then winter is a wonderful time to be out walking, especially from December to February when rainfall is generally less than in November, March and April. ‘Generally’ means exactly that: rainfall statistics for the past century confirm winter’s relative dryness – although the past two decades, with two prolonged droughts followed by some unusually wet winters, provide no steady yardstick on which to base your predictions. The most obvious choice for winter walking is Cabo de Gata: it’s one of the driest areas in Europe and has many more hours of winter sunshine than other areas in southern Spain.
When planning excursions to the Atlantic Coast close to Tarifa it’s always worth checking to see if levante winds are expected. When the wind is blowing hard through the Strait, beach walking can become a real battle against the whipped up sands.
It’s always worth checking out one of the better wind websites like www.windguru.cz
Accommodation
La Plaza de España, Vejer de la Frontera (Costa de la Luz, Walk 3)
If
