SummerSummerThe magazineThe magazine for the for holiday the holiday season season in southern in southern Spain Spain / July / 2020July 2019 ’’ss here here Stay safe in Andalucía in English 1 2 WHAT’S INSIDE Cover photo: Frigiliana, one of the Costa del Sol’s prettiest white villa- ges, part of the Axarquía area east of Malaga. :: SUR SUR IN ENGLISH SUMMER SPECIAL A different summer Director General: Antonio González Editor-in -Chief: Manuel Castillo Publications Director: Pedro Luis RACHEL HAYNES We are forever telling others about Gómez how wonderful the region of Andalucía is, In any normal year on the Costa del Sol, by with kilometre on kilometre of beautiful Editor: Rachel Haynes now, mid-July, the hotels would be full, the beaches, breathtaking mountain scenery Assistant editor: Daryl Finch beaches packed and business booming for and towns and cities oozing with culture. bars, restaurants and the many other serv- But how much have we actually explored Commercial Director: Jorge Artero ices that thrive on the tourism industry. ourselves? Advertising Manager: Emma Vera This year, 2020, however, will be re- How often do we move from our own Art Director: Francisco Ruano membered as the year of coronavirus and local beaches to find others in different this season is perhaps already being re- provinces from our own? Contributors to this magazine: ferred to as Covid summer. Even though we’ve made the Costa del Debbie Bartlett, Ash Bolton, Jennie While the situation could change as Sol our home, how about visiting Anda- Rhodes, Tony Bryant, Andrew Forbes, the season progresses, so far this year the lucía’s Atlantic coastline for a change? Or Javier Almellones absence of tourists from overseas has left the beautiful beaches of Almeria backed huge gaps, especially in areas with larger up by Europe’s only desert? Date: July 2020. concentrations of hotels and holiday This magazine aims to provide plenty apartments. of ideas to encourage residents to go out So who does that leave? With foreign and discover more of the region they holiday plans cancelled or postponed, resi- have made their home, or perhaps their dents in Spain are finding themselves look- second home. ing more closely at their own country for There’s no better time for a reminder of their summer holiday destinations. not just the wide variety of beaches, but Tourists from the rest of Spain have al- also the inland beauty and the cultural of- Published by Prensa Malagueña S.A. ways made up a significant proportion of fer of our towns and cities in the form of www.surinenglish.com visitors to the Costa del Sol and this year exhibitions and concerts. Twitter: @SUR_English their business is vital for the industry. Of course this Covid year will be differ- Facebook: @surenglish But this Covid summer has also caused ent; we’ll have to remember to wear masks Advertising: [email protected] people who already live in southern Spain, wherever necessary and keep our distance 952649669 many of us originally from other coun- from others, but that doesn’t have to stop Editorial: [email protected] tries, to take a fresh look at our immediate us from going out and enjoying this sum- 952649600 surroundings. mer in Andalucía. 3 WHAT’S INSIDE Adapting to new times Accommodation in southern Spain has had to move fast to be able to offer visitors the peace of mind they need in case of Covid-19 concerns. As well as adheringheringg to health and safety requirements, hotels are adaptingptingiingng to the ‘new‘new normal’, offering services and activities thatthatt guaranteeguarantee guests’ ability to enjoy themselves whilee keepingkeepepinging a safe social distance. 10 A region with everything With coronavirus messing with summer plans, there’s no better time than now to rediscover the region of Anda- lucía. Over the initial four pages of this magazineewesu we sum up the delights of all eight provinces that makee up thethe re-r gion. Later - pages 18 and 54 - we take a look at howhow horseshor and gastronomy are just two of the many aspectsctttss that merge to create the essence of the region. 6 What to do While coronavirus has led to the cancellation of nu- merous large events, south- ern Spain still has a cultural agenda this summer. Festi- vals have scaledca ed down do to al- a low space andnd meetmeet capac-capac- ity regulations,iooons,ns, but there are still plentyennntyty of chances to enjoy liveve62e music.music. Back in A view of Exploring by train time the Rock Not having your own transport might limit visits to some Go back to medieval Gibraltar has a range of at- of the more remote parts of Andalucía, however doing times to learn the story of tractions for people looking without the stress of driving and parking is a great advan- Bobastro, the city whose for day-outt ideas. Hiking tage. We discover how a large numberr of destinations can little-knownwnwn remainsremains around thee naturenature reserve be visited from the comfort of a train,n, exploringplloringoring thethe stopsstops stand not ffarar ffromrom the for spectacularular vviews,iews, oorr on both the C2 local line from Malagaa to ÁloraÁlora and the world famousmousus Caminito disappearingnngg down tunnels line from Malaga to Seville, which passesasses throughthrouhroughgh stun- del Rey. 26 are among 46tthem.hem. ning scenery to reach fascinating towns.wns. 38 4 5 An Andalusian summer A paraglider over Matalascañas beach in Huelva province. :: SUR This year, with the pandemic at the fo- If you’re in Andalucía, you know others refront of everyone’s mind, the Andalu- elsewhere in the world are envying you sian government has put strict measures in place to ensure that beach-lovers can enjoy themselves safely, with apps which can be downloaded to show how many This is a year like no other, due plans on hold because of the coronavi- people are on the beaches in real time, to the coronavirus crisis, and rus pandemic need not worry: they maintaining social distancing, strict clea- have everything for a fantastic sum- ning and disinfecting, and extra moni- many people’s holiday plans mer right here at home. tors to patrol and offer advice if necessa- have had to be abandoned. But It is no surprise that Andalucía has be- ry. come one of the most complete destina- No matter where you are in this regi- southern Spain can beat most tions in the world. Its facilities, climate, on, you will be within travelling distan- other places hands-down excellent communications, range of ho- ce of a beach. Andalucía is home to the DEBBIE BARTLETT tels and friendly and hospitable people Costa Almería in the east, the Costa Tro- have made it a firm favourite for holi- pical in Granada province, the world-fa- days among visitors from abroad as well mous Costa del Sol in Malaga, the quie- as those in other parts of Spain. So, what ter Costa de la Luz in Cadiz and the con- is it that makes Andalucía so special? tinuation of the Costa de la Luz in Huel- va province. All very different, and all The question has to be asked: what’s Sun, sand and plenty of both very lovely. not to like about Andalucía in the For a start, as summer is here, let us not For those who get bored after soa- summer? This region in the south of forget that Andalucía has over 800 kilo- king up the sun on the beach for a few the country is the largest in Spain and metres of coastline, ranging from vast ex- hours, however, then from Huelva in is full of contrasts, so whether you panses of unspoiled deep white sand to the far west to Almería in the east, live here or are on holiday, it has tiny, rocky coves and urban beaches with the coastal area of the region also has everything you could possibly wish every facility, especially for those with numerous marinas, water sports, sea- for. Anyone who has put their travel children. front promenades, golf courses, out- 6 DIVERSITY door sports facilities, and restaurants vir, dense Mediterranean woodlands, dation and small hotels for those who to suit all tastes and budgets. for example the Natural Park of Cazor- want to immerse themselves in natu- la, Segura and Las Villas in Jaén pro- re. There are even companies speciali- Catch up on some culture vince, and even volcanic deserts and sing in activities for the youngest Most of us in Andalucía have visited stretches of coast which are comple- members of the family. some of its many historical attrac- tely uninhabited, like the Cabo de tions, but there are probably still quite Gata area in Almería. Not forgetting golf a few on our ‘I’d love to go there one Andalucía is blessed because more It would be almost unthinkable to day’ list and this is an ideal time to do than 18 per cent of its territory is en- consider spending any time in Andalu- it. After all, the history of this region vironmentally protected. There are cía without golf coming into the con- goes back an extremely long way and over 20 Natural Parks, which have fa- versation, because it is the region with there are many remains from the cilities for visitors such as information the most golf courses in Spain and the different cultures and civilisations centres, recreation areas, campsites, Costa del Sol has also been nicknamed that settled in the south of Spain over hiking routes, lookout points and re- the Costa del Golf.