Hidden Stories of Andalucia

Spain is much more than just beach breaks and great gastronomy, scratch beneath the surface on our Treasures of Andalucia tour to reveal mind-blowing historical stories that bring the old and new Spain to life. We caught up with Holiday Director, Andy, who shared his historical insights.

I live in Andalucia and it’s a place I hold very dear to me, not only for its people, culture and landscapes, but the sheer number of historical events and stories which have shaped the region you see today. From Columbus receiving funding for his Voyage of Discovery in 1492 – had that not happened, would we have ever discovered the Americas? Or learning that there’s actually a Phoenician city resting underneath the Picasso Museum in Malaga… like many parts of history, it’s not always well known, so the Treasures of Andalucia is very much like bringing pieces of the storybook together.

I love being able to share these fascinating stories with Just You customers, who are able to walk through the footsteps of time and get a better understanding of the cities they see today. And I think there’s something quite magical in that.

Malaga

Malaga dates all the way back to the Phoenicians, who arrived and founded the city in 800 BC. With over 3,000 years of history, it’s one of the oldest cities in the world and I always love showing people around and sharing some quirky stories.

In 1951, the government decided they wanted to plant trees in front of the Alcazaba Palace. They went and started digging and they started hitting holes in the rocks, and it was only when some archaeologists came in that they found a complete Roman amphitheatre.

When the palace was built they moved all the excess soil into a mound, completely covering the amphitheatre in the process. Hidden from view since the Roman times, around 200 AD, imagine it having been right underneath the noses of various civilizations throughout the centuries? It’s just one of many of Malaga’s hidden secrets that make it a joy to explore.

Ronda

Ronda was built from the south to the north with the impressive El Tajo gorge running through the middle. The city was much-loved by Ernest Hemingway and Orson Wells for its cultural attractions.

If you have had the opportunity to read Hemingway’s fictional book, For Whom the Bell Tolls, he tells a story of one army pushing another off a cliff to their death. This was something that took place in real life in Ronda between Franco's army and the Republican army.

These real-world events create a conflicting picture of the beautiful and picturesque landmarks you see in the town today, versus the knowledge of its somewhat dark past.

Yet I believe that to skip past its deep-rooted history is to really miss a big part of the puzzle of getting to know a destination.  I always like to make sure that you really get the full story from the past to present, and leave with plenty of what I call, ‘Wow - I didn’t know that’ moments.

Frigiliana

In 1492, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella passed a law stating that in order to live in the Iberian Peninsula, you must convert to Christianity. As a result, the Moors and the Jewish were given a few months to convert or they were expelled, with Granada being the last city of the Moors in 1492. Some of these communities, mainly herders, moved south, and hid in an area protected by the Sierra Nevada mountain range.

Sadly in 1569, the King discovered that the communities were still living in the region, and with that, troops were sent on his orders to kill these communities.

It was only Frigiliana which was left behind after the battle, and so every year, during the last weekend of August, the whitewashed town celebrates the Festival of The Three Cultures as testament to the fact that for more than 800 years, Christians, Muslims and Jews were all living in peace and harmony.

Nerja

Nerja is a fascinating province that lies east of Malaga, and when it was under Islamic rule it was called Narixa, which means abundant spring. Primitive paintings and a whole network of caves were found here in 1959.

Nerja is known as the Balcony of Europe and yes, it’s a wonderful viewpoint that looks out to the Mediterranean Sea, but how did it earn its name?

The site used to be a Napolean Fortress , and it was the largest structure built to accommodate Napolean’s troops in Spain. However it was demolished in 1812 with the help of the British Navy to prevent it from falling into the hands of invaders during the Spanish War of Independence.

In 1855, King Alfonso XII visited, and is said to have declared it the ‘Balcony of Europe’ – which feels like such a sweeping statement and yet today we have a bronze statue of the King looking out to sea to commemorate its naming. Sometimes it does make you question history too in our efforts to separate fact from fiction!

Forming links

Aside from the history, one of the best things about the Treasures of Andalucia tour is you have the opportunity to make new friends. I’m still in contact with people that I met back in 2013, the power of friendship is incredible, and it’s something I have only ever seen with Just You solo tours.

With all that sightseeing, you’ll work up an appetite, and I have to say Andalucia is home to some of the freshest vegetables in the world. As one of the biggest agricultural areas in Europe, to have a tomato is like eating an apple – it’s that fresh it will never have seen a fridge or a freezer.  Like much of Spain, in Andalucia, its tradition to buy food as its needed.

When I when I talk about food, I also talk about the olive oil. When I talk about the olive oil such a huge industry in Spain, but weirdly  these olive trees are not native to Spain, they’re from Lebanon. It was planted here by the Phoenicians, probably by a happy accident/decision made by one person, and it’s created a whole industry today. And to think that the other root of that tree is in Lebanon, through history we are all inextricably linked.

Bringing the past to life

Of course, when you read your itinerary you get a general idea of the things you’re going to see, but it’s my job to bring it to life for you, it’s not just about looking at a pretty building.

So the minute we set off on the coach for the day, that’s when the storytelling begins. When you arrive at these locations, you’re already picturing the scenes that were laid out before you on the coach so you know exactly what you’re looking at and how it came to be there.

Andalucia is one of the most captivating places you’ll visit in your lifetime, so I look forward to being able to reveal its treasures to you one day.