Culture, Food, and Dining Facilities of Andaluca - Report Example

Andalucía Among the many devolved regions in Spain, Andalucía stands out in terms of its tourist attraction. It is one of the Autonomous Communities of Spain and exhibits diverse features that are spread across the eight provinces found in the region. The eight provinces are Huelva, Seville, Granada, Almeria, Cadiz, Jaen, Cordoba, and Malaga. The location of Andalucía in Europe coupled with the local culture and the higher temperatures during summer and mild temperatures during winter have made it to be a major tourist destination. In addition, it has a long history, there is spectacular food, and fiestas make the region ideal as a tourist destination. A variety of natural landscapes attracts tourists as well as the old monuments that were erected many years ago have been of immense benefit to tourism in the region. There are several sites in Andalucía with UNESCO World Heritage designation hence boosting the tourist’s confidence in visiting the region (Mondéjar-Jiménez et al., 2010). The largest number of Spanish inhabitants lives in Andalucía, which happens to be the second largest. The coastline of the entire Andalucía region acts as a spectacular tourist destination, therefore it experiences heavy traffic almost the year round. More than 30 million visitors are reported to visit Andalucía, being the second highly visited Autonomous community in Spain after Catalonia. Costa del Sol leads in terms of tourist numbers while Sierra Nevada falls second. This region, therefore, plays a pivotal role in the Spanish tourism earnings. The entire Andalucía region has something that it offers in terms of tourism. This is manifested through the fact that a majority of the tourists visiting Spain consider Andalucía as their perfect destination. The attraction in the region is entrenched on the magnificent landscapes, the spectacular climate and to crown it all, the friendly people in the area provide the best environment for the tourists to enjoy their visits. The region experiences over 3000 hours of sun annually, which makes it an outstanding place to visit especially for people within the European region (Boswell, 2000). A significant part of the region is its coastline; the Cadiz coast and Huelva coast which provide ideal temperatures. This provides an extensive region covered by sand beaches as well as spectacular natural ports. The history of Andalucía dates back over 1000 years ago. The major attractions in each of the eight provinces of Andalucía are varied. Seville, which is the capital of Andulacia, is the third largest city in Spain. This city has unique ambience as well as very important monuments that act as perfect tourist attractions. Key among the spectacular tourist attractions in Seville are the large number of cathedrals in the region, the Arabian belt tower Giralda (Seville’s landmark), and Torre del Oro among many others. In the Granada province, there are many attractions that include the Moorish Jewel, which is located at the foot of Sierra Nevada is a scene that every tourist endeavors to have a glimpse of. Another important site in this region in terms of tourism is the important historical Arabian Palace called Alhambra, which has a very important cultural and historical connotation. In Cordoba, the Great Mosque of Cordoba carries a very significant religious history in the region. The mosque outstand in the region and acts as a center of attraction especially for Muslim tourists that visit the region. In addition to the mosque, a number of monuments with very important cultural importance are found in the region, which acted as the center of Moorish Spain for quite a long time. The Moorish Alcazaba located in Malaga is a major tourist attraction that makes the region an ideal tourist destination. This coupled with the magnificent Mediterranean coast acts as the most appropriate point of convergence for tourists from different destinations (Boswell, 2000). The entire coastal region in Malaga is ideal for tourism; this is enhanced by installations that have been placed there together with the ideal climate for sunbathing as well as the magnificent beaches. Some of the centers in Spain provide unique tourist attractions that are not found elsewhere. Ronda is one outstanding region, its magnificent location between mountain ranges makes it a town with a difference. From a cultural perspective, the Antequera region provides a connection with history for it harbor the remains of the Bronze Age in addition to a wide array of monuments and mountain ranges. The Moorish heritage has been preserved over diverse places within Andulacia especially at the coastal region of Almeria where we have the major centers such as Vera, Almerimar, Aguadulce and Adra among others (Bray, 1998). The Phoenician history in Spain is clearly evident through their early developments; the city of Cadiz was founded by the Phoenicians. Tourists interested to know about the history of Phoenicians and their early developments throng in this region to see the whitewashed houses that stand in Cadiz to date. The Donana National Park harbors a wide range of fauna, most notable are the migratory birds that find their way to the Africa as well as Asia. The park provides the most ideal breeding ground for these birds. The fine sand and splendid beaches that makes up the Costa de la Luz. The fortresses that dates back to the medieval times acts as important tourist attractions, they are located in the Jaen province. In addition, the Moorish baths that dates way back to the 11th century as well as the Renaissance makes Jaen an important destination. Tourism dominance is mainly on the coastal regions, which are very attractive to the tourists. This makes the regions of Jaen, Cordoba and other inland regions to lag behind in tourism as opposed to the coastal regions. The highest number of tourists finding their way into Andulacia is inclined to visiting either Costa del Sol or Sierra Nevada. These regions provide a spectacular region for sunbathing in the sandy beaches hence the coining of the phrase ‘sun and sand tourism.’ Based on the number of visitors that meet in these regions, most of the hotels and other lodging facilities in the coastal towns and cities receive over 70% of the total tourists in the region. The many monuments and other cultural artefacts have made the region to have a number of tourists that come to see the historical features, which have various cultural connotations. The Muslim era is represented through a number of features including the Alcazaba located in Malaga, the historical Great Mosque of Cardoba, Giralda and Alcazar that are found in Seville, and Alhambra in Granada. In addition to these religious inclined features, many monasteries, historic cities, cathedrals, forts, and castles have stood time to become spectacular tourist attractions. Many architectural designs with a lot of historic significance are found in this region. Noteworthy is the Renaissance architecture, the historic Islamic architecture and the Baroque architecture. All these coupled with modern architectural designs provide important tourist attractions. Tourism in Andulacia is founded on the culture in the region. It is apparent that that foreign tourism accounts for up to 11% of Spain’s GDP. This indicates the country is in dire need of the resources that emanate from tourism. Of all the tourists that find their way in Spain, Andulacia is the second most ideal destination, attracting over 13.9% of the total number of tourists visiting Spain (Mondéjar-Jiménez et al., 2010). A strong interrelationship between the culture in Andulacia and tourism exists. Statistics indicate that the amount of foreign exchange that tourists bring to the region courtesy of the rich culture far much exceeds that from other forms of tourism. Cultural tourism is the most developed form of tourism in Europe. This is based on the rich cultural heritage that a majority of regions in Europe continues to enjoy to date. Therefore, Andulacia being one of the largest tourist destinations in Europe is a beneficiary of the rich European culture and history. Various cultural sites have been recognized by UNESCO and have been declared World Heritage sites hence making them worldwide-recognized destinations. Chief among these include Alhambra, the Renaissance Monumental Ensembles of Ubeda and Baeza, and the Mosque and historic center of Cardoba. In Granada we have the Generalife as well as the Albayzin in Seville the Archivo de Indias, the cathedral and the Alcazar have also been considered by UNESCO in its World Heritage list (Mondéjar-Jiménez et al., 2010). The baroque paintings ad architecture have been preserved in the Museum of Fine Arts that is located at the capital of Seville. Being a culturally-based tourist destination, Andulacia hosts a wide number of festivals. These festivals are part of the tourist attractions in the region; they come as either wine and dine events or cultural festivals where aspects such as film, songs, and dance form the core of these events. One distinct festivals in the region are based on the flamenco; this is a very important culture that comes in the form of songs, dance and music. Andulacia has been able to host many flamenco festivals over the years. These festivals are held throughout the year at different times. Chief among these festivals is the one that is held often in Cadiz and is dubbed Jerez de la Frontera. Through this festivals a combination of songs , music and dance take center stage from different artists. Likewise, there is a film festival that is held in Malaga dubbed the Spanish Cinema Festival. On the other hand, the Latin America Cinema Festival brings together Cinema enthusiasts, film directors, and actors from across the world in order to experience the spectacular films from Latin America and Spain (Barke & Eden, 2001). Food tourism is quite dominant in Andulacia in Spain. The foods in this region have a cultural connotation as well as an historical perspective. Andulacia happens to be an agricultural region apart from being a spectacular tourist destination. High levels of production are experienced in the Almeria region especially when it comes to vegetables. Other agricultural products include olive oil, table olives and fruits such as strawberries, and tropical fruits, which does well in Granada, Huelva, and Almeria provinces. Other common agricultural activities in the region include pig keeping and fishing. In addition, Spanish wine forms a very important part of the Wine tourism. Jerez is a traditional producer of wine in Spain while other regions have also done spectacularly well in production of wine including Malaga, Huelva and Montilla-Moriles. Food festivals as well as fiestas are dominant in Andulacia. Most of the notable food events in Andulacia that acts to attract people from different destinations include Holy Week, and Feria de Abril that have been held in Seville while El Rocio Pilgrimage was held in Huelva and Jerez Horse Fair in Cadiz. In addition to these festivals and fiestas, there are many others that are held throughout the year featuring different types of foods and drinks (De, Hidalgo, & Fuentes, 2014). A unique national park is found in the Andulacia region and covers an extensive land area of about 54,252 hectares. The Donana Natural Park is a spectacular scene for tourists that endeavor to see a variety of birds in one enclosure. A wide number of birds are found in this park, which prides as the largest birds’ sanctuary across Europe. Some of the birds found in this sanctuary are hard to find, such birds include the Iberian lynx. As a result of its outstanding features, in 1994 UNESCO declared the park as a World Heritage site (Oswell, 2010). This complemented the other spectacular features in the Andulacia region. The Park is one of its kinds in the world; this has made it attract a number of tourists from across the continent. The Andalusian gastronomy forms a very important aspect of the tourism in the region. This gastronomy is basically founded on the Arabic cuisine based on the historical adoption between 8th century and 15th century. Being foreign to the European context, many people from the across the world have been attracted to this gastronomy. In addition, it has been able to manipulate some of the customs. Two forms of gastronomies are dominant, the Gazpacho and the Tapas. Though derived from the Al-Andalus from the Arabian cuisine, the Andalucía have been able to adopt it and embrace it in their culture. The gazpacho is considered the most convectional dish and comprises of bread, garlic, oil, vinegar, peppers, cucumber, salt, onions, and tomato soup served cold. On the other hand, the tapas involve service of small amounts of food served in bars, which is served alongside a glass of beer or wine. The Andalusian cuisine is recognized as a major attraction that forms a key part of the tourist attractions. One of the important aspects that make the cuisine spectacular is the Mediterranean diet which is made up of various products including fresh vegetables, virgin olive oil, fish, pulses and fruits. These foods are readily available within the Andalusian territory. Most of the meaty dishes are derived inland while the coastal provinces provide fish dishes, as well as a number of other local ingredients. Most of the Andalusia gastronomy is based on the Moorish cuisine, which has facilitated the transformation of diverse customs. The key components of the Andalusia cuisine include game stews, casseroles, pulses, and vegetables that are complemented with a wide array of seafood. Over the years, courtesy of the rich tourism and the strong cultural history, the Andalusian gastronomy has become very varied. Flamenco is a very important tourism attraction in Andalucía. The number of people that come specifically for the Flamenco is not very high though the visitors seem to enjoy the cultural events that are associated with it. Flamenco carries a very important cultural as well as an historic connotation that helps the tourists relate with other cultures in the region. The Flamenco is said to enter Spain from Arabians who desired to experience warmer climate that is still a major attraction in the region. As a complement of food, wine tourism (enotourism) forms an important part of tourism in Andulacia. Based on the cultivation of vines that is spread across the region, the making of wine is very profound. Therefore, it makes up a very important facet of tourism in Andulacia. Andulacia prides in having over 40,000 hectares of vineyard, which provides adequate vines that are used in the process of wine making (López-Guzmán et al., 2011). Tourists visit to understand the various aspects of wine, including processing and cultivation. The major areas of vine cultivation include Cordoba, Jerez, Huelva, Malaga, and Sanlucar de Barrameda. Sherry is the most dominant of the Andalusian wine (Mulligan, 2009). Its consumption has culturally been associated with various aspects such as horse riding and anglophilia. The best timing for tourists that would like to experience wine tourism should come around the month of September when the grape harvesting period is on course. In Jerez, Vendimia, which marks the wine harvesting period, is a very significant cultural event (Barke & Eden, 2001). This event is also celebrated in other regions of Andalucía, including in Malaga, and Cordoba. The visitors are able to sample their favorite wines while at a position of familiarizing with the wine making processes. Andalucía has many different places that act as dining places for tourists and other visitors. Restaurants in Andalucía provide foods and drinks from across the world. Apart from the diverse Spanish foods, there are different European foods, African foods, Jewish foods, Mexican foods, International foods among many other diverse foods. In Seville, there are spectacular tapas bars that offer quality foods and drinks. Most notable include the Bodeguita Romero, which is one of the oldest restaurant in the region while the new ones such as San Telmo and La Azotea equally offer quality services while serving foods and drinks from across the world. It is noteworthy that majority of the dining places are located in Serrania de Ronda. Places like Molino del Santo, Tragatapas Al Lago and Casa Santa Pola offers a wide array of foods and drinks to tourists from across the board (Oswell, 2010). A combination of historic restaurants and modern ones forms a perfect blend of dining sites that are able to meet the diverse needs of the customers from all across the world. A majority of the facilities that takes care of those that prefer dining out are located along the coastal areas. This is obviously facilitated by the large tourist population along the coastal regions as opposed to the inland areas, which have less tourist attractions. Cordoba prides in having quite a significant number of restaurants and bars in the region since it harbors many attractions as well as its strategic position along the coat provides this advantage. In conclusion, the Andalucía region in Spain is a spectacular tourist destination that has a lot to offer in terms of culture, food, dining facilities among others. It is apparent that the warm climate that is experienced in the region is the main attraction that makes the Europeans to find a near-Europe destination where they can escape the unforgiving winter cold. In addition, the rich culture of the region provides a platform for the extensive growth of tourism in the region. References Barke, M., & Eden, J. (2001). Co-operatives in southern spain: Their development in the rural tourism sector in andalucia.The International Journal of Tourism Research, 3(3), 199 Boswell, G. (2000, Jun 24). Culture verses the costas. Northern Echo Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/328946301?accountid=45049 Bray, R. (1998, Aug 29). Hard hiking in andalucia: Roger bray discovers the sierra de grazalema is greener than he imagined: Financial Times Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/248541091?accountid=45049 De, I. T., Hidalgo, L. A., & Fuentes, J. M. A. (2014). Rural tourism in the south of spain: An opportunity for rural development.Modern Economy, 5(2), 113-121. López-Guzmán, T., Rodríguez-García, J., Sánchez-Cañizares, S., & Luján-García, M. J. (2011). The development of wine tourism in spain. International Journal of Wine Business Research, 23(4), 374-386.  Mondéjar-Jiménez, J., García-Centeno, M., Mínguez-Salido, R., Mondéjar-Jiménez, J., & Cordente-Rodríguez, M. (2010). Cultural tourism, using A multicriteria analysis: Spanish world heritage cities. International Journal of Management and Information Systems, 14(4), 35-43. Mulligan, M. (2009). Andalucia: High-tech hopes for a great place to live. FT.Com, Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/229281124?accountid=45049 Oswell, P. (2010). Why not try... andalucia. Conference and Incentive Travel, , 69. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/840261076?accountid=45049 Read More