Andalucia & The Algarve

The Guadalquivir means ‘Great River’ in Arabic and as this historic waterway crosses the Iberian Peninsula it passes through the heartlands of Andalusia. Although once part of the Roman Empire the full flavour of the region developed with the invasion of the Moors in 711. The rise and fall of Arab dominance is most visible in the architecture with the mesmerizing Mezquita in Cordoba and the Alcazar in Seville.

By contrast, Cádiz has an entirely different atmosphere, sitting on a rocky promontory surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, this is one of Spain’s oldest towns though the architecture is largely Baroque. This port was the base for the Armada and the combined Spanish French fleet that was destroyed at Trafalgar close by. Sailing north along the Costa del Luz, famed for its clear bright light, the next great waterway is the Guadiana which forms a natural frontier between the Portuguese Algarve and Spanish Andalusia. The riverbanks of this largely unexplored waterway are dotted with fortified towns and villages of whitewashed houses dominated by church domes. Two countries, two rivers and two thousand years of history.