Andalucia offers less organised entertainment opportunities than many other parts of Europe.

However, the region provides its own entertainment: 600 kilometres of sandy beaches; huge, unspoiled natural areas and the simple pleasures of eating and drinking or just watching the world go by.

Andalucía is an ideal region for camping, walking, riding and mountain bicycling, owing to the nearly 300 days of sunshine a year, a mild climate, together with extensive natural environments. Generally the environment has been kept in a good state of conservation, 17% of the land in Andalucía has been declared Nature Parks.

Rural tourism has experienced extraordinary growth in recent years, due to increasing environmental concerns and a global desire to conserve and protect natural areas and rural locations.

These areas are ideal for excursions, mountain bike tours or hiking but more and more people start to visit these areas also in order to discover the wildlife and vegetation as well as to deepen their knowledge about the culture and the traditions.

Bird watching
Andalucía is a birdwatcher's paradise and attracts ornithologists throughout the year. The best time of the year, however, is during the spring as this is when you can see many wintering species, together with those arriving for the summer months. Not surprisingly, the Straits of Gibraltar is a key point of passage for raptors, storks and other birds migrating between Africa and Europe. Overall, northern migrations take place between mid-February and June, while those birds heading south will set off between late July and early November when there's a westerly wind.

History & Culture
Andalucia, known to many as "the bridge between two continents", "the gateway to Europe", "a melting pot of cultures" or "a meeting point of two seas" fits perfectly within any of these definitions. A direct link between Europe and Africa, and the place where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Mediterranean, Andalucia has been fought over by numerous cultures since the earliest times of civilization, being one of the areas of settlement of our prehistoric ancestors. The diversity of the landscapes which make up the region provides an entire spectrum: from the warm Guadalquivir valley, to leafy low mountain areas, from volcanic landscapes such as the Tabernas Desert to the white peaks of the Sierra Nevada.

Photography
Spain is like several countries all rolled into one, which makes it both challenging and exiting to a photographer. Andalucia is one of Spain's most beautiful, most photographed and most inspiring locations.

Walking
The countryside in much of Andalucia is breathtaking and, one of the best ways to appreciate the diversity and beauty of the natural scenery here, is on foot. Spain's Vias Verdes (green routes) are one of the lesser known attractions of its interior. Like Britain in the 1960s, Spain drastically reduced its regional railway routes and is now renovating them as hiking, cycling and horse-riding tracks. Possibly the most beautiful in Andalucia is the nearby route between Puerto Serrano, west of Algodonales on the Ronda-Sevilla road, and the former bandit haven Olvera.

Mountain biking and cycling
These are viewed as both serious sports and a relaxing pastime in Andalucia. In the country as a whole, cycling is a popular competitive sport, with over 5,000 annual cycling races and events staged at all levels throughout the country. These include many professional races, such as the tour of Spain held over three weeks in April and May and the third most important world cycle race after the tours of France and Italy.