Valentine's Day


So this Thursday is Valentine's Day, or Dia de los Enamorados (Lovers' Day) in Spain.
Many hotels and restaurants around Andalucia will have special offers on, so if you're after a last-minute package, you're sure to be spoiled for choice - themed menus, dishes, suites and rental villas, with that little extra something thrown in to create the right atmosphere for the occasion.
Andalucia is chock-full of stunningly beautiful places which are crying out to be experienced in the company of a loved one for a memorable Valentine's in Spain.
For me, some of the most heart-stoppingly romantic places are the most obvious ones, if you haven't been lucky enough to see them before: the Alhambra as viewed from the Mirador de San Nicolas, preferably at sunset, bathed in shades of burning orange and pastel pink on its cliff above the river Daro.


Or the Patio de Doncellas of Seville's Alcazar palace, with its exquisite carved arches, long pool of water and sunken gardens with orange trees.


In terms of pueblos blancos, few can beat Vejer de la Frontera, both for its stunning setting on a hilltop near the Costa de la Luz, and for its admirably maintained white Moorish houses. Vejer also has some of the best restaurants in the area.


If you're after a deserted beach, for some quiet canoodling, the Almeria coast has many rocky coves and sandy sweeps where you're barely spot a soul. Venture into the desert, and you're almost certain to have it to yourself.


And for some entertainment pulsating with passion and yearning, it has to be flamenco. Agony, heartbreak and soul-baring are the themes of this typically Andalucian music form.
Blog published on 11 February 2013