We are going to sound repetitive because we do say similar things about every city we write about, but Almeria is a truly a beautiful city and will be a pleasant surprise to home swappers that arrive only enticed by its beaches. Born in the 10th century as a defensive fortress , it is now the capital city of the homonymous province and shares the Muslim heritage with the other provinces in Andalusia. Almeria stands out has the largest citadel ever built in the Caliphate of Cordoba.

Honouring the origin of its name, related to a watch-point, from Almeria you will view natural, architectural and cultural sites.  Almost untouched beaches bathed by the Mediterranean Sea, the nearby Nature Reserves of Sierra Nevada and Cabo de Gata-Nijar, the historic quarter, the Alcazaba, the Jayran Wall, the fortress-temple cathedral…

An interesting fact: Almeria is one of the European cities with the most registered sun-hours per year which was the inspiration for the 20s motto “where the sun spends the winter“, would you care to discover if this is true?

Image: Photograph by Frank C. Müller / Wikimedia Commons.

Winter is here and since we are travelling along the Spanish portion of the Mediterranean coast, it would be good to remind you that there are great places in Spain to enjoy a winter house swap, specially if you like winter-sports. If you enjoy skiing, we have an interesting fact for you: Spain has 35 ski resorts of varied sizes and almost 1000 kilometres of ski slopes. Would that be enough for you?

The Spanish Pyrenees, besides beautiful, are the largest area for skiing and enjoying other winter-like activities, something always attractive to people of all ages. But today, since we were supposed to move west from Malaga to Almeria, we cannot but mention what is probably the second most important ski area of Spain and the one with the best view: the Nature Reserve of Sierra Nevada, in Andalusian territory.  Here is the deal you can get:  skiing in a designated UNESCO Reserve viewing the Mediterranean coast while you go downhill with the warm sun hitting your face. Sounds like a good deal!

We’ll mention more about Sierra Nevada’s surroundings in our next post, when we do arrive to Almeria, but if you would like to know more about your skiing in Spain, visit ATUDEM’s website (in Spanish).

Image: BY-YOUR-⌘ / Flickr.com

In our second post of this tour along the European Mediterranean coast, we continue in Marbella because there is more to share about this city to entice the avid home swapper.

Beaches: Marbella has more than 25 different beaches along 30 Km, the most famous and most visited are in the area of Puerto Banus but since it is a city visited by the rich and famous, any beach has amenities nearby, good bathing conditions and sometimes even services right on the sand

Sports: There are many sports you can play in Marbella, not all related to the sea, but it is fair to say these are quite popular. You can golf, bowl, go trekking, rock climbing, horse riding or hiking in the near mountains (there are 4×4s available if you are not that into “actively” enjoying nature), and of course there are tennis courts and football fields as well.

For nights and rainy days: There are literally hundreds of bars, pubs and nightclubs in Marbella, so you won’t have problems finding things to do with your nights during your house swap. But also, you can attend flamenco shows or a show in a bullring (not only bullfights) which are a patrimony of Spain.

Image: bk images / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The first city we are going to make port in is Marbella. In our last post we said we were going to start in Malaga, but then we decided we couldn’t leave Marbella out simply because a sunset in Marbella can be breath-taking.

Marbella (Spain) is nowadays a modern tourist city, but this development only came by the second half of the 20th century. Before that, it was a fishing port, an agricultural area, or a land rich in magnetic iron. It was also of interest to Romans and Muslims, and it preserves historic remains to show this rich past. There are even footprints left behind by prehistoric inhabitants, with Palaeolithic and Neolithic remains in the area.

The city is easily accessible with connections to main roads, airports, high-speed trains and of course, it has a strong connection to the sea and its four marinas welcome small and medium-size vessels. You won’t find trouble to get to Marbella and chances are you are going to find it during a bright sunny day!

Image: cubanjunky (Barbara Walsh) / Flickr.com

What about enjoying music in a foreign land with a foreign language? You can have a different festival experience by attending any of the events we have for you today.

Benicassim Festival: music, dance, films and sunbathing in the Mediterranean coast.
When? Starts July 14th and closes July 17th.
Where? Benicassim, Castellon, Spain.
More info about the festival: http://fiberfib.com/ (click on the English icon on the right-hand corner of the homepage)

Creamfields Andalusia
When? One weekend in August 2011, Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th.
Where? Jerez de la Frontera, Cádiz, Andalusia.
Interesting performances: Paul Kalkbrenner, 2ManyDjs, Eric Prydz, DJ Gonçalo from Portugal, and The Prodigy.
More info about the festival: http://www.creamfields-andalucia.com/ (in Spanish but there are some sections in English, just look for the flag)

Now you know, if you are planning a home swap with a partner in Spain, check with them if there is a music festival in the area to have some extra fun to your next home exchange.

Image: Public domain licence, taken from Wikimedia Commons.

Malaga is the second most populous and sixth largest city in Spain. It is one of the cities in the European Union that experiences the warmest winters, having a Mediterranean-subtropical climate, with an average temperature of 16.6 degrees Celsius (62 degrees Fahrenheit) at the highest and 12 degrees Celsius (54 degrees Fahrenheit) during January. The city is rich in history and culture, with historical sites tracing back Phoenician, Roman, Arabian and Christian epochs, the beautiful sights here are endless. A day or two wouldn’t be enough to appreciate what this lovely city has in store for you.

The name Malaga was coined by Phoenicians who founded the city in 1000 BCE. The term was believed to be derived from the Phoenician word for salt because fish was salted near its harbors. The architecture in this city is perhaps a visual wonder, with Roman theater ruins dating from the 1^st century BC, touring around Malaga is a travel back in time. The walls built in and around the city are traces of military fortifications during the time of Islamic Spain. Some of the must-see places to see are the Gibralfaro Castle, Alcazaba fortress, Plaza de Toros (bullring), Iglesia del Sagrario and countless museums including Museo Picasso Malaga. Pablo Picasso and Antonio Banderas were born in Malaga.

Transportation is not a problem here as Malaga has its own airport. The seaport of Malaga has been in operation since 600 BC. High speed railway system connecting to Madrid and other railway systems around the city will get you here in no time. Buses are the main means of transport in the city. To get the best experience around Malaga, why not go for a home exchange? There are a lot of homes open for swap around the city. You can start to try living like a local and experience the warm, sunny winter here. This is definitely a good place to spend the Holidays in.