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Food Wine & Culture Weekends in 2008

Find out more about our Mediterranean Cooking, Culture, Wine & Tapas Tasting holidays - with shopping!

What's happening

...on the Costa del Sol and in Cadiz in Southern Spain

PATIOS OF CORDOBA: 7 - 18th May

Every year the gorgeous Spanish city of Cordoba opens its courtyards to the public to reveal a visual feast of colourful flowers, stone mosaics and striking water features.  Tucked behind heavy iron gates for most of the year, it is a treat to see the numerous monument patios and convent courtyards such as Santa Isabel de los Angeles, Las Capuchinas and Santa Maria. 

 

GALA GOLFING WEEK 31 JAN - 7 FEB 2009.  ONLY 285 EURO!

Contact finola@iberianoptions.com for bookings.

 

All Year

teatro cervantes www.teatrocervantes.com  T +34 952 222 4109

Opened in 1870, the theatre's early existence was short-lived due to a fire that ripped through the building. Left abandoned without the funding to rebuild, the building was in ruins before the City of Malaga began renovations in the 1980s. Nowadays, inside its lavishly decorated interiors, ornate balconies and orchestra pit, it lays on the the most spectacular plays, operas and concerts and has become a favourite haunt for culture vultures both local and international.

February each year Carnaval de Cadiz

Cadiz's carnival is a 10-day singing, dancing and drinking fancy-dress party spanning two weekends. Costumed groups called murgas tour the city on foot or on floats singing satirical ditties or performing sketches but if you don't speak Spanish, these will be lost on you. In addition to the 300 or so officially recognised murgas who are judged by a panel in the Gran Teatro Falla, there are also the illegales - these are any group that fancies taking to the streets and trying to play or sing!

 

March, April or May each year Jerez's Circuito Permanente de Velocidad / Motorcycle and Car Racing events

 

This track hosts several motorcycle and car racing events through the year including one of the Grand Prix races of the World Motorcycle Championship. Held in Jerez since 1987, this is one of Spain's biggest sporting events, with around 150,000 spectators.

August Marbella International Opera Festival (annual event)

The 6th opera festival was held at the Ciudad de Marbella Theatre in August 2007.

 

August Feria de Malaga

Málaga's 9-day feria is launched by a huge firworks display on the opening Friday in mid-August and is the most ebullient of Andalucia's summer ferias. During the day the city jumps with music and dancing: head for Plaza Uncibay, Plaza de la Constitucion, Plaza Mitjana or Calle Marques de Larios to be in the thick of it. At night the fun switches to large fair-grounds and nightly rock and flamenco shows at Cortijo de Torres, 4km southwest of the city centre (ciudad centro)

 

MÁLAGA CITY (CIUDAD CENTRO)

In addtion to Picasso's museum, four magnificent attractions in Malaga which cover more than twenty centuries of history are the (1) Roman Theatre (2) the Alcazaba (3) the Gibralfaro Castle and (4) the Cathedral.

Malaga's Roman Theatre

Malaga's Roman theatre remained hidden underground for many centuries and lies at the foot of the Alcazaba fortress in the western part of the city. It was discovered in 1951, after having remained buried underground for many centuries. Dating back to the first century, it was built during the Empire of Augustus. It was used up until the third century. The Arabs used parts of the theatre for their own building purposes. They took capitals and column shafts for their own Alcazaba fortress as support for the horseshoe arches over the doorways. The theatre has a radius of 31 metres is 16 metres tall and has an orchestra of 15 metres. The area has three main stands and gateways that lead into the stands (vomitorium).

The Alcazaba

The Alcazaba, an Arabian fortress, was built in the Islamic age and is located in Alcazabilla Street. It is similar, but not as polished, to the Alhambra in Granada. Worth a visit!

Gibralfaro Castle

On Malaga's hill adjacent to the Alcazaba is the Gibralfaro Castle, which overlooks the bay and port of Malaga and also the city's impressive bull-ring.

Malaga's Cathedral

One of the greatest religious works in the city is the Andalusian Baroque-style Cathedral with the peculiarity that although construction started in 1528, one of the towers is still not finished with is why the Cathedral is known as 'La Manquita'.

Picasso Museum Málaga  www.museopicassomalaga.org

Málaga, the city of Pablo Picasso's birth, is home to this museum devoted to one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century, an artist who was an innovator of artistic styles and techniques, changing the course of modern art. It had been a long time desire of the artist himself, as well as his family, that he have a presence in his birthplace city of Málaga. The museum is one of three museums in the world dedicated exclusively to the artist and is housed in the Palacio de Buenavista, which was inaugurated by the King and Queen of Spain, Juan Carlos & Sofia.