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18
Mar 2026
A week of traditions, music and impressive processions
During Holy Week, towns and cities in southern Spain become the setting for centuries-old processions, music and deep devotion.
The meaning of Holy Week
Holy Week – known in Spain as Semana Santa – is one of the most important religious periods in the Christian calendar. During this week, people reflect on the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus. Semana Santa marks the end of Lent and includes important days such as Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. This year, Semana Santa takes place from Sunday 29 March to 5 April.
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19
Dec 2025
When we bought our home in Andalusia in 2008, we had settled in on our mountain for New Year’s Eve, ready to admire all the fireworks from the surrounding villages. At exactly midnight we stepped outside, cava and a Dutch oliebol in hand… but there was absolutely nothing to see. No bangs, no flashes, nothing at all. Clearly, we hadn’t prepared ourselves very well ;-)
The following year, we did things properly and celebrated La Noche Vieja in a pre-booked restaurant in Nerja, with all the trimmings. That evening we learned that New Year’s Eve in Spain is celebrated quite differently from what we were used to. Over the years, this is what we’ve learned:
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01
Sep 2025
This blog takes you through the eight provinces of Andalusia, with for each province: cultural highlights, landscapes, must-sees & must-dos, tips for food and drink, and special overnight stays (with booking links where possible).
Think of it as a first introduction to the eight Andalusian provinces — a journey through the lands of Almería, Granada, Málaga, Cádiz, Huelva, Sevilla, Córdoba and Jaén. Each so close together, yet each so different. Andalusia is a large autonomous region with an area of 87,268 km² — about twice the size of the Netherlands — with 8 provinces and over 8.5 million inhabitants. A region full of contrasts.
In the 18 years we have been coming here, the last 9 of which we have lived here permanently, we have truly visited 7 of the 8 provinces, once or several times, and we still want to keep coming back for more ;-) Only Almería remains on our list for a first visit.
An overview of all provinces, highlights, must-dos, and some general tips.
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29
Aug 2025
When we go to Torre del Mar we always look forward to seeing the Osborne Bull looming up as we approach, an amazing sight. In total Osborne has 97 of such bulls throughout Spain designed by the acclaimed artist Manolo Prieto. Each bull is made of iron and has a surface of 150 m2, is more than 14 meters high and weighs about 4,000 kilograms. The first was installed in 1957 in Canabillas de la Sierra in the province of Burgos. In the heyday of the bull, there were more than 500 on the landscape.
Most of the remaining bulls are now in the Marco de Jerez, the sherry area around Jerez de la Frontera in the provinces of Cadiz and Seville. The rest are randomly scattered throughout Spain on the roads which lead from Madrid to Barcelona, Bilbao, La Coruña, Badajoz, Cadiz and Valencia. Usually they are placed on ridges to break the horizon where they are more visible against the sky. In Andalusia there are in total 23 of which only one in the region of Axarquia; the one in Torre del Mar.
Buy your dream house without worries
We have no shop window or many properties for sale on this website because we believe in personal attention & tailor-made offers; therefore we always work on a specific request basis. From experience we know that buying a home in Spain is different than in your own country, therefore we make every effort to make it run as smoothly as possible.
