FUENTE DE PIEDRA LAGOON
The Fuente de Piedra Lagoon in Málaga contains one of the most visited flamingo reserves in Andalucía and has benefited from this winter’s high rainfall.
The 380 litres of rain give an unbeatable aspect to the lagoon which is now 50 cms deep - ideal conditions for breeding which has started a few weeks earlier than normal. The number of flamingo chicks could be exceptional this year.
The lake at Fuente de Piedra now has 11,000 pairs of flamingos, a quarter of the entire population of the Western Mediterranean, as well as 2,000 birds of other species, most aquatic.
The flamingos need total quiet to breed, which means that restrictive measures are in place - for example it’s prohibited to fly over the lake at less than 1000m.

SEA HORSES
Sea Horses. A marine species we generally know little about as we rarely have the chance to see one up close.
Now in the Benalmádena underwater park, near Málaga, we can see the first display of Sea Horses in Spain - with the tiger tail, sea dragon, striped or oceanic examples coming from Australia, Java or Tasmania.
The fragility of these specimen, which will remain in Benalmádena for a year, means a permanent watch from the supervisors.
Don’t miss this opportunity to see this unique and curious marine species.

ALONSO CANO CENTENARY
This is the restored altarpiece from the San Ildefonso church in Granada, presented in commemoration of the 400th anniversary of the birth of the Granada born painter, sculptor and architect - one of the main exponents of the golden century of Spanish art.
The altarpiece dates from the middle of the 18th century and its restoration has cost 23 million pesetas.
The Junta de Andalucía, the Fine Arts museum and the Archbishop’s office from the province are organising concerts and conferences, as well as two exhibitions - one in the Granada cathedral and the other in the Curia building.
The Granada artist Alonso Cano has baptised in 1601 in the same San Ildefonso Church in the city where now his restored altarpiece is on show.

CROSSES AND PATIOS IN CORDOBA
The city of Córdoba is already preparing to celebrate two of its happiest and most typical fiestas which will fill the city with flowers - the Crosses and the Patios - Two fiestas so magical that they take over the life of the city at this time.
The crosses is celebrated until May1, filling the squares and corners of the city with artistic floral crosses made by neighbourhood groups, communities and clubs, and next to which parties are held.
The patios fiesta, from May 4 - 15, is a tradition which started in Roman times, reaching its peak in the Muslim era.
Bright and white walls are fulled with clay flowerpots and floors are beautified with flower beds making the more than 150 patios places well worth a visit.
Tradition, light, colour, fun, and the scent of the flowers. Two fiestas which add to the already natural charm and beauty of Córdoba.

TOURIST GUIDE COURSES
Tourist guides carry out, without doubt, a great job when we want to know about the cultural heritage of a place we visit.
And the better prepared they are, better will be the grade of satisfaction of the visitors.
To this aim the International University of Andalucía, based in Baeza, Jaén, has decided to offer courses in cultural and ecological tourism.
The intention is to accept university graduates and convert them into professionals in cultural and ecological tourism, training them fully in the changes which are being seen in the running of the cultural and natural heritage.

APRIL FAIR IN SEVILLE
Seville is dressed up with lights, decorations and flowers from this Sunday until May 6 to celebrate it’s April Fair.
One of the best fairs in Spain, to which thousands of people from across the world go each year, eager to have fun dancing to dawn or watching the marvellous horses which circulate round the ground.
More than 1000 ‘casetas’ or tents await us in a fair which has its origin in a cattle fair held in 1847 where the dealers did their trading in what are now ‘casetas’.
A week full of emotions and tastes such as fino sherry and the good local tapas. Seville is waiting.

MOORS AND CHRISTIANS FIESTA - BENAMAUREL
For yet another year the Moors and Christians will face each other between April 29 and May 1 to recover the Virgen de la Cabeza, in the northern Granada village of Benamaurel.
Around 800 people take part in this tradition which symbolically has the two sides recreating the religious act known locally as ‘Los Papeles’
The Moors steal the image of the Virgen which is then recovered by the Christians after a fight in the square of the village of some 2,500 inhabitants and which was the scene of the frontier fights between the Arabs and Christians in the 18th century. A typical fiesta attended by thousands of people each year.

TOURIST SPENDING AT EASTER
Tourists across Andalucía spent 41,000 million pesetas last Holy Week - a time which saw 85% hotel occupancy at the start of the week and 97% from Holy Thursday to Resurrection Sunday.
What’s more the average spend per person per day was nearly 14,000 pesetas, compared to the 10,000 seen in recent years.
These figures, released by the Tourism council of the Junta de Andalucía, have beaten even the most optimistic forecasts, and open up an excellent perspective for the summer.
The varied offer for the tourist in Andalucía, with beaches, golf, good food and historic cities, has helped to considerably increase the average spending of the period.

SORBAS CAVES
One of the main attractions of Sorbas in Almeria province is the underground caves - a complex of more than 1000 gypsum cavities, unique in Europe, of which there are only 6 in the world.
Now a new information centre offers details on the semidesert zone where they are found, on how they were formed and found and the effects of the underground springs of water on the flora and fauna.
The centre also contains a gallery made of gypsum crystals from the caves themselves so visitors can get an idea of the beauty of these geological formations.
What’s more a group of potholers from Sorbas have set up companies offering guided visits to the inside of the caves.

LOS ALCORNOCALES NATURE PARK
Los Alcornocales Nature Park, situated across the provinces of Cádiz and Málaga contains the best and biggest concentration of Cork Oak trees in Europe.
Selected as the best forest in Spain by a group of scientists from the magazine ‘Biológica’, this nature park is the 3rd largest in Andalucía, with 120,000 hectares of Oaks, nearly half of the area of this type of forest in Andalucía.
The Junta de Andalucía is planning a series of measures in the area to control and conserve it better including the training of more experts and the recovery of lost forest areas affected recent droughts.
In this nature park we can also see dwarf oaks, holm oaks, wild olives, ash, elms and elders.
Along with making the most of the cork, the Alcornocales Nature Park combines diverse economic, forestry, hunting and farming activities.

SELWO
A forest which we can see as we want - by foot of four wheel drive. Fantastic views which remind us of the African Savannah. Wild animals, villages, lakes and exotic birds.
All this, strange as it might seem, in the heart of the Costa del Sol, between Marbella and Estepona.
We are in Selwo. More than 2,000 animals in semi-freedom are waiting for our visit.
Leopards, Zebra, Bison, Bufalo and many more can been watched from the different routes through the park. The route of the valleys, Savannah, the Central Village or the Gateway to Nature.
All this in a privileged place like the Costa del Sol.


And there’s more - If we want stronger emotions in Selwo we can experiment what it feels like to cross a hanging rope bridge or hang ourselves from a liana. A test of heights and self control which has been tried already by thousands of people who are looking for something different in their tourism experience.
A forest in a place as attractive as Estepona. A zoological and botanic reserve close to the sea. We’ll come back to Selwo more than once as you simply can’t be bored here.

TAKING TURNS IN THE ALHAMBRA
Tourists who want to visit the Alhambra in Granada can now choose to do so for the morning or afternoon.
The management of this monumental complex has decided to split 7,700 entrance tickets put on sale each day into two turns of morning and afternoon in an effort to stop the long queues which form at the busiest times of the day.
The measure is designed also to encourage people to also visit Granada itself - as well as the monument.
Last year this Nazerene monument had a record number of visitors at nearly 2 million and a half. Now you have to choose to see the Alhambra between 0830 and 1400 or between 1400 and 2000.

AGENDA

The Bishop’s Palace in Málaga is housing an important exhibition ‘Encuentros, Diálogos de complicidad en la pintura internacional. 50 works from great painters such as Andy Warhol or Tápies - Continues until Sunday April 29.

Córdoba is celebrating the 16th edition of the ‘National Art of Flamenco Competition’ in the city’s Gran Teatro between April 27 and May 12.
230 artists are taking part in three sections - Song, Dance and Handclap. The dance spectacular ‘Pura Intención’ in honour of Fosforito and the first performance of ‘La Guitarra Azul’ by the Córdoba Orchestra complete the programme.

The Granada City Orchestra play pieces by Robert Schumann on Friday April 27 in the Manuel de Falla auditorium in the city - as part of the festival dedicated to this romantic composer.

A spring fair is held in Vejer de la Frontera, Cádiz between Thursday 26 and Sunday 29 April, including the traditional horse parade.

The seventh edition of the National Coquina and Clam Show is held in Punta Umbría in Huelva on Saturday 28 of this month in the Plaza 26 de Abril de 1963.

The oldest romeria in Spain is held between April 27 and 29 in Jaen Province. The Virgen de la Cabeza will take place at Cerro del Cabezo in the Andújar Nature Park, where the sanctuary containing the image ‘La Morenita’ can be found.

Friday 27 and Sunday 29 see performances of the opera Falstaff by Giuseppe Verdi in the Cervantes Theatre Málaga.

The third edition of ‘Titereal’ - puppets for adults- takes place between Friday 27 and Sunday 29 April in Alcalá la Real in Jaen province.

San Roque in Cádiz celebrates its traditional romeria Pinar del Rey on Sunday April 29

Julián Hernández, a member of the group Siniestro Total, performs in the Málaga municipal museum on Friday April 27 as part of the La Música Contada festival. Free entry.

La Oreja de Van Gogh have a concert on Friday 27 of this month in the Alameda Auditorium in Jaén and on Saturday 28 in the Martin Carpena sports hall in Málaga.

The Seville April fair starts on Sunday 29 at midnight with the switching on of the feria lights. The most famous spring fair in Andalucía continues until Sunday May 6.

The 5th Intercontinental Puerto Banus-City of Ceuta regatta leaves the famous Marbella port on Saturday April 28 and arrives in Ceuta on Tuesday May 1. Points are valid for the Spanish cruisers cup.