ANDALUCIA TOURISM NEWS JULY 31 2002

MALAGA FERIA 2002
Fun, dancing and afternoons of bullfighting are the mix of the Málaga Fair which brings together thousands of locals and visitors eager to enjoy the lively atmosphere where boredom has no place, from the 9th to the 19th of August in the centre of the Costa del Sol. The casetas or fair marquees will fill the city centre streets with Sevillana dancing, flamenco costumes, fino wines, and tasty tapas of Andalucian cuisine all stars of the show. We can't forget the bullfighting programme, which this year brings matadors of the calibre of Francisco Rivera, Enrique Ponce, Victor Puerto or Joselito to the La Malagueta bullring. In total ten bullfights, a festival on horseback, and two with young bulls and picadors taking place in the late evening make up this year's attractions. And at night the fairground itself in El Cortijo de Torres hosts thousands more caseta marquees where we can continue to dance and be merry until the late early hours. Ten days to enjoy life to the full in a city such as Málaga where between the 9th and 19th everything is a party.

GASTRONOMY AND WINE CONGRESS
The fourth World Gastronomy and Wine Congress, which will be held in Seville between the 18th and the 22nd of September, will see the participation of some 60,000 people from across the globe, and is hoped to bring a direct income of some 60 million € to the city. The congress, which will be attended by some 40,000 professionals, will be held in the Seville Congress and Exhibition Hall, and see a total of 366 exhibitors divided into Institutional, Business, The Tapa, Bibliography and Accessories Halls. In the Institutional Hall different countries and Spanish regions will promote their tourism and products, while in the Business and Tapa Halls, wine cellars, food companies and a total of 24 restaurants will offer visitors some of their most typical dishes. In addition the organising committee is planning a programme to include different routes for Gastronomic trekking.

CÁDIZ AND HUELVA TOURISM
A radiant sun and an unbeatable coastline. These are the main attractions for tourists in the province of Cádiz. This year, as happened last year, we can also talk about Summer in the Sierra. The offer to tourists in the province is diversifying as the total number of visitors to the province remains steady. Forecasts for August show that the No Vacancies signs will be posted on both the coast and inland in the province. As well as attracting Spanish tourists, the Costa de la Luz continues to be a popular destination for the Germans. Each tourist spends an average of 64€ a day, 14 more than last year, giving a total income calculated over the past three months of more than 290 million €. Tourism in Cádiz can therefore be considered to be healthy and, as is also the case in Huelva, the tourism sector has grown more than 14% to June when compared to last year. Overnight stays have increased by nearly 15% and nearly 38% more foreigners have visited Huelva province.

THE GRANADA EYE
The Granada eye could be an eagles or a swallows – it is certainly a bird's. The lenses are installed on the roof of one of the houses which looks out from the Mirador de la Lona in the Albaicin, and from this zone we can see the Gran Via, and a wide angled view of the Vega – the fertile plain. But this periscope projection also brings us images normally seen only by the birds on the roof. Views of the Alhambra, La Churra, the Sierra and part of the Sacromonte. The camera obscura, which according to its promoters has the largest screen in the world, already exists as a tourist attraction in other cities, such as the Torre Tavira in Cádiz. The promoters purchased the two telescopic lenses in the north of England and with a set of mirrors horizontally project an image of the city. Leonardo Da Vinci invented the device some 500 years ago, although the lenses and the movement of the screen now allow us to zoom in or out of the picture. Visitors will hear a descriptive historical description in four languages of what they can see. The facility is completed with a projection room where a documentary on the city and province will be shown, and a shop with handmade articles for sale. Although they have received grants from the Andalucía Development Institute and the support of the Granada city hall, the initiative comes from three Granada youngsters. 70 million has been invested in the purchase and adaptation of the premises for the installation of the optical device. A water trough at the entrance gives an agreeable atmosphere and the background sound of running water. Careful attention to illumination gives the appearance of an Arab baths and the original architecture of the house with arches and domes has been respected.

COMPETA WINE NIGHT 2002
More than 1,500 litres of wine are shared out each year in the famous 'Noche del Vino' in the Málaga province village of Cómpeta, in a fiesta which attracts some 6,000 people every August 15th. In the fiesta, which is declared to be of National Tourist Interest in Andalucía, traditional activities such as the foot treading of the locally collected grapes is carried out in the wine press in the Plaza de la Vendimia. It's an ideal day out to discover how wine is made and to enjoy the good local food, and of course the sweet wine from this Málaga locality. This beautiful village in the district of La Axarquía sees its population of 2,600 increase with 3,500 visitors who enjoy the day each year and relive one of the most deeply rooted traditions of Cómpeta.

ABEN HUMEYA MOORISH GAMES 2002
The locality of Purchena, a beautiful village in the Los Filabres sierra in Almería, holds, every August, the so-called Aben Humeya Games, named after a Moorish king who, in the 16th century, decided to revive the traditions which his Muslim people had assimilated from the conquered villages. For five days of the month from the 14th to the 18th the games are held in the Plaza de Purchena as they were more than 400 years ago. The event starts with the traditional cintas a la morisca, followed by wrestling, stone lifting, running and archery. In addition there is a theatrical performance of the games, musical attractions with Arab Andalucian, Mudéjar and Sefardí music and a medieval market where we can find the widest selection of handicrafts. Days to enjoy in this village of Almería, as it recoups the atmosphere and spirit of 1569.

MAPS OF THE ALBAICÍN
Some 25,000 maps like this one will be distributed to taxi and buses users in the Granada district of the Albaicín – they suggest three itineraries to follow. The first follows a route to the San Cristóbal church and the water fountain, and the second goes by the old city wall and the third to the Monaita gate. The idea is that the visitor to the Albaicín can better find his or her way around the district and get to know the history of the monuments, houses and streets. The anecdotes as to how places got their name and the customs seen in the area are all witness to the oldest human settlement in the city of Granada. It's hoped that the tourist will leave with a more complete memory. Nearly 50 streets, houses, churches and other monuments are indicated on the maps with the educational and cultural routes. They will be handed out by the Granada taxi and bus drivers.

MUNDO MARINO – MARINE WORLD
Visitors to the dune park at Matalascañas, in Huelva province, now has a new leisure and tourist attraction for the district. It's the Mundo Marino, Marine World museum, recently inaugurated by the president of the Junta de Andalucía, Manuel Chaves, in the heart of the Doñana nature park. The building, the design of which copies the profile of a dune, has five rooms where the many aspects of the sea in the Gulf of Cádiz are displayed. But the main attractions are the Cetaceans, with real size replicas and real skeletons of dolphins, whales and grampus which have come ashore on the Andalucian coastline, as well as the only ecosphere in existence in Europe and where the cycle of life is illustrated. This Marine World Museum is, without doubt, and important new attraction for visitors to the Huelva coast.