Andalusia 7-day Itinerary
Spain
Where to go and what to see in Andalusia to get the most from your trip – a 7-day itinerary from destination expert and travel writer Dana Facaros.
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Overview >Bucket list experience:
Flamenco in Andalusia
Andalusia, Spain
Credit Shutterstock.com/VDV
Last updated: 10 November, 2022
Andalusia expresses its passionate soul in the guitars, singing and twirling, stamping steps of its native flamenco – declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2010.
Most scholars believed the seeds of flamenco arrived in the 15th century with the Roma from India. Over the centuries they slowly migrated west with their castanets and tambourines, absorbing songs and dances in the Middle East and North Africa along the way. The Spanish at first considered it a foreign art, or ‘Flemish’ – hence flamenco.
By the 19th century flamenco as we know it emerged – popularized by Bizet’s Carmen – with shows performed in cafés cantantes (singers’ cafés), the forerunners to the modern tablaos. These are intimate venues with small wooden stages, perfect for the exhilarating machine gun-like zapateado (dancing).
You can hear flamenco’s eastern origins in the singer’s cante jondo (‘deep song’), evoking pain, sorrow and joy, while dancers express each emotion with their bodies, driven by the pulsing percussive strumming of the guitars.
A good show, and there are many here, can send chills down your spine with their duende, the ecstatic ‘demon’ spirit that brings listeners out of themselves.
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Price from: £15
Minimum age: Any
Age suitable: 5+
Frequency: daily
When: Daily
Duration: 90 minutes
Getting there & doing it
Always book tickets for a tablao or club in advance, either via an organised tour or on the websites of the clubs. Options usually include a show and a drink or tapas or dinner with a choice of set price menus. Performances run around 90 minutes.
When to do it
Most clubs put on two shows every evening, usually around 7pm and 9pm.
Experience
Casa de la Memoria
Seville, Andalusia, Spain
Cultural centre (and the most affordable tablao) offering two shows nightly in an intimate setting of a 15th-century house but minus any food and drink. Different styles and artists every night set it apart from the others.
Best for ages: 6+ | £19 | 1 hour
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Experience
Casa del Arte
Granada, Andalusia, Spain
Intimate theatre just under the Alhambra, where the young guitarist, singer and dancers perform with passion; you can also book supper, but it’s separate, as to not distract from the show.
Best for ages: 5+ | £17 | 1 hour
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Experience
Cueva de la Rocio
Granada, Andalusia, Spain
The Maya family performs a zambra gitana, a traditional gypsy wedding in the Sacromonte caves of Granada, harking back to the days when the dances were banned by the Inquisition and had to be held in secret.
Best for ages: 5+ | £20 | 1 hour
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Experience
El Palacio Andaluz
Seville, Andalusia, Spain
Large stage in a former Cruzcampo beer pavilion at the Expo of 92 that recreates the decor of the original cafés cantantes, where one of the best-known troupes in Spain puts on shows along with a drink and tapas dinner.
Best for ages: 6+ | £37 | 1 hour
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