The Rough Guide to Andalucia 4 (Rough Guide Travel Guides) [Paperback]

Rough Guides (Author)

Book Description

Series: Rough Guide Travel Guides | Publication Date: August 25, 2003

Including 24 pages of full colour photographs, this guide provides comprehensive coverage of Andalucia's attractions, from the enchanting Alhambra palace to the white town of Ronda. There are insider tips on where to find the best beaches and most exhilarating walks and reviews of the best places to eat, drink and stay, from rustic fondas to sumptuous paradores. The guide also contains background on Andalucia's history, festivals and wildlife. Its new maps provide expanded coverage of the Malaga and Seville chapters.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The best guidebook" The Sunday Times "Best guidebook" The Sunday Telegraph

About the Author

Mark Ellingham wrote the first Rough Guide - to Greece - in 1981. He followed that with The Rough Guide to Spain the following year and has spent time in Andalucia most years since then. Geoff Garvey has been captivated by Andalucia since his first visit as a student in the early 1970's.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 700 pages
• Publisher: Rough Guides; 4th edition (August 25, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1843530686
• ISBN-13: 978-1843530688
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,416,960 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #66 in Books > Travel > Europe > Spain > Andalusia

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-have for the Andalucian-bound!!!, July 18, 2004

By 

Z. D. Houghton (Indianapolis, IN) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Rough Guide to Andalucia 4 (Rough Guide Travel Guides) (Paperback)

Keeping in the tradition of the insight, clarity, and usefulness which has made Rough Guide among the best of guide book series, the Rough Guide to Andalucia is the definitive book for any tourist interested in visitng that region.

Uncluttered, with honest facts AND opinions about where to eat, landmarks, hotels, hostels, and more, the Rough Guide is peerless in it's thorough usefulness.

This book does an excellent job of presenting more than your usual tourist traps. Special needs travelers (pets, children, handicapped) can also get a sense of what may and may not be good ideas for your Andalucian odyssey.

All in all, if you're looking for a guide book that presents what you NEED to know without a lot of editorial musings, you will find the Rough Guide to Andalucia not only at the forefront of this genre, but without competition when it comes to giving you all things the "non-touristy tourist" wants to know.

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Top this., December 7, 2006

By 

John (Southern California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Rough Guide to Andalucia - Edition 5 (Rough Guide Travel Guides) (Paperback)

This high-quality guide is 50% thicker than the Lonely Planet guide to Andalucia, yet it's not too big or heavy for a light packer. (But I wouldn't want one any heavier than this.) There's no filler; it's dense with practical information.

The "Let's Go" guides are written by undergrads and have excellent lists of accommodations and eats, but the rest of it tends to be immature and alarmist purple prose. (I'll never forget this comment on Morocco: "But be careful, camels have been known to carry syphilis." OK, how many people do you know that have caught syphilis from a camel?!) I call it "Let's Not Go" because they always try to scare you. Other travelers I've met had similar comments and once upon a train ride we had some laughs swapping ridiculous citations.

Rick Steves is just too political for me. His "guides" read like tiresome negative campaign commercials or anti-American polemics.

This guide is about Andalucia. It starts off with a section called "34 Things Not To Miss" with a nice color photo of each, includes a good index, clear and legible maps, and a section on Gibraltar. All the opening/closing times were accurate for the places I went. Those who enjoy intelligent historical and background commentary will like this.

There's no logistical info on Madrid but that's OK: those who land there can go to the prominent "i" booth in Barajas airport or Atocha (the main train station) for free maps and friendly information in English.

Accommodation prices are absent because they vary by season, but good values are pointed out. The money section should warn about the blue "EXACT Transfer" exchange booths in train stations which charge exorbitant fees (like 25%!) and refuse to cancel the transaction once they have your money. (They display different rates for three amount ranges, but charge the highest rate regardless of your amount; it would be a crime in most places.) Note that prices on everything have skyrocketed since the advent of the Euro: the Ave ("AHH-vay") fast train between Madrid and Sevilla cost 70 Euros each way (!) and taxi fares were what I would expect to pay in the U.S. (Tapas is still a deal.) I also suggest a free glance at the State Department's consular information sheet online --your tax dollars at work.

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must Have Guide, November 6, 2003

By 

C. Barker "Ultra Mom" (Germany) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Rough Guide to Andalucia 4 (Rough Guide Travel Guides) (Paperback)

Fantastic resource for the Andalucian paradise! We travelled to Spain with other guides, purchased this one on Gibralter and weren't without it the rest of the visit! We also travelled with a 6 month old, great recommendations for sites and out of the way not- touristy spots. Roman ruins listed in here are incredible and would have been missed if using any other guide.