What is striking about travelling throughout Andalucía is the huge impact so obviously left by the Moors who ruled much of the region for over 700 years.
As mentioned in my post about Cordoba, I first learnt of the significance of the Moors when I watched the BBC Documentary ‘When the Moors Ruled in Europe’, which is available to download for free 
There are also some books I’ve been slowly ploughing through which also give some great insights:
‘South From Granada
‘Tales of the Alhambra
I tried Jan Morris’s ‘Spain
What is so intriguing to me is the enormous wealth that the Moors were able to amass in such a short space of time, ostensibly by mastering agriculture, as well as creating incredible infrastructures for trade, taxation, religion, schooling, town planning as well as law and order.
Of course, military control was also key, but it is also fascininating to read about both the infighting and struggles between the moors, as well as many rivalries and alliances with Christian leaders. Apparently various factions, be they Islamic or Christian, would ally themselves with each other for all sorts of reasons.
What is evident is that the Moors were by and large extremely progressive, bringing art, science, knowledge, and a culture of learning to Spain, and it is argued that the effects of which shaped modern Europe.
Can you recommend any good sources for learning more about the Moors? Please leave me your comments
Also, a good starting point is the surprisingly good potted history of the region contained in the Lonely Planet guide to Andalucia.
Are you going to Cadiz? Visit the fish market – huge and wonderful.
If you’re going anywhere near Arcos and need a place to stay, try La Casa Grande and stay in (I think it was called) La Penultimate. Give my best to the cat, too