San Pedro de Alcántara

San Pedro de Alcántara (St. Peter of Alcántara) (pop: approx 26,500) lies on the main Costa del Sol coastal road the N340/A7 as well as the new toll motorway the AP7, 10 km west of Marbella in Andalucia, Southern Spain.It is easily accessed from either Málaga or Cádiz and via the C339 from Sevilla and Ronda. The nearest airports of Málaga and Gibraltar are both within an hours drive.It is situated in the fertile plain of the same name, Vega de San Pedro Alcántara, a broad stretch of coastal lowland surrounded in a semicircle by rugged hills. On the East the Sierra Blanca of Marbella, dominated by its highest peak Pico del Astonar (1.270 m.) better known locally as "La Concha" (The Shell) because of its resemblance to a fluted sea shell when viewed from the west. To the North, there is the Sierra del Real or El Real del Duque, the Sierra de las Nieves and those of Tolox, on the West of the town the Monte Mayor and, finally, closing the mountain line the Sierra Bermeja.

San Pedro

As you enter San Pedro, through the entrance arch from the Cádiz direction, you find what is probably the most typical Spanish town left on the Costa del Sol, kept very clean with a central shopping area, quiet parks and squares and beautiful gardens. Turn right off the main road to the Nueva Alcántara area and you reach the very long, newly constructed promenade and the long, wide beaches, where there are many new developments taking shape.

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Modern Culture

The culture of San Pedro reflects the greater regional culture of southern Spain. However, because of its location on a fertile plain, the local cuisine is rich and features greater use of abundant local crops.

San Pedro has the last summer fair (feria) in Andalucia which takes place in the second week in October.The fair lasts four days. On the penultimate day of the fair, a bull fight is held in celebration of Iberian culture.

Traditionally, young debutante women who attend the bull fight wear pink blouses. If a bullfighter succeeds in quickly slaughtering a bull, the young women toss monogrammed handkerchiefs into the ring in the hopes that the bullfighter will call on them afterwards.

Unlike most modern Spanish bullfights where much of the meat from slaughtered bulls is donated to charity, the carcasses of bulls which are slain during this fight are cremated in a bonfire at the end of the day. This ritual mirrors the pagan ceremonies performed by ancient Iberians.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/12/Button_gallery.png Links

* [http://www.sanpedroalcantara.com SanPedroAlcantara.com the Online guide of San Pedro de Alcantara ]


* [http://www.sanpedroalcantara.com SanPedroAlcantara.com la Guia comercial de San Pedro de Alcantara ]

External links

* [http://www.turismo-prerromanico.es/arterural/vegamar/vegamarficing.htm] Spanish Pre-Romanesque Art Guide; The Vega de Mar Basilic.