Sevilla - the capital of Andalusia - is one of the great historic centres in Europe, it has been stated.

Celia Ferro, writing for travel portal ThinkSpain.com, highlighted attractions including the city’s 15th century cathedral, which is one of the largest medieval and Gothic cathedrals in Europe.

She also said the Plaza de Espana in the Parque de Maria Luisa is worth a visit – not only because it is one of the best plazas in the world but because appears in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones and in Lawrence of Arabia.

Ms Ferro added that Sevilla has numerous bridges that cross the channel of the plaza, which took 15 years to build in the early decades of the 20th century. It is fashioned out of red brick, local tiles and marble.

Finally, she said the quantity of tapas that can be had in Seville is “incalculable”, with many of the dishes fish-based. High-quality wines and beers can also be found.

Sevilla lies on the banks of the Guadalquivir and, according to legend, was founded by Hercules.

Holidaymakers from West Yorkshire will soon be able to benefit from additional flights to Spain.

New flights to the European country will be launched from Leeds Bradford International Airport (LBIA) by Thomas Cook Airlines later this year.

The Spanish services are part of an overall plan to boost its capacity at the airport by 20 per cent ahead of the summer season.

According to Thomas Cook Airlines, the flights are being introduced in response to strong demand from local consumers.

Frank Pullman, managing director of the carrier, commented: “Everyone at the airline has worked incredibly hard in preparation for the summer season, so we are looking forward to serving the holidaymakers of Yorkshire.”

Tony Hallwood, commercial and aviation development director at LBIA, added that being able to fly directly from their regional airport is a big priority for consumers when they book their holidays.

The introduction of the new services looks set to have a number of positive consequences for Spain, including increased tourism and a possible surge of interest among foreign property buyers.

A Place in the Sun magazine recently revealed that Spain is currently the most popular destination among investors from the UK.

Older people from the UK are increasingly choosing to relocate to Spain, experts have stated.

According to ShelterOffshore.com, the European country is still one of the most popular foreign locations for British retirees.

The website partly attributed this to its good climate, as it offers much warmer and sunnier conditions than the UK.

However, Spain was also praised for offering a relaxed lifestyle that is highly conducive to enjoying a leisurely retirement.

ShelterOffshore.com added that all this can be achieved at an affordable price, as the cost of living is much lower than in the UK.

The website commented: “It’s famed for its laidback lifestyle and relatively low cost of living, and what’s more, the weather truly is glorious for the majority of the year.”

This comes soon after the appeal of the country highlighted by the Association of International Property Professionals.

According to the body, Spanish towns and cities were the chosen destinations of more than a quarter of British property buyers last year.

The main attraction of the Costa del Sol may be the coastline promised in its name, but many picturesque inland towns in the Malaga province are becoming popular with British property seekers, it has been claimed.

Andalusian news site Sur claimed that small inland towns like Antequera were becoming targets for overseas property seekers, with big influxes changing the complexion of the area.

It was claimed that the non-Spanish population of the town had grown from only 198 in 2001 to 2,300 in the present day, signalling a huge rise in foreign interest for a town with a total population not much over 40,000.

The new multicultural Antequera was said to boast as many as 61 different nationalities, reflecting the vibrant diversity of the Costa del Sol itself and its many foreign residents.

But while Brits are infamous for snapping up beach-side properties on the Costa, the inland spot saw only 247 UK property investors to date, with 740 Brazilians topping the foreign list and taking to Antequera in greatest number.

Latest estimates, however, claim that as many as 750,000 Brits are now resident in Spain, largely in the Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca areas of the southern coast.