Tucked along the Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe, Spain indeed has a lot to offer to its visitors when it comes to entertainment, culture and history.
Spain ranks third among the topmost travel destinations in Europe. With an extremely rich mix of natural as well as cultural diversity, this vibrant nation of flamenco and fiesta beckons one and all. Travel to Spain for its surprising geographical contrasts, as it presents lush, green valleys and snow capped mountains in the North and simultaneously a barren desert like Southern landscape. One has to travel to Spain for its renowned beaches, which are also wide ranging, with white sandy beaches of Southern or Western Spain and exotic black sand ones in the volcanic terrain of Canary Islands. Spain presents a spirit of celebration as reflected in the unique “La Tomatina.” Spain is worth a travel for its sumptuous food as well, which combines its wide cultural influences.
People travel to Spain because there is a lot to explore, with an array of superb ancient architecture, such as Roman aqueducts, Islamic palaces and Gothic cathedrals, including rugged terrain fit for a typical “Western” and postcard villages with medieval castles. There are many places to travel in Spain, with seventeen unique autonomous regions constituting it.
Travel to Madrid, which is one of Europe’s art centers. Its Museo del Prado and Reina Sofia are famous art galleries whereas Palacio Real is a grand palace, largest in Europe. Besides, its buzzing nightlife makes Madrid a top travel spot in Spain. You must travel to Barcelona in Spain for its glorious sunny beaches. In a travel itinerary one should have to visit Barcelona for the architecture of Gaudi’s, Spain’s modernist master. This would include sites like La Sagrada Familia, Casa Batlio, Parc Guell and La Pedrera. You must travel to Valencia, Spain’s third biggest city, which is ideal for travel anytime as its blessed with fine weather. Travel to Valencia for its superb fine arts museum, rich architecture and lively nightlife. Seville, capital city of Southern Spain is another place you must travel to for its unique Muslim monuments, flamenco and its stupendous cathedral, among others. Places like Malaga and Granada are some other hotspots in Spain.
Spain is a travel destination which is well connected with different means of transport. You can travel to Spain by air as it has a number of busy airports like Madrid, A Coruna, Palma de Mallorca, Barcelona, etc. The national airline, Iberia, has numerous flights which travel everyday to and from Spain. They are convenient for domestic travel in Spain as well, besides other modes of travel such as trains, cars, buses, ferries/boats, etc.
Spain also offers plenty of accommodation facilities conveniently, such as hotels, hostels, inns, guesthouses, apartments, camping, etc which suit everyone’s budget. Lastly you must travel to Spain for its fine wines and wholesome, appetizing food, such as tapas, paella and a lot more.
Spanish tourism is considered to be the second largest in the world, bringing in about 60 billion Euros to the country in 2006. So what exactly do you expect so see once you land in its shores? Read on and discover.
Spain offers the best of both worlds when it comes to the sun and the beach. They have developed crowded shores that are lined with beautiful people basking in the sand and world class hotels just several meters away from the waters. But aside from that, the country also features beautiful, unexploited coasts where you can simply bask in the untouched beauty of nature. Highly developed resort towns are found in the world famous Costa del Luz and Costa del Sol while the less crowded areas are found in the coasts of Galicia, Asturias, Euskadi, Cantabria and La Manga.
If you want to sneak away from the water and the waves, then there are a number of beautiful attractions you can find on land as well. The Spanish countryside offers a wealth of spots and activities from adventure treks to world class ski resorts (found from November to May). And for those who simply want to go off the beaten path, then you can rent a car and go exploring the majestic deserts up north.
Spanish culture is intoxicating. It is influenced by so many external cultures giving it a unique identity of its own. The Spanish arts and literature are one of the most famous in the world. Spanish architecture is a must to experience as well. How? A simple stroll around can let you come face to face with centuries old buildings and beautiful architectures.
Spanish cuisine is a wonderful mixture of Jewish, Arab, Moorish and Roman influences. Peppers, beans, tomatoes and potatoes are a staple ingredient to Spanish cooking which is the very thing that sets them apart from Mediterranean cuisine (although both countries share basically the same cooking style and technique). Spanish food is all about freshness and people traditionally eat by hand. Streets are usually lined with open markets that are filled with fresh produce from the farms. A must try are the tapas – a common appetizer made out of batter fried squid or cheese and olives and the churro – the Spanish donut, which are one of the most common eats served in bars and pubs.
This is something the every traveler should see once in Spain and is one of the most famous Spanish customs, dating back to as far as 711 A.D. There are a lot of different bullrings all over the country, but the most famous are found in Madrid, Ronda and Seville.
The best times to travel to Spain are during the months of May and September where the weather is fair and sunny all month long. Aside from that, these are also non-peak months so you can stay away from too much tourist crowds as well.
Spain has the second largest tourism industry in the world. The country offers a huge number of sites, tours and experiences for local and foreign tourists. But for those who are limited on time and simply cannot do them all, then here are some of the top destinations and things that you can do in country during your short stay.
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Ibiza and Mallorca are the most developed of the four Balearic Islands in Spain. Ibiza Town (Eivissa, as people there call it) is a city full of night clubs and luxury stores, dominated silently by solid medieval walls and a Gothic cathedral.
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Barcelona offers a unique occasion of tourists to walk from the Roman remains to the medieval city, and then to the modern city, with its open thoroughfares and large intersections.
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