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Categories: Albacete
Algeciras is a port city in the south of Spain and is the largest urban area on the bay of Gibraltar. In the port area there are many Moroccans in transit, as a result there is a strong Arab influence. In the backstreets, you can find several traditi...
Categories: Algeciras
Alicante is located on Spain’s Costa Blanca in the Levant Region, along the country’s southeastern coast and is a tourist resort and commercial port. The region is marked by lush mountain ranges. During the Gothic era of the fifteenth through sixteen...
Categories: Alicante
Almagro, declared a Historic-Artistic Site, lies in the county of Campo de Calatrava near Ciudad Real. The history of this town in La Mancha is closely linked to the history of the theatre, as you can appreciate in the Open Air Theatre, the National ...
Categories: Almagro
Altea sits between Valencia and Benidorm on the Costa Blanca of Spain. It is a resort town that has retained its small fishing village character and is home to a thriving artistic community. Known as the "White Town" because of its traditional style ...
Categories: Altea
Categories: Amenal
A region on Spain's southern coast boasting cities such as Seville, Malaga and Granada.
Categories: Andalucia
Categories: Arganza
Categories: Argomaniz
Categories: Arriondas
Arzua is a municipality in northwestern Spain that is often visited by travelers on pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago (the Way of St. James). Enjoy the friendly community and beautiful views of the historic town.
Categories: Arzua
Astorga, a magnificent religious city, pre-dates the Kingdom of Leon by 875 years and has more than 2,000 years of history. It was captured by the French, retaken by the Spanish and influenced by the Romans, leaving its rich medieval legacy in today&...
Categories: Astorga
Categories: Asturias
More than 1,000 years old, enchanting Avila, Spain, is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The surrounding region, known as the Tierra de Cantos y de Santos (Land of Songs and Saints), is associated with Spain's St. John of the Cross and Santa Te...
Categories: Avila
Categories: Avinyonet de Puigventós
Floating in the Mediterranean between Spain and the North African coast, the Balearic Islands are invaded every summer by a massive force of hedonistic party animals and sun seekers. This is hardly surprising considering what's on offer: fine beache...
Categories: Balearic Islands
Categories: Balearic Sea
Categories: Banyalbufar
Taking its name from the Basque people who live there, Spain's Basque Region is located in the north-central part of Spain, at the western end of the Pyrenees. It is adjacent to and, in its fullest cultural form, extends across the border with France...
Categories: Basque Region (Spain)
Bayona (Baiona) is a charming little port town that has become a popular seaside resort, and offers some of the most beautiful, sandy beaches in Spain. Most notably, Ladeira Baiona beach offers sailing, windsurfing, and canoeing school, where visitor...
Categories: Bayona (Baiona)
Bilbao, the capital of Vizcaya Province, lies seven miles from the sea and has a coastline featuring rocks and steep cliffs, creeks and small estuaries; small fishing villages nestle in the inlets below green hills. The port of Bilbao is the largest ...
Categories: Bilbao
Categories: Bocairent
Bolvir is a village located in Girona in Catalonia, Spain. Visitors can enjoy panoramic views of the countryside and numerous outdoor activities including hiking, biking, golfing and nearby skiing. Located in the picturesque Spanish Pyrenees, Bolvir ...
Categories: Bolvir
Burgos is a medieval town founded in 884, known as the “Land of Castles.” It has a charming Castilian ambiance, and is full of dominant gothic cathedrals including the Cathedral of Burgos. Enjoy exquisite cuisine, important monuments, his...
Categories: Burgos
Cabezon de la Sal is a municipality just north outside of Cantabria, Spain. This rural town neighbors the coast of Bay of Biscay and the Cantabrian Mountains welcoming the cool Atlantic winds. Rich in vegetation and lush green it has an active popula...
Categories: Cabezón de la Sal
Caceres is an often overlooked gem whose cultural and architectural attractions come close to comparison with those of better-known classic cities like Granada and Toledo. It's located in Spain's westerly province of Extremadura, from where Spain's l...
Categories: Caceres
There is a lot to say about coming to Cadaques. A nature preservation area with the most beautiful treasures of nature which can not be found anywhere else than here - above and under water, and added to that, a small dreamy little village, where a l...
Categories: Cadaques
The capital of Albariño Wine Country and recognized for its fruity white wines, Cambados, Spain is located in the industrial north west coast of Galicia in the province of Pontevedra. This noble village upholds its title seen through the medie...
Categories: Cambados
The Canaries are a seething mass of oiled flesh, and offer some of the best beaches within easy escape from a snowy European winter. Beyond the mega resorts are tiny fishing villages, whitewashed hamlets perched on hilltops and a few wild places with...
Categories: Canary Islands
Categories: Cangas del Narcea
Cantabria nicknamed 'Green Spain' is a small community within Santander, Spain. It borders the Bay of Biscay in the north and the Cantabrian Mountains between a strip of lush green vegetation. The Atlantic Ocean winds trap precipitation makin...
Categories: Cantabria
Absolutely worth a visit is the picturesque Carmona, with its impressive fortifications. Carmona was originally a Carthaginian, later a Roman settlement. Of this latter epoch are conserved parts of the town-walls and the Roman Nekropolis. Also the pa...
Categories: Carmona
Today Spain's major commercial port and naval base, Cartagena lies on the coast of Murcia, its great indented bay guarded by rocky promontories, each topped by a fort. The city contains the remains of old walls, a castle constructed probably in Carth...
Categories: Cartagena (Spain)
Castellon de la Plana is a charming city full of history and culture on the east coast of Spain. A majority of the best historic monuments in the city can be found around the Plaza Mayor, here the cathedral with its 190 foot bell tower (El ...
Categories: Castellon de la Plana
In the northeastern corner of Spain and bordering France at the Pyrenees, Catalonia is one of Spain's more independent regions. It has its own language and semiautonomous government. With Barcelona for its capital, it is energetic, dynamic and has a ...
Categories: Catalonia
Categories: Cee
Categories: Cistierna
Ciudad Real, Spain, lies 100 mi/160 km south of Madrid and serves as a good base for seeing the region that surrounds it: La Mancha, popularized by Don Quixote. (Indeed, there are windmills in the dry plains surrounding the city and in a number of to...
Categories: Ciudad Real
This little town was originally a Celtic village and later overtaken by the Romans until 1810 during the Napoleonic Wars in the Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo which became a historical event in guarding the routes into Spain from the French. Series of artwo...
Categories: Ciudad Rodrigo
The coast of Alicante province is known as the Costa Blanca and is a major destination for beach holidays.Its main city, and the location of an international airport, is Alicante, 225 mi/360 km southeast of Madrid. It is looked down upon by the impos...
Categories: Costa Blanca
Lying 100 mi/160 km east of Madrid, Cuenca, Spain, is known for its hanging houses, which perch precariously on high cliffs overlooking the Huecar River. Set inside one of the hanging houses, the magnificent Spanish Abstract Art Museum displays works...
Categories: Cuenca Spain
El Escorial is located approximately 45 kilometers from Madrid, making it an easy day trip. El Escorial was once the residence of the King of Spain, and it holds great cultural and historical significance. The Monastery of San Lorenzo of El Escorial ...
Categories: El Escorial
Ferrol or El Ferrol is a city in the province of A Coruña in Galicia, located on the Atlantic coast in north-western Spain. The city was the birthplace of the Spanish General Francisco Franco in 1892, and was officially known as El Ferrol del Caudil...
Categories: El Ferrol
Elciego is a town that dates back to 1067 centered within the La Rioja wine region located in the southern province of Alava, Northern Spain. Famed for its Marques de Riscal Winery, the property includes its own hotel designed by renowned architect, ...
Categories: Elciego
The Land of the Conquistadores, Extremadura is located along Spain's border with Portugal. The vast majority of Spain's new-world conquerors and explorers came out of this harsh region to win an empire for Spain. Today, it's not unusual to travel for...
Categories: Extremadura
Categories: Finisterre
Categories: Fisterra
Sweeping vistas of the Picos de Europa mountains, forests and villages serve as Fuente Dé’s backdrop, nestled in a green valley at the mountains’ base and a dramatic cable car ride away from the vista at Aliva.
Categories: Fuente Dé
Gibraltar is the famous promontory located at the western entrance of the Mediterranean, with Spain to the north and, across the Straits, Morocco to the south. The Straits are a channel connecting the Atlantic with the Mediterranean. Africa is clear...
Categories: Gibraltar
This historic city, founded already by Romans, is today one of the most important sea-ports and offers active cultural life.
Categories: Gijon
This Spanish city is steeped in history featuring some the the finest medieval Roman and Arab architecture in Europe.
Categories: Guadalajara (Castile-La Mancha)
One of the longest rivers in Spain, the Guadalquivir River winds from the mountains of the Jaén provice to the Atlantic Ocean at Sanlúcar de Barrameda. The river passes through Córdoba and Seville, and also borders the Doñana National Park reserve.
Categories: Guadalquivir River
Categories: Guernica
Categories: Huesca
Categories: Isla Mínima
The islands lies to the north of Spain, and are part of the Atlantic Islands Nature Reserve. Once visitors arrive via Catamaran, it is possible to spend the day here or camp and stay up to 15 days. Beach lovers can enjoy a whole day at...
Categories: Islas Cies
La Coruna is the largest city in Spain's Galicia region and among the country's busiest ports. Today the city's significant expansion is evident in its three distinct quarters: the Ciudad (City), and town center located along the isthmus; the busine...
Categories: La Coruna Spain
An autonomous province in Spain, located north of the Iberian Peninsula, this town along with its neighboring towns produce over 500 wineries. Famous for its quality of wine, La Rioja compliments its gastronomical spectrum pairing the vibrant and fra...
Categories: La Rioja
la Seu d'Urgell's is a charming medieval town located in the Catalan Pyrenees. Its most interesting historic site is the Cathedral, a beautiful example of the Italian-influenced Romanesque style of Catalonia in the 11th and 12th centuries. Also ...
Categories: La Seu d'Urgell
Formerly the capital of the region, Leon gave its name to the Community. The city's most famous monuments are its great Gothic cathedral, the church Basilica de San Isidoro with valuable Romanesque frescoes in its crypt, and the San Marcos monastery ...
Categories: Leon
Categories: Lerma
Categories: Lestedo
Categories: Logrono
Categories: Luarca
Sitting on a hill surrounded by the 3 rivers Minho, Rato, and Chanca is the capital of Galicia. The community of Lugo is surrounded by 1,700-year-old Roman walls, perfectly intact and protected by UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its many architectural he...
Categories: Lugo
The capital of Spain since 1562, Madrid is located on the geographic center of the Iberian Peninsula. Because of its central location and high altitude, the climate of Madrid is characterized by warm dry summers and cool winters. Madrid is a city of ...
Categories: Madrid
Categories: Mazarrón Escarpment
Categories: Melide
Melilla, Spanish Morocco in Northern Africa is still governed by Spain. This fishing village thrives on harvesting anchovies and sardines.
Categories: Melilla Spanish Morocco
Categories: Mercadillo
Categories: Monforte
Categories: Montserrat (Spain)
Categories: Montserrat Abbey
Categories: Murcia
Categories: Muros
Categories: O Cebrerio
O Pino is a municipality in northwestern Spain located in Galicia. It is located nearby Arzua, along The Way of St. James. O Pino is a popular stop by travelers and hikers on religious pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago.
Categories: O Pino
A provincial town of Navarre in northern Spain, Olite was discovered between 621 - 631 by the Visigoth King of Hispania. Five centuries later, Olite was formerly introduced to the rest of Spain and charted as a town. Famed for its fairy-tale like cas...
Categories: Olite
The charm of the Catalonia region of Spain is surrounded by the natural volcanic landscapes of the Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park. Across the Fluvia River and Riudaura stream are four volcanoes within the city of Olot. The last eruption was appr...
Categories: Olot
Palas de Rei is a small town in northwestern Spain located outside of Lugo. It is often visited by travelers and hikers on a religious pilgrimage on the Way of St. James (Camino de Santiago).
Categories: Palas de Rei
Categories: Palencia
Also known by its Basque name of Iruna, Pamplona, Spain, is a proud, prosperous, devout and usually conservative town with city walls and cobbled streets. The city, 195 mi/315 km northeast of Madrid, is the capital of the green province-region of Nav...
Categories: Pamplona
Categories: Pasaia
Categories: Peniscola
Pontevedra was named after an old Roman bridge that connected the Spanish town to the Lerez River. The word itself translates to "old bridge" and remains in place today. Located in the north-west of the Iberian Peninsula, the town is center...
Categories: Pontevedra
The new town of Portomarin is located on top of a hill, with old medieval palaces of the original Portomarin in the main square which were rescued after a flood. This medieval village was declared of cultural interest, and is a typical stop for pilgr...
Categories: Portomarin
Categories: Puerto Banus
Categories: Pyrenees
Categories: Ribadeo
Categories: Ribadesella
Challenging the great Spanish wine region of Rioja is the countryside of Ribera del Duero that sits by the River Duero in the northern plateau of Castile and Leon, Spain. Geographically flat and rocky terrain, this town is centered on its viticulture...
Categories: Ribera del Duero
The ancient city of Salamanca, famous for its university founded by Alfonso IX in the early 1200s, is well preserved, with turreted palaces, faded convents, Romanesque churches, and colleges that have attracted scholars from all over Europe. Nearly a...
Categories: Salamanca
Categories: San Sebastian (Spain)
Categories: Santa Cruz de la Salceda
Santiago de Compostela is now considered by UNESCO to be a World Heritage Site and attracts visitors from all over the world thanks to its fantastic monuments. The town is named after the Apostle Saint James ("Santiago"), who is buried here. In 2000...
Categories: Santiago de Compostela
Sarria is a popular starting point for pilgrims on the journey for the Camino de Santiago. Sarria boasts beautiful landscapes, a rich artistic heritage and many enjoyable leisure activities.
Categories: Sarria
Segovia's most famous monument is certainly its colossal Roman aquaeductus which dominates all the town. Additional attractions include the Alcazar and the Gothic cathedral.
Categories: Segovia
The exotic country in Europe, due to the friendly inhabitants, relaxed lifestyle, interesting cuisine, vibrant nightlife, and world-famous folklore and festivities. Spain is a great destination for any type of trip, such is the diversity of what it...
Categories: Europe
Valencia is one of the biggest, liveliest cities in Spain. It is located at the Mediterranean sea with beaches right in its heart that offer every kind of sports. With its active nightlife and various cultural offerings, Valencia is one of the most ...
Categories: Valencia
Valladolid, Spain, the city where Ferdinand married Isabella and where Columbus died, is rather prosaically set in the middle of a dusty plateau on the Pisuerga River. Lying 100 mi/160 km northwest of Madrid, much of Valladolid is modern, but it dese...
Categories: Valladolid
Tours of the wine country along the Douro River often include stops at this peaceful town on the way to Salamanca, Spain.
Categories: Vega de Terron
Vigo is Galicia's most populated city, with the most important port. The historic quarter is very charming and well preserved.
Categories: Vigo
The pleasant port and resort of Villagarcia de Arosa lies in Spain's north-west corner, within a short journey of Santiago de Compostela, the country's holiest shrine and a focus of Christian pilgrimage down the centuries. Within the magnificent Goth...
Categories: Villagarcia De Arosa Spain
Categories: Villasana de Mena
Categories: Viveiro
Categories: Zamora
Zaragoza (Saragossa) is an elegant city located on the banks of the beautiful Río Ebro in Aragon, Spain. Enjoy the local gastronomy with some of the best tapas bars in the province, superb shopping, and a lively night life. The city is famous ...
Categories: Zaragoza (Saragossa)
Spain offers visitors a richness and complexity that may surprise. All the tempting postcard fantasy pictures are there in reality, side-by-side with other, less-expected ones.
You may come across fiesta dancers in a village square, a young man practicing flamenco guitar, a medieval Arab fortress or windmills so enormous Don Quixote could be forgiven for thinking they were giants.
But there's also the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, its mind-bending shapes like those of no other museum in the world, just as the exuberant architecture of Gaudi's Sagrada Familia in Barcelona makes it like no other church in the world.
You may see ultracool young Madrilenos togged out in urban chic, talking endlessly on their cell phones; international businesspeople hurrying to appointments; and tourists and golfers of many nations flocking to Spain's spectacular countryside and balmy beaches. There are super-fast trains, and there are villages where life goes at a pace that has changed little for centuries.
Spain today is an engaged member of the European Union that has transformed itself from a remote backwater to a modern nation, all within living memory. The contrasts, the colors and the vibrant spirit of the place will stay with you for a long time.
Geography
Spain is Europe's second-most mountainous country (only Switzerland has a higher terrain), and the climate varies dramatically according to altitude as well as latitude. In the province of Granada, it is possible to ski in the mountains and lounge on a beach, both in the same day.
True alpine conditions prevail in many of Spain's mountains, from the Pyrenees along the border with France to the Sierra Nevada above Granada in the south, and the central two-fifths of the country is primarily high plains crossed by mountain ranges and rivers. Besides the mainland peninsula, Spanish possessions include the Mediterranean Balearic Islands, the Canary Archipelago (in the Atlantic off the coast of Africa) and the Moroccan coastal enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla.
Mainland Spain can be divided into three climatic zones: the Oceanic in the north (the rainiest and greenest part along the Bay of Biscay and in Galicia); the Mediterranean Zone (sunny and semiarid); and central Spain (hot in summer, cold in winter, relatively dry).
Spain is also divided into distinctive, politically autonomous regions, each with its own culture and history, and several with their own languages (including Catalonia, Valencia, Galicia and the Basque region). Hot, arid Andalusia, to the south, is the home of flamenco, bullfighting and spectacular Moorish architecture.
History
Spain's history was shaped by many forces—the Celts, Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans and Germanic tribes (Visigoths, Vandals) all had a strong hand in influencing the people of the Iberian Peninsula, of which Spain is a part. Perhaps the greatest artistic and intellectual ferment in Spain, though, was under the Islamic conquerors, the Moors (Arabs and Berbers), who ruled parts of the peninsula from 711 to 1492. This period of history in al-Andalus was characterized by a diffusion of culture among Jews, Christians and Muslims, and Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.
Periods of peace and cooperation were interspersed with spells of fierce fighting. Universities, unique architecture and an age of religious toleration were all fostered by many of the Islamic rulers, most notably those of the Caliphate of Cordoba in the late 10th and early 11th centuries. After a protracted struggle with Christian forces, the Moors were finally defeated in 1492. That same year, all Jews were expelled from Spain, and Columbus crossed the Atlantic under the Spanish flag to reveal the New World to Europe.
The next century saw the apogee of Spain's power and influence throughout the world: Theirs was the first worldwide empire. In addition to their adventures far afield, Spanish kings controlled all or parts of what are now Portugal, the Netherlands, Italy and France. By the early 1600s, most Muslims had been forced to convert or were expelled from the peninsula. Imperial ambitions brought on imperial excess, however, and adventurism finally sapped the strength of Spain. The country went into a decline that saw it lose nearly all of its colonial possessions by the late 1800s.
In the early part of the 20th century, Spain was in turmoil as its traditional culture and economy clashed with modern political and social forces. The breaking point was reached in 1936 with the first shots of the horrific Spanish Civil War. Fascist dictator Gen. Francisco Franco, with the help of Hitler and Mussolini, emerged victorious from the civil war and ruled until his death in 1975. He left Spain in the care of King Juan Carlos I, who helped transform Spain into a modern democracy.
With its new freedoms, the country enjoyed a cultural renaissance in the 1980s and 1990s, and joined the European Union in 1986. The country held the world's attention in 1992 as host of the Summer Olympics (in Barcelona) and Expo '92 (in Seville). It is fully integrated into the EU and uses the euro as its currency.
Snapshot
Spain's main attractions are historical sites, lively cities, some of the finest art in the world, castles, cathedrals, the Alhambra, shopping, the White Villages, traditional fiestas, cultural events, beaches, museums, caves, hiking, watersports and great food and wine.
Anyone who likes to travel will enjoy Spain. From its art museums and its tapas bars to its beaches, Spain's appeal is so broad that it's truly a country with something for everyone.
Potpourri
Menorca's port city of Mahon was the birthplace of mayonnaise.
At 2,133 ft/650 m, Madrid is the highest capital city in Europe. It became the capital in 1561 when Philip II moved his court from Toledo to be closer to his beloved palace, El Escorial.
Point Tarifa is the southernmost spot in Europe. It is considered the best spot in Europe for windsurfing and kitesurfing.
Morocco is only 8 mi/13 km from Spain's southern shore across the Strait of Gibraltar. There are ferries and excursions from Algeciras and Tarifa.
After Italy, Spain has the second-highest number of UNESCO World Heritage sites of any country in the world.
The Torre de Hercules in La Coruna on the Galician coast is claimed as the oldest lighthouse in the world, dating from 20 BC.
Christopher Columbus brought the first cocoa beans to Spain on his return from his last voyage to the Caribbean in 1502. The Spanish explorer Hernan Cortes drank a bitter chocolate drink with Aztecs in 1519. He added cane sugar and spices to make it more palatable. Back home, the Spanish served it piping hot and created the world's first hot chocolate.
Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes, published in 1615, is considered the world's first novel in the modern sense of the word.