SPAIN
When most people think of Spain, the first thing that pops into their mind is an image of bullfighting or flamenco, but that's like saying that Texas cowboys represent the United States. There's so much more!
Spain has been one of the cultural centers of Europe for thousands of years.
There are over 45 million tourists that visit Spain each year, making it the third most popular destination in Europe.
I've prepared
a brief introduction to Spain which I hope is helpful, and you can get your
bearings by checking the map to the right.
SEASONS OF SPAIN:
SPRING. The best time to visit the central regions of Castilla, Andalucia, the Mediterranean Coast and the Balearic Islands. Climate is good, but expect occasional rain.
SUMMER. A good time to visit the northern regions, especially the resorts along the Cantabrian Coast from Hondarribia on the French/Spanish border to La Guardia at the Portuguese/Spanish border.
FALL. Perhaps the best season to travel the entire country. Climate is excellent with sunny days and blue skies.
WINTER. A good time to visit the Mediterranean area long the Costa del Sol. The high mountain ranges in both the North and South offer excellent winter sports, and the Canary Islands offer a stable climate year-round for winter getaways.
SPAIN'S REGIONS
Spain occupies 80% of the Iberian Peninsula (Portugal has the other 20%). It is approximately 194,884 square miles and has a population of 39.5 million.
The top Northeast corner is attached to France (and the rest of Europe), by the Pyrenees Mountains, which run for 250 miles. The mountains were actually a barrier to the rest of Europe until the last 100 years; by contrast, Spain is only 10 nautical miles away from Northern Africa.
The regions that make up the country are all different geographically, climatically and even in personality. Politically, Spain's divided into 17 autonomous regions, which are subdivided into 50 provinces; but let's focus on the regions, which I'm going to highlight by dividing them into five sections.
Green Spain. The Northern part of the country from the Atlantic to the Cantabrian Mountain range. From East to West it continues from the edge of the Pyrenees and the border with France - more than 400 miles. The most famous culture from this area are the Basque.
In the far Northwest section is Galicia; the language of the people is a cross between Spanish and Portuguese, with some Celtic culture thrown in. The people who live in this area are more directly descended from Ireland or Scotland.
Mediterranean Spain. A long strip, 50 - 100 miles wide, running along the East coast. In the Northeast corner you have the Catalonia culture as well as Barcelona, the second largest city, with a number of coastal beach resorts.
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| Las Ramblas |
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| Avila |
Inland Spain. Central, or inland Spain is flatter than the rest of the country, and has the highest concentration of castles. Again, within this region you have a variety of other regions -- Navarra - on the French border - a medieval kingdom with a heavy Basque influence; La Rioja, just to the South, which is Spain's premier wine growing area. In the center is the capital, Madrid. Castile and Leon occupy a huge area in the center as well as Castille La Mancha, the setting for Don Quixote.
In the northeast region is Aragon, a very large region and once a former kingdom that ruled Spain. One of the least known regions is Extremadura, which has many Roman ruins and for some unknown reason, almost every major Spanish conquistador came from this area.
Andalucia. This is my favorite area in Spain, as it combines the influence of Moorish, Christian and Jewish influences which is reflected in the architecture, the language, and the food. It's history, heritage and the sunny coast make it one of the top regions visited by tourists on their first trip. Andalucia conntains the cities of Granada,
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Gardens in the Generalife |
Sevilla,
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Plaza de Espana |
and Cordoba
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the Mesquita |
as well as the Costa del Sol for those who want experience the beautiful Mediterranean beaches.
The Islands. The Balearic Islands, off the Eastern Mediterranean coast are some of the most popular in Europe; there are 5 islands that make up the Balearics; the three major islands are Mallorca, Ibiza and Menorca. Many are visited on day trips.
The Canary Islands, off the Western Coast of Morocco, are about 700 miles south of the mainland and are made up of seven islands, the most well known is Tenerife.
FOOD & WINE
Spanish cooking has long been a source of pride to Spaniards. The foods of Spain are not hot and spicy as some people think, they are more Mediterranean, based on olive oil, garlic, tomatoes, peppers, rice, beans and fish - all recognized as important elements of a healthy diet.
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| La Boqueria Market, Barcelona |
There are everyday staples to Spanish food - you can go anywhere in the country and always find a "tortilla Espana" for example, but each of Spain's regions have their own unique dishes. For the best food available, stick with the specialties of each region.
There are fresh fish dishes all along the coastline. (Madrid also features the very best seafood from all of Spain's coasts); delicious roast lamb, suckling pig, game, bean dishes and sausage products in central Castille; rice dishes - especially paella, in the southeastern regions.
And the one food that Spain is most passionate about....ham! You've never seen so much ham in your life, and in Madrid, there's even a ham museum! Believe it or not, this picture I took is not of the the very large Ham Museum in Madrid, in fact, it's just a regular butcher shop located in the small town of Ronda.
Not to be missed are Spain's tapas, appetizers that are served before lunch and again before dinner in thousands of bars and taverns across the country. Tapas come in endless varieties and provide the opportunity to "graze" in casual surroundings with the locals! It's fun, inexpensive and an education experience that's interactive!
The ideal accompaniment to Spanish foods is of course, Spanish wines. Experts agree that Spain is producing some of the world's
finest wines today. Wine making is a 3,000 year-old tradition, although production of quality wines is a more recent development. The wines run the gamut from dry sherry and sparkling cavas, to table wines, dessert wines, sweet sherries, brandies and liqueurs. Food and wine should be an integral part of every travel experience.
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| Melodie & Sam Kennedy at the Parador Hondarribia |
If you'd like, we'll be happy to include some of our favorite restaurants and wine recommendations in your custom itinerary!
Shopping
A great variety of items: ceramics, jewelry, suede and leather goods, designer
clothing, shoes, fans, handicrafts, antiques, art objects, etc. Many shops,
and all major department stores will ship goods to the United States for a
fee.
We hope you've learned a little bit more about Spain than you knew before visiting the website, and perhaps even now, you're envisioning yourself seated at an outdoor cafe in the Plaza Mayor, nibbling on tapas while drinking some Spanish wine....and why not?! Interesting scenery, modern architecture, castles, Moorish palaces, shopping bargains, Roman ruins, great food and wine...
Call us, and we'll be happy to help you plan your Spain vacation!
Adios!
Certified Spain Specialist