A sort of Spanish Travel Blog

Today I’m back to my theme of writing travel blogs on places I’ve visited often but have never written about. Spain is a country which offers a lot; some would say it has everything you’ll ever need. In Elton John’s song, ‘Daniel,’ he says it’s the best place he’s ever seen and it is hard to disagree with him. Spain is not just a destination — it’s an experience. A patchwork of ancient history, sunny beach resorts, dramatic mountain ranges, vibrant cities, beautiful timeless villages, and a culture that effortlessly blends tradition with modernity. So you could say that Spain has something for everyone. I know that from my own country and indeed many other northern European countries, the main attraction of Spain is the sun; the fact that it is almost guaranteed to be sunny and warm thereby always allowing people to take a relaxing holiday. I think I’ve only ever gone on what’s called a ‘fly and flop’ holiday once, but it was to Spain, to a small resort near Barcelona. If this is what you’re looking for, Spain can provide you with endless options from the Costa Brava to the Costa Blanca to the Costa Del Sol. This is even without mentioning the Canary Islands, which as they say, is a whole other story.

But Spain has so much more than endless beaches and sunshine. It is actually a huge country although you probably have to drive around it to appreciate that. In a previous blog, I recommended the Parador Hotels group which offers comfortable or even luxury stays in converted old buildings at a reasonable price. The Paradors were founded by the Spanish Government in 1928 to boost tourism and to utilise the hundreds of old castles, monasteries and chateaus which were lying idle. They are now in almost every corner of Spain and still offer good value but of course there are thousands of options for accommodation right through the country.

Before we go into specific locations, a word about the Spanish people. I’d guess that the three most popular tourist destinations in Europe would be Spain, Italy and France. Now while you will be welcomed in all three countries, I’d argue that it will be that warmer in Spain, the welcome, not just the weather. I don’t want to insult anyone but I have encountered rudeness and apathy in both France and Italy but never in Spain. Spanish people are, if you like, set up for tourism. I don’t know what percentage of its GDP is accounted for by tourism but I guess it’s significant.

Granada, Spain

I have been to most of Spain’s magnificent cities. I’m no expert on architecture but I would argue that some of the finest can be found here. That’s probably an accident of history in that apart from the civil war in 1936, Spain hasn’t had an all-out war on its territory for hundreds of years, thereby allowing the buildings dating from as far back as the tenth Century to stay in their original state. By contrast, most of the buildings in central Europe were decimated in World War 2.

Madrid, the capital, is dynamic and cosmopolitan and bustling with life. It contains the Prada, considered one of the three finest art galleries in the world. There are also many other galleries and museums to visit if that takes your fancy and there are numerous theatres and historic buildings.

By contrast, Barcelona is a different type of city, no doubt due to its Catalan origins but it is probably even more popular than Madrid with tourists. Again, the beautiful historic buildings are everywhere, the most famous of which is the Sagrada Familia Cathedral, as far as I know the only unfinished cathedral in the world.

Seville is probably my favourite maybe because it is smaller and more compact. Be sure to visit the ancient cathedral and the Alcazar palace. There are so many other wonderful cities like Granada, with its famous Alhambra palace. Both Seville and Granada have a strong Moorish influence in their buildings and culture. I haven’t even mentioned Valencia or Malaga and there are a dozen others I could also mention which are all worth seeing.

Ronda, Spain

But enough of cities; I tend to prefer the countryside so I must recommend driving through the Sierra Nevada and Cantabrian mountains and of course the magnificent Pyrenees. You can drive through all of these, stop to admire the beautiful scenery, have a coffee or a drink or stay the night in a small guesthouse for a very reasonable charge. I’ve stayed in places that offer dinner, bed and breakfast for a fraction of the price you might pay elsewhere. The more remote, the cheaper it tends to be.

If you are in the Pyrenees, be sure to visit San Sebastian. I haven’t mentioned food or drink yet but people will know that Spain is famous for Tapas. In my opinion, the best tapas anywhere are to be found in San Sebastian. Everywhere serves them and there is seemingly an endless variety. A short spin from San Sebastian is Bilbao. This is in the heart of the Basque country of northern Spain and southern France and has its own unique culture. Along here, the coastline tends to be more rugged with fewer beaches but it abounds with fishing villages. Fish is such an important part of the diet in Spain. I would guess it is the only country in the world where more fish is eaten than meat. It can be expensive in restaurants though so choose carefully and be sure to check that you are not being charged by weight.

I have to mention two more of my favourite places; Ronda and Setenil-de-las-Bodegas in Malaga province. Both are unique in my experience. Ronda is a small town situated on both sides of an enormous gorge with a small bridge linking them. The gorge has been formed by millions of years of erosion from the river that flows through it. Ronda is a beautiful town in itself but the real fun is exploring the gorge. Several pathways allow access right down to the river at the bottom. Just up the road, Setenil is truly unique in that it is effectively built under and into a mountain. Most of the houses, cafes, shops and restaurants are in effect caves which have been modernised.

Setenil, Spain

I mentioned tapas earlier but I can’t finish the blog without mentioning the wine. Spain produces a lot of it but must not export much as it is rare enough in wine shops or restaurants in my experience. All the more reason then to enjoy it when you’re there. You won’t be disappointed — from Rioja reds to crisp white Albariños, regardless of type or colour — all Spanish wine is delicious.

I haven’t mentioned the Canaries or the Balearic islands because I haven’t been there but I think their popularity with tourists speaks for themselves. Once again I wrote the blog from the viewpoint of a driver but if you want to stay in one location, Spain is also for you. You could spend weeks exploring Barcelona or Madrid and not see all of them. Travelling by public transport is also easy and efficient. Spain has the AVE rapid train system similar to France’s TGV so it’s easy to move quickly between all major cities.

It was said for years that Spain would never win the World Cup because the players from different cultures could not play together. That old myth has been firmly debunked, but beware, Spain is a country of huge cultural contrasts. Barcelona is Catalan, the North West is Basque and Madrilenos are completely different to people in Andalucia. Don’t worry though — all are friendly and welcoming.