Spain is the third largest country in Europe with an area of 505,955 square kilometres and a population of over forty million. From the tourist point of view Spain can be divided into three sections:
Package holidays to Spain normally focus on the coastal resorts of mainland Spain and the Balearics. These are wonderful places for a holiday and provide a vast range of resorts and facilities to suit every taste. In addition the the DIY Holidaymaker planning a trip to a popular resort is likely to find a range of travel options and a choice of accomodation. However there is a lot more to Spain than beach resorts and going off the beaten track may be an added attraction for the DIY Holidaymaker. Where you decide to go will depend on whom you're going with and at what time of the year you want to go.
Mainland Spain is a favourite holiday destination for millions of tourists every year. The majority of tourists head for the sun-soaked beaches along the Mediterranean or Atlantic coasts, while a significant number also visit the picturesque inland regions or explore the rich cultural and historic heritage of Spain's cities and towns.
The resorts of the Mediterranean coastline offer superb beaches and scenic coves, plentiful hotels, camp sites, self-catering accomodation, restaurants, shops, leisure and entertainment facilities, and water sports. This huge stretch of coastline is divided into Costas:
A coastline of rugged cliffs and sandy inlets with long, crescent shaped beaches of sand and shingle. Characterised by lively resorts with excellent watersport and leisure facilities including scuba diving and glass-bottom boats. Many resorts on Costa Brava boast a wide range of shops, British pubs, discos, night clubs, and lively bars. Inland the region is characterised by orchards, almond groves, and snow-capped mountains. Situated in the north of Spain, Costa Brava enjoys a gentler heat than some of the southerly resorts.
The coastline here consists of almost 150 miles of golden sand sloping gently into the warm Mediterranean water. An ideal choice for a beach holiday. A wide range of watersports and other leisure activities combined with plenty of bars, restaurants and hotels make Costa Dorada an excellent holiday destination. The shallow sea at Cambrils and Salou is ideal for children. Salou is good for night life while Sitges is a little quiter and more sophisticated. Cambrils has something more of an authentic Spanish flavour. Don't miss the theme park at Port Aventura with over thirty rides. Barcelona is close by for shopping and sightseeing and tax-free Andorra is within easy reach.
Miles of soft white sand shelving gently into the Mediterranean make this a good choice for children. Benidorm is an excellent choice for wonderful sandy beachesr and vibrant night life. Tailored for the British visitor you will find an abundance of bars, restaurants and discos. Much of the hotel and self-catering accomodation is located in high-rise buildings. There is an Aquapark nearby. Benidorm can become crowded in peak season but a short distance away from the coast you can find peaceful mountain scenery with olive trees, citrus groves, and quite hilltop villages.
A more relaxed atmosphere than the other Costas. Long beaches
of sand and shingle stretch out on either side of the city of Almería.
The gentle breezes are ideal for windsurfing. Relatively quiet beaches
can be found at the resorts of Mojacar and Roquetas. Away from the
beaches you can find some spectacular desert landscapes. This area was used
as a setting for spaghetti Westerns and it is possible to visit the film
sets.
Costa de Almería is an ideal destination for families and couples
who want to holiday away from the crowds. The city of Almería contains
a Moorish fortress.
A collection of popular resorts along Spain's southern Mediterranean coastline. Here the beaches are generally wide and sandy with a backdrop of rugged mountains. Resorts such as Torremolinos are lively with an abundance of discos and nightlife. Marbella is more sophisticated, chic, and expensive, boasting a casino and a luxury marina full of expensive yachts. There are quiter resorts such as Nerja.
The Atlantic coastline also offers some wonderful facilities for tourists and holiday makers. The Costa de la Luz (Light) stretches from the Southern tip of Spain (the Straits of Gibralta) as far as Ayamonte on the Portugese border. This is an excellent choice if you are looking for golden beaches and resorts that are quieter and less developed than the neighbouring Costa del Sol. Resorts such as Islantilla offer miles of golden sandy beaches that have not yet been discovered by mass tourism. The villages, however, do provide a good selection of bars and restaurants. Further north, in Spain's extreme north-eastern corner the Atlantic coast offers some wonderful fjord-like inlets (rías) and small beaches. Here the coast is known as Rías Bajas and Rías Altas. This wetter, less torrid climate is a much sought-after holiday destination. The northern coastline borders the Bay of Biscay and presents some spectacular scenery and interesting architecture combined with an agreeable climate. Known as the Costa Verde (Green) and Costa Vasca this coastline stretches through the Basque region as far as the border with France and is one of Spains busiest summer tourist regions.
Located to the east of Spain in the warm, blue Mediterranean Sea, the islands of Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza, and Formentera, together with a number of smaller islands, constitute the Balearic Isles. Cliffs and secluded coves, protected areas and beaches, leisure and entertainment facilities, and plenty of hotels and restaurants ensure that these islands are enternally popular with countless holidaymakers every year.
Mallorca (or Majorca) offers the visitor a choice of superb beaches, wonderful scenery, and a diverse range of resorts. For lively beaches and vibrant nightlife choose a holiday in Magaluf or Palma Nova. Here you will be assured a host of shops, British pubs, discos and clubs. For a quiter holiday visit Puerto Pollensa, Cala d'Or or one of the smaller resorts. The main town of Palma has a wide choice of shops, restaurants and plenty for the sightsee including a cathedral, a castle, and a marina. Inland you will find picturesque mountain scenery and a chance to expolre underground caves, caverns, and subterranean lakes.
Menorca (or Minorca) is smaller than Mallorca, quieter and, some
would say, prettier. The island offers long white beaches at resorts such
as Cala Galdana and Son Bou. Away from the main resorts you can
find beaches that are almost completely deserted, picturesque
scenery,
historic monuments, peace, and solitude. If however you want
nightlife you will find a scattering of discos and clubs in most resorts or head
for the towns of Cuidadela or Mahon. Menorca is a good choice for
lovers of seafood and for a family holiday.
The legendary nightlife of Ibiza centres around San Antonio where there is an abundance of lively bars, discos and clubs. Here the action continues until sunrise and this is a great place to meet like-minded people from all over Europe. The island also boasts resorts with excellent beaches and water sports and a number of secluded bays and coves. The north of the island contains many sandy coves while the long sandy beaches in the south are ideal for families.
The smallest of the Balearic islands, Formentera contains some of Spain's longest, whitest and least crowed beaches. About an hour's ferry trip from neighbouring Ibiza, many of the visitors to Formentera are day trippers; there are only about thirty hotels on the island. The main resort of Es Pujols has a plentiful supply of bars and restaurants but few discos.
Situated off the coast of Africa (about 2000 miles from the UK)
the Canary islands offer a wonderful climate that varies little
throughout the year. Hot in the day time and pleasantly cool at night these
islands are known as the Islands of Eternal Spring and make an excellent
holiday destination at any time of the year. Sun, sea and sand combined
with water sports and an exceptional year-round climate provide a
wonderful beach holiday. In addition, the islands boast a fascinating history
and spectacular scenery.
Beaches in Tenerife consist of unusual black sand of volcanic origin. If, however, the colour of the sand is likely to spoil your enjoyment there are several man-made beaches of golden sand imported from the nearby Sahara desert. Warm clear seas are ideal for swimming and water sports. Visit lively Playa de las Americas for its exuberant nightlife or Los Cristianos for a more sophisticed holiday and a beach ideal for children. Inland the island boasts rural hillside villages, spectacular volcanic landscapes, giant cacti, banana plantations and pine forests. Mount Teide is Spains highest mountain and contains the world's largest volcanic crater.
On Gran Canaria you can find miles of empty rolling sand dunes; you can also find lively resorts with plenty of nightlife, sports and leisure activities. Puerto Rico is excellent for water sports but has a cordoned-off section of the sea exclusive for swimmers and bathers. So you can enjoy a leisurely swim without any danger from jet skis or banana boats. Playa del Inglés has a wide range of shops, restaurants and bars, while you can find peace and solitude in the sand dunes of Maspalomas. Inland the mountains are capped with snow all year round and you will find pine forests and banana plantations. Las Palmas is a good choice for shopping with electronic goods being of particularly good value.
This island contains miles of soft sandy beaches, sand dunes, and clear seas. Most resorts offer a wide range of watersports including jet skiing, para-gliding, snorkelling, and scuba diving. Windsurfing enthusiasts from around the world come to Corralejo and Jandia to benefit from the excellent climate, warm winds, and clear waters. With fewer discos and night clubs than the other islands Fuerteventura is the ideal place to come for a relaxing holiday.
A hot and sunny island just sixty miles off the coast of Africa. With excellent beaches, superb watersports, scuba diving, a spectacular volcanic landscape, and a pleasant climate, Lanzarote is an excellent choice for a holiday any time of the year. Puerto del Carmen has a lively nightlife while Costa Teguise and Playa Blanca are quieter. The island benefits from the absence of highrise developments.
For a city break, Spain offers a wealth of diversity and contrast. Madrid is the capital city of Spain and is busy but unpretentious. Containing elegant civic buildings, pretty parks and boulevards, and a winding maze of an old quarter, Madrid is well worth a visit. Barcelona, the site of the 1992 Olympics, is elegant and harmonious containing a Gothic Quarter, Las Ramblas, and the modernist Paseo de Gracia. Santander in the north is set in a beautiful bay with wide curving beaches and seafront walks. Donastia-San Sebastián stretching along the coast between two headlands retains much of its traditional fervour. Valencia on the Mediterranean coast successfully combines both the industrial and the tourist industries in relative harmony. Alicante, capital of the Costa Blanca, Palma, capital of the Balearic Isles, the city of Ibiza, and Malaga, a key city in the Costa del Sol, are all busy tourist resorts yet are well worth a visit for their picturesque buildings, cathedrals, museums, art galleries, and shops.
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