Guide:

• Spain Travel Guide
• The Basics
• Attractions
• Events
• Public Holidays
• Health
• Contacts
• Airports
• Climate
• Currency
• Visa & Passport
• Photos
• Phrases
• Flights to Spain
• Expat guide to Spain

Regions & Cities:

• Barcelona
• Bilbao
• Madrid
• Seville
• Valencia
• Costa Almeria
• Costa Blanca
• Costa Brava
• Costa de la Luz
• Costa del Sol
• Costa Dorada
• Fuerteventura
• Gran Canaria
• Ibiza
• Lanzarote
• Mallorca
• Minorca
• Tenerife
• Holiday Resorts

Activities

• Cruise

Spain Map

Directory

• Tour Operators
• Hostels
• DMCs
• Hotels

Breaking News

• Barcelona museums to open for free
  02 February 2009
  Barcelona museums to open for free Holidaymakers planning trips to Spain this year may be interested to hear that the municipal museums of Barcelona will soon begin offering free entry at certain times during the week. City mayor Jordi Hereu announced that municipal museums will open free of charge between the hours of 15:00 and 20:00 on Sundays from April 1st. Launched in addition to the free entry already available on the first Sunday of every month, the initiative is hoped to attract more people to Barcelona's city museums. Source: www.justtheflight.co.uk close
• Grumpy Spaniards told to 'smile' in bid to boost tourism
  27 March 2009
  British holidaymakers have long been attracted to Spain with the promise of sun, sea and sangria but tourism chiefs are now convinced that to revive the flagging industry they also have to be polite. Surly locals are being taught how to be friendlier to holidaymakers in a desperate attempt to help Spain's tourism under a new initiative introduced in the Canary Islands this week. A combination of the recession and the falling value of the pound against the euro has seen fewer Britons travelling to the Spanish sunshine - but tourism executives hope the friendly campaign will help stem the tide. Taxi drivers, hotel receptionists and shopkeepers will be asked to attend "friendliness" seminars and learn a smattering of comforting English phrases in a bid to shed their "grumpy" image among holidaymakers. Source: Daily Telegraph close
• Insults and beer
  22 June 2009
  Telling a bartender off at most places will get swift kick out the door, but here in the small resort town of Cullera good insults are rewarded with a cold beer and extra tapas. The idea is a promotional effort by the bar owners to release some recession steam reported the AP. close
• Iberia Airline loses
  23 June 2009
  Iberia Airlines loses more luggage than any other European airline according to a study, reported the Telegraph. The airline lost 19.2 bags for every 1000 flown, although Air France came a close second with 18.9 misplaced bags. British Airways and Virgin Atlantic were among the best. close

Overview

Ibiza Town © Spanish National Tourist Board

Budget airlines and affordable fares have turned Spain into a beach resort haven for northern Europeans wishing to escape their own damp climates. With sun-bleached beaches and a favourable rate of exchange for most travellers, it's easy to see why.

Some may feel that the Canary and Balearic Islands have been overrun by tourists, and this is true to some extent - Tenerife, Lanzarote and Mallorca have become synonymous with cheap package holidays and warm beer, and Ibiza's reputation has, for some, been tarnished by the revellers frequenting its famous dance clubs and beach parties; however even here you will find many magical, unspoilt corners awaiting discovery.

Spain is comprised of numerous autonomous regions, offering such variation within one country. The hundreds of miles of Mediterranean coastline provide ample opportunity to get off the beaten track, and the country's vibrant cities and colourful festivals will amaze and delight even the most seasoned traveller. There is the Spain of Gaudi, Dali, and Picasso, of Goya and Velazquez - proudly displayed in Madrid's museums and galleries.

Spain's Pamplona is a unique experience of thundering streets that vibrate to the rhythm of man and beast during the annual running of the bulls, and while the whole country celebrates each February with the Carnaval, no place does it better than Sitges. Barcelona is Spain's showcase of the unique architectural style of Gaudi's bizarre organic turrets and balconies. For a more provincial experience, the Valencian town of Buñol goes wild every year with the La Tomatina festival, a time when the region's surplus tomatoes - following the annual harvest - are dumped on the streets and pelted about in a friendly riot.

Spain is also a country rich in heritage and the historic cities of Toledo, Salamanca, Seville and Granada promise a wealth of early Christian and Moorish buildings and monuments, as well as the remains of some incredible medieval sites. Spain has six cities that have been declared Unesco World Heritage sites, more than any other country in the world.