Welcome to Spain
Camino de Santiago
One of the pilgrimage routes worth to be visited in Spain is known as St James’ Way. This walking trail leads to the St James Cathedral which is situated in Santiago de Compostela in the northwestern part of Spain. Many years ago this trail was a pilgrimage route, but nowadays it’s one of the most famous recreational trails. This route is also famous by the shell, which is considered to be one of the symbols of St James.
Skiing
Spain is a wonderful place for skiing resorts that are well equipped and provide people with perfect facilities. The most famous skiing resorts are situated in the Cantabrian and the Pyrenean ranges of Spain., whnnow. ere you can combine a bit of sun with snow.
Ávila is a perfect place worth to be visited by all tourists. This is a lofty provincial capital of Spain, where you can find good preserved walls of the 11 th century and the unforgettable mystic of the 16 th century, known as St Teresa.
You can travel to a beautiful place of Barcelona, where you’ll find alleyways of Gothic quarters and perfect examples of 19 th quarters. Here you can travel to the Rambla, to Barceloneta or to the seafront. You have a chance to organize an exciting tour to the old cathedral of Seu, to the Episcopal Palace or to the Palau de la Generalitat. You can take a car and visit Montjuic or take the funicular and visit Tibidabo.
What do you know about Bilbao? Here you have an opportunity to visit Frank Gehry's Guggenheim Museum, which has turned this region in one of the most famous places of tourist destinations. This museum is a real masterpiece of the architecture of the 20 th century. Old Town of Bilbao is famous for its cathedral in gothic style and for shopping streets, that are full of gourmet bars.
Bullfighting
Bullfighting is rather controversial and thrilling tradition of Spain, but it is still alive and famous in Spain, especially in Madrid. It worth to say, that most of the Spain towns organize bullfights only during spring fiestas or summer fiestas. Madrid's Las Ventas Bullfighting Ring organizes its corridas regularly.
Cádiz province is a wonderful place which combines in itself all beauties of Spain. Here you can hike around picturesque villages of Spain interior or visit Atlantic beaches and taste Sanlúcar prawns that are famous all over the world. Cádiz is a spectacular city, which is full of unique places and provides unforgettable atmosphere of travelling.
Caves of Drach are the best attraction for tourists on the ireland called Mallorca. Caves include three chambers: Black Cave (Cueva Negra), White Cave (Cueva Blanca) and Luis Salvator Cave (Cueva Luis Salvator).
Luis Salvator Cave is called after the Archduke Ludwig Salvator of Austria who decided to invite Édouard-Alfred Martel to investigate the caves in the year of 1896. The biggest subterranean lake Martel (Lago Martel) is also situated in these caves. Travelers have an opportunity to organize interesting boat rides on the lake in order to see interesting limestones, for e. x. stalagmites that protrude from the rockfaces and stalactites that hang down from the roofs of the caves. All visitors underground can listen to a beautiful classic music that is considered to be the part of the journey.
Córdoba is a wonderful place where you can feel and grasp the real beauty of Moorish Spain and the seat of Caliphate of the 10 th century. Great Mosque (the Mezquita) is an interesting place worth to be visited by every tourist. Originally the building of Great Mosque was used the temple for pagans, then it was converted into a Christian Church. At least this place was converted by the Moors into a mosque. Today Great Mosque is World Heritage Site and the most famous memory of the Umayyad Caliphate. Not far away from the town you can find the ruined buildings of Medina Azahara, which possesses the same atmosphere.
Spain is rather rich for cycling routes and this fact makes biking one of the most popular activities in the country. A great number of railway tracks in Spain are converted into cycle paths, that are favourite among tourists.
Cycling routes
While visiting Spain it’s rather interesting to enjoy pleasure of Moorish culture, for e. x. while soaking in a real Arabian bath, called hammam, which perfectly suits to tastes of modern people. You can find a hammam mostly in southern towns of Spain with the combination of a tetería, the place where you can taste mint tea on peculiar cushions just after the bath.
Flamenco
It’s no sense to visit Spain without the feeling of the passion of real flamenco. Here flamenco is present in music, song, dance, particularly in all cities, from Andalucía to the cities of Jerez de la Frontera and Sevilla.
Garajonay National Park is situated in one of the Canary Islands called the island of La Gomera. This is a popular place among enthusiasts of outdoor activities. It comprises the area of 3, 984 hectares and is covered with laurel forests. You can find there a great number of streams and springs. Besides the regular ocean mist assures the growth of beautiful lush vegetation which is rather unique to the park. Garajonay National Park is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage due to its outstanding beauty. It attracts more than 450, 000 visitors every year, who desire to get away from the smog of big cities andenjoy themselves with the beauty of wild nature!
Fishing
Spain possesses all opportunities for fishing. The best places are the streams and rivers of the Pyrenees or the Picos de Europa that offer perfect fresh water. It’s worth to know that such expensive fish as trout is rather abundant in Spain, but permission have to be requested from the local authorities.
Beautiful villages with the abundance of fish and green valleys are the common sceneries of these northern places of Spain. Perfect seafood and hospitality will effect you greatly in these places. But you have to possess proper equipment because of the regular showers in this region.
It’s worth to explore the capital of Spain called Madrid. The Prado is considered to be the paradise for all lovers of art. The Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia attracts those who adore art and want to visit Picasso’s Guernica. Also don’t forget to visit the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza or Madrid's Royal Palace. You’ll receive unforgettable impressions while visiting Madrid’s historic square, the Plaza Mayor or Puerta del Sol.
Monasteries
The most beautiful representations of Gothic and Romanesque architectures are situated in the north of the country and comprise San Juan la Peña located in the Pyrenees and picturesque Burgos province of Santo Domingo de Silos.
Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial appeared in the middle of the 16 th century with the aim of commemorating the victory of King Philip II of Spain over the French army at the San Quentin battle. The whole complex, which comprised a monastery, a library and two palaces served all the functions not only of a church but also of a state. The library, founded by Philip II, comprises 40,000 volumes and magnificent works of art worth to be seen. Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial is famous for its symmetrical unusual design, where four towers mark four corners of the monastery. The monastery was one of the favourite resting places for kings and queens of Spain.
Mountain climbing
Spain is a perfect place for rock climbing. The most famous places for climbing are Monte Perdido situated in Ordesa National Park and the Naranjo de Bulnes situated in the Picos de Europa.
Pilgrim’sWay or St James’ Way contain a number of walking trails that lead to St James cathedral situated in Santiago de Compostela (Galicia, northwestern part of Spain). It’s considered to be the place where approximately in the eighth century Apostle Saint James was laid to rest. Since that time annually Christian pilgrims were considered to set off on the journey to the place of saint’s final resting. Still the Pilgrim’s Way remains the main Christian pilgrimage to Rome or Jerusalem. In addition it attracts thousands of tourists, who want to investigate this famous walking trail.
Playing a Golf
Golf is rather popular kind of activity in Spain. La Manga and Costa del Sol are among the most famous places in Spain for golfing. The southern part of Spain is richer for golf courses than its northern part. In the south of Spain you can find about 200 courses for golf. Without any doubts this is the best place for golfing in Europe! A great number of championships take place in this region.
Run with bulls
The Festival of San Fermín held in Pamplona is very famous for those who enjoy running of the bulls. The most interesting running of the bulls take place in July and gathers a great number of tourists.
Salamanca is a university town which is famous for its ancient buildings of Renaissance and Baroque styles. Salamanca includes such famous public square as Plaza Mayor, worth to be visited by tourists. Also Salamanca is famous for its Museo Art Nouveau y Art Deco, which contains rich collections of the first part of the 20 th century.
Servilla
Servila is a city of beautiful flamenco, of Don Juan and Carmen. While wondering the ancient streets or snaking at a tapas bar, you’ll plunge into a romantic atmosphere of Spain. Here you can find one of the most famous gothic temples of the world or one of the biggest Christian churches. On the other hand you can find the best example of Christian-Moorish architecture known as the Alcázar. La Giralda is also very interesting for being visited. La Giralda was once the minaret of the mosque and was considered to be one of the highest towers in the world when it was first built. Each year in April Easter Holy Week begins there.
Terra Mitica is a park for different amusements situated nearby such popular resort as Benidorn. The park contains five areas associated with Rome, Greece, Iberia, Egypt and Mediterranean Sea. Visitors of the park may have a journey to ancient civilizations and go on the interesting rides. During their journey visitors have an opportunity to get acquainted with creatures and characters from different legends and myths, for e.x. visitors may come to the Minotaur on Minotaur’s Labyrinth or attempt rescuing Ulysses on the Ulysses' Rescue ride. You can get to the park Terra Mitica by air using Alicante Airport, by train using Terra Mitica Station, by car from Valencia and Alicante.
TheAlhambra is a beautiful fortress which is considered to be one of the most excellent creations of Moorish architecture in Spain. This palace contains all features of Islamic architecture: ancient Arabic gates, small patios and interesting carvings. The Alhambara is visited by a great amount of tourists every year.
This ancient town is situated south to Madrid and is famous for its cathedral and magnificent Alcázar. The cathedral contains famous paintings of El Greco, who made his masterpieces just here. His work Burial of the Count of Orgaz can be found in Santo Tomé Church.
Universal Mediterranea is a giant park which was found in 1994. Nowadays it attracts thousands of visitors who have the opportunity to explore its territory made in the style of Far West, Mediterránia, Mexico, China and Polynesia. This park possesses the perfect coastal location and can boast different entertainments for people of all ages. Here you can find night shows as Fiestaventura, underwater journey of Sea Odyssey, interesting Grand Canyon Rapids and water rides called Tutuki Spalsh. You can get to the park Universal Mediterranea using Barcelona International Airport or Reus Airport (by air), Port Aventura Station (by train), roads Hwy-N340 or Hwy-A7 from Barcelona or Valencia, roads Hwy-N420 or Hwy-N240 from Tarragona.
While visiting this beautiful town you’ll receive unforgettable impressions of its planetarium, laserium, houses of perfect glass structures. The cathedral in Valencia claims its possession of the ancient Holy Grail.
Watersports
Spain is famous for such kinds of sport as swimming, waterskiing, jetskiing. The facilities for these activities can be found in all Spanish resorts. Tarifa is a famous Spain’s resort for kitesurfing and windsurfing. Tarifa is located on the Atlantic coast and possesses good weather conditions, especially the strong wind, which is perfect for kitesurfing and windsurfing. Surfing is famous in the north of the Spain, for e .x. nearby the Basque village. Sailing is also very famous in Spain.
Wine Tasting
Wine tasting is a kind of activity which is rather new for Spain, but at the same time it becomes rather famous. The wineries in the La Rioja area offer perfect treats including a grape skin treatment or just show a perfect wine museum.
