Best Spain Holidays

The Spanish diet is traditionally made up of a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables, seafood and olives. Such has brought many to deduce that the diet is one of the healthiest in the world with locals having long and healthy lives. If this isn’t a great reason to fully immerse yourself into the Spanish dining experience then rest assured- it is also delicious!

Eating out in Spain is relatively cheap providing you avoid the most obvious tourist traps. Meals are usually pretty sizable rather than delicate and gourmet so you can be safe in the knowledge that whatever you spend, you will leave full. When most of us think of Spanish cuisine we think tapas- but what is tapas? Well, it can be anything. These are small dishes such as paella or croquettes which are served as small snack with drinks. However, it is also possible to order an array of different tapas dishes, cover your table with food and make a real meal out of it. This is a great way to sample the best that Spain has to offer and there are now many speciality tapas establishments designed to help tourists and locals alike do just that.

For the more creative travellers among you who have opted out of full-board or bed and breakfast style accommodation, perhaps you can make the most of your self-catering apartment and the amazing fresh markets across Spain by cooking up a storm in your holiday kitchen. You can ask the vendors in the markets for their best recipes and see what you can make of all the lovely food available in Spain. If you do it right, this can be a much cheaper and more enjoyable intimate eating experience with your friends and family; a great way to end the holiday if you have spent two weeks eying up the chefs skills in the local restaurants!

Whether you choose to dine out or eat in, you are sure to want a well earned beverage at the end of a long day of sunbathing. Spain is primarily a wine drinking country with each of its regions producing their own special wines. Wine, however, is not the only thing on the drinks menu. There are quite a few breweries popping up across Spain all producing lager-like beers for the ale drinkers among us. So, if you do decide to throw a small end of holiday dinner at your apartment before you leave for home, make sure you stock up on your favourites and keep them all chilled (or otherwise) ready for your guests!

The early 20^th Century furnished Catalonia with some architectural wonders. The wildly inventive buildings and urban design elements created at this time can be described as art nouveau, but also belong to a movement peculiar to northeast Spain known as Catalan Modernism.

This style emerged as Spain grew more affluent in the late 19^th century. In a time of rapid change, there was renewed nationalistic fervour in Catalonia and a re-appraisal of the region’s history; people looked back and celebrated their medieval past, reconnecting in particular with ancient legends and folklore. Architects and artists sensed this mood and revived historic styles – most notably medieval gothic.

At the same time, however, the middle and upper classes were looking forward. They wanted the kind of modern design that was en vogue elsewhere in Europe, and commissioned architects to produce curved, abstract, art nouveau shapes for their homes, wardrobes and neighbourhoods.

Catalan Modernism is all about this clash between old and new. Up to the late 1920s, many newly built houses, parks, factories, public buildings and streets across Catalonia, Valencia and the Balearic Islands featured sinuous, otherworldly designs, all at once old-fashioned and wildly innovative.

The luminary of this style is Antoni Gaudí, whose buildings in Barcelona now form a World Heritage site, yet he was joined by a number of other important designers, among them Josep Puig I Cadafalch and Lluís Domènech i Montaner who all helped transform whole neighbourhoods in the Catalan capital.

The highest concentration of modernist architecture can be found in Barcelona’s Eixample district, and particularly Paseo de Gracia. One block, known as ‘Illa de Discòrdia’ features three examples of modernism in close proximity, each by a different designer. All three buildings have a distinctive and extravagant take on the style.

There are scores of modernist landmarks around Barcelona, but perhaps the best way to get an overview of the movement is to visit Gaudi’s dreamlike Casa Milà (popularly known as La Pedrera), which is fully restored and open to the public.

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If you’re planning a trip to Spain and want to soak up the true Spanish atmosphere, visit a Spanish Festival.

There are hundreds of fiestas throughout the year and each one symbolise the very essence of Spain. They’re colourful, loud and always full of great Spanish food. Here  are just a few of the most popular ones.

Festa Major de Gracia

photo credit: 122

This is a weeklong festival in the streets of the Gracia neighbourhood where a full scale party takes place with lots of live music, fireworks and theatre performances. Plaa Rius i Taulet is where all the fun begins with a parade of giant carnival figures and lots of themed floats. One performance not to be missed is the Castellers – A group of acrobats that build amazing human towers reaching up to 9 people tall. Months of planning goes into the festival that takes place in the second half of August. Visitors can be sure that everywhere they look they will be enchanted by the brightly decorated street buildings and houses, and with the best decoration winning a prize, it’s clear to see that everyone has put in a huge amount of effort.

Don’t tire yourself out to much in the day because the night time is when Gracia really comes alive. The parades end when costumed devils run through the streets setting off fireworks but the live music, dancing, and partying in the streets can last until the early hours of the morning. People from all over the country heads to the streets of Gracia for this unforgettable experience so make sure you’re one of them!

The Pamplona Bull Run Festival

photo credit: kozumel

This annual event is held in the memory of Navarre’s Patron Saint, San Fermin. To commence, a rocket gets fired to let the thousands of participants know the bulls have been released. The bulls then run about half a mile through a narrow street until they reach a bullring. The runners rush ahead of the animals, trying to avoid getting injured by the horns of the animals. The tradition is believed to have begun in 1591 when the drovers lead the bull into the bull-fighting arena and the thrill to get as close as possible to the bull and yet not get wounded got the adrenaline rushing of young men. This is what keeps the thousands of visitors coming back year after year.

La Feria de Abril de Sevilla

photo credit: A. www.viajar24h.com

Seville’s April Fair is one of the biggest festivals that takes place in the country. The celebrations usually begin at midnight of the Monday closest to the 28^th of April and continue for six days until the following Saturday. There is a procession each day at noon called the ‘Paseo de Caballos’ which is full of flamenco dancers, traditional Spanish music and horse and carriages carrying Seville’s leading citizens. This ends at the famous bullring Plaza de Toros de Maestranza and the evening is full of bull fighting as well as a fairground full of rides and losts of local food and drink.

Looking for somewhere to rest your head? Try this apartment for rent in Spain, great for family or golfing holidays on the Costa del Sol.

photo credit: avlxyz

If her waters produce some of the best seafood around, then mainland Spain has its own claim to foodie fame: the black Iberian pig and its resulting raw ham, which is a source of national pride.

Here ham is an absolute delicacy, and is usually served as an appetiser, or at bodegas to provide the perfect accompaniment to local wines. You can spot ham joints at most bars; they sit on specially designed stands, draped in a cloth to keep them from losing moisture – with a trotter poking out from underneath.

Portions are shaved from the leg using a patented ham-knife and great care is taken to make sure that individual slices are wafer thin. This is something of an art form; there are even ham-slicing competitions where prizes are awarded for thinness and maximum surface-area. Experts in this field are known as ‘Maestro Jamoneros’.

The maturer the ham, the smaller the slices that can be chipped away from the dense meat on the joint. For the most part you’ll only be able to get hold of Jamón Serrano, which is tasty enough, but nothing compares to Jamón Ibérico (Iberian Ham).

The Iberian pig is farmed mainly in the country’s southern regions, and is considered unique because it subsists naturally on acorns – the only breed of pig to do so.

Ham produced from this livestock is categorised according to the creature’s diet. The most expensive is Jamón Ibérico de bellota, from free-roaming pigs that forage in oak forests and eat nothing but acorns in the last few months of their lives.

After slaughter the meat is cured in salt for as long as three years. The resulting ham is dark and has a rich, smooth flavour. Here it is quite the delicacy, a kilo of this ham can set you back more than 120 Euros.

Thanks to the healthy lifestyle that these pigs enjoy, the resulting meat has a better distribution of fat than with other hams, and it appears in cross-section as a subtle marbelled texture. And when you’ve finished with the joint? The bone creates a wonderful stock soups and sauces.

photo credit: Watt_Dabney

In terms of music taste, most Spanish young people are pretty much on the same page as their British and American counterparts. With the Internet it’s easier than ever before to get into new bands, share tips and sample music.

This development is especially important in Spain, where radio tends to be unadventurous, limited as it is to commercial pop and oldies stations. Recently, Spanish kids, especially those in Barcelona and Madrid, have demonstrated a voracious appetite for music with just a little more substance.

It was just a matter of time before they wanted to see their new favourite bands play live. And now there are a number of first-rate festivals with line-ups that draw acts and music fans from all over the world.

It all started with FIB (Festival Internacional de Benicàssim), which first took place in August 1995. Situated outside the port Benicàssim, an hour away from Valencia, this event has flourished over the last fifteen years; it’s not unusual to catch luminaries such as Lou Reed, Radiohead, Oasis and Beck playing on one of five stages.

What’s unusual about this festival – at least from a British perspective – is that the bill kicks off as night falls, with the headliners hitting the stage as late as midnight. In truth it would be cruel and unusual punishment to force music fans to fry under the Mediterranean afternoon sun to see their favourite bands. With this nocturnal schedule, daytime offers a chance to sleep, recover or relax on the beach.

Even with this event burgeoning as the noughties arrived, it was never enough to quench the demand of Spain’s music fans. So more recently, a couple of city-based events have cropped up: Primavera Sound in Barcelona, and Summercase, which takes place concurrently in Barcelona and Madrid, in the same way that the Reading and Leeds festivals do in England.

Primavera Sound, as the name suggests, is a springtime festival set in the Catalan capital’s Parc del Fórum and attracts 60000 visitors each year. Summercase is spread over 3 days in July, and has become one of the most important music events on the international calendar since its inception four years ago.

Food-wise, March is an important time for people in southern Catalonia. This is when friends and families all over the province get together to feast on large spring onions that resemble leaks: Calçots.

At first glance this custom might not seem like all that big a deal. The point is, calçots are a massive source of local pride, and their mildly tangy taste causes a great deal of commotion. At this time of year they are consumed by the sack-full, with preparation and table ritual providing as much fun as the eating. Calçotades (calçot-eating events) attract hundreds of people.

The traditional way to cook calçots is on a large outdoor barbecue. At this time of year Catalonia isn’t particularly hot, so you’ll often find families taking it in turns to cook the calçots and manning the grills is a way of keeping warm. This custom provides an opportunity for families to get together, with younger generations leaving cities for the weekend to join their parents in smaller towns or the countryside

They serve calçots as an entrée for larger meals involving meat, seafood and local bread. The onions are char-grilled until their skins are completely black. This scorched outer layer is peeled away to reveal an edible crunchy white bulb, which is dipped in sauce and enjoyed with a glass of red wine.

The sauce is called ‘Romesco’, and is commonly made from garlic, olive oil, red peppers, almonds, hazelnuts and, most importantly, Nyoras, which are mild red round peppers found only in Spain. This relish is used in a variety of dishes, and comes from the province of Tarragona, which is also where calçots originate.

Eating calçots is a messy business. If you do it the right way you’ll end up with hands and clothing caked in ash from the skins. It comes as no surprise that serious calçot fans wear special bibs to make sure the piles of onions they get through do not ruin their clothes. At any rate, there have to be worse ways of getting dirty than while feasting on this wonderful Catalan delicacy!

It may seem straightforward enough, but, when it comes to daily routines, there are a number of things that are done differently in Spain. It helps to be forewarned about these quirks to avoid inconvenience, embarrassment or frustrating scenarios like finding a supermarket closed when you need groceries, or getting woken up in the middle of the night by festive neighbours.

To start with, Spanish employment hours are rather different. The long-held British stereotype of lazy Spanish workers is outdated to say the least. In reality, Spain has a longer working week than most other European countries.

Office hours start at nine, just like anywhere else; however, many employees have the option of taking a longer lunch and working later into the evening when they return.

This is because lunch is the main meal of the day in Spain. It’s an oasis of calm in the middle of the day when families can get together for a couple of hours before heading back to their busy lives. This ritual is very important here, where families are usually close-knit.

Traditionally this meal would be followed by a power nap or siesta, particularly in the summer. With modern lifestyles this custom is upheld in only a few households, and rarely in major cities. Siestas are more common in the south of the country, where scorching sun makes the outdoors inaccessible for much of the day in the summer months.

The Spanish are very pragmatic when it comes to the sun. You’ll find that streets are deserted in the early afternoon in June, July and August. Locals will also leave the beach to escape the hottest hours before returning around 5. In summer the normal bedtime is around 1am, as people try to make the most of the cooler hours after sunset.

Most shops, apart from supermarkets, close at lunch, but stay open until eight in the evening. On Sundays expect to find everything closed, apart from perhaps one or two kiosks in city centres.

When you’re in Spain you realise that their routine has its merits, and if you spend more than a few weeks in the country you’ll find yourself adopting the local schedule.

Even at the height of national financial crisis, Spain remains one of the safest destinations in Europe. Here, violent crime is extremely rare and most city streets remain unintimidating. What you need to look out for are petty acts of criminal opportunism; however, these can be avoided of you take a few simple steps.

Pickpocket gangs tend to stick to public transport and crowded tourist traps. If you’re in bustling urban areas such as La Rambla in Barcelona and La Puerta del Sol in Madrid then it’s worth wearing bags across your chest and not leaving them hanging invitingly from one shoulder. You should make sure that valuable items such as phones and wallets are out of reach for pickpockets.

Criminals tend to use distractions; one might be posing as a street seller to grab your attention, while an accomplice attempts to cut the straps of a purse or camera case. When you’re at outdoor restaurants it’s usually best to keep your valuables hidden. A classic pickpocket manoeuvre is to lay an item on the tabletop – such as a map – in an apparent sales pitch, before gathering up any items that might be underneath and making a run for it.

Holiday apartments in cities are sometimes susceptible to burglary by what have become termed as ‘Spidermen’ – agile young men who clamber up drainpipes to reach balconies storeys above ground level in the hope of finding a door unlocked or a window open. Rural areas can also be affected by burglary, and you’ll find that street-level windows are often protected by metal bars.

At the beach it’s best to be careful with personal belongings. If you are in a group then one member of the party should be near your valuables at any given time.

This kind of crime affects only a tiny portion of visitors to Spain, and with a little vigilance and common sense it is even easier to avoid falling victim.

As unlikely as it may seem, Spain is a pretty strong destination for winter sport. In the colder months you can get a fair amount of snowfall on the higher ground, and a number of top-class ski resorts are dotted around the country’s mountain ranges.

The best slopes can be found in the Pyrenees to the north, the Sierra Nevada to the south, and in the mountains around Madrid to the centre. Some of these resorts are incredibly close to the major urban centres – you can get up and out on the pistes surprisingly quickly.

Just half an hour from the Andalusian city of Granada lies the Sierra Nevada Ski Resort, Europe’s southernmost ski destination. At an altitude of 2100 metres, this area enjoys the lengthiest ski season in the country and boasts 87 pistes – the longest of which is 6kms – and is serviced by 16 chair lifts, 2 ski tows and 2 gondola lifts. In 1995 this resort had the honour of hosting the World Ski Championships.

Nestled in the Pyrenees are some top class facilities, with slopes that cater to all degrees of daring and skill. This is home to Spain’s largest resort, Baqueira-Beret, which is located in the Catalan portion of the mountain range. 340kms away from Barcelona, Baqueira makes for a longish road journey, but is well worth the trouble. The resort offers immaculate conditions, 20 chair lifts, 5 ski tows and 1 gondola lift, and a plentiful 100kms of marked pistes.

There are a number of decent pistes around the Madrid area, but perhaps the most intriguing addition to the winter sports scene here is the Madrid Snowzone at the Xanadu shopping and entertainment centre. This complex houses Europe’s largest indoor ski and snowboard resort with a skiable area of 18000 m2 and can hold 3000 people at any given time.

So, if you think of Spain as just sun, sea and sand, it might be worth taking a closer look.

It’s always worth being in Spain during the week before Easter (Holy Week, or Semana Santa). City centres are even more alive than usual, as people from the countryside and sprawling barrios head into town to watch and take part in the numerous processions that snake through the crowded streets.

Brotherhoods of the Catholic Church organise and participate in long parades, consisting of bands playing solemn marching music, joined by penitents in robes and Capirotes (cone-shaped hoods) followed by Pasos (large wooden floats depicting scenes from the Passion, Christ and Mary). Pasos can weigh as much as a metric ton, and have to be carried by up to 25 brotherhood members for the course of the procession. With some processions lasting for 12 hours, these guys are the local heroes of the events!

The most famous example of the Holy Week tradition can be found in Seville, the capital of the southern autonomous community of Andalucía. Here the streets and squares are absolutely packed with spectators for the entire week; grandstands are erected along the main routes, with tickets selling out well in advance.

Spring in Seville is invariably warm. Processions go on long into the night, and thanks to the comfortable outdoor temperatures, whole families stay out on the streets until the break of dawn. The tone of the marches is dignified and mournful; however, during this time the city is vibrant, full of life and a thrilling place to be.

The best vantage points can be found along the official route, which runs from Capana, to Calle Sierpes, to Plaza San Francisco, to Avenida de la Constitución and then onto the Cathedral.

Holy Week climaxes on the night of Holy Thursday, with processions commencing at midnight and arriving at the city’s cathedral in the early hours of Good Friday morning.