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Where to go?
North
More and more people are finding the tranquil sandy beaches, solitude of the mountains and lush green scenery of Northern Spain. This area is made of six regions (communidades) - La Rioja, Navarra, Basque County, Cantabria, Asturias and Galicia.
La Rioja, Navarra and the Basque country are in the far east and are green hilly regions. In this area is San Sebastian an elegant, fashionable resort that is well known for its film, music and jazz festivals. To the east are Asturias and Cantabria with the Mountains Picos de Europa running between the two, offering hiking and rock climbing. To the west lies Galicia with Santiago de Compostela as its centrepiece where the way of life has remained the same for years and years. This is a picturesque old town surrounded by hills covered in forest.
East
Eastern Spain is a huge place and boasts Aragon, Catalonia, Murcia and Valencia. This is where you will find the vibrant city of Barcelona, the eastern Pyrenees and the Costa's Brava, Azahar, Blanca and Dorada.
Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia and is one of the Mediterranean's busiest ports. It is a fantastic place for those interested in culture and sports. In Catalonia Catalan is spoken and has practically replaced Spanish on road signs and in place names in the region.
Aragon, which is almost half the length of Spain, is bisected by one of the countries longest rivers, the Ebro. This communidade includes the mountains of Ordesa National Park contrasted with the dry plains and is home to Zaragoza Spain's 5th largest city. The summers are extremely hot and the winters long and very cold.
Valencia and Murcia is where the Costa del Azahar and Costa Blanca are. The main holiday destinations are Benidorm, Torrevieja and Mar Menor where hotel and apartment blocks line long sandy beaches.
South
Andalucia in the South of Spain encompasses Almeria's deserts, Donana's wetlands, Sierra Nevada's snow-capped mountains and the Costa del Sol's beaches. The capital is Seville home of the bullring Plaza De Torros de la Maestranza.
Almeria is famous for the Trabernas - Europe's only desert - that featured in many a spaghetti western.
The Costa del Sol is golf heaven with over 30 courses and has many resorts aimed at tourism. It is also home to the stylish resort, Marbella, the up and coming Sotogrande, Estepona which is much less developed and quieter and Malaga - a fine city.
The old Moorish cities of Granada and Crdoba are set close to the Sierra Nevada Mountains and this provides hiking and skiing activities. The winters are cold here and the summers boiling.
In the Costa de la Luz, west of Gibraltar you will find the Donana National Park, Terez - capital of sherry production and Cadiz.
Central
Dry dusty plains and great fields provide an area of work in Central Spain. This is old rural Spain. In the centre of the country is Madrid, the capital, a city of more than 3 million inhabitants. The city has an altitude of 660 meters making spring and autumn the best times to visit, the summers too hot and the winters too cold. Madrid hosts Rastro, the world's oldest flea market every Sunday, has museums filled with treasures and offers the best shopping facilities. It is also home to the leafy paths of Parque del Retiro - a world famous area, a royal palace and fabulous public squares.
Islands
The Balearics are found in the Mediterranean and the Canaries in the Atlantic but both sets of Islands have warm climates, clear waters and good beaches.
The Balearics have something for all - countryside and old towns have been unspoilt by tourism whereas the coasts are a bustle of tourist attractions. Mallorca is a culturally well off island and is blessed with mountains as a contrast to the coast. Ibiza is famed for its club scene whereas Menorca and Formetea are more relaxed and quiet.
The Canaries enjoy lots of sunny days with a cooling breeze provided by trade winds. The volcanic landscape of these islands is breathtaking. Tenerife is dominated by the highest mountain in Spain - Teide. Los Cristianos, an old fishing village, is now a pleasant town in a barren area. Las Palmas, capital of Gran Canaria, is a fine city and Puerto Rico and Puerto del Morgan are attractive, pretty and unique. On Lanzarote Puerto del Carmen is the hub of activity but, pleasantly, with no high rise. Timanfaya National Park with its lunar landscape is well worth a look. There are seven Canary Islands but these are the main three.
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