Spain Holiday Guide

There are countless flights to around 30 destinations in mainland Spain and the main islands of the Balearics and Canaries with a combination of no frills, charter and scheduled airlines.

You can take a ferry to Bilbao from Portsmouth and there are ferries from Barcelona and Valencia to the Balearics, should you fancy combining the two. Once in Spain there's a good train system, with high speed links between major cities and slower country trains along the coasts. Car hire is reasonable if you book before you travel, and an excellent choice if you are travelling independently or want to see more than just your resort.

Because the large majority of tourists visit a coastal resort of Spain, it can seem like the entire country is one big beach with no variations for their holidays, but of course this isn't the case.

For those who are looking for the beaches, though, there are countless beaches along the Costa del Sol with popular resorts including built up home-from-home Torremolinos, upmarket Marbella and next door neighbours Puerto Banus, Mijas, Fuengirola, Estepona, Nerja.
Other areas with great beaches include the Costas Blanca and Brava with resorts like Benidorm and Lloret de Mar, and wilder, less touristy beaches like windy but beautiful Tarifa and the gorgeous sands at Mundaka.
The Balearics and Canaries also have some spectacular sands. Fuerteventura's Jandia and Gran Canaria's Maspolomas stand out.

The dramatic and colourful work of Antoni Gaudi can be seen dotted throughout the Catalan capital of Barcelona, while Madrid's works of art tend to be in its world-class Prado museum. Toledo and Granada are shrines to the medieval and Moorish architectural styles with the breathtaking Alcazar and Alhambra leading each city's showcase.

Modern architecture fans can visit Bilbao with its shiny Guggenheim Museum and Valencia with its futuristic Science Park.

Skiing and trekking is on offer in the dramatic Pyrenees chain, while there are over 20 national parks dotted about the mainland and islands, where you can enjoy the diversity of the countryside from lush palm forests to stark, volcanic terrain.

Tenerife's Tiede National Park is an excellent day trip from the coastal resorts for your holiday in Spain. Athletic types can even hike to the top of Spain's highest mountain, Mount Tiede, while the less energetic can enjoy the same views without a red, sweaty face by taking the cable car.

From the Costa del Sol you can take a hair raising train inland to the dramatic town of Ronda, which is split in two by a vertigo-inducing gorge and once you've recovered from that, you can visit the elegant bullring, one of Spain's oldest, dating back to 1785. Grenada and Gibraltar are also day trip possibilities from the Costa del Sol.

If you're staying in Barcelona or Valencia, you can take a ferry across to the Balearic Islands of Majorca, Menorca or Ibiza for a change of scenery.

You're never more than a few hours from the sea in Spain and even if you're in Madrid you'll never go short of fresh seafood like bacalao (cod), almejas (baby clams) and bonito (tuna). The long, multiple days of sunshine ensure there's plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables to accompany your meals.

Get a small taste of everything with the Spanish speciality of Tapas: shared plates of local specialities like chorizo, serrano ham, olives, tortilla omelette and toasted bread rubbed with garlic, tomato and olive oil. Even if you try nothing else, share some paella, a tasty seafood risotto, while you're on holiday. In the Canary Islands, the papas arrugadas salted, baked potatoes served with hot red and tasty green sauces are addictive.
Spain has some of Europe's best nightlife and people don't even think of going out to dinner until 10pm, let alone the drinking and dancing that invariably follows.

Popular holiday resorts like Benidorm, Torremolinos, Magaluf, Playa de las Americas and San Antonio have bars and clubs that are open until sun rise so you can party 24 hours if you like.

Each region of Spain produces a variety of pretty, well-priced handicrafts which are on sale either at craft shops, at weekly or daily markets in villages and towns, and even the occasional flea markets (rastros) - even Benidorm has a weekly one.

Pottery is reasonable and comes in various regional styles; rugs, blankets and clothes are plentiful and lace work is popular in some areas. Leather goods like bags and belts are widely available and there are plenty of stalls selling gold and silver jewellery. The best known department store is El Corte Ingles and you can find branches in most cities.

Many of the more popular beach resorts have amusements parks or water parks where you can cool down in the hot summer months. PortAventura, Waterworld and Marineland are in the Costa Dourada/Brava region; Mario Park water park in Almeria; Terra Mitica and Aqualandia on the Costa Blanca and Tivoli World in the Costa del Sol.
Many water sports are available on the beaches, much of which will be suitable for children and the wildlife and walking in the national parks will appeal to some kids.