Introducing Spain

Stretching sun-drenched and untamed to the south of the wild and majestic Pyrenees, this passionate nation works a mysterious magic. Spain is littered with hundreds of glittering beaches; flamenco bailaors (dancers) swirl in flounces of colour; and toreros (bullfighters) strut their stuff in the bullrings. Summer holidaymakers gather around great pans of steaming paella (at its tasty best in Valencia) and pitchers of sangria…

 Beyond these clichéd images, a vast, unexpected panorama unfolds before you. Emerald green mountains seem to slide into the wild blue Atlantic in the north. Proud, solitary castles and medieval towns are strewn across the interior. White villages glitter in inland Andalucía. Rugged mountain ranges such as the Sierra Nevada (Europe’s most southerly ski resort) are draped across the country. The Celtic music of Cantabria, Asturias & Galicia reminds one of the misty lands of Brittany, Scotland and Ireland. From its Roman relics to Muslim palaces, from baroque cathedrals and Modernista constructions, the country is a treasure chest of artistic and architectural marvels across a matchless cultural palette. More than 30 years of democracy and rapid economic development have spurred Spain’s cities to bedeck themselves with sparkling new ornaments. An army of local and international architects has left a slew of daring signature buildings in Barcelona, Bilbao and Madrid, to name a few. Up and down the country, a zest for life creates an intense, hedonistic vibe in its effervescent cities. Indeed, if there is one thing Spaniards love, it is to eat, drink and be merry, whether gobbling up tapas over fine wine in Madrid and the south, or its elaborate Basque Country equivalent, pintxos, over cider in the north.

Barcelona

Set on a plain rising gently from the sea to a range of wooded hills, Barcelona is Spain's most cosmopolitan city and one of the Mediterranean's busiest ports. Restaurants, bars and clubs are always packed, as is the seaside in summer. You might get the impression it's dedicated exclusively to hedonism, but it's a hard-working, dynamic place hoping to place itself in the vanguard of 21st-century Europe with a heavy concentration of hi-tech and biomedical business.

Mar Bella beach, Barcelona

It regards its long past with pride. From Roman town it passed to medieval trade juggernaut, and its old centre constitutes one of the greatest concentrations of Gothic architecture in Europe. Beyond this core are some of the world's more bizarre buildings: surreal spectacles capped by Antoni Gaudí's Sagrada Família church. Barcelona has been breaking ground in art, architecture and style since the late 19th century. From the marvels of Modernisme to the modern wonders of today, from Picasso to the likes of Susana Solano, the racing heart of Barcelona has barely skipped a beat. The city's avant-garde chefs whip up a storm that has even the French reaching for superlatives. Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia, a region with its own language, character and history – many Catalans think of their home as a separate country. The city itself could keep you occupied for weeks but just outside it are sandy beaches, Sitges and the Montserrat mountain range - so be sure to make time for a few day trips during your stay.

Cable-car, Barcelona

San Sebastián

San Sebastián (Basque: Donostia) has been holding court on the shores of the beautiful, crescent-shaped Bahía de La Concha for a very long time and shows no sign of losing any of its poise or its subtle flavour of high camp. This is no Grande Dame either; more a cool, svelte, diva who has seen them all, from belle époque blue bloods, to 21st-century international rock stars. It’s here too that the gourmet subculture of the pintxo underpins Michelin-starred cuisine. Thirteen Michelin stars fret the San Sebastián firmament of classy eateries, a galaxy matched only by central Paris.

Playa de la Concha, San Sebastián

There are no great cultural icons in San Sebastián, but the city entertains you at every turn not least because of its cheerful, upbeat atmosphere. La Concha beach is one of the world’s most beautiful city beaches and across the river is Playa de la Zurriola (Zurriola Beach), also known as Playa de Gros, less glamorous and with a strong surfing appeal. Add to this the atmospheric Parte Vieja (Old Town), said to have more bars than any other quartier (neighbourhood) in the known world, and the Centro Romántic, with its pedestrianised shopping streets, lined with the handsome façades of Art Nouveau buildings. The city is also exuberantly Basque by nature and is the event capital of Europe’s Atlantic Arc, with cultural and corporate happenings around every corner. These include the annual San Sebastián Jazz Festival and International Film Festival.

Bahia La Concha, San Sebastián

Ibiza

Ibiza is the most extreme of the islands, in landscape and visitors.

Es Cubells, Ibiza

The Greeks called Ibiza and Formentera the Islas Pitiusas (Islands of Pine Trees). The landscape is harsh and rocky, and the island receives little rainfall. Alongside the hardy pines, the most common crops are olives, figs and almonds. Perhaps surprisingly, about half the island (especially the fairly unspoilt northeast) remains covered by thick woods. Indeed, driving around the back roads of the north is to plunge into a rural idyll – not what one associates with Ibiza at all!

Fishing boats, Ibiza

A rugged coastline is interspersed with dozens of sandy beaches, most consumed by intensive tourist developments. A few out-of-the-way beaches remain, but in summer you won’t be doing much solitary swimming. Ibiza’s beaches and laid-back attitude first became a major drawcard in the flower-power heyday of the 1960s – while North America’s hippies were ‘California dreaming’, their Euro‑pean counterparts were heading here to tune in, turn on and drop out. It’s hard to believe that in 1956 the island boasted only 12 cars! Initially for the hip and fashionable, Ibiza (a mixed World-Heritage site because of Ibiza city’s architecture and the island’s rich sealife) soon latched on to the money-spinnerof bulk tourism and started shipping in summer sun-seekers by the thousand. Today the island populace of 111, 100 watches on as millions (more than four million passengers are registered annually through the airport alone) of hippies, fashion victims, nudists, clubbers and package tourists pour through S’Illa Blanca (the White Island) each year.

A sunny day on the beach, Ibiza

Away from the bars are the woods, coastal walking trails and quiet (if not deserted) beaches that allow you to elude Ministry of Sound–style madness. Places such as Santa Eulària d’es Riu and the small resorts and coves of the northeast are ideal for family holidays.

D'Alt Vila, Ibiza

Balearic Islands

Each of these four islands (Islas Baleares, Illes Balears in Catalan), floating serenely in the glittering Mediterranean, could be said to have a theme. Mallorca is the senior island, combining a little of everything, from spectacular mountain scenery and hiking through to the standard sea ‘n’ sun seaside tourism. Ibiza is synonymous with clubbing, the island that gave Europe the rave. Menorca is a haven of tranquillity – splendid isolated beaches and coves, and prehistoric monuments standing as taciturn reminders of how small we are in the grand scheme of things. And tiny Formentera, a chill-out island, where some people lose themselves for the entire summer, needing little more to keep them happy than white beaches and sunset parties. Each year a massive multinational force invades the islands in search of a piece of this multifaceted paradise. The total population of the isles does not amount to a million, but many times that number are involved in a round-the-clock airlift and disembarkation of sun- and fun-seekers from Easter to October.

 Surprisingly, the islands have managed to maintain much of their intrinsic beauty. Beyond the high-rise resort hotels, bars and more popular beaches are Gothic cathedrals, Stone Age ruins, fishing villages, spectacular walks, secluded coves, endless olive and almond groves and citrus orchards. And a growing range of elegant, rural retreats and A-list eateries are attracting a range of visitors beyond the party package crowd.

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