Spain tours & travel

Spain is home to a mix of ethnic Spaniards and immigrants from Latin America, Africa and Eastern Europe. Among the native majority however, there are various and diverse regional “nationalities”, including Catalonians, Andalusians and Valencians. Each region has its own distinct culture and dialect. Despite these differences, Spain is mostly a Roman Catholic nation and most people have strong ties to family. Spain has contributed enormously to world culture, with such masters as Goya, Velazquez and Gaudi all hailing from Spain. 

Spain is situated in South Western Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. It borders onto Portugal, France, Andorra and the tiny British territory of Gibraltar. Spain also has territories along the northern coast of Morocco, an exclave within France, and several islands in the Mediterranean. Its northern border is delineated by the Pyrenees mountain range, and its tallest peak is Mount Teide, which is one of the world’s largest active volcanoes. Spain meets with two oceans, the Mediterranean to the south and the Atlantic to the west. 

Spain has every kind of shopping experience a shopaholic could hope for. There’s boutique fashion, arts and crafts, as well as open-aired flea markets. Barcelona and Madrid are the best places to find big brands and upmarket stores. Spanish leather products like shoes and bags are renowned for their exceptional quality. Madrid’s Sunday flea markets Rastro and Plaza Mayor stock European antiques at bargain prices. For art and handicrafts, try places such as Madrid’s Antigua Casa de Talavera and ART Escudellers in Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter. 

Fallas

Valencia’s main cultural event is the feast day of San Jose. Locals create papier mache effigies of celebrities and other characters, and eventually burn them beneath a spate of fireworks.

Festes de la Merce

Barcelona’s biggest party corresponds to the feast day of Our Lady of Mercy. Today’s events are extravagant parades, giant papier mache figures, fireworks dancing and much more.

Semana Santa

Easter is an important time of year for the Spaniards. In the town of Seville, enormous figures of Christ are carried through the town in the days leading up to Easter Sunday. 

Make the most of your Spain tour by sampling the local cuisine. Spanish food is characterized by Mediterranean flavours, seafood and wine. The rice dish of paella, a mixture of seafood, vegetables, meat and rice, is one of Spain’s emblematic dishes. There’s also gazpacho (cold tomato soup) and tigres (stuffed mussels). Spaniards also have a particular style of eating based on ‘tapas’. Tapas are a variety of small foods laid for sharing and grazing, including olives, bread and specially prepared meats. 

• The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
• Don Quixote by Miguel De Cervantes
• The Time of the Doves by Merce Rodoreda
• Travels with My Donkey: One Man and his Ass on a Pilgrimage to Santiago by Tim Moore
• Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell