Welcome to Spain!!!

Dear visitor, welcome to my Spain web pages. Here you will find tourist information, photographs and travel tips about Spain's main destinations. I consider this site only a starting point.

Spain, with its variety of landscapes, cultures and languages is one of the world's top tourist destinations. Cosmopolitan cities, beach destinations and historical sites, make of Spain a prefect place to travel.

When to Go/Climate: Spain is a diverse country, and so it is its climate. The south is very hot in Summer; especially in July and August. The central part is dry; hot in summer and cold in winter. The north is wet and green, it can be visited all year round, summers are mild.

Get in: The main airport in Spain is Madrid (MAD), which links many Southamerican destinations. The second airport is Barcelona (BCN).

Get around: Spain's main cities are well communicated by road, train and air. The country has a good network of fast trains (AVE).

Money and Costs: Spain uses the Euro. Credit cards are widely accepted, and ATM's can be found all throughout the country. Prices in Spain are not cheap anymore. Tipping of 5-10% is expected in restaurants.

Length of stay: Spain has so many and diverse tourist destinations that in order to see everything you would need months. If you "only" want to see its bigger cities, three or four weeks will suffice.

Languages/People: Spain has four official languages, Castilian Spanish, Catalan, Galician and Basque, but only one, Spanish, is official in all the country. Not many locals are fluent in English, but in tourist services staff speaks good English.

Food: The local cuisine is one of the main reasons for visiting Spain. The food is as diverse as the country. Paella (rice with seafood), tapas (small portions of food), and Jamon Serrano (pork's ham) are some of the things you should not miss. And when it comes to drinking, wine is the thing.

Safety: Some tourist areas are not safe. When in crowded sites, watch out for pickpockets.

Madrid

Madrid, the capital of Spain, is famous for its Museums, for its classical architecture and for its night life. But Madrid has many other interesting things to offer.

Seville

Seville is the Capital of Andalusia, region famous for its bullfighters, Flamenco dancers and singers. Seville inspired Mozart, Rossini and Bizet. Operas like: "El Barbero de Sevilla", Carmen, etc. were dedicated to this city.

Granada

Granada is one of the most beautiful cities in Spain. The most famous attraction of Granada is "La Alhambra", name of the hill where you can find the Generalife Gardens, The "Palacio de los Nazaries" and the "Palacio de Carlos V".

Cordoba

Cordoba is one of the most interesting cities in Andalusia (South of Spain). During the Arab domination (711-1263) Cordoba was the artistic and cultural center of the "Al-Andalus" empire, and was the capital of the western Caliphate.

Toledo

Toledo is famous for its rich history and for the coexistence of the Christian, Islamic and Jewish cultures. In the Middle Ages, Toledo was the European capital for the study of languages and natural sciences.

Santiago de Compostela

Santiago, Galicia, Northwest Spain, is the city where, according to a legend, the remains of the apostle Saint James were found. Nowadays Santiago is the second Catholic Pilgrimage center, after Rome.

Bilbao

Since the construction of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, this Basque city has become a popular tourist destination. Apart from the Guggenheim Museum, there are many other reasons to visit this city.

San Sebastian

San Sebastian is an elegant city in the Basque Country, located close to the French border, famous for its beaches, its rich cuisine, its film festival and its cultural activities.

Valencia

València, País Valencià, on the east coast of Spain is famous for its "Fallas", its Cathedral and its night life.

Mallorca

Mallorca is Europe's number one holiday destination. More than 15 million tourists come here every year to enjoy its beaches. But Mallorca has much more to offer.

Tarifa

Tarifa is a beach town at the southern most tip of the Peninsula Iberian. The town is famous for its strong winds, that draw windsurf and kite surf enthusiasts from all over the world.

Barcelona, Catalonia

Barcelona is one of the most beautiful cities in the world! If you want to visit Barcelona, I have dedicated a section to this city and Catalonia. With information on many destinations in the area.

Portugal

If you are interested in Lisbon and Portugal, visit our Portugal section. With information on Lisbon, Porto and Braga.