Spain

If you ask avid travelers to draw up a list of their top 10 dream holiday destinations, it would be a safe bet that Spain would feature prominently. Welcoming over 70 million visitors a year, Spain is among the most popular tourist destinations in the world.

Spain Travel Guide

Home to an unbelievable 47 UNESCO World Heritage Sites (only Italy and China have more), Spain also boasts a glorious array of sun-soaked beaches and resorts.

Tourists looking to enjoy a beach holiday in Spain will be spoilt for choice: the country boasts 5,000 miles (8,000km) of beaches, and many of the most popular areas – Ibiza, the Costa Blanca, Alicante, the Costa Brava, and the Costa del Sol – are deservedly world-famous. An idyllic climate, friendly locals, a famously vibrant nightlife, and world-class shopping opportunities only add to the incredible attraction that is Spain.

With so much to see and do in Spain, visitors will have a delightful time drawing up their holiday itineraries. Whether they head straight to gorgeous Barcelona to admire the architectural feats of Gehry and Gaudi, or to the capital Madrid to check out the cultural treasures of the Prado Gallery; whether they wish to go high into the Sierra Nevada mountains to do some skiing or wish to sunbathe on the warm sands of the Canary Islands, visitors to Spain are ensured a holiday that they will treasure in memory for the rest of their lives.

Best time to visit Spain

Featuring the warmest climate on mainland Europe, there is no bad time to visit Spain. The peak tourist season is summer (June to August), when an amazing amount of foreign visitors flock to Spain’s famed beaches. The best time to visit Spain is any time between May and October, when the weather is warm and sunny.

What to pack

Pack plenty of sunscreen and a hat if traveling in summer, and a good coat if travelling in winter. Even though Spain’s climate is wonderfully temperate, it can get very cold at times during winter (especially in Madrid).

What to buy

Olive oil, ornately decorated Spanish fans, flamenco music, leather products, bull fighting posters, and Spanish brandy from the famous Jerez region.

Eat

Popular tapas include chorizo sausage and tortilla de patatas (omelette with fried potato), calamares en su tinta (squid prepared in its own ink), and sepia con alioli (fried cuttlefish with garlic mayonnaise).

A final word

From it’s glittering beaches to its vibrant and cosmopolitan cities, from it’s medieval churches to it’s Colosseum-like football stadia, Spain is home to enough world-class tourist attractions to keep even the most jaded travelers enthralled and entertained.

DISTANCE FROM AIRPORT TO CITY CENTRE: Madrid: 18 kilometres, Barcelona: 13 kilometres
TIME ZONE: Summer: GMT +2 hours, Winter: GMT +1 hours
CURRENCY: Euro (EUR)
LANGUAGES: The main language is Spanish but there are some regional variations, most notably in Catalonia where they speak Catalan. English is spoken in main tourist areas.