Spain

Spain is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe. It is well known by its famous cities, beaches, mountain resorts, top star hotels and many other tourist attractions.  It is a fascinating country to know and to know more about it. "Spain is different!", Spaniards use to say. They don't specify compared to what: to the rest of Europe, to the rest of the world, or even to itself. Widely known for Flamenco music and dance, bull-fights, fantastic beaches and lots of sunshine, Spain has to offer much more than that. It is - and has been for thousands of years - one of the cultural centers of Europe. It has beautiful cities and towns, offering really old monuments as well as futuristic architecture. Its various regions are all different one to each other, geographically, climatically and even in personality.

Most visited cities in Spain

Madrid - The capital of Spain, located in the heart of the peninsula and right in the center of the Castillian plain 646 meters above sea level, has a population of over three million. A cosmopolitan city, a business center, headquarters for the Public Administration, Government, Spanish Parliament and the home of the Spanish Royal Family, Madrid also plays a major role in both the banking and industrial sectors. Most of its industry is located in the Southern fringe of the city, where important textile, food and metal working factories are clustered. Madrid is characterized by intense cultural and artistic activity and a very lively nightlife.

Barcelona - The capital of Catalonia is unequivocally a Mediterranean city, not only because of its geographic location but also and above all because of its history, tradition and cultural influences. The documented history of the city dates back to the founding of a Roman colony on its soil in the second century B.C. Modern Barcelona experienced spectacular growth and economic revival at the onset of industrialization during the second half of the 19th century. 

Bilbao is the heart of a metropolis where more than a million people live. It is the centre of the economic-social development and the main factor of the modernisation of the Bay of Biscay. The great architectural and infrastructure projects have been the driving force of the urban and economic regeneration of the city.

Tenerife - The island of Tenerife is situated in the Atlantic ocean about 200 miles off the West African coast at just over 2000 square kilometres it is the largest of the seven main Canary Islands. Although small in size it has as many different climatic zones as a continent, you’ll see many different types of agriculture from potatoes to orange trees. See the virtual tours on www.sun4free.com pages to give an idea of the different types of landscape available at very small distances apart. The most important part of the island is of course mount Teide, its sheer size and height dominate the landscape for miles around.

Read more about Tenerife tourist attractions. 

Spain Tourist Attractions

Costa Del Sol
The southern coast of Spain, known as the Costa del Sol (Sun Coast), is one of the most popular travel destinations in all Europe. And this is not surprising: the many miles of sandy beaches, a wonderful climate with more than 3,000 hours of sunshine a year, the mild Mediterranean sea, extensive sports and leisure facilities, relaxed atmosphere and excellent food are some very good reasons to spend your vacation just here. It is also a great place for avid golf players, as on the Costa del Sol you will find the biggest concentration of golf courses in Europe (hence it's sometimes nickname Costa del Golf).

Marbella
What formerly was just a small Andalusian fishing-village turned into one of the most exciting holiday resorts along the Mediterranean coast, one of the favourite places of the rich and beautiful and all those who should not mind to be ... This center of the Jet-Set and Show Business offers beautiful boulevards, parks and gardens, as well as those romantic narrow lanes in the best Moorish or Andalusian tradition that make Marbella's unmistakable personality. Great beaches, great climate (with an average temperature of 18,7 deg.C all the year), and a unique offer in sports, gastronomy and entertainment ... a visit of Marbella is a guarantee for unforgetable exclusive holidays.

Mallorca
This elegant island has to offer anything a visitor might dream of. Tourism at Mallorca started to develop already in the 1920s, and until the Spanish Civil War it was mainly intellectuals and artists who were attracted by this island. Mallorca's wonderful climate, beautiful landscapes as well as its cosmopolitan ambience make it a privileged holiday resort, with a cultural offer comparable to the one of many European capitals. The Auditiorio de Palma, for instance, ranks among Europe's top concert halls. At Mallorca, you will find relaxation, inspiration, culture and entertainment ...

Menorca
Legend tells that the winds of Menorca modify the personality of people. Maybe that is the reason why those who came here once as tourists mostly return ... Menorca certainly has a very strong personality, and a very different one to the rest of the islands. Menorca, the "minor" island, as it was called by Romans, has an almost virginal interior (compared for instance to the "major" island, Mallorca) and shows interesting remains of its old history.

Ibiza
Ibiza, often called the White Island for its typical architecture, became a major center of touristical attraction during the 1960s, being then famous for its "Hippie-Culture" and nudist beaches. Today Ibiza has an ample offer as well for families and older visitors, anyhow, still there are the young ones who are attracted by the island's rollicking nightlife, which already starts in the afternoon, at the beaches and in the center of town, to continue until dawn in the numerous discotheques.

Formentera
This small island, with a surface of 90 squ.km. and some 5200 inhabitants, is located 11 miles from the south-eastern coast of Ibiza. The sea is visible from practically any point of the island, and there are numerous great beaches and lonely bays, some of them with incredible grottos. Its favorised climate, with springtime temperatures during almost all the year, its rich vegetation of pines as well as palms, and its quiet and relaxed ambience make Formentera a true paradise.

Spain is located at the Iberian Península, of which it occupies approximately 80% (the remaining 20% are occupied by Portugal), in the southwest of Europe. In the north Spain borders on France and Andorra, with the Pyrenees as a natural frontier. Additionally the Balearic Islands (Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza) in the Mediterranean Sea, Canary Islands in Atlantic Ocean close to the Moroccian coast, and Ceuta and Melilla, located in northern Africa, are Spanish territory.

Spain map

Spain is the 3rd country of Europe in extension and the 5th in population. There are five big mountain ranges crossing the country, and about 50% of it are located at an elevated plain. Landscapes are extremely varied, some almost desert-like, others green and fertile, and of course there are the long coasts, in the east along Mediterranean Sea from Pyrenees to Gibraltar, and in the west (the major part of the Iberian peninsula's western coast is occupied by Portugal) along the Atlantic Ocean and Cantabrian Sea.