Car hire in Madrid Spain
The best place to hire a car in Madrid, Spain is from Madrid Barajas Airport, as you will find plenty of special deals and online offers and cheap prices you will not find elsewhere. There is much more to Madrid than the city centre, and if you are planning a driving holiday around Madrid, book cheap car hire from Barajas Airport before you leave home.
Things to do in Almagro Spain
The landscape is pure Kansas, but visitors will not find a Renaissance jewel of a town like this one anywhere within wishing distance of Wichita.
The Order of Calatrava, the oldest and most important Spanish knightly order, established its headquarters here after winning the battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212; the order's squiggly cross emblem can be seen On nearly everyone of the historic buildings in town. The 16th-century Monasterio de la Asuncion de la Calatrava (Monastery of the Assumption of Calatrava), now commonly called the Convento de los Padres Dominicanos (Dominican Fathers Convent) located on the main street, Ejido de Calatrava, should not be missed.
The friars in residence happily escort visitors around the extraordinary Renaissance cloister, which surrounds pillars of solid Carrara marble, and the attached Gothic church.
The unusual green, glassed-in balconies propped up by the stone pillars of the elongated 14th-century Plaza Mayor reflect the southern German influence of the Fugger dynasty of banker-princes, who made Almagro their Iberian branch office during the 16th-century western hemisphere gold boom that helped keep Holy Roman Emperor Charles V solvent. Their palace, the Palacio de los Fucares , has a stone staircase and assembly hall worth seeing.
Midway along the Plaza Mayor's south portico is the entrance to Almagro's unique Corral de Comedias, a theater dating back to the 16th century's golden age of Spanish drama. Its survival is due to the fact that it was bricked up and forgotten until 1954. If no one's on duty to show off the two-tiered, half-timbered stage, the linteled galleries, and the pit for the groundlings.
During the annual Festival de Teatro Clasico, held throughout July, theater companies from all over the Spanish speaking world muster forces on its creaky stage and perform classics by masters such as Calderon de la Barca, Lope de Vega, and their foreign contemporaries including Shakespeare and Moliere. Tickets go on sale in mid-August and sell out quickly (they can be reserved through the tourist office).
A stroll around the heraldic mansions and palaces of the town's oldest quarter offers strong evidence that the women of Almagro continue to practice the local tradition of lace making. It's not uncommon to find practitioners sitting in doorways, wooden bobbins flying and clacking in their hands. There are also a few lace shops in the Plaza Mayor, where the markup is negligible.
For fine table linen, handkerchiefs, and towels at bargain prices, call at the home/shop of Marfa Carmen Manzano. Families from all over Spain also travel to Almagro to stock up on pickled baby eggplants, a regional delicacy packed in the earthenware jugs that are displayed in front of every shop in town.
Valencia and Murcia car hire
If you fly into Valencia or Murcia Airports, make sure you book car hire before you go. Valencia and Murcia Airport car hire is particularly busy in the summer months, and to avoid disappointment and delays when you arrive, you should book your rental car online before you fly. Cheap airport car hire in Alicante, Valencia and Murcia can be pre-booked in minutes.
The Levante region of Spain
Almond blossoms and white beaches, verdant orchards and stern mountain ranges, palm trees and sparkling blue water, and at least 300 days of sunshine a year is it any wonder that the Mediterranean coast south of Valencia has become one of Europe's most popular vacation areas?
Spain's Levante region is the coastal fringe bridging the gap between Catalonia and Andalusia. It includes three provinces (Castellon, Valencia, and Alicante) and the single province autonomous community of Murcia. Striking scenery, lively fiestas, unusual historical sights, and distinctive food are highlights of the region.
Costa Blanca car hire Spain
The middle section of this region, the Costa Blanca (White Coast), which lies in the province of Alicante, is the most popular, and unless you book car hire early, availability of vehicles becomes severely stretched in summer. Every summer, hundreds of thousands of Spaniards and other Europeans flock here to bask in the sunshine and enjoy a wide range of sporting and entertainment activities.
Resorts have mushroomed where there were only fishing villages and deserted beaches barely 35 years ago.The region caters to all tastes, and although it's easy to escape the crowds, it may not be advisable to plan a vacation here during July and August unless you don't mind the extreme heat. Spring and autumn are fine times to visit, and rainy winter days are usually followed by weeks of dazzling sunshine.
The Levante's lushness is due not only to the sunshine, but also to the Moors, who converted the arid but fertile plain between the treeless mountains and the sea into lush huertas (orchards and vegetable farms) by introducing an ingenious irrigation system. Remains of norias, giant Moorish water-raising wheels, can still be found on the huertas, where citrus fruits (thousands of tons of oranges and lemons are exported annually), dates, tomatoes, and a wealth of other fruits and vegetables still flourish.
Valencia history
The Moorish kingdom of Valencia, which dominated a vast slice of the coast, was added to James I of Aragon's Christian lands in 1238, and became part of the kingdom of Castile in the late 15th century. Murcia, which at one time acted as an intermediary between the Moors and Christians, was also conquered by Aragon, but remained a separately administered kingdom for another two centuries.
Although Castilian Spanish is the language of Murcia, the language commonly spoken in the region of Valencia is a local version of Catalan, known as valencia in Valencia and as alicantino in Aiicante. Anyone who speaks Castilian, French, or any other Latin language will not find this too difficult to understand, and those who attempt to master a few spoken phrases will certainly please the local residents. Good morning is bon dia, and please is per favor, Place names often appear in both languages - for example, Alicante is Alacant in the local language; Elche is Elx.
But everybody speaks Castilian, too, and since the Costa Blanca is such a popular vacation spot for British tourists, it is easier in some areas to find a speaker of English than of any other tongue.
Valencia and paella
Rice, which grows here in abundance, forms the basis for scores of regional dishes, including paella valenciana (rice with meat and seafood, including octopus and mussels), paella marinera (rice and fish), and arroz con costra (rice with pork and sausage, topped off with a half-dozen eggs). Squid and octopus are also popular local delicacies. Moorish influence is evident in such sticky desserts as turron (nougat) and glazed walnuts. Horchata de chufa, a milky chilled mixture of chufas (usually translated as earth almonds or tiger nuts), cinnamon, sugar, and water, is a favorite drink. Some good wines are produced in the region, particularly the hearty Jumilla and Yecla reds in Murcia.
Many travelers time their visits to the region to coincide with one of the many re-enactments of the epic struggles between Moors and Christians, some of which are among the most colorful, exuberant fiestas to be found anywhere. All along the coast, towns and villages spend the entire year preparing for their annual Moros y Cristianos battles. The towns of Alcoy (April 22), Elda (first week in June), and Villajoyosa (July 25), all in the province of Alicante, stage particularly spectacular make-believe battles.
Driving from Valencia to Murcia
The best driving route in the region starts in Valencia and heads south to the gracious seaport city of Alicante and on to the inland city of Murcia, with a spur to Cartagena back on the coast before veering southwest toward Granada. Those who can't wait to see the glories of the Alhambra can do the Valencia-Granada run in one day, but there are abundant reasons to spend at least four to five days on the journey.
As elsewhere in Spain, when planning visits to churches, museums, historic sites, and other places of touristic interest in the Levante region, keep in mind that they usually are open from 9:30 or 10 AM to 1 or 2 PM and then again from around 4 or 5 to 7 or 8 PM; hours may change with the seasons.
Denia things to do
Thanks to its mild climate and excellent beach, Denia has prospered from tourism, yet it has retained its charm. Founded by Phoenicians, the town's name is derived from the Roman Dianium, after the local Temple of Diana (no longer in existence). The Visigoths made it an episcopal seat, and it later served as the capital of a Moorish kingdom. The Museo Arqueologico, set in the 18th-century citadel perched above the town, contains some noteworthy Roman and Moorish relics unearthed in the area.
There are also some interesting 18th-entury buildings in the Plaza de los Caldos, including the Iglesia de Santa Maria (Church of St. Mary) and the Ayuntamiento (Town Hall). Denia is a good base for excursions. There is year-round service to the islands of Ibiza and Majorca via a passenger and vehicle ferry. For those In a rush, hydrofoils make the journey in 90 minutes. Schedules may vary, so inquire at the tourist office.
The trip takes two hours and 20 minutes and trains leave from the station on Calle Manuel Lattur in Denia.
Things to do in Javea
Situated on one of the Costa Blanca's finer bays, between two capes - Cabo de San Antonio and Cabo San Martin (the latter just around the coast from Cabo de la Nao)this resort town's barrio viejo (old quarter) stands on a rise inland from the fishing and pleasure port. Narrow streets, watchtowers, stone houses, surviving city walls and gateways, and an old castle contribute to its medieval look. Worth a visit is the Museo Municipal, built by King Felipe III during the early 17th century. It contains Roman and Punic remains, ceramics, and traditional crafts.
Places to visit in Altea
he name comes from the Moorish - Altaya, meaning health for all, and many visitors proclaim this the Costa Blanca's prettiest town. Modern buildings now line the waterfront, but the barrio viejo (old quarter) remains. Steep, narrow streets climb up to the parish church with its blue tile dome, characteristic of churches in the Levante region. In recent years, a number of artists of various nationalities have made their homes here. The church square (Plaza de Calvo Sotelo) is a pleasant place to site and watch the passersby and the stallholders selling their crafts.
If you're here on a Sunday afternoon, watch for local men playing pilota de carrer, a fiercely competitive game in which players whack a small hard ball at one another with their bare hands.
Benidorm car hire
There is so much to see and do in Benidorm that car hire should be pre-booked at Alicante Airport before you travel so you avoid delays on arrival and make the most of this diverse and fun region of Spain.
Things to do in Benidorm
This is the place for anyone who wants to take a day off from Spain. Formerly a simple fishing village, it has become an international resort town (almost everyone speaks English), cluttered with high-rise buildings and catering mainly to those on inexpensive package tours. Pensioners from all over Europe flock here in winter, and teenagers of all ages take over the place during the summer.
There are two fine beaches (topless), and the town is immaculately maintained. Jousting tournaments, dog races, discotheques, and bars (the nightlife tends to get a bit wild) are some of the attractions. The huge Benidorm Palace nightclub is the Costa Blanca's answer to the Folies Bergeres, complete with barebreasted dancers and flamenco, while the Casino Costa Blanca packs in gamblers by the busload. A passport is required for entry; there's also an admission charge.
Things to do in Almagro Spain
The landscape is pure Kansas, but visitors will not find a Renaissance jewel of a town like this one anywhere within wishing distance of Wichita.
The Order of Calatrava, the oldest and most important Spanish knightly order, established its headquarters here after winning the battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212; the order's squiggly cross emblem can be seen On nearly everyone of the historic buildings in town. The 16th-century Monasterio de la Asuncion de la Calatrava (Monastery of the Assumption of Calatrava), now commonly called the Convento de los Padres Dominicanos (Dominican Fathers Convent) located on the main street, Ejido de Calatrava, should not be missed.
The friars in residence happily escort visitors around the extraordinary Renaissance cloister, which surrounds pillars of solid Carrara marble, and the attached Gothic church.
The unusual green, glassed-in balconies propped up by the stone pillars of the elongated 14th-century Plaza Mayor reflect the southern German influence of the Fugger dynasty of banker-princes, who made Almagro their Iberian branch office during the 16th-century western hemisphere gold boom that helped keep Holy Roman Emperor Charles V solvent. Their palace, the Palacio de los Fucares , has a stone staircase and assembly hall worth seeing.
Midway along the Plaza Mayor's south portico is the entrance to Almagro's unique Corral de Comedias, a theater dating back to the 16th century's golden age of Spanish drama. Its survival is due to the fact that it was bricked up and forgotten until 1954. If no one's on duty to show off the two-tiered, half-timbered stage, the linteled galleries, and the pit for the groundlings.
During the annual Festival de Teatro Clasico, held throughout July, theater companies from all over the Spanish speaking world muster forces on its creaky stage and perform classics by masters such as Calderon de la Barca, Lope de Vega, and their foreign contemporaries including Shakespeare and Moliere. Tickets go on sale in mid-August and sell out quickly (they can be reserved through the tourist office).
A stroll around the heraldic mansions and palaces of the town's oldest quarter offers strong evidence that the women of Almagro continue to practice the local tradition of lace making. It's not uncommon to find practitioners sitting in doorways, wooden bobbins flying and clacking in their hands. There are also a few lace shops in the Plaza Mayor, where the markup is negligible.
For fine table linen, handkerchiefs, and towels at bargain prices, call at the home/shop of Marfa Carmen Manzano. Families from all over Spain also travel to Almagro to stock up on pickled baby eggplants, a regional delicacy packed in the earthenware jugs that are displayed in front of every shop in town.
Valencia and Murcia car hire
If you fly into Valencia or Murcia Airports, make sure you book car hire before you go. Valencia and Murcia Airport car hire is particularly busy in the summer months, and to avoid disappointment and delays when you arrive, you should book your rental car online before you fly. Cheap airport car hire in Alicante, Valencia and Murcia can be pre-booked in minutes.
The Levante region of Spain
Almond blossoms and white beaches, verdant orchards and stern mountain ranges, palm trees and sparkling blue water, and at least 300 days of sunshine a year is it any wonder that the Mediterranean coast south of Valencia has become one of Europe's most popular vacation areas?
Spain's Levante region is the coastal fringe bridging the gap between Catalonia and Andalusia. It includes three provinces (Castellon, Valencia, and Alicante) and the single province autonomous community of Murcia. Striking scenery, lively fiestas, unusual historical sights, and distinctive food are highlights of the region.
Costa Blanca car hire Spain
The middle section of this region, the Costa Blanca (White Coast), which lies in the province of Alicante, is the most popular, and unless you book car hire early, availability of vehicles becomes severely stretched in summer. Every summer, hundreds of thousands of Spaniards and other Europeans flock here to bask in the sunshine and enjoy a wide range of sporting and entertainment activities.
Resorts have mushroomed where there were only fishing villages and deserted beaches barely 35 years ago.The region caters to all tastes, and although it's easy to escape the crowds, it may not be advisable to plan a vacation here during July and August unless you don't mind the extreme heat. Spring and autumn are fine times to visit, and rainy winter days are usually followed by weeks of dazzling sunshine.
The Levante's lushness is due not only to the sunshine, but also to the Moors, who converted the arid but fertile plain between the treeless mountains and the sea into lush huertas (orchards and vegetable farms) by introducing an ingenious irrigation system. Remains of norias, giant Moorish water-raising wheels, can still be found on the huertas, where citrus fruits (thousands of tons of oranges and lemons are exported annually), dates, tomatoes, and a wealth of other fruits and vegetables still flourish.
Valencia history
The Moorish kingdom of Valencia, which dominated a vast slice of the coast, was added to James I of Aragon's Christian lands in 1238, and became part of the kingdom of Castile in the late 15th century. Murcia, which at one time acted as an intermediary between the Moors and Christians, was also conquered by Aragon, but remained a separately administered kingdom for another two centuries.
Although Castilian Spanish is the language of Murcia, the language commonly spoken in the region of Valencia is a local version of Catalan, known as valencia in Valencia and as alicantino in Aiicante. Anyone who speaks Castilian, French, or any other Latin language will not find this too difficult to understand, and those who attempt to master a few spoken phrases will certainly please the local residents. Good morning is bon dia, and please is per favor, Place names often appear in both languages - for example, Alicante is Alacant in the local language; Elche is Elx.
But everybody speaks Castilian, too, and since the Costa Blanca is such a popular vacation spot for British tourists, it is easier in some areas to find a speaker of English than of any other tongue.
Valencia and paella
Rice, which grows here in abundance, forms the basis for scores of regional dishes, including paella valenciana (rice with meat and seafood, including octopus and mussels), paella marinera (rice and fish), and arroz con costra (rice with pork and sausage, topped off with a half-dozen eggs). Squid and octopus are also popular local delicacies. Moorish influence is evident in such sticky desserts as turron (nougat) and glazed walnuts. Horchata de chufa, a milky chilled mixture of chufas (usually translated as earth almonds or tiger nuts), cinnamon, sugar, and water, is a favorite drink. Some good wines are produced in the region, particularly the hearty Jumilla and Yecla reds in Murcia.
Many travelers time their visits to the region to coincide with one of the many re-enactments of the epic struggles between Moors and Christians, some of which are among the most colorful, exuberant fiestas to be found anywhere. All along the coast, towns and villages spend the entire year preparing for their annual Moros y Cristianos battles. The towns of Alcoy (April 22), Elda (first week in June), and Villajoyosa (July 25), all in the province of Alicante, stage particularly spectacular make-believe battles.
Driving from Valencia to Murcia
The best driving route in the region starts in Valencia and heads south to the gracious seaport city of Alicante and on to the inland city of Murcia, with a spur to Cartagena back on the coast before veering southwest toward Granada. Those who can't wait to see the glories of the Alhambra can do the Valencia-Granada run in one day, but there are abundant reasons to spend at least four to five days on the journey.
As elsewhere in Spain, when planning visits to churches, museums, historic sites, and other places of touristic interest in the Levante region, keep in mind that they usually are open from 9:30 or 10 AM to 1 or 2 PM and then again from around 4 or 5 to 7 or 8 PM; hours may change with the seasons.
Denia things to do
Thanks to its mild climate and excellent beach, Denia has prospered from tourism, yet it has retained its charm. Founded by Phoenicians, the town's name is derived from the Roman Dianium, after the local Temple of Diana (no longer in existence). The Visigoths made it an episcopal seat, and it later served as the capital of a Moorish kingdom. The Museo Arqueologico, set in the 18th-century citadel perched above the town, contains some noteworthy Roman and Moorish relics unearthed in the area.
There are also some interesting 18th-entury buildings in the Plaza de los Caldos, including the Iglesia de Santa Maria (Church of St. Mary) and the Ayuntamiento (Town Hall). Denia is a good base for excursions. There is year-round service to the islands of Ibiza and Majorca via a passenger and vehicle ferry. For those In a rush, hydrofoils make the journey in 90 minutes. Schedules may vary, so inquire at the tourist office.
The trip takes two hours and 20 minutes and trains leave from the station on Calle Manuel Lattur in Denia.
Things to do in Javea
Situated on one of the Costa Blanca's finer bays, between two capes - Cabo de San Antonio and Cabo San Martin (the latter just around the coast from Cabo de la Nao)this resort town's barrio viejo (old quarter) stands on a rise inland from the fishing and pleasure port. Narrow streets, watchtowers, stone houses, surviving city walls and gateways, and an old castle contribute to its medieval look. Worth a visit is the Museo Municipal, built by King Felipe III during the early 17th century. It contains Roman and Punic remains, ceramics, and traditional crafts.
Places to visit in Altea
he name comes from the Moorish - Altaya, meaning health for all, and many visitors proclaim this the Costa Blanca's prettiest town. Modern buildings now line the waterfront, but the barrio viejo (old quarter) remains. Steep, narrow streets climb up to the parish church with its blue tile dome, characteristic of churches in the Levante region. In recent years, a number of artists of various nationalities have made their homes here. The church square (Plaza de Calvo Sotelo) is a pleasant place to site and watch the passersby and the stallholders selling their crafts.
If you're here on a Sunday afternoon, watch for local men playing pilota de carrer, a fiercely competitive game in which players whack a small hard ball at one another with their bare hands.
Benidorm car hire
There is so much to see and do in Benidorm that car hire should be pre-booked at Alicante Airport before you travel so you avoid delays on arrival and make the most of this diverse and fun region of Spain.
Things to do in Benidorm
This is the place for anyone who wants to take a day off from Spain. Formerly a simple fishing village, it has become an international resort town (almost everyone speaks English), cluttered with high-rise buildings and catering mainly to those on inexpensive package tours. Pensioners from all over Europe flock here in winter, and teenagers of all ages take over the place during the summer.
There are two fine beaches (topless), and the town is immaculately maintained. Jousting tournaments, dog races, discotheques, and bars (the nightlife tends to get a bit wild) are some of the attractions. The huge Benidorm Palace nightclub is the Costa Blanca's answer to the Folies Bergeres, complete with barebreasted dancers and flamenco, while the Casino Costa Blanca packs in gamblers by the busload. A passport is required for entry; there's also an admission charge.
Labels: Places to visit in Altea, Valencia and Murcia car hire
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