Things2DoSpain

The top 25 water parks in Spain

noreply@blogger.com (Fay) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 12:42:00 +0000

Spain offers visitors thousands of things to see and do, and one of the most popular attractions are the water parks, which provide family fun for thousands of holidaymakers every year.

The best 25 water parks in Costa Blanca, Costa del Sol, Costa Brava, Ibiza, Tenerife, Costa Dorada, Mallorca, Madrid,

Lanzarote, Barcelona, Gran Canaria and Menorca include:

1. Aqualandia Water Park, Benidorm, Costa Blanca

2. Aquapolis Water Park, Torrevieja, Seville and Costa Dorada

3. Parque Aquatico Water Park, Mijas-Costa, Costa del Sol

4. Aqualand Water Park, Torremolinos, Costa del Sol

5. Aqua Brava Water Park, Las Garrigas, Costa Brava

6. Aqua Diver Water Park, Costa Brava

7. Marineland Water Park, Costa Brava

8. Aquaola Water Park, Granada

9. Aqualandia Water Park, Talamanca, Ibiza

10. Aqualandia Water Park, Mallorca

11. Marineland Water Park, Mallorca

12. Hidropark Water Park, Mallorca

13. Aqualand Water Park, Maspalomas, Gran Canaria

14. Ocean Water Park, Gran Canaria

15. Aqua Centre Water Park, Menorca

16. Aqualand Water Park, Costa Adeje, Tenerife

17. Octopus Water Park, Tenerife

18. Waterworld, Lloret de Mar, Costa Brava

19. Aquapolis Water Park, Madrid

20. Aquasur Water Park, Madrid

21. Aranjuez Water Park, Madrid

22. Aqua Lanza Water Park, Costa Teguise, Lanzarote

23. Marineland Water Park, Catalonia

24. Aqualeon Water Park, Costa Dorada

25. Illa Fantasia Water Park, Barcelona

All the water parks in Spain provide rides, attractions and slides for visitors of all ages, and most have special play areas and scaled-down slides for the smaller kids. If you are planning to travel to Spain during the summer months, you can even book tickets online for most of the water parks, which will save you time and money when you arrive.

Costa del Sol places to visit

noreply@blogger.com (Fay) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 12:15:00 +0000

The Costa del Sol is one of Spain´s most popular tourist destinations, and with 320 average days of sunshine every year, the region attracts thousands of tourists every year from around the world.

For many, mention of the Costa del Sol conjures up visions of suntanned bodies on the beach, luxurious hotels set in tropical gardens, golfing and glitzy marinas lined with millionaires' yachts, lively restaurants and swinging discos in other words, the high life, where you might rub shoulders with celebrities. Indeed, the Costa del Sol can offer all of this though, since its popularity took off in the 1960s and it became the 'in place' for the jet set, it has had its ups and downs. However, in recent years it has regained its position as a top year-round destination.

The ambience is cosmopolitan and expatriates from all walks of life have settled here with a particularly high concentration around Torremolinos, Marbella and Fuengirola.Although the scene has changed with the times, the 'beautiful people' still come here. The tendency is now to seek more seclusion, however, with much of the entertaining and partying taking place in private But the Costa del Sol still exudes an aura of glamour, which serves as a continuing magnet to visitors. Its mild, sunny winter climate, unrivalled in Europe, is an additional attraction.

From the late 90s onwards there has been an effort to encourage visitors to look beyond the beach only holiday, and to sample the more rural pleasures of the hinterland. The Costa del Sol is an excellent gateway to the beautiful interior of Andalucía with its enchanting white towns and villages dotted about the countryside, peaceful landscapes and its real jewels, the historic cities of Seville, Cordoba and Granada.

Costa del Sol information

The Costa del Sol is now officially within the province of Malaga, but this book covers a more extended area, including the provinces of Granada and Cadiz, and the hinterland.
The Costa del Sol covers nearly 300km of the Mediterranean coast.

Average temperatures: spring 20°C, summer 28°C, autumn 18°C, winter 13°C.Average sea temperatures: 15°C in January, 24°C in August.A minimum 8 hours' sunshine is expected daily for 320 days a year.Most rainfall is likely to occur between December and March.The famous sweet Malaga wines are produced in Los Montes de Malaga Antequera, north of the city, and in La Axarquia, to the east.

Olive groves are a feature of the Andalucía landscape. Olive oil, which is refined in Malaga, rates among Spain's leading exports.Oranges, lemons, and acres of vegetables such as peppers, tomatoes and potatoes are cultivated along with wheat, sugar-cane, tobacco and cotton.

Cumin, coriander, cinnamon, marjoram, thyme and rosemary are among the herbs which flourish here.The uplands of the Guadalquivir are famous for black fighting bulls and thoroughbred horses.

Long sandy beaches stretch along the western Costa del Sol; east of Malaga you will come across smaller beaches and rocky coves. The Costa del Sol has over 500 golf courses. There are some 20 tennis clubs and most top grade hotels have tennis courts. This stretch of coast boasts over 10 marinas. Many resorts offer sailing, waterskiing, windsurfing (top spot Punta de Tarifa) and scuba diving.

Parasailing, hang gliding and delta winging are also widely available in resorts.Skiing in the Sierra Nevada, Europe's most southerly ski resort, is an increasingly popular winter sport.
Stables offer horse rides along and behind the coast.

Costa del Sol life

Life on the Costa del Sol is generally a relaxing affair with priorities leaning towards sunbathing, swimming (perhaps), drinking and eating, with a siesta occupying the greater part of the afternoon. The more energetic may want to go sailing or waterskiing, while others might opt for golf or tennis. In the evening, after a late dinner, the dedicated will enjoy dancing in a club or disco until the early hours.

10 Costa del Sol things to do

• Dance until dawn in Puerto Banus. Take your pick from dozens of discos, bars and clubs, admire the yachts and enjoy some of the finest restaurants in Spain.
• Visit Malaga and do an evening round of the wealth of tapas bars centered in the old town.
• Walk up to the Alcazaba and Gibralfaro for the panoramic views over Malaga and the bay.
• See a flamenco show in Malaga or inland in Sevilla.
• Have an evening drink on Marbella's promenade and watch the sunset, taking in a wide view of the Rock of Gibraltar and coastline of Africa.
• Take a trip to Ronda, which is one of the most fascinating towns in Andalucia. Stroll around the old town and enjoy the views over the gorge and surrounding countryside.
• Drive up to Mijas-Pueblo, which is just ten minutes inland from Fuengirola. Whitewashed houses cling to the hillside, and donkey taxis will transport you around this typically-Andalucian village.
• Book an excursion to the Alhambra Palace in Granada, which is said to be the 8th wonder of the world. This fascinating fortress has stood since the 1400s and is a magnificent monument from the times of Moorish rule in Spain.
• Take a trip to Gibraltar for the day. Only an hour´s drive by hire car or coach from Marbella, Gibraltar is a fascinating place to see. British shops, bars and restaurants mingle with casinos, waterside cafés and excellent hotels. Take a rock tour and visit the Barbary Apes who inhabit the upper regions of the rock.
• Take a trip to the Nerja Caves, which were uncovered in the 1950s by accident and are home to some of the world´s most incredible stalagmites and stalactites.

Inland Costa del Sol

For those who feel like taking a break from the hustle and bustle of the Costa del Sol, there are many possibilities. The inland areas offer a variety of landscapes, from olive groves in rolling hills, to dramatic mountain ranges with snowcapped peaks. In a very short time you can leave behind the heat of the coast and lose yourself in the tranquil surroundings of inland Andalucia.

Costa del Sol parks

Within reach of the coast are a number of protected areas and nature parks. With landscapes of wild natural beauty and a wealth of flora and fauna they make an ideal destination for the nature lover seeking peace and quiet. Among these are the Parque Natural Montes de Malaga, north of Malaga; and south of Antequera, the Parque Natural Torcal de Antequera, which features weird and wonderful rock formations. Further west, from the Marbella area, you can easily reach the National Game Reserve near Monda, or the Parque Natural Sierra de Las Nieves, south of Ronda, with its rugged cliffs and great ravines.
Further west are the nature parks of Grazalema and Los Alcornocales, both areas of natural, unspoilt landscape. South-east of Granada and easily accessible from the eastern section of the Costa del Sol is the Parque Natural Sierra Nevada, famed for its striking scenery and diversity of plant and animal life.

Hiking and Horse riding

The nature parks are wonderful areas for hikers and usually have marked trails for visitors to follow. Information on walking trails can be obtained from local tourist offices. The region of Las Alpujarras with its varied scenery also provides excellent walking terrain. With its long tradition of raising and riding horses, Andalucía provides an ideal backdrop for long distance trekking. Stables are plentiful and horses can be hired to explore the coast and its hinterland.

Accommodation inland Andalucia

Mountain refuges and country houses in traditional Andalucía style make it possible to stay in some of these remote areas. Often located in wild, mountainous terrain and offering magnificent views, they are usually located near access roads.

Bird watching Andalucia

Spring and autumn are good periods to watch the European bird migration, Using Spain's southern coast as a resting place, hundreds of species of birds stop here on their journey between Africa and northern Europe. Early morning is a good time to see new arrivals and vantage points are Punta Marroqui at Tarifa, Calahonda, east of Marbella, and Benalmadena.
The nature reserve at the mouth of the river Guadalhorce, located just east of Torremolinos, not far from Malaga airport, is another good place for bird watching. An area of exceptional beauty, however, is the Laguna de Fuente de Piedra. Located off the N334 west of Antequera, it is known as the Pink Lagoon, afte; the large colony of pink flamingos which comes here every year to breed. The best time to see these spectacular birds is from the end of January to June.

Costa del Sol history

In the 18th and 19th centuries a number of writers, romantics and intrepid travelers discovered for themselves the attractions of Malaga and wrote about it. Hans Christian Andersen, who stayed here towards the middle of the 19th century, wrote of the joyous way of life. Lord Byron, George Borrow and Richard Ford were among others who contributed to discovering Malaga as a winter holiday destination. Later, the interior of the region attracted writers and poets such as Rainer Maria Rilke, Gerald Brenan, Laurie Lee and Ernest Hemingway. Federico Garcia Lorca, poet and playwright, came from rural Granada.

Picasso and Malaga

One of Malaga's most famous sons is the celebrated painter Pablo Ruiz Picasso who was born here in 1881. He began to paint at the age of seven, later joining the School of Fine Arts in La Coruña and moving to Barcelona in 1895. A new Picasso museum is scheduled to open in Malaga in late 2002 or early 2003.

Marbella celebrities

By the 1960s the tourism industry had developed along the Costa del Sol and the Marbella Club, creation of Alfonso de Hohenlohe, began to attract the rich and famous. Marbella acquired a reputation as a playground for the jet set. Since then the area has seen a flood of personalities, adding their mark to the star-studded scene.

Costa del Sol golf

Given its emphasis on sport, especially golf, it is not surprising that the Costa del Sol continues to receive its fair share of sports personalities In the world of golf, Severiano Ballesteros and Jose Maria Olazable are frequent visitors. Tennis stars Bjorn Borg, Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, Conchita Martinez and Alberto Beresategui visit the area, and former champion Manolo Santana runs a tennis club near Marbella.

Seville Cordoba and Granada

noreply@blogger.com (Fay) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 19:41:00 +0000

One of the most passionate and beautiful cities in Spain, Seville offers visitors plenty of things to see and do. From its incredible baroque cathedral to its cobbled streets and tapas bars, there is something for everyone in this vibrant city.Seville's main shopping street is the Calle Sierpes. This is the place for fashionable clothes as well as more typical fare, from fans to ceramics. Martian offers a pleasing display of Sevillian ceramics and poltery. Zadi has a serious collection of fans, mantillas and Lladro porcelain, while the old-fashioned Marquedano stocks a classic range of Andalusian hats.

To the east, the Plaza de Jesus de la Pasion is the city's matrimony corner, with several jewellery shops. Beyond the northern end of Calle Sierpes you come to the Plaza del Duque de la Victoria, with Spain's largest department store, EI Corte Ingles.

Shopping Seville

the corner on Calle Alfonso XII Sevilla Rock sells Spanish pop and guitar music including flamenco and sevillanas. For ceramics, La Alacena (further down Alfonso XII, at No 25) has top of the range china and crockery from La Canuja factory (now on the Carretera de Merida). Puerta Triana (corner of Calle Santas Patronas and Calle Reyes Catolicos) has a less expensive selection of painted plates, bowls and jugs while across the bridge in Triana, Cenmica Santa Ana (Calle San Jorge ) is a rambling show room with enough antique and modern azulejos.

On the east side of the Maestranza bullring, Jamon Reall Esther Fernandez Fdez. (Calle Lopez de Arenas 5) sells Extremaduran wines, meats and cheeses, marmalade and homemade wines and liqueurs (it also has a small bar where you can sample products); there's another branch, Jamon Real II, at Calle Pastor y Landero Being a university town, Seville has many good book shops. One of the best is Venice, across from the Old Tobacco Factory on Calle San Fernando.

Things to buy in Cordoba

The English word 'cordwainer' is derived from Cordoba and testifies to the city's long tradition of high quality leatherwork. In the area bordering La Mezquita you'll find studios and cobblers' workshops, such as the one at Calle Magistral Gonzalez Frances 7 which specialises in riding boots.

Silver filigree (filigrana de plata) is also common. Look out also for two distinctive types of ceramic plate: the green and white Caliphal pottery based on 10th century Arab designs, and the dark green pottery from Lucena. Montilla wines and anis flavored licor from Rute are other specialties’.

In the small shops and stalls on the Plaza de la Corredera you'll find tyresoled sandals, iron rings for hanging up flowerpots, barbecue utensils and wickerwork chairs, baskets, hampers and linen chests. Near the Ayuntamiento the guarnicioneria Rafael Estevez Lopez (Calle San Pablo 6) sells saddles, riding tackle and woolen blankets while the Zoco, the old souk opposite the Synagogue on Calle Judios 5, is the headquarters for Cordoba Association of Craftsmen, many of whom have their shops here. Il is a good place to browse for silver filigree, jewellery, leather work and ceramics.

Granada souvenirs

Granada's souvenirs play heavily on the city's Moorish past embossed leather, marquetry chessboards, inlaid furniture, and a distinctive blue and green pottery known as jajalauza are the most obvious examples. The Albaicfn is the best place to chance upon these but you'll also find them in the Cuesta de Gomerez at the foot of Alhambra hill. Woven products from the Alpujarras mountains are worth looking at the Tejidos Fortuny workshop (Plaza de Fortuny I) has attractive rugs and wall hangings.
Granada's main shopping area lies south and east of the cathedral. Calle Pescaderia has small friendly shops selling meats and cheeses and a stall opposite the Bar Boca has good jajalauza pottery. You may find interesting bargains in the Alcaicerfa (the old silk market). For a spot of self-indulgence, buy a box of mouthwatering cakes from Flor y Nata (Calle Mesones 51) or Lopez Mezquita.

Markets

Markets are the best place to buy fresh food from the countryside: honey, goats' cheese, spiced meats, snails, seafood, olives, nuts, bread and fruit. Produce markets usually start early and pack up around I pm.

In Seville every district hosts its own daily fresh produce market there is one in the Plaza de la Encarnacion and another across the Triana bridge (turn right), on the site of the old Inquisition headquarters. There is a small weekday arts and crafts market outside EI Corte Ingles in the Plaza del Duque de la Victoria. In the north of the city there's a centuries old flea market on Thursday in Calle Feria known as 'EI Jueves'.
Nearby in the Alameda de Hercules a similar bric-a-brac market takes place on Sunday mornings. At the same time there's a bird and pet market (including silkworms) in the Plaza de la Alfalfa, and a stamp and coin collector's market in the Plaza del Cabildo.
In Cordoba the main market venue is the Corredera. In the week a covered mercado sells fresh produce while stalls outside sell fabric, clothes, plants and household items. On weekends this becomes a flea market.

Granada's nicest market is in the Plaza Larga in the Albaicin, but you'll find a belter range in the Mercado de San Agustin on the southwest corner of the cathedral.
Eating and drinking in Seville Cordoba and Granada

In cities like Seville, Cordoba and Granada people never seem to stop eating. Mornings are when work gets done and breakfast is but a meditative moment. Anything goes as long as it's quick: coffee and brandy, chocolate and churros (extrusions of sweet battered dough), bread dunked in olive oil, toast and dripping all taken standing at the bar. By II am the mood shifts cake wards or to an elevenses ice-cream, but by noon the emphasis changes again as the bar staff start putting out their freshly made tapas.
By 7pm it's time for the paseo and an obligatory ice cream, after which the tapas appear again around 5pm. Restaurants are in action by 9pm but rarely full before 10pm at weekends they will still be serving new customers at midnight. After dinner, it is time for an oloroso, a sticky cake. Seville claims to have invented tapas (snacks and appetizers) and can even tell you the bar where this national custom originated:

EI Rinconcillo (near the Santa Catalina church, Calle Gerona 40) where the staff developed the habit of covering a glass of fino with a tapa (lid) of ham. Today tapas are found everywhere and can be anything from a saucer of spiced olives or some slices of jamon serrano (mountain ham) to a gourmet dish of oranges, onions and bacalao (dried cod), or a hot terracotta dish of paella.

A tapa or porcion is simply a taster, while a racion is a small dish, often cooked. Lunch is the best time for raciones the daily menu will be written on a board or the dishes just put out on the counter. Often the bill turns out to be as costly as a meal but the taste of fino and gambas (prawns), or a cerveza (beer) and boquerones (anchovies in garlic and vinegar), is quintessential Spain. If you're a serious tapas addict head straight for Seville to investigate Modesto (Calle Cano y Cucto 5) or the Hosteleria del Laurel (Plaza de los Venerables) in the Barrio Santa Cruz and Casa Manolo (Calle San Jorge) in Triana.

Most bars have an alarming array of mountain hams and spiced sausages suspended from the ceiling, all tagged like prize antiques. You could also try some salchichon (salami), chorizo (red spicy sausage) or morcilla (blood sausage) while habas con jamon (broad beans with ham) is a typical Granada dish. Gazpacho is another famous Andalusia creation, a chilled soup based on bread and olive oil and flavored with vegetables and herbs usually tomatoes, garlic and peppers. The Cordobans make their own, thicker version called salmorejo while ajo blanco is a white soup from Malaga based on garlic, almonds and fruit.

In restaurants look for regional dishes large fish are often served with a saffron, paprika or tomato sauce while zarzuela is a fish stew with a spiced tomato sauce. Fried fish can be bought in takeaway freidurias. Desserts always include a choice of fresh fruit or ice cream but in better quality restaurants you'll be able to dither over tarta de almendras (almond tart), crema de membrillo con queso (quince jelly with cheese), pastel cordobis (puff pastry with candied fruit) or the tocino de cielo (caramel custard) from Cadiz.

Andalusia's most famous drink is sherry, a fortified wine from Jerez de la Frontera. Tthe Spanish will drink it with a meal and indeed whenever they can find an excuse. It is the classic complement to tapas. Fino is the most common drink a light, dry sherry, always served chilled. Amontillado is mellower with a nutty flavor and an amber hue. Oloroso is mature, dark and rich, often drunk as a dessert wine. Palo cortado is richer than amontillado but lighter than oloroso. You should also try manzanilla, afino made in Sanlucar de Barrameda on the Atlantic coast where the salty sea air gives it a distinctive tang.

Andalusian wines are few and come a poor second to their Sherries. Exceptions are the excellent strong white Montilla Moriles, produced in Cordoba (amontillado means 'like a Montilla'), and the sweet dessert wines made in Malaga from muscatel grapes. Brandies are also produced around Jerez, varying from the cheap, highly addictive Soberano to the luxurious Carlos I. There are also assorted firewater’s variously flavored with almonds, cherries, oranges, apricots and anis. Spanish measures of spirits are liberal, so take care.

The history of Seville Granada and Cordoba

noreply@blogger.com (Fay) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 18:14:00 +0000

The history of the Rio Guadalquivir, one of Spain's great rivers, reflects that of the south of the country. Now bloated with silt, it is a portly descendant of the fast flowing, frequently flooding Baetis (Blessed) river that the Romans knew. From the mountains of north-eastern Jaen, its waters wend their way westwards for some 600km (375 miles), carving an ever widening valley that culminates in Las Marismas. These broad marshlands stall its entry into the Atlantic beside the sherry town of Sanlucar de Barrameda. When their fleets arrived here in the 1st century BC, the Romans could sail upriver as far as Cordoba, a strategic point already colonized by Phoenician, Carthaginian and Iberian settlers.

The Romans and southern Spain

The Romans laid the ground plan of southern Spain, building roads, bridges and aqueducts. They established Cordoba, the home of Seneca and Lucan, as the capital of Hispania Ulterior, and redeveloped many of the prehistoric settlements built alongside the Baetis, including Hispalis (now Seville), Carmona and Wilica. The vicinity's numerous archaeological excavations have produced many an artifact that now graces the museums and stately homes of Seville and Cordoba. Of these the most famous is the gold jeweler that constitutes the Carambolo treasure in Seville's Museo Arqueologico. This incredible collection testifies to the wealth of the kingdom of Tartessus that flourished here in the 8th and 9th centuries BC. Near Santiponce (on what are now the western outskirts of Seville) you can wander amid the crumbling ruins of Roman Italica, birthplace of the emperors Trajan and Hadrian, while at Carmona you can see the remains of the necropolis and amphitheatre.

The Visigoths in Spain

The fall of the Roman Empire led to the rise of the Visigoths, who set up their capital in Toledo. A number of Visigoth fountains, arches and columns can still be seen lurking inside Andalusia monuments constructed many centuries later. In AD711 the Moors principally Arabs and North African Berbers landed at Tarifa. This arrival marked the start of a phenomenal advance: in seven years the Moors conquered virtually the whole peninsula. What had begun as a daring foray was to result in eight centuries of Moorish rule and the flowering of a great civilisation.

The Moors called their new land Al-Andalus, and the river that fed it Guadalquivir (Great River). By the 10th century, Cordoba, the capital of Al-Andalus, had become the most important city in Europe. It was four times its present size, and had a university, libraries, public baths, workshops, street lighting and more than 1,000 mosques.

The greatest of these, La Mezquita, still stands as a testimony to this golden age, which reached its apogee with the construction of the palaces at Medinat al Zahra (now Medina Zahara, just outside Cordoba). Today their partly restored ruins barely hint at the opulence of a royal pleasure park that had its own zoo, mint, fabric factory and arsenal. At its centre stood a pool filled with mercury; when stirred, the sunlight's reflection would flash round the surrounding marble patios and the gold and silver tiles of the roofs.

The Moors in Andalucia

Fabulous wealth grew from the Moors' talent for irrigation in the rich lands of the Guadalquivir Valley. The Greeks had introduced the vine and the olive both cultivated intensively by the Romans but it was the Arabs who added the orange and the almond tree, along with rice, aubergines, saffron, cotton, silk farming, Merino sheep and herbs, spices and fruits. They also, like the Phoenicians before them and the British long after, exploited the mineral resources of the surrounding sierras.
Inevitably, it did not last. By the 11th century the refined glory of the Umayyad Caliphate had disintegrated into feuding taifas (factional kingdoms). These were easily overrun by the strict and austere Almoravids whose Berber armies were summoned to prevent a Christian reconquest. They in turn were succeeded by the more liberal Almohads, who established their capital in Seville the greatest of the taifas and bequeathed us the Giralda and Torre del Oro as mementoes of their reign.

The Decline of Andalucia

In 1212 the Christians defeated the Almohads at Las Navas de Tolosa in the Sierra Morena, a turning point in the 700-year Reconquista. By 1236, Ferdinand III had captured Cordoba, and in 1248 he took Seville. Ferdinand was aided by the complicity of the first Nasrid king, Ibnal Ahmar, who had retreated from Jaen to the mountains of the Sierra Nevada and a new power base in the former Almoravid capital of Granada. As a result of a peace treaty with the Christians, the kingdom of Granada which covered the modern provinces of Malaga, Granada and Almeria survived as a vassal state for 250 years. The city flourished, not least due to an influx of Muslim refugees and artisans from other captured cities. Indeed the newcomers played a key role in building the Alhambra, the Nasrid dynasty's memorial to the swan song days of Al-Andalus. At the same time the Christian king Pedro the Cruel was also employing Moorish craftsmen to build another tribute to this fading world the Alcazar in Seville.

In 1492 the Catholic monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella captured Granada, Columbus discovered the New World, and the Jews were expelled from Spain. By then the notorious Inquisition had been in force for 12 years (it was to survive until 1821), autosdafe (burnings of heretics) were a fact of Sevillian life, and conversos (converted Jews) were having their wealth confiscated for investment in projects such as Columbus's second voyage. In 1503 the monopoly of trade with the New World was awarded to Seville's Casa de la Contratacion, from which the city reaped great profits.

One of its employees, Amerigo Vespucci, gave his name to the new continent, Hernando Cortes sailed from Seville to ravage Mexico, and Ferdinand Magellan circumnavigated the globe. Conquisladores returned laden with gold and new curiosities such as peppers, tomatoes, quinine and tobacco.

Seville and the Moors

By 1588 Seville had a population of at least 80,000, and a stature equal to that of Venice. But from the end of the 16th century it embarked on a slow, glorious descent into decadence, a decline exacerbated by the expulsion of the moriscos (converted Moors) in 1610 and a terrible plague in 1649. During the 16th and 17th centuries Seville acted as a transit point for trade, administration and emigration. Its Lonja (Exchange), financed by a quarter percent tax on the import of silver, is now the Archive of the Indies, where you can see the signatures of these early colonizers.

Seville religion

These were heady days in Seville. Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616), who served time in Seville's prison, recorded its colorful, roguish underworld in his novels; Bartolome Esteban Murillo (1617-82) painted the beggars and other characters that filled the city's crowded streets. The Church, its coffers filled to bursting by the activities of the Inquisition, acquired a wealth that enabled it to build for itself luxury city centre sanctuaries that to this day force pedestrians into circumnavigator detours.

At one point the city had more than 70 convents, a glut mitigated only by their decorations, which often featured paintings and sculpture by artists such as Velazquez, Cano, Zurbaran, Murillo and Leal - all members of what is now referred to as the Seville School. Their works can be seen in Seville's excellent Fine Arts Museum.

In 1717 the silting of the Guadalquivir forced the Casa de la Contratacion to be moved south to Cadiz, thus hastening official recognition of Seville's decline. Cordoba and Granada were now merely provincial backwaters in a demoralized country whose empire had been shriveled by the 1701-14 War of the Spanish Succession. In the 18th and 19th centuries Andalusia gained a reputation as the home of gypsies, brigands, majos (dandies) and matadors that enchanted northern Europeans.

Seville was seen as a city of aristocratic seducers called Don Juan and streetwise barbers called Figaro, while a sultry gypsy girl by the name of Carmen worked in the heat of its famous tobacco factory. In reality, however, Andalusia was a place of political chaos and deep poverty: by the beginning of the 19th century, 72 percent of the farming land in Seville was owned by an elite and invariably absentee landlord class that comprised barely five percent of its population.

Travellers in southern Spain

Poverty contributed to the appeal of southern Spain for the numerous aristocratic travelers who hired mules, boats and carriages to tour its provinces. They enjoyed its dilapidated state, exotic landscape and Moorish Oriental heritage. The Alhambra now a picturesque ruin inspired many a Romantic eulogy. Washington Irving swam in its ancient pools, Theophile Gautier cooled sherry in its fountains and hotels appeared on the hill. But it was the passionate, sensual lifestyle of the Andalusians that really set northern heart’s pumping.

Hans Christian Andersen, visiting Andalusia in the 1860s, admitted his disappointment that he had experienced 'just a little encounter with bandits'. One intrepid lady traveler, en route to the Sahara in the same period, confessed that, after hearing a guitarist in Granada, 'you are ready to make love and war'. Spain, which meant Andalusia to these visitors, was in vogue. This fashion as encouraged by the nation's victories in the Peninsular War (1809-14), its low cost of living and the growth of trade interests such as sherry. Granada and Seville topped the bill of places to see: 'Seville, the marvel of Andalusia, can be seen in a week' declared Richard Ford in his 1845 Handbook for Spain, a masterly work that did much to put Spain on the tourist map. Cordoba tended to receive, as it does today, a more perfunctory inspection.

By the end of the 19th century, Spain had lost virtually all of its remaining colonies, and it still lacked political stability. The nation remained neutral in World War 1 but in the 1920s it became bogged down in a war of independence with its onetime masters, the Berber tribes of Morocco. In an attempt to create a lasting order out of chaos, General Miguel Primo de Rivera assumed power in a semi dictatorship that had the concurrence of King Alfonso XIII: the pastiche pavilions built for the 1929 Ibero American Exposition in Seville are a legacy of his period of power.

In the 1930s Ernest Hemingway wrote Death in the Afternoon, a paean to the 'noble art' of bullfighting, but it was fighting of a different nature that characterized that decade in Spain. Almost one million people were killed in the Spanish Civil War (1936-9), including many who were executed at the start of the conflict in Seville, Cordoba and Granada, which were among the first cities to be taken by Franco's Nationalist forces. One such victim was the Granada born writer, Federico Garcia Lorca. Indeed many artists, writers and intellectuals volunteered their support for the Republican cause, but they could not stand between Franco and a fascist victory.

Spain and World War II

In the aftermath of World War II, in which Spain remained neutral, the country was left isolated and impoverished. Franco's dictatorship lasted until his death in 1975, a period of steady economic advance scarred by political and cultural repression. Many Andalusia’s migrated to the northern industrial cities or abroad, leaving the countryside deserted. Franco's acceptance in 1953 of American military bases in exchange for loans, along with Spain's subsequent admission to the UN, accelerated its economic recovery and led to the development of mass tourism during the 1960s.

In 1975, monarchy returned in the shape of King Juan Carlos, soon to be followed by democratic elections. In 1982 the Socialist PSOE party, led by the charismatic Sevillian lawyer Felipe Gonzalez, won a sweeping victory that paved the way for long overdue investment in the region. The great manifestation of this was Expo '92 in Seville, which brought new roads, high-speed trains and a building boom to the regional capital.

And yet, for all the high-tech facelifts, the romantic, rose in the teeth view of Andalusia persists. The Andalusia’s themselves foster this image in their patios, bars, peiias (clubs) and ferias (fairs), and in the countryside, where donkeys are still used to plough the fields. Andalusia will always be Spain spiced with the tang of North Africa, a mountain locked land racked by summer heat and fed by the waters of the Guadalquivir.

About Costa Blanca

noreply@blogger.com (Fay) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 18:07:00 +0000

The Costa Blanca offers visitors a wide range of things to see and do. From the high rise hotels and fantastic entertainment venues in Benidorm to the quiet inland villages of the rural Costa Blanca, this region of Spain attracts thousands of visitors every year.Most visitors to the Costa Blanca head for Benidorm, knowing that the Mediterranean's biggest resort will provide an unforgettable holiday. Many tourists find everything they need in the coastal resorts an agreeable year-round climate, a good standard of accommodation and plenty to do.But the Costa Blanca has much more. A few kilometers from the tourist centers traditional Spain re-emerges, a country where historic towns are set amid superb scenery and the rural pace of life remains undisturbed. Finding this other side is a challenge and delight, and the memory of this will last long after the tan has faded.

Costa Blanca culture

It is a land of huge variety, with thriving ports, bustling cities and a vast agricultural industry. Life has changed immensely in the last 50 years, but its people remain fiercely proud of their region, their history, their traditions and their culture For most visitors though, the main attraction will be the beauty and fertility of the land. High sierras soar above terraced valleys planted with almonds, oranges and olives. Discover the vineyards, hidden upland streams, and vistas of buff, red and ochre peaks. Explore the still lonely coastal stretches, where pines shade rocky paths and the air is scented with aromatic plants. Gaze over the salt flats, haunt of wading birds, a flat and shimmering landscape backed by miles of rich market gardens. The sooner you discover this Costa Blanca, the more you'll enjoy this lovely corner of Europe.

Costa Blanca Information

The Costa Blanca officially lies along the coastline of the region of Valencia, but now includes the hinterland and the region of Murcia. At 325km, the Segura is Spain's eighth longest river.Espuna, with a height of 1,579m is the area's highest mountain.There is one regional park and several natural parks, including marine reserves, within the area.The northern part of the Costa Blanca enjoys 3,147 hours of sunshine annually, and the southern 3,098 hours.The annual rainfall ranges from 394 to 148mm and occurs mainly in the winter months.

People in the Costa Blanca

Most of the population of the area live in the cities and their suburbs.Only around 50 per cent of the area's inhabitants were born here of local parents.Over 70 per cent of foreign property owners are English or German.The main fruit crops are oranges, lemons, cherries, peaches, nectarines and loquats.Large amounts of almonds and olives are grown here and are important Spanish exports.Local produce includes rice, tomatoes, peppers, courgettes, beans, aubergines and a range of salads, which are exported throughout Europe.Fruit and nut processing are major industries.Shoe manufacture is an important source of revenue.

Tourism in Alicante and the Costa Blanca

Holiday life on the Costa Blanca revolves around sun, sand and sea, with plenty of good food and a few late nights. If this is your first visit here, soak up the sun and the atmosphere, sparing perhaps a couple of days for exploring the beautiful inland mountains and one or two atmospheric towns. Once you have tasted the diversity of the region, you will probably return and gradually get to know the hidden corners, where traditional Spanish life has remained untouched by the glitz of the big resorts. Bottom: clean beaches lie within an easy stroll of Costa Blanca's modern hotels

Best things to do on the Costa Blanca

Take the scenic Costa Blanca Express between Alicante and Denia for great views and glimpses of small-town life; or hop on at night and have dinner up the coast from your resort.Take a boat ride for fresh breezes and a change of scene, to the offshore island of Abarca, Benidorm Island, or the islands in the Mar Menor.Go to a local market and admire the produce, smell the flowers and buy a picnic, a paella pan or a pair of locally made sandals.

Have a gastronomic day out sampling local wine, locally grown rice, almonds and honey, and turron, a super sweet nougat produced here to be eaten at Christmas.Take in a fiesta, be it the pre-Lenten Carnaval, the Holy Week processions, a Moros y Cristianos parade commemorating the Reconquest, or a summer firework display. Eat a traditional rice dish fish based on the coast. or with pork, game and vegetables inland. Top: the crags of Guadalest rise above the roofs of this picturesque village Above: an Alicante flower stall glows with warm southern colors.
Rural inland Costa Blanca

As in so many parts of Spain, tourism in the Costa Blanca clings to the highly developed coastal strip, leaving the hinterland virtually untouched. Less than 8km inland from even the busiest resort, Spanish rural life continues as it has always done. So if you crave tranquility you never have far to go, with the added bonus that this lovely coast is backed by some wonderful countryside.

Even beside the sea there are still undeveloped pockets where you can have a swim, rock scramble or a cliff top walk far from the sights and sounds of the 21 st century. There are some impressive pine studded cliffs and solitary coves south of Cabo de la Nao, with stretches of dune backed secluded sand between Alicante (Alacant) and Torrevieja, and remote, empty bays and beaches at Calblanque below Cabo de Palos, now a designated natural park. These coastal areas have an exceptionally rich spring flora; lavender, thyme, rosemary, white, yellow and pink cistus, and other aromatic plants carpet the cliffs from March to June. Some parts of the coastal water have remarkable submarine life, which flourishes on the expanses of sea grass, and includes the now rare turtle. The salt flats around Santa Pola and Torrevieja provide rich feeding for more than 250 species of birds, including good-sized flamingo colonies.

South of Alicante

South of Alicante the area behind the coastline is relatively flat and very fertile, planted with vegetable crops and huge orange groves, the landscape dotted with small farms and sentinel palm trees. The palms form a forest around Elche thousands of trees carpeted with cool greenery, where you can stroll in shady peace. South again, Murcia seems like one vast market garden, the upper Segura valley a rolling landscape of peach orchards, olive groves and rice fields interspersed with patches of woodland, steep escarpments and sleepy country towns, its quiet roads bordered with the vibrant colors of poppies, crown daisies and Bermuda buttercups This agricultural landscape provides shelter for a good range of birds and small mammals naturalists keen on insects and small reptiles will find fascinating life in the stone walls and long grasses bordering the well tended fields.

Costa Blanca mountains

North of Benidorm the high sierras rise precipitously from the coast, wonderful mountain systems of great drama, the bare rock faces glowing with different colors as the light changes throughout the day. The lower slopes of these great mountain valleys have been intricately terraced since Moorish times and are planted, as they have been for centuries, with almonds, oranges, loquats, cherries and olives. Roads twist up through the mountains, sometimes clinging to the hillsides, sometimes allowing stupendous panoramas of valleys and further chains of peaks and rock faces. These hills are laced with ancient footpaths offering magnificent day-long hikes for discovering the wildlife, birds and flora. Foxes, rabbits and other mammals are hard to spot in daylight, but the soaring birds of prey, migrant wintering songbirds and prolific insect life add an extra dimension to walking in this superb landscape.Right in the south of the region lies another great mountain area, the Sierra de Espuna, a superb mountain chain covered with natural pine woods.

Alicante and Costa Blanca information

Long before the Costa Blanca was a famous holiday resort, it was home to many famous Spaniards from the world or art and nobility.This part of Spain has given birth to many eminent Spaniards, who have made their mark on local history. World famous are the writer Gabriel Miro Ferrer, who was born in Alicante and Murcia's most famous son, the 18th century sculptor, Francisco Salzillo. Salzillo specialized in life-size painted wooden figures, which adorn altarpieces and are used in religious processions throughout Murcia.

Rich and famous sons of the Costa Blanca

Today, tourism has changed the Costa Blanca forever, and the 19th and early 20th century travellers who explored this coastline would scarcely recognise it. One of the last people to write about the area before the boom was Rose Macaulay, who travelled along the coast and described sleepy villages which are now buzzing resorts and a landscape which has virtually ceased to exist. The luxurious villas, hidden in pine woods above the sea, are the retreats for northern European celebrities, business people, financiers, sportsmen and women and their families. Many famous people have found the area ideal for a second home, where they can escape the attention of the media which is an inevitable part of life in their own countries.

About Formentera

noreply@blogger.com (Fay) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 12:20:00 +0000

If you are looking for things to do in Ibiza and Formentera you will be spoilt for choice when it comes to attractions, events and beaches.

Swing a map of Formentera about half a turn and squint your eyes and you can convince yourself that the blueprint for the island was a seahorse. From the straight spine followed by the Via Major, the seahorse's rolled tail follows the eastern coastline from Punta Roja past La Mola to Punta Palmera, while the head points towards Cap de Barbaria. The usual explanation of Formentera's name is that it derives from 'wheat', the island having been one of Rome's granaries. Yet that seems so unlikely on this arid outcrop that many experts believe the name must derive from an ancient word for a headland, the two headlands of Barbaria and La Mola (the head and tail of the seahorse) being such prominent features of an otherwise flat island.

Formentera is a quiet, peaceful place, the ideal antidote to the hectic activity of tourist Ibiza. Come here to relax if you have been burning the candle at both ends on the larger island.

How to get to Formentera

Only 4km separate Punta de ses Partes, the most southerly point on Ibiza, from the northern tip of S'Espalmador, the island off Formentera's northern shore. Since the sea between S'Espalmador and Trucadors, Formentera's northern tip, can be waded on calm days, it might seem a simple thing to cross between Ibiza and the smaller island. Yet Es Freus, the passage between the islands, with its numerous islands, sand banks and strong currents, has always been a difficult passage for ships. Today's traveler has no such problems: numerous boats leave Eivlssa's harbor for Formentera every day during the summer months. Of these boats the most reliable are the scheduled services of Fiebasarrrasmapi, which include both passenger and car ferries, and the Umafisa car ferry. The Flebasa/Trasmapi passenger services are by fast catamarans which cut the journey time of the slow ferries (about one hour) in half. Tickets can be bought at the Estacion Maritima on Eivissa's harbor (on the side nearest the new town, not at the large building beside the monument to the Corsairs). at the harbourside at Estación Maritima at La Savina on Formentera, or on the boat itself. Check the return times of boats and remember to arrive early if you are planning to catch the last boat as it might be full. Those taking a day trip to Formentera from Ibiza at the height of summer would be advised to catch an earlier boat back, just to be sure.

Leaving from Eivissa, the boat offers a wonderful view of Dalt Vila and Ibiza's southeastern coast and soon passes the lighthouse on the islets of Penjats and Porcs to reach the long, flat S'Espalmador - its watchtower prominently visible. If you are travelling on the deck of the catamaran rather than in the comfortable seats inside, look out for seabirds: Cory's shearwater and the Balearic subspecies of the Manx shearwater are often seen on the journey.

Formentera beaches

Formentera is a quieter, more peaceful island than Ibiza, better for visitors looking for relaxing days on the beach, a good meal and an evening stroll rather than a hectic nightlife. It is therefore popular with families and has beaches to meet all expectations. Except at the cliff-bordered ends of the islands, it is possible to swim almost anywhere, check out the site for best beaches

10 things to do in Ibiza

noreply@blogger.com (Fay) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 17:28:00 +0000

If you are planning to visit Ibiza for the first time, here are some great things to do during your stay:

1. Take a walk around Dalt Vila. Before you start, it might be an idea to buy some espadrilles. The traditional Spanish ropesoled sandals. The whole history of the Pine Islands is set out in Eivissa's upper town.

2. Find a quiet section of coast and go for a walk. Near Cap de Barbaria, on Formentera, you can gaze out across the Mediterranean in the direction of Africa and imagine you are a Moor looking towards home

3. Take a boat trip around a part of the islands' coast and try to understand how it must have felt to see the islands for the first time.

4. Find a quiet inland village on Ibiza and stroll around. Admire the distinctive architecture and relax, the way the locals do.

5. Join in a ball page, the traditional island festival with music and singing, discover that the locals do occasionally let their hair down.

6. Buy a drink or a meal at El Corsario, Dalt Vila´s most famous hotel/restaurant.

7. Go for a swim. No visit would be complete without a dip in the clear, warm waters. If you really want to swim in style, take off all your clothes at one of the official nudist beaches.

8. Eat fresh fish at a beach restaurant. The islands are famous for their fish dishes and sometimes you can watch the fish you are going to eat being caught.

9. Take a stroll through La Marina in Eivissa to watch the comings and goings of they younger visitors as they seek out the latest Ad Lib fashions.

10. On your last night take a glass of sangria to a cliff top on the western side of the island and watch the sun setting over the Mediterranean.
Rural Ibiza

With mass tourism and the club scene filling several of the towns and most of the beaches it could easily be assumed that peace and quiet were the hardest things to find on Ibiza. In fact it could not be easier Just walk away from a crowded beach for a few minutes and you will be on a deserted section of coast, or drive for a few miles from any town and you will be in countryside that seems to have been untouched by time.

The coast of Ibiza

On Ibiza, and even more so on Formentera, wild flowers can be found clinging precariously to life in rocky crevices and other unlikely places. On the beaches and In the backing sand dunes there are sea daffodils and sea holly, but also some much rarer plants. The islands are the only place in Europe where a particular form of squill is found.

In the remaining wooded areas behind the dunes the woodland chiefly Aleppo pine those willing to spend time exploring will find many types of orchids. Mirror orchid, with blue flowers edged with brown, is relatively common, as is the sombre bee orchid (Ophrys fusca). By contrast, the bee orchid is rare and endangered.

The Mediterranean is home to surprisingly few seabirds and waders. The lack of tides and, therefore, an intertidal region, discourages wading birds, while the sea's warm waters are less densely packed with food than the colder waters of northern Europe. Nevertheless, the yellow legged gull will be easily recognized. However, if the gull you are watching has dark legs and a red beak with a yellow tip, then you could have an Audouin's gull in view, claimed to be the rarest gull in the world.

Formentera flora and fauna

Formentera is almost too small to have an 'inland' area, but inland lbiza is a real contrast to the crowded beaches. Here you will be able to find real peace and quiet and fascinating flora and fauna. At almost any time of year inland lbiza is colorful. In February, January's yellow mimosa is replaced by pink and white almond blossom, and bunch flowered narcissus. In March, spring arrives, heralded by lavender, rock roses, moon daises and the surprisingly beautiful yellow flowers of the prickly pear cactus. In summer, the bougainvillea, oleander and honeysuckle are brilliant against the blue of the sky, while the arrival of autumn brings violets, narcissi and squills. The winter months see the heathers blooming and then the bright fruits of the citrus trees.

Antonio Riquer and Ibiza

Antonio Riquer was the most famous of Ibiza's Corsairs a vigilante sea captain or a pirate, depending upon your point of view. His most famous action was the defeat of a feared Gibraltarian pirate called Miguel Novelli, who was nicknamed 'The Pope'. Riquer intercepted 'The Pope' as he was sailing from Formentera to attack Ibiza. Despite having a much smaller ship and being completely outgunned, Riquer's superior seamanship won the day, 'The Pope' breaking off the battle and fleeing just before his ship was about to be boarded or sunk. Riquer is remembered in a street name near Eivissa's harbour, his house in Dalt Vila is on the touristic route, and he was one of the main reasons the Ibizencos raised EI Obelisco a los Corsarios, the monument to the Corsairs on La Marina's sea front.

Hannibal and Ibiza

Although the Carthaginians probably originated in what is now Lebanon and had an empire which was vIrtually confined to the North African coast, they did colonize Ibiza. Legend has it that It was on Sa Conillera, the now uninhabited island lying off Ibiza's western shore, near Sant Antoni, that Hannibal, the most glorious Carthaginian general, was born. Hannibal is chiefly famous for crossing the Alps with his elephants to defeat Rome, but as important to him as his elephants were the lead pellets fired by his army's slingers. These pellets were formed from lead that had been mined on Ibiza.

Joaquim Vara de Rey Close to the Tourist Information Office in Paseo Vara de Rey is a statue of the man for whom the street is named. The General is Ibiza's most famous soldier. He died in 1898 defending Cuba, one of Spain's last American colonies, against an invading US army.

Places to visit in Ibiza

There are several Ibizas, each distinctly different. At the island's heart, though not at its centre, is Eivissa, the capital. Even here there are several different towns the old walled city of Dalt Vila and the Carthaginian necropolis beside it; the trendy shopping area near the harbor where visitors crowd to see the latest Ad Lib fashions; and the new town where more elegant shops and pavement cafes stand among the offices.

There are several coasts, too. Mass tourism has peopled some beaches with sun-worshippers and hotel developments have blighted the natural scenery. Yet within a few minutes' walk of these areas the visitor can be alone in coves as beautiful as any to be found on the Mediterranean coast.

Finally there is inland Ibiza, rural villages of white cube houses and black-shawled women, and upland areas where ancient vegetation still thrives. Here the plant lover can search for flowers found only on Ibiza, while the bird lover will delight in rare and exotic species.

Eivissa Ibiza

There are few more dramatic sites on the Mediterranean coast than that of Eivissa's Old Town, Dalt Vila, especially when viewed from the sea, its walls and bastions rising above the rugged coast and turquoise water.

Under Franco's centralist regime only Castillian names were allowed in areas of Spain that had their own language or dialect Then. and still occasionally. the town was merely 'La Vila' to the locals, 'Ibiza Town' to visitors.

However, democracy has allowed regional pride to flourish and many of the island's names are now both written and spoken in Ibizenco, a dialect of Catalan. In Ibizenco the town is Eivissa, a name that echoes the ancient names of the island the Carthaginian age, the Greek Ebysos. the Roman Ebusus and the Moorish Yebisah.

Eivissa is a marvellous place in summer. an exciting assault on the senses. Within its close confines it captures the essence of the island Dalt Vila. Sa Penya, La Marina and the local coast offering quite different aspects of Ibiza. Go to Dalt Vila for historical Ibiza, to Sa Penya's tight-knit streets for shopping and local colour, to La Marina or the harbour for the smell of the sea and to gape at the expensive boats, and to the nearby beaches for the modern, brasher Ibiza.

About Ibiza

noreply@blogger.com (Fay) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 17:23:00 +0000

Wherever you decide to stay in Ibiza, you will find a wealth of things to see and do on this fascination island.

It would be easy to dismiss lbiza as a holiday destination because of the stories of excesses that follow mass tourism, and it would be foolish to deny that in high summer some places on the island offer a slice of life that is not everyone's cup of tea. Or should that be pint of lager? But despite its small size, lbiza is large enough to allow travelers to escape both the crowds and their prejudices. The real lbiza is a marvelous place, a mix of European and North African cultures in a Mediterranean setting.

Emerging from the dark days of Franco's regime when regional characteristics were suppressed in favour of a Castillian Spain, lbiza has seen resurgence in Catalan, of which the islanders' language is a dialect. Catalan signs have sprung up and the displays in museums are in Catalan as well as Castillian. Traditional costume, music and dancing survived under Franco, but there seems a new vitality in them now.

Ibiza history

lbizan history is one of conquest and settlement the Phoenicians, the Greeks, the Carthaginians, the Moors and the Catalans each leaving their mark on the island. The Carthaginian remains are among the finest in the world, while the rural architecture reflects North African traditions as strongly as European. And there was another effect. The islands developed a live and let live attitude to newcomers that is still a feature, and a welcome one, of today's island.
Ibiza & Formentera information

Ibiza Area: 570sq km. Highest point: Sa Talaia, at 475m. Longest river: Rio de Santa Eularia. The river is 11 km long and is the only river not only on Ibiza but on the Balearic Islands. Santa Eularia des Riu is therefore the only Balearic town that stands on a river. Length of coastline: 21Okm. Population: about 80,000, of whom 30,000 live in Eivissa. lbiza lies about 80km from mainland Spain Formentera Area 80sq km. Highest point: La Mola at 192m. Length Formentera is only 19km from end to end. Population: about 5,000. Formentera lies about 220km from North Africa.

Ibiza weather

On average, lbiza and Formentera have 300 days of sunshine each year. In summer there is an average of 10 hours' sunshine every day. In all months the average sea temperature is warmer than the average air temperature.

Ibiza and Formentera facts

Tourism In summer there are four tourists for every native islander. Hippies, but these have now grown old and respectable Imore or less). Nude bathing, which is practiced with enthusiasm on many beaches. Potteries on Formentera look for pieces with a lizard motif. Leatherwear - a centuries old traditional craft Art galleries, because the light and climate attract artists. Ad Lib fashion a new local craft, dating from the hippy invasion of the 1960s. Sport and leisure - anything to do with water Walking Cycling Tennis.

Traditional Ibiza and Formentera

In many inland areas, Ibizan women still wear traditional dress. If you have only a limited time on the Pine Islands you will need to be as careful in what you avoid as what you see. The holiday islands are the beaches and the new developments that back them. These places have a vitality that is impressive, but you have to be part of the crowd if you are truly to enjoy them. The real islands are quieter and to explore those you will need to head away from the teeming beaches, going along the coast to more secluded coves or heading inland to villages seemingly as untouched by mass tourism as they have been by the procession of armies that have passed this way.

Compansation Claims in Spain

noreply@blogger.com (Fay) — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 12:02:00 +0000

Food Poisoning In Spain

Being taken ill at home is bad enough but if this happens whilst on holiday it can be a nightmare. Food poisoning is the most common complaint by holidaymakers usually caused by the hotel failing to meet the required standards of hygiene.

Many people may put an upset stomach down to a change in diet or water but recently there have been record numbers of claims made against hotels in Spain by British tourists. The types of illness include salmonella and E.Coli which can lead to nasty after effects such as irritable bowell syndrome which can last for a long time.

If the hotel has failed in it`s duty of care in the preparation of food or generally in it`s standard of hygiene and you become ill because of it you will have a claim against the tour operator with whom you booked your holiday. You can also bring your claim in the UK rather than having to make it in Spain.

It is also worth mentioning that if you have suffered food poisoning in Spain then it is likely that other people in your hotel will have suffered the same fate as they will have been eating the same food. You should, if possible, take their details to help you with your claim. You should also make sure you obtain medical treatment and keep your receipts for outlay.

For advice or assistance call us on 08000 154321

Legionnaire's Disease In Spain

This is a particularly nasty illness being an uncommon form of Pneumonia and if you are unfortunate to catch it your holiday will be ruined.

Legionnaires` is spread through aerosols of water containing the legionella germ usually air conditioning systems and cooling towers.

If a hotel fails to properly maintain its water systems legionella can grow and if undetected can affect many people. It is particularly dangerous to older people. The incubation time from infection to illness is 2 to 10 days but usually 3 to 6 days.

The disease is usually transmitted through breathing in aerosols from contaminated air conditioning systems, showers and spas. The disease is not thought to be transmittable from person to person.

The symptoms may not become apparent until you return home. It would be helpful in locating the source if you can contact anyone else at your hotel or ship to see if they know of anyone else infected.

If you have contracted Legionnaires` you may be able to make a claim and we at Worldwide Holiday Claims can assist.

For advice or assistance call us on 08000 154321

Road accident in Spain

Following a change in the law in 2003, if you have a road accident in Spain that is not your fault and you suffer injury and loss you can now bring your claim for compensation in the UK.

The incidence of road accidents in Spain is higher than in the UK and many British drivers are killed or injured in such accidents. All cars insured in Spain are registered on a database and therefore, provided you have kept details of the driver and registration number of the vehicle at fault, it should be possible to obtain the identity of the insurers.

The insurers will nominate someone to deal with the claim in the UK and this will make your claim for compensation easier to make as it can be dealt with by a British lawyer without you having to find and pay for one in Spain.

If you have the misfortune of having an accident in Spain which is not your fault, you must take details of the other vehicle and driver and if possible the name and address of any witness. This will help you in making a successful claim for your compensation claim. You should also keep receipts for all out of pocket expenses which you suffer as a result of your accident such as medical fees.

For advice or assistance call us on 08000 154321

Accidents On Flights To Spain

If you have an accident during your flight to Spain or even when embarking or disembarking from the aircraft you may well have a claim for compensation against the airline or the tour operator who arranged your holiday.

The liability of the air carrier is set out in the 1999 Montreal Convention which states that if a passenger suffers bodily injury during the flight or whilst embarking or disembarking then the airline is liable in damages. This is called strict liability and you do not need to show that the accident was the airline`s fault.

It even means that if you are taken by bus from the terminal building to the aircraft by bus, if the bus has an accident or brakes sharply, and you are injured, then they would be liable.

Common types of accidents on aircraft are:

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Objects falling out of overhead lockers
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Aisle passengers getting hit by food trolleys
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Burns from spilt food and drinks
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Trips and tumbles

If you suffer an injury on a flight to Spain you should make sure that you report this immediately to the staff and keep the flight details.

We at Worldwide Holiday Claims can assist you in your claim for compensation. Our solicitors operate on a no win no fee basis and you keep 100% of your damages. We provide a fast and efficient service and will speak to you in plain English.

For advice or assistance call us on 08000 154321

Accidents In Hotel Grounds In Spain

noreply@blogger.com (Fay) — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 11:55:00 +0000

Hotel grounds are often the source of accidents for British holidaymakers in Spain usually due to poorly maintained walkways or equipment.

Hoteliers are obliged to provide safe surroundings for their guests but unfortunately often fail to reach the required standard resulting often in serious injury to the victim and thus completely spoiling their holiday.

Reported accidents often involve slipping on unmarked wet floors, tripping on rough and poorly maintained footpaths and falling down stairs. You could also suffer injury due to using faulty equipment provided by the hotel.

Such dangerous conditions can be caused by faulty handrails, inadequate lighting or spillage not cleaned up, or a combination of all of these.

If you have suffered an accident causing you injury which is not your fault you may well be entitled to claim compensation against the tour operator who organized your holiday in Spain.

If you are injured in an accident you should report it to the travel representative and enter details in the hotel accident book. Taking photographs of the location is a good idea and get names and addresses of any witnesses to the accident. You should also of course take medical advice and keep all receipts for any expenses caused by the accident.

Worldwide Holiday Claims can assist you with your claim for compensation. Our solicitors work on a no win no fee basis and you keep 100% of your damages. We will deal with your claim in a fast and professional manner and will speak to you in plain English. For advice and assistance call 08000 154321

Accidents In Hotels In Spain

noreply@blogger.com (Fay) — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 11:52:00 +0000

If you have an accident in your hotel, then you may be entitled to compensation if you suffer an injury as a result.

The hotel owes a duty of care to it`s guests to provide safe and secure accommodation and if it fails in it`s duty then it will be liable for any injuries and losses suffered by victims.

There are many ways in which someone could sustain an injury but the most common are slips and falls caused by slippery flooring, either in the hotel room or on a staircase.

Faulty electric or gas appliances can be a source of danger to holidaymakers in Spain, a lack of maintenance can have serious or even fatal consequences.

Badly laid out rooms or sharp edges on furniture can also cause nasty injuries.

If the balcony to your room has not been properly maintained this could have disastrous consequences.

If you suffer injury and loss in a Spanish hotel you can bring a claim for compensation in the UK as the tour operator who arranged your holiday is responsible for the failings of your hotel.

If you are injured you should make sure that you report your injury to the travel representative and the hotel manager. Take photographs, if possible, of the site of your accident. You should also take medical treatment and keep details of any expenses that you incur.

At Worldwide Holiday Claims our solicitors operate on a no win no fee basis and you keep 100% of your damages. We provide a fast and efficient service and you will find us sympathetic and approachable.

For advice and assistance call us on 0845 337 0654.

Granada - A Potted History

noreply@blogger.com (Fay) — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 11:46:00 +0000

Established by the first Iberian tribes to settle the south of the peninsular, Granada's turbulent history has witnessed a host of invading armies from the Phoenicians to the Moors. It has withstood sieges, occupation and destruction to flourish into a vibrant, modern city with a rich blend of cultural influences that continue to attract the hordes; only now they arrive armed with digital cameras and guidebooks rather than swords and chariots.

This, the first of three articles, takes us from the city's foundation to the expulsion of the Moors from their last stronghold in Spain.

Granada, I'm falling under your spell
And if you could speak, what a fascinating tale you would tell
Of an age the world has long forgotten
Of an age that weaves a silent magic in Granada today

("Granada I'm falling under your spell" -Frankie Laine 1954)

Corny it maybe, but the old Frankie Laine song somehow captures the essence of Granada; the feeling that everywhere you look there is magic and a tale to tell.

There was little but bare hillside when the first Iberian Tribes made their home in the area near the present day Albaicin district. They remained for the better part of a millennium, until ousted by the Phonecians who, just 500 years later, were dispatched by the Cartheginians.

In 250BC the might of the Roman Empire descended and, for the next seven centuries, created a thriving municipality which covered the Albaicin, the Alcazaba and the area up to the Alhambra hill. It became a city of two names: Iliberis and the more poetic Florentia (City of flowers and fruits). However, as the Roman Empire began to decline in the 5th century, the Visigoths, never ones to miss an opportunity, moved in and for the next 200 years they ruled over a city that was expanding in population, wealth and influence. The Jewish neighbourhood of Garnatha established itself alongside Iliberis and in 711 their support was a crucial factor in enabling the invading Moors to eject the Visigoths and drive north to occupy the entire peninsula.

The Moors would remain for almost eight centuries, adapting the Jewish name to Karnattah, and creating one of the richest and most forward-looking medieval cities in Spain, attracting traders, artisans and learned men. In 1010 Zawi ben Ziri - the founder of the Ziri dynasty - began to expand the area of the Albaicin and three years later Granada became an independent Kingdom. The Ziris reigned for another 200 hundred years until, in 1238, Muhammad Ibn Yusuf Ibn Nasr took control and the Nasrid dynasty, builders of the Alhambra, came to power.

The city went from strength to strength, creating alliances and changing sides to maintain its position but, as the Catholic armies of Ferdinand and Isabella spread across the peninsula, Granada found itself the last stronghold of the Muslim world. In 1491 the Monarchs, with a united Spain behind them, laid siege to the city. Weakened and isolated, it crumbled within months. Boabdil, the last Nasrid king, having been granted refuge in the Alpujarras, gold and a promise of political and religious freedom for his subjects, surrendered. Ferdinand and Isabella entered Granada with great pomp and ceremony, flags flying and set up court in the lavish Alhambra. Granada was now part of a newly unified Spain.

As for Boabdil, as he fled the city he turned for one last look and the tears flowed. "You do well," said his unsympathetic mother, "to weep like a woman for what you could not defend like a man." The spot from which Boabdil looked for the last time on Granada is still marked, and is known as "The last sigh of the Moor" (el Ãºltimo suspiro del Moro).

In Part 2; Ferdinand & Isabella, the Inquisition, Granada's Golden age and the war with France that almost destroyed the Alhambra.

Family Fun in Barcelona

noreply@blogger.com (Fay) — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 11:44:00 +0000

When taking children on a trip to Barcelona, you will undoubtedly want to plan your itinerary to include activities to keep the little ones amused. Thankfully, there is a lot to see and do in this wonderful city, even if you're under a meter high!

What family holiday to Barcelona would be complete without a trip to the zoo? Everybody, young and old, will enjoy Barcelona's lovely zoo. The zoo was made famous by Snowflake, the Albino gorilla, but he has now passed away. Today, visitors can see a wide range of exciting and exotic animals, ranging from dolphins to Iberian wolves, from the red panda to the Eurasian otter. There is an impressive conservation centre too, that is bound to be of great interest to the kids.

Continuing the wildlife theme, adults and children alike cannot help but enjoy the wonderful Barcelona Aquarium. With over 10,000 fish and underwater creatures to see, the kids will be absolutely mesmerized watching this secret world unfold before their very eyes in front of the 35 tanks that make up the aquarium. The aquarium regularly holds workshops, theatre activities and story telling sessions, so it is a good idea to check out the upcoming events on its website.

For little boys (and big boys too!) the Barcelona Football Club Museum is a definite must. Absolutely everything about this famous team, from historical photographs to interesting paraphernalia, is housed in this 3,500 square meter complex. There is also an art museum for the girls to meander around while the boys gape at Barca exhibits.

Barcelona's answer to Disneyworld can be found just 90 minutes outside the city in the form of Port Aventura, a wonderful activity park that is divided into five exciting areas for children to enjoy. A full day 'or even longer' can be spent in Imperial China, the Far West, the jungles of Polynesia, Aztec Mexico or in the Mediterranean, enjoying theme-related rides, shows, shops and restaurants. The park caters for kids of all ages from the very little ones who would appreciate gentler rides, to adrenaline junkies who need their fix from rides such as the notorious Dragon Khan or Furious Bacus.

Finally, if Port Aventura is not your style, or you are simply after a slower change of pace, don't miss out on a visit to the nostalgic Tibidabo, a one hundred year old funfair that boasts some of the best views of the city. The park is packed with delightful amusement park offerings, including the must-ride funicular railway. While Tibidabo's rides are reasonably tame compared to Port Aventura, there is something about the charm and historical importance of this park that makes it a firm favourite among children.

As can be seen, there is a great choice of things to do in Barcelona to keep the kids amused. Combined with other natural attractions such as the long stretches of beaches along the coast, no kid should ever go bored in this stunning city.

Spain's Sporting Success

noreply@blogger.com (Fay) — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 11:42:00 +0000

Whether it's the wonderful climate, Spaniards' innate self confidence or simply exceptional coaching, Spain is one of the world's leading sporting nations and, with Madrid having recently emerged as one of the favourites to host the 2016 Olympic Games, it seems there has never been a better time to embrace sport the Spanish way.

While the failings of Spain's national football team are well documented (they are yet to win a major football tournament), the selección, as they are known, rarely fail to qualify for the big tournaments (unlike all of the Home Nations for the forthcoming Euro 2008) and are often among the favourites to win. Their time will surely come. However, football-mad as Spain may be, the country can still call upon a number of other sporting heroes as testaments to Spain's enduring sporting success.

Had Britain's Lewis Hamilton not choked on the final Formula 1 race of the 2006-7 season, Spain would no longer be able to boast the youngest ever Formula 1 World Champion. But choke he did and, as it stands, Spain's Fernando Alonso retains that accolade, for another season at least. In tennis, with the Swiss Roger Federer sweeping all before him, only one man can ever seriously hope to stand in his way - Majorca's Rafael Nadal. In fact, on a clay surface it is Nadal, not Federer, who is held up as THE man to beat.

Likewise in Basketball - a sport played passionately throughout the globe - it is Spain, not the USA, who are world champions, led by the towering, talented and charismatic Pau Gasol, whose face adorns everything from credit cards to cheese snacks. There are numerous other fields where Spain competes at the highest level, such as volleyball, hockey, handball, water polo and superbikes. And the last two winners of the Tour de France? That's right, Spaniards - Oscar Pereiro and Alberto Contador. With three Spaniards ranked among the top 10 male tennis players in the world, the argument is irrefutable - Spain produces exceptional sportsmen and women. But how?

A combination of national pride, an inviting climate, excellent facilities and supreme self confidence ensures young Spaniards are given a head start in almost any sport. Still riding high off the back of the successful 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, the whole nation has embraced sport and seen the benefits it can bring, be they physically, emotionally or financially. Should Spain be awarded the Olympic Games for only the second time in its history, other nations should watch out - there might just be no stopping them!

If you are sports mad and are travelling to Spain, you really will be spoilt for choice for things to do. Kids are especially well catered for - take a look at the links below to see which sporting activities are available in your region.

* Madrid will be up against bids from Prague, Tokyo, Chicago, Rio de Janeiro, Doha and Baku in the race for the 2016 Olympics.

Property in Spain

noreply@blogger.com (Fay) — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 11:36:00 +0000

A Buyers Guide to Costa Del Sol

Buying a property in Spain can be hassle-free provided you follow the correct procedure and appoint an English-speaking lawyer. Areas such as the Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca have been popular with British buyers for decades, but such is Spain's appeal that other costas and even inland regions are now attracting property buyers from the UK. Spain's wonderful weather, varied scenery and excellent infrastructure means finding that home of your dreams is as easy as 1,2,3.

So, once you have found a home you wish to buy, and your (locally-based) lawyer has checked that the property is registered in the Registro de Propiedad (which will outline who the property belongs to, its exact size specifications and any outstanding debts tied to it), you will need to place a deposit on your home to secure it and have it taken off the market. The deposit is 10% for a secondhand property and between 25%-40% for a new build (off-plan) property. At this stage, you will also need to apply for a Numero de Identification de Extranjeros (more commonly known as a NIE number).

Next, a notary will be appointed to draw up the purchase contract (called the contrato de compraventa in Spanish)and oversee the proceedings. This is where the buying process differs to that of the UK and why it is essential to appoint a good, English-speaking lawyer to check all the paperwork. A notary's job is to impartially ensure that every step of the sale process is followed legally and fairly. You can appoint your lawyer with power of attorney to sign the purchase contract if you so wish - this is a good option if it is difficult for you to be in Spain when the contract is ready to be signed.

Property in Spain

If your property is being bought off-plan, you will first receive a deed of declaration of new construction, plus an occupancy permit. You will be required to make staged payments throughout the building process (normally three payments, with the final one due once building work has completed) and, once your home is ready, you sign a deed of sale which, just like with a resale purchase contract, will be witnessed by the notary. For secondhand properties, it normally takes between six to eight weeks from the time you place your deposit to the time you sign the final contract (escritura).

Mortgages are available in both the UK and Spain, with the maximum mortgage currently available being 80%, which means that you have to provide a deposit of 20% of the property's purchase price. It is also important to consider additional legal fees, stamp duty and property taxes before committing to a purchase because these will usually amount to an additional 10% of the purchase price, so be sure you can afford this additional expense before going ahead!

Additional Information

Residencia: You should decide whether you wish to apply for official residence (residencia) in Spain before you proceed with your purchase. Becoming a resident in Spain can help speed up Spanish mortgage applications and also carries additional tax and inheritance benefits. If you plan to spend more than six months a year in Spain, then it is advisable to apply for official residence.

Spanish Will: It is essential to draw up a separate will in Spain, regardless of whether you have one in the UK or not. Spanish inheritance laws differ to British ones, so take the advice of your solicitor and draft a will which covers all your assets in Spain.

NIE: A NIE number is an essential document for anybody buying a property in Spain. It is easy to obtain and you require one to do the following:

* Apply for a mortgage or loan
* Buy or sell a property
* Buy or sell a vehicle
* Obtain a job
* Inherit assets in Spain
* Insure property
* Pay Taxes
* Sign on to social security

To obtain your NIE number, you must attend your local police station and visit the Foreigners Department (Departmento de Extranjeros). This can be a fairly lengthy and arduous process, so be sure that you are armed with all the relevant paperwork - it is not an experience you want to have to go through twice! Take with you the following:

*
Your passport and a photocopy of your passport number and photo
*
Your full address in Spain (either the address of your rented accommodation, a friend's address or the address of the property you intend to purchase)

*
Written reason for applying. This can be either a letter from your bank in Spain or your lawyer, stating that you are purchasing a property, or an employer, if you have a job lined up.

An official will then fill in the paperwork for you and present you with a stamped copy of the application form. Take this copy with you when you return to collect your number, usually between four to six weeks later.

About Barcelona

noreply@blogger.com (Fay) — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 15:40:00 +0000

Barcelona is one of the most visited cities in Spain, and it offers visitors a vast range of things to see and do.

Barcelona is unique. It has something for everyone and is one of Europe's top destinations. The only problem you will encounter is that there will never be enough time to explore its many museums and monuments, churches and galleries, its fascinating coastline and its delectable cuisine.

To enjoy your stay to the fullest, you will need to adopt the Barcelonan lifestyle a striking blend of business-like efficiency combined with long alfresco lunches, lazy siestas, ritual evening promenades and an intoxicating nightlife. You will long remember its proud yet generous people, who will welcome you back with open arms when you return, as you surely will.

Inventive and innovative, radical and racy, Barcelona is one of Europe's most dynamic cities. Strolling through its streets is like wandering through a living museum, a legacy of its remarkable 2,000 years of history. From the ancient maze-like Gothic quarter built within the Roman city walls, to the astonishing regimental grid plan of the turn-of-the-19th century Eixample district. Studded with eye-catching jewels of Modernista architecture, the city contains some of the finest and most eccentric art and architecture in the world. Outstanding even by Barcelonan standards is Gaudi's extraordinary Sagrada Familia, which is reason enough to visit the city.

Just as Modernisme the movement that has made Barcelona unique emerged at the end of the 19th century as a desire for change and renovation, so today the city is celebrating its past.

It is restoring its old buildings, introducing new art and architecture and eradicating some severe urban problems, while staying at the forefront of contemporary culture. As a result. Barcelona today is very much alive a city bursting with new pride and self-confidence, which cannot fail to excite and delight.
Barcelona geography

Barcelona is in northeastern Spain, 166km (103 miles) from the French border. The city occupies 99sq km (62sq miles), with 13km (8 miles) of Mediterranean coastline, including 4km (25 miles) of sandy beaches. It is bounded by the mountains of Montjuic (to the south) and Tibidabo (to the northwest), and framed by the rivers Llobregat (to the south) and Besos (to the north).

CATALUNYA (CATALONIA)

The autonomous region of Catalunya (Catalonia) covers an area of 31, 930sq km (12,325sq miles) (6.3 per cent of Spain) and has a population of around 7 million (15 per cent of the Spanish population), 70 per cent of whom live in greater Barcelona. It is Spain's leading economic region, producing 8 per cent of the country's gross national product. Nearly 40 per cent of all visitors to Spain come to Catalonia. No one visiting Barcelona should leave without trying its cuisine, described by the American food critic Colman Andrews as 'the last great culinary secret in Europe'.
Rooted in the fresh local ingredients of the mountains, the plains and sea, the food is delicious and surprisingly subtle in flavor.

MEDITERRANEAN DIET

The main ingredients of traditional Catalan dishes are typically Mediterranean: tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, aubergines (eggplant), courgettes (zucchini), peppers and herbs, which, when blended, to form samfaina, a delicious sauce served with many dishes. Other principal sauces include pieada (nuts, bread, parsley, garlic and saffron), sofregit (a simple sauce of onion, tomato and garlic lightly fried in olive oil) and allioli (a strong, garlicky mayonnaise).
For centuries pork has been the cornerstone of the Catalan diet. Little is wasted even the peus de pore (pigs' trotters) are considered a delicacy. No bar would be complete without its haunch of pernil (cured ham), a popular tapas dish, and you often see a variety of sausages hanging from the rafters of restaurants and delicatessens. Lamb, chicken, duck, beef and game also feature strongly, often prepared a la brasa (on an open charcoal grill) and served with a large serving of allioli (garlic mayonnaise).

MEAT AND SEAFOOD

In Catalan cuisine, meat is commonly combined with fruit, creating such mouthwatering dishes as pollastre amb pera (chicken with pears) and eomll amb prunes (rabbit with prunes). However, it is the unique 'surf'n'turf' combinations that sea and mountain (Mar i Muntanya) produce which differentiates Catalan cuisine from the cookery of other Spanish regions. Se Pia amb mandonguilles (cuttlefish with meatballs) and mar i eel ('sea and heaven' made with sausages, rabbit, shrimp and fish) are especially tasty. Near the coast, fish dishes reign supreme, ranging from simple grilled sardinas (sardines) and hearty zarsuela (seafood stew) to eyecatching shellfish displays Try suquet de peix (fish and potato soup) or the more unusual broudegos ('dog soup') made with fish, onions and orange juice, followed by speciality dishes arras negre (rice cooked in black squid ink), fideua (a local variant of paella, using vermicelli and noodles and not rice) or bacalla (salt cod), which comes a la lIauna (with garlic, tomato and white wine), esqueixada (a salt cod and black olive salad), amb samfaina or amb romesco (a piquant sauce, made from a mixture of crushed nuts, tomatoes and spicy red pepper).

BARCELONA WINES

A short distance south of Barcelona, the Penedes is the main Catalan wine region, producing red (negre), white (blanc) and rose (rosat) wines. Look for the reliable Torres, Masia Bach and Rene Barbier labels. Catalan cava (sparkling wine) also comes from the Penedes wineries, made by the methode champenoise. Famous names include Freixenet and Codorniu, which can be sampled in the cava bars of Barcelona.
To the north, the Alella and Emporda regions produce white wines, while Priorat produces excellent, heavy reds. If you have only a short time to visit Barcelona and would like to take home some unforgettable memories you can do something local and capture the real flavour of the city. The following suggestions will give you a wide range of sights and experiences that won't take very long, won't cost very much and will make your visit very special. If you only have time to choose just one of these, you will have found the true heart of the city.

FLIGHTS TO BARCELONA

Spain's national airline, Iberia, has scheduled flights to Barcelona's EI Prat de Llobregat Airport from major Spanish and European cities. The city is served by over 30 international airlines and has direct flights to more than 80 international destinations.

Airlines operating flights to Barcelona include easyJet, from Gatwick, Luton and Stansted and Ryan Air which flies from Stansted and Luton to Girona (80km/50 miles north of Barcelona) from where there is a bus to Barcelona. British Airways and its alliance partner, Iberia, fly from Gatwick, Heathrow, Birmingham and Manchester. British Midland (bmi) flies from Heathrow, and easyJet also flies from Liverpool. Iberia flies from Dublin, in association with its Oneworld partner Aer Lingus.There are no direct flights to Spain from Australia or New Zealand; connections via London, Frankfurt or Paris are the most common.

BARCELONA BY ROAD

The AP7 highway connects the French border with Barcelona, a distance of only 166km (103 miles), though tolls are expensive. The AP2 connects the Spanish capital of Madrid with Barcelona, a distance of 660km (410 miles); most of the trip is also via toll roads. Well paved and lit multi-lane toll roads are common all over Catalonia, and although free carreteras nacionales provide alternatives, they are generally less safe owing to poorer surfaces and lighting

THE METRO BARCELONA

The metro is the easiest and fastest way of moving around the city. There are two different underground train systems, the Metro with its six lines identified by number and color, and the FGC, an older service which is above ground in outer Barcelona. Both lines have been integrated into the same system.
Buses Barcelona has an excellent bus network; pick up a free plan from any tourist office (or download from www.tmb.net). Timetables are also shown at individual bus stops. Buses run 6am10pm. At night there is a Nitbus with routes centered on Plaga de Catalunya throughout the year the Bus Turistic, a hop-on, hop-off service, circuits the main city sights.

BARCELONA BY RAIL

The main regional, national and international rail station is SantsEstacio. Comfortable, fast, express trains connect the city to Paris, Madrid and Valencia and other destinations in Europe.

TAXIS

Pick up a black and yellow taxi at a taxi rank or hail one if it's displaying a green light and the sign Lliure/Libre (free) Fares are not unduly expensive but extra fees are charged for airport trips and for baggage, and at weekends and after 8.30pm. Prices are shown on a sticker inside.

CAR RENTAL BARCELONA

The leading international car rental companies have offices at Barcelona airport and you can reserve a car in advance (essential in peak periods) either direct or through a travel agent. Local companies offer competitive rates and will usually deliver a car to the airport.

FARES AND CONCESSIONS

Travel cards (called targetas) come in options of 2 to 5 days or for 10 journeys (called a T10) and are available from all Metro stations. They are valid for Metro, FGC, bus and some overland (RENFE) trains; transfers (on the same mode of transport) are allowed. With targetas, you generally end up paying half the price (or less, depending on the amount of travel you do) of a single journey.
Most museums and galleries offer a 50 per cent discount on entrance fees to older people.

New Ryanair routes from Malaga Airport 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Fay) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 10:35:00 +0000

Ryanair will be opening its new Malaga Airport base in June, 2010.The budget airline will now be operating over 360 flights per week from Malaga Airport to international and Spanish destinations. New routes include:

• Aarhus (from 23rd June)
• Berlin Schoenefeld (from 25th June)
• Bratislava (from 23rd June)
• Eindhoven (from 23rd June)
• Gothenburg (from 23rd June)
• Krakow (from 24th June)
• Maastricht (from 23rd June)
• Memmingen (from 24th June)
• Oslo Torp (from 23rd June)
• Paris Beauvais (from 23rd June)
• Pisa (from 24th June)
• Santander (from 24th June)
• Santiagho (from 23rd June)
• Stockholm Skavsta (from 24th June)
• Tampere (from 25th June)
• Valladolid (from 23rd June)
• Venice Treviso (from 24th June)
• Wroclaw (from 25th June)
• Zaragoza (from 24th June)

The new routes will follow the opening of the new terminal at Malaga Airport, which has been under construction for the past three years, and the expansion at Malaga will offer passengers many new routes worldwide with Ryanair.
Along with cheap flights, cheap car hire can be pre-booked from Malaga Airport, and all other airports throughout Europe, to avoid delays and hassle when you arrive

Fuerteventura and La Palma things to do

noreply@blogger.com (Fay) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:05:00 +0000

With the longest shoreline of all the Canary Islands, plenty of spacious, empty beaches, and an arid climate that guarantees year-round sunshine, Fuerteventura is just the spot for windsurfers, beach bums, nudists, sun lovers, anglers, and those seeking total seclusion.

It is the island closest to AfricaMost of the island's 30,000 residents live in Puerto del Rosario, the nondescript capital, located about midway along the eastern coast. Atlantic rollers break against the rocky northwestern shore, while the best beaches and resorts lie in the dune riddled southeast. Here the once sleepy fishing village of Morro Jable has mushroomed into Fuerteventura's largest resort. In the north, Corralejo is another once quiet fishing village turned booming resort town. Fishing, from the beaches or a boat, is excellent here.

The island can be toured in a day, taking in the rugged interior including Betancuria, a secluded oasis chosen by Jean de Bethencourt (a Norman Frenchman who settled Fuerteventura) as the island's original capital in 1404. The town was originally built on a hill above the valley facing the ocean, but was moved to its present location for better protection after several pirate attacks. This explains why the 15th-century Iglesia-Catedral de Santa Maria (Cathedral Church of St. Mary) has a hidden trapdoor in its ceiling where church valuables were hidden when pirates drew nigh.

The neighboring town of Tuineje is known for the November 13, 1740 Battle of Tamasite. During the battle, which took place around Tamasite Mountain, a band of intrepid islanders drove camels before marauding English corsairs, forcing the pirates to expend their ammunition. The islanders then fell upon the English invaders before they could reload and thus defeated them. The battle is recreated every year on its anniversary. Another enjoyable excursion can be made from Corralejo over translucent waters to the offshore Isla de los Lobos.

La Palma car hire

One of the few islands to have escaped inundation by tourists, possibly because it is short on good beaches, La Palma has sufficient numbers of other attractions to justify a visit. Shaped like a leaf, it measures approximately 13 miles by 29 miles and is possibly the most beautiful island of the archipelago which is why it is known as the Isla Bonita, or Pretty Island. It's also the greenest isle in the group, hence its other nickname, the Isla Verde (Green Island).

Car hire in La Palma can be booked before you fly and picked up directly from the airport.A massive crater, the Caldera de Taburiente, occupies the center of the island, with ravines and streams running down to the rugged coastline. At over 6,000 feet, La Palma is the world's highest island. Below its pine-forested heights are intensely cultivated terraced fields producing tropical and other fruits (as well as tobacco plants, originally imported from Cuba, from which the island's noted cigars are made).

The capital, Santa Cruz de la Palma, was once the third most important port of the Spanish empire. It still retains picturesque colonial-style homes and a 16th-century Ayuntamiento (City Hall). Today, with 18,000 inhabitants, it is one of the most pleasant towns in the Canaries. Although facilities and services for tourists are not as well developed on La Palma as on Grand Canary or Tenerife, it does attract Europeans who prefer quiet vacations.

Santa Cruz de la Palma

Standing at the foot of a colossal cliff, which is part of an eroded crater, the island capital has an unhurried Old World atmosphere. Along its quiet streets are excellent examples of the architecture of the Canary Islands. Particularly noteworthy are the 16th-century Ayuntamiento (City Hall), with a beautiful Renaissance facade, and Iglesia del Salvador (Church of the Savior), a 16th-century structure with a fine coffered ceiling.

Also of interest is the Museo Naval , a maritime museum in a life-size replica of Christopher Columbus's Santa Maria.

La Gomera attractions

La Gomera, although only 146 square miles in area, this round island rises steeply from a precipitous shoreline to nearly 5,000 feet at its central peak, Mt. Garajonay. The craggy seacoast and mountainous terrain make transportation from one valley to the next so difficult that the islanders developed a whistling language to communicate with one another over distances up to several miles.

Situated about 20 miles across the water from Tenerife's southwestern coast, La Gomera is usually visited as a day trip by tourists vacationing on one of the larger Canary Islands. Jean de Bethencourt first invaded the island, against stiff Guanche resistance, in 1404. Christopher Columbus (known in Spanish as Cristobal CoIon), who stopped here in 1492 to procure water and provisions on his first voyage of discovery, is reputed to have spent some memorable days with the mistress of the island, the widow Beatriz de Peraza, Countess of Gomera; his visit is a source of great local pride.

In San Sebastian, the island's tiny picturesque capital, is the Iglesia de Nuestra Senora de La Asuncion (Church of Our Lady of the Assumption), where Columbus and his crews heard mass before setting off for parts unknown. The church, on Calle del Medio near the tourist office, was restored in 1992 in honor of the 500th anniversary of Columbus's voyage to the Americas. The house in which the explorer is said to have slept, called the Casa de Colon, is now a museum housing a permanent collection of pre-Columbian art.

Also noteworthy is the 15th-century Torre del Conde (Count's Tower), an old fortress standing near the sea, which has been declared a national historic monument. 'For shopping, stroll along the main street, Calle Real, an ideal place to pick up the local redclay pottery.

Gomera's Parque Nacional de Garajonay, encompassing the peak and surrounding woodlands some 10,000 acres is a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site, home to over 850 species of plants and flowers. The rare Laurisilva, an ancient, tertiaryera laurel plant whose lovely petals once graced the whole of the Mediterranean region, can be found at Garajonay, its last outpost. The Centro de Visitantes (Visitors' Center) is located northeast of San Sebastian, at Juego de Bolas. Turn off the main road to Vallehermoso (signposted) at Las Rosas and head south. To arrange for a free guide, call a week in advance. There are signposted walking trails and free maps available. Dense fog tends to creep in during the afternoon, so try to visit before 3 PM. The park is closed Sundays; there's an admission charge.

El Hierro things to do

The smallest and least populated of the archipelago's major islands, EI Hierro is the harshest of all, with black volcanic soil, steep massifs, deep craters, barren mountains, and a serious dearth of spring water. Its name means iron, and the island really does appear to be lost in the Iron Age. Inhabited by prehistoric fauna and giant lizards, this rocky 107 square miles is the ideal spot for those who appreciate solitude and nature at its most dramatic.

The farthest west of the islands (till Columbus stumbled across the Americas, it was considered the westernmost point in the known world, the zero meridian), EI Hierro appears grim and unfriendly from the sea, since its coasts are of black lava dotted with cactus. Clouds often shroud its central zone, a plateau 4,900 feet above sea level. Not the entire island is stark, however; tiny pockets of emerald green glitter in the mountainous interior, providing pasture for flocks of sheep. Their milk, combined with cow's and/or goat's milk, is an essential ingredient of the popular queso herreno, a slightly sour tasting smoked cheese.

The hardy Bimbache, EI Hierro's original inhabitants, solved the problem of the island's lack of spring water by harvesting water from the evergreen leaves of the garoe tree. The trees were so important to the islanders that, until fairly recently, the ownership of one tree was a communal affair, with different branches belonging to different proprietors. The island's inhospitable conditions eventually forced much of the population to emigrate to South America.

Nearly half of the residents live in the capital, Valverde, which is known for its wine. From Valverde, visitors can make short excursions to such natural wonders as La Dehesa, a huge igneous desert whose rolling slopes create the hypnotic illusion of a continual wave. Towering over this calm expanse is the Santuario de Nuestra Senora de los Reyes (Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Catholic Monarchs), which every four years is the focal point of a great pilgrimage. During these processions, the image of the Virgin Mary is borne for 19 miles along harsh, windy roads to the capital, accompanied by pilgrims, some bearing candles, some playing native music.

Things to do in Lanzarote

noreply@blogger.com (Fay) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:01:00 +0000

Lanzarote An eerie, burntout island pockmarked by hundreds of extinct volcanoes, Lanzarote is the most physically astonishing of the Canaries. Its bizarrely spectacular landscape evokes in first-time visitors the sense of having been transported to the very beginning or end of time. A day or two is enough to see this awe-inspiring scenery, but many travelers are tempted to linger longer on some of the island's white sand beaches. Set 85 miles northeast of Las Palmas and only 65 miles from the coast of Morocco, Lanzarote has some 300 volcanoes, and petrified seas of lava -known as malpais (badland) writhe across parts of the island.

Nevertheless, its farms produce sumptuous melons, figs, onions, and tomatoes, thanks to a remarkable system of cultivation. Local farmers spread picon (black volcanic ash) on their fields to absorb and retain moisture, and thus manage to coax an abundant harvest in a land that has no running water and sparse rainfall. They also produce a notable wine from the malvasia (malmsey) grape, which is grown on vines planted in walled hollows to protect them from the hot, searing winds.

By such ingenuity and persistence, the native population (now 50,000) managed to survive from approximately the time when the Genoese navigator Lancelotto Malocello landed here in the 14th century (and gave the island its name) until mass tourism hit in the 1980s. Some 700,000 visitors now set foot on this eastern-most of the Canaries annually, and hotels and apartment blocks abound, as well as desalinization plants to provide water. Fortunately, new buildings may be no higher than three stories, billboards are banned, and construction is confined to three main zones.

Las Montañas del Fuego Lanzarote

Between 1730 and 1736 a series of terrifying eruptions devastated the western part of Lanzarote: burying farmland and a number of villages under volcanic debris. This area now makes up the Parqe Nacional de Timanfaya. Entering from Yaiza, a typcal whitewashed village In the south 14.5 miles (23 km) from Arrecife, visItors come to the Echadero de los CamelJos, where dromedaries wait to carry people on short journeys. Over the lava (there is a charge for this, in addition to the park admission). The main road through the park winds up a hill known as Islote de Hilario, where sub-surface temperatures reach upward of 800F.

Twigs placed in a hollow catch fire within seconds, and when a park ranger pours water down a vent in the earth's surface, a steam geyser instantly erupts. A tour bus cruises The Route of the Volcanoes (with commentary in English) for a close view of this lunar like landscape, where virtually no living creature exists. Before departing, try a volcano-broiled steak at EI Diablo, the park restaurant. The park is open daily; admission charge. Note: Strong footwear is recommended to explore the lava fields, and those with cameras should remember to bring a blower brush to clean off the dust.

La Geria, just 3km east of Yaiza, is one of the island's main wine producing centers. A short detour off the main road to Arrecife, north toward Mashache, offers views of the peculiar horseshoe-shaped stone structures in which the grapevines thrive. South of Yaiza, the coast contains a variety of natural wonders: the Salinas de J anubio salt flats; the dancing waters of Los Hervideros, which are jets of seawater shooting out of volcanic rock; and the EI Gofo green lagoon, separated from the sea by a large crater, where vendors sell semiprecious olivine stones collected in the area.

Lanzarote Car hire

Lanzarote car hire can be picked up at the airport on arrival, when pre-booked online. Car rentals in Lanzarote are reasonably priced and if you want to hire a car to tour the island, all the major car hire companies are represented at Lanzarote Airport, including Avis, Hertz and a host of local companies.

The north of Lanzarote

An 18mile (29km) drive north of Arrecife leads to Jameos del Agua, a beautiful grotto carved by nature out of black volcanic rock, with a lagoon-formed when molten lava met the sea-inhabited by blind white crabs. The grotto has been transformed into a natural, partially enclosed entertainment and shopping complex; at one end is a beautifully landscaped outdoor pool area. Folk music shows, with dinner and dancing; a terraced top floor bar with sweeping ocean views; and a mini-museum dedicated to volcanoes, including a large rock collection and a state-of-the-art video on volcaology, are some of the features here. The entertainment grotto is open daily.

Some 300 yards away is the Cueva de los Verdes (Green Cave), the world's largest volcanic tunnel, a place where the Guanche and later inhabitants took refuge from invaders. Extending nearly four miles to the sea, it was created by cooling lava. At the northernmost tip of the island, 7 miles (11 km) farther along, is the Mirador del Rio, a lookout point atop old fortifi cations where there is a breathtaking view of some of the smaller Canaries - Graciosa, Montana Clara, and Alegranza.

Returning southward, the road passes Haria, a village of white houses in a green valley dotted with hundreds of palms, and the last home of architect Cesar Manrique (who was killed in a car accident in 1992). The town is the most picturesque and authentic of the island's villages.

One of Lanzarote's most breathtaking views is from the heights of the Mirador de Haria, 3 miles (5 km) to the south. Farther on lies Teguise, the former island capital. Set on top of an extinct volcano, Teguise has a castle, the Castillo de Guanapay, which has the best views in town of some of the smaller Canaries. The town's colonial appearance, convents, churches, and the 18th-century Palacio Espinolas (now the seat of the local government) make it a worthwhile stop.

Things to do in Arrecife

The island's current capital, Arrecife, is not particularly interesting, but it does have two castles, the 16th-century Castillo de San Gabriel (open weekdays from 9 AM to 2 PM; admission charge) and the 18th-century Castillo de San Jose. The latter, renovated by Cesar Manrique, is now the home of the Museo deArtes Contemporaneas. Except for the hotel bars, there is very little nightlife in the capital; most of the action, such as it is, is in the beach areas.

For a look at more of Cesar Manrique's work, visit the Fundación Cesar Manrique, in the village of Taro, on the eastern end of Tahiche. The foundation, located in one of Manrique's former homes, illustrates the talent and tastes of the artist, who took advantage of an existing network of lava formations to create an impressive living space. It houses a bookshop, souvenir store, and a snack bar, and is open daily; weekend hours 10 AM to 2 PM.

Car hire Tenerife

noreply@blogger.com (Fay) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 14:57:00 +0000

Car hire in Tenerife is easy to pick up and drop off and Tenerife Airport car rentals can be pre-booked before you fly to save you money and hassle when you arrive at the airport.

At 793 square miles, the largest of the Canary Islands is only 20 minutes by air west of Las Palmas on Grand Canary and just a little more than a two-hour flight from Madrid. Local legend has it that God put so much effort into creating the beaches of Grand Canary that night fell before he could finish the mountains.

When he came to Tenerife, he began with the mountains, and this time darkness fell before he could get around to the beaches. Thus Tenerife has fewer beaches than its neighbor and the sand is black. Still, there is enough to attract the visitor. Towering above Tenerife's mixture of lush vegetation and arid desert is the massive dormant volcano, Pica del Teide, Spain's highest peak at 12,200 feet, the island's name is believed to have evolved from a Guanche word meaning snow-capped mountain.

Because it receives more rain than its neighbors, Tenerife is the archipelago's main agricultural center, producing most of its vegetables (vineyards, along with sugar cane and banana plantations, have long been a mainstay of its economy). The northern and northwestern corners receive the most rainfall, which encourages forests and colorful vegetation, while the south is arid and desolate. Also in the north are the settlements of long standing: Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the provincial capital; La Laguna, site of one of Spain's oldest seats of learning; and Puerto de la Cruz, once important as a fruit and wine-exporting port and now a tourism resort.

Around southern beaches at Los Cristianos and Playa de las Americas, the year-round sunshine has fostered a development boom, covering tracts of desert with apartments and hotels. These resorts, and the nearby Aeropuerto Reina Sofia, are linked with Santa Cruz by a fast four-lane autopista (highway), while another autopista speeds traffic up to Puerto de la Cruz. Interior roads, in contrast, are narrow, winding, and tiring to drive.

Santa Cruz de Tenerife and the North

Backed by saw tooth mountains, this provincial capital is an important port, with more than 200,000 inhabitants and many modern buildings. More Spanish in character and aesthetically more pleasing than Las Palmas, it has no beaches to speak of, and is primarily a city of shops, with boutique-lined Calle del Castillo closed to traffic but filled with hordes of shoppers.

Plaza de Espana, where this pedestrian area begins, is next to the port and is noteworthy for its memorial to the men of Tenerife who died in the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). Visible from quite a distance, the towering monument also serves as a directional marker for tourists making their way back to the center of town. Just off the Plaza de Espana, on the third floor of the Cabildo Insular (island seat of government) is the Museo Arqueologico y Antropologico, which has a collection of 100 Guanche mummies, more than 1,000 skulls and 300,000 bones, and other artifacts of the Canary Islands' original inhabitants.

The museum is closed Sundays and holidays; summer hours 9 AM to 2 PM; admission charge. North of the port, along Avenida de Anaga, where flame trees and palms provide a pleasant tropical air, is the Castillo de Paso Alto, a 17th-century fortress that now houses a regional military museum; open Tuesdays through Sundays from 10 AM to 2 PM.

Five miles (8 km) north of town lies Playa de las Teresitas, which claims to be the world's largest artificial beach; the golden sand covering this mile-long stretch a pleasant place for swimming, sunbathing, or a quick snack at one of its many inexpensive restaurants was imported from the Sahara in the 1960s. From here, the road turns inland and corkscrews steeply upward to the Anaga headland, a dramatic area of knifeedge ridges, ravines, and dense evergreen woods.

At El Bailadero pass, the picturesquely situated village of Taganana can be seen down below, but the road continues west along the crest of the range to the Pico del Ingles Belvedere, a lookout point 3,300 feet above sea level, from which there is a spectacular view of the Pico del Teide rising in the distance. Soon after the road descends to La Laguna, the university town and former island capital, which has an interesting old section highlighted by the Plaza del Adelantado, the 16th century Iglesia de la Concepcion (Church of the Conception, now a national monument), and a 20th-century cathedral with a neoclassical facade.

Loro Parque Tenerife

Loro Parque, a tropical park and zoo with an orchid garden, a dolphin show, and 1,300 parrots - some of which ride bicycles and do other tricks in a parrot show. The park is open daily; admission charge. On Sundays at 11 AM, typical Canaries folk dancing and singing, plus an exhibition of local wrestling, la lucha canada, take place on the grounds of the Tigaiga hotel. The Parque de Taoro also houses the Taoro Casino (see Nightclubs and Nightlife).

La Orotava

In a valley of the same name, overlooking Puerto de la Cruz, which is 6 miles (10 km) away and 1,000 feet below, La Orotava occupies a site that was once a Guanche capital and is among the most compelling settings on the island. One of the oldest towns on Tenerife, it has steep cobbled streets and handsome homes with exquisite balconies, red roofs, and interior patios.

The 18th-century rococo Iglesia de la Concepcion, now a museum, is a highlight with its impressive 17th-century Baroque altarpiece, as is Artesania La Casa de los Salcones, an arts and crafts center in an old balconied house with a flower-filled patio. Here visitors will find the delicate calado, or drawn-thread embroidery, used for everything from handkerchiefs to tablecloths and manufactured by women working at wooden looms.

The annual Fiesta de Corpus Christi during the week surrounding June 15 is a celebration of the religious fervor, energy, and artistry of the town's residents.Although the event is celebrated throughout the Canaries, the festivities are at their most colorful here. Before the procession, the town's squares and streets are covered with carpets made of hundreds of thousands of flower petalsbougainvillea, dahlias, geraniums, carnations as well as crushed leaves, pine needles, and colorful designs in sand. The largest and most intricate carpet is laid on the Plaza del Ayuntamiento (Town Hall Square).

Pico del Teide Tenerife

This is one excursion not to be missed on any visit to the Canaries. Mt. Teide, which towers 12,200 feet above sea level and overlooks a sea of clouds, is situated in the Parque Nacional de las Caiiadas del Teide, a beautiful forest of heather, evergreens, eucalyptus, and Canarian pine at an altitude of some 6,500 feet. The park is reached via the town and the valley of La Orotava, where corn, chestnuts, and bananas are raised in abundance. It's open daily during daylight hours; no admission charge. Beyond La Orotava, the road cuts through the Mar de Nubes (a sea, or canopy, of clouds that usually hugs the mountain about halfway up) to a desolate, treeless amphitheater.

This is Las Cafladas, an ancient volcanic crater some 47 miles in diameter, from the center of which surges the great bulk of EI Teide, a newer volcano and the tallest mountain in Spain. Las Cafladas is scarred and strewn with boulders; the last eruption in 1798 destroyed a peak that was even larger than El Teide.

A cable car takes 35 passengers on a 10-minute journey to the base of the cone. From there it is a 25 minute hike to the edge, from which most of the Canaries and even the coast of Africa is visible on a clear day. Those short of breath should take care, as the air is quite rarefied at this altitude. Dedicated climbers can spend the night near the peak at the Cueva de Hielo (Ice Cave), a mountain shelter; for less adventurous sorts, there is a rustic parador near the cable car.

Icod de los Vinos

West of Puerto de la Cruz a road winds above seawhipped rocks and black sand coves to this small town, the center of the island's wine and malmsey grape-producing area. The 16th-century Renaissance Iglesia de San Marcos is worth a look, but the town's proudest possession is the drago, Tenerife's oldest dragon tree, said to be more than 1,000 years old, and whose sap was used by the Guanche for curing ailments (both are located in the center of town, on Plaza de la Iglesia). From Icod, a drive through banana plantations leads to the nearby beach resort of San Marcos, amid black cliffs, then south to the whitewashed town of Garachico, the island's original capital.

The main point of interest here is the Castillo de San Miguel, an old fortress which these days houses a natural history museum of island fossils, shells, and minerals. There are several other museums in town as well, including the Casa de la Cultura (House of Culture), with exhibits of Canarian life in the 16th and 17th centuries; a Museo de Ciencias Naturales (Natural Sciences Museum); and a Museo de Arte Contemporeneo (Contemporary Art Museum). For information on these museums contact the Ayuntamiento de Garachico.

Things to do in the Canary Islands

noreply@blogger.com (Fay) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 14:52:00 +0000

A cluster of seven major and six minor islands in the Atlantic Ocean, which mix European, African, and even American influences, the Canary Island archipelago lies about 65 miles off the northwest coast of Africa. The Canaries are aptly called the Fortunate Isles; bathed by the Gulf Stream and ruffled by the trade winds; they are spread out in a line only about 4° north of the Tropic of Cancer, at roughly the same latitude as Florida, and in general enjoy a spring like climate throughout the year, with temperatures mostly in the 70s F.

Yet physical contrasts are dramatic, from verdant tropical vegetation to Dantesque, lavacovered lunar landscapes; from towering, snowcapped mountains to rolling desert dunes; from ultramodern tourism complexes to quaint, whitewashed hamlets and recondite valleys populated with tertiaryera flora and fauna. Las Islas Canarias attract an everincreasing number of tourists, but most never venture far from the beaches, leaving the rugged wonders of the hinterlands for more intrepid souls.

There are 13 islands, but only Grand Canary (Gran Canaria in Spanish), Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, La Gomera, El Hierro, and La Palma are of any significant size. Born of volcanic eruptions millions of years ago, the Canaries are dotted with hundreds of volcanoes, and one or two are still smoldering. Because of variations in altitude and climate, some islands have justly been described as miniature continents. On the heights, the vegetation is alpine, and includes Canary pine and broom. On the lower slopes, irrigation of the rich volcanic soils produces an astonishing abundance of tropical and semi-tropical fruits.

Scorching African winds from the Sahara create desert conditions on the easternmost islands of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, as well as along the eastern coasts of Grand Canary and Tenerife. But lofty volcanic peaks block clouds rolling in from the ocean and create damp, luxuriant conditions elsewhere.

These isles have piqued the imagination of man since the beginning of recorded history. Homer spoke of them as a privileged kingdom devoid of winter, and Herodotus identified them as the site of the mythical garden of Hesperides (where Atlas stood supporting the weight of the heavens). Plato believed the islands were the remains of the mythical lost continent of Atlantis, and Ptolemy, the 2nd-century geographer, situated his first meridian 0° longitude at EI Hierro, the most remote of the islands.

There are canaries in the Canaries, but the archipelago's name comes from another source. Pliny wrote of an expedition sent to these legendary isles by the African king, Juba. The explorers returned with huge, wild dogs; hence the name canarias, from the Latin canis (dog). Even today a local breed of fierce gray dogs called verdinos, or bardinos, still roams some parts of the islands.

Canary Islands history

When the Spanish attempted to take the islands in the 15th century, they had problems not from canines but from the original human inhabitants, the Guanche cave dwellers, who put up fierce resistance and were not conquered until 1496. Little is known about where the Guanche people came from or how. Shepherds and rudimentary farmers, they practiced a cult of the dead, developing a complicated mummification process similar to that used in Egypt. Carvings at the Cueva de Belmaco (Belmaco Cave) in La Palma, yet to be deciphered, promise to reveal much more about this fascinating people.

But the recent discovery of a stone with ancient Berber inscriptions supports the prevailing theory that the Guanche were descendants of North African tribes and may have emigrated from the mainland sometime around 500 BC. As the Spaniards established themselves on the islands, the Guanche who were not killed off by disease, famine, volcanic eruptions, or slavery were absorbed into the Spanish culture.

Some of the local people retain the physical characteristics of their forebears (they were tall, fairskinned, and lighthaired), and traces of their existence remain all over the archipelago in the form of ceramics and leather artifacts, geometric cave paintings, mummies, remnants of their traditions and language (in placenames such as Timanfaya and Tenerife), and their food. Today's islanders have a newly awakened interest in their ancestors, partly in reaction to what they feel is neglect from distant Madrid. From time to time throughout the islands, slogans appear on posters and walls saying Godos fuera! (Goths as in Visigoth, the islanders' pejorative name for a mainland Spaniard go home!).

Canary Islands industry and agriculture

For most of their early history, the Canaries depended on agriculture as the mainstay of their economy, with their aromatic malvasia (malmsey) wine gaining wide favor in European courts during the 16th century (Shakespeare had Falstaff call for a cask of Canary Jack). During the 18th and 19th centuries, sugarcane, muscatel wine, and a tiny red mite called the cochineal insect brought wealth to the Canaries.

The natural dye obtained from the insect, which lives off the islands' cacti, was exported in large quantities to Britain and France until the invention of artificial colorings. Later, the Canaries prospered with bananas, potatoes, tomatoes, and tobacco. For a long time, trade was monopolized by British firms, which also made the towns of Las Palmas on Grand Canary and Santa Cruz de Tenerife on Tenerife important coaling stations for their ships.

Wealthy Europeans began spending winters in the Canaries during the late 19th century. Today five million tourists visit the islands annually, and although there are now more than 300,000 hotel beds, it can be extremely difficult to get a room in the better resorts during high season, from December through Easter. The Canary archipelago is one of Spain's 17 autonomous communities.

But since 1927 the islands have been split into two provinces, and there is ongoing rivalry between the ports of Las Palmas and Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Las Palmas is the provincial capital of the eastern islands: Grand Canary (the most populated), Fuerteventura (a virtual desert), and Lanzarote (which has the most impressive volcanic scenery). Santa Cruz de Tenerife is the capital of the western group: Tenerife (the largest island), La Palma (the green island), La Gomera, and EI Hierro. The archipelago has its own parliament, and each island has its own cabildo (council) to look after local affairs.

A mixture of cultures influences Canarian food, which tends to be hearty and simple. Gofio, a filling paste made of flour, water, and milk, is an island staple from the Guanche. Sancocho canario is fresh fish cooked with both sweet and regular potatoes and served with kneaded gofio and mojo, an essential Canarian seasoning made with oil, vinegar, garlic, salt, and various spices such as paprika, coriander, and pepper. Mojo picón is a hot seasoning made with peppers; watch out, because it's ubiquitous, and its benign aroma belies its true incendiary nature.

Papas arrugadas (literally, wrinkled potatoes), potatoes boiled in their skins and served with mojo, are a popular snack. Some of the world's richest fishing grounds lie between the Canaries and the African coast, a plentitude that yields such specialties as stuffed chicharros (mackerel) and Tenerife-style cazuela canaria, a delectable casserole of fresh or salted fish. Common meat dishes include roast chicken in banana cream, tender cabrito asado (roasted kid goat), and jabali (wild boar) from Gomera. Most red meat is served with salmorejo, a sauce of vinegar, garlic, and assorted spices. Vegetable dishes and stews are usually made with bubangos (summer squash), cabbage, and watercress.

Weather in the Canary Islands

The tropical and subtropical climate of some of the islands has produced such fresh fruit as avocados, bananas, mangoes, cherimoyas, and papayas. Equally enticing are the desserts, including frangollo, a sweet made of corn, milk, and honey, and gofio turrón, a nougat candy. Cheese aficionados have a wide variety of cured, raw, and smoked goat and sheep cheeses from which to choose. Meals are often rounded off with ronmiel, a punch made of distilled sugarcane and palm sap; mistela, coffee laced with sugar and brandy; banana liqueur; or the renowned malmsey wine, which can be a young verde (green),purpura (purplered), seeD (dry), or dulce (sweet), depending on the harvesting period.

Today's Canary Islanders make their living farming, fishing, and producing handicrafts as well as by working at various jobs in the modern resort developments. They speak Spanish with a musical accent reminiscent of Latin America (to which many Canarians have emigrated over the years). Their folk music also has a Latin American rhythm; folk groups play flutes, drums, guitars, and the timple, a small stringed instrument. Visitors to the Canary Islands will be charmed not only by the rich tapestry of music, landscape, history, and gastronomy but also by the warm inhabitants. Keep in mind when planning visits that in the Canary Islands, as in other parts of Spain, churches, museums, historic sites, and other places of touristic interest usually 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; schedules may change with the seasons.

Festivals in the Canary Islands

Camels, bands, and lavishly dressed islanders participate in the Cabalgata de los Tres Reyes (Cavalcade of the Three Kings), which takes place on January 5 or 6 in several towns throughout the islands, most notably Las Palmas and Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Also celebrated on all the islands with astonishing exuberance is February's Camaval; Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas compete to outdo each other with dazzling and outrageous parades, costumes, and nonstop music and dancing; Latin American stars and bands are usually on hand to help liven things up. Semana Santa (Holy Week), from Domingo de Ramos (Palm Sunday) through Domingo de ResUlrecci6n (Easter Sunday), is observed with solemn processions throughout the islands.

In addition, each town has a fiesta to honor its patron saint (exact dates can vary from year to year). During the last two weeks of April, Tegueste, near La Laguna, Tenerife, combines its romena (flower-bedecked oxcart procession) with a show of 15,000 bottles of wine from 20 Spanish bodegas. Early in May, the Dia de la Cruz (Day of the Cross) is the occasion for one of the year's most lighthearted fiestas, particularly on the island of El Hierro. On Tenerife, in June, carpets of flowers and elaborate paintings of sand are arranged on the streets of La Laguna and La Orotava for Corpus Christi processions.

During September, San Sebastian on La Gomera holds its Semana de Colon (Columbus Week) celebrations (commemorating the explorer's passage through the islands in 1492, the first stop on his historic voyage across the Atlantic). September 8 is a big day on Grand Canary, when a colorful procession pays homage to Nuestra Senora del Pino (Our Lady of the Pine) in Teror. The port town of Puerto de la Cruz in Tenerife hosts an annual Festival de Cine Ecologico (Ecological Film Festival) during the third week of November.

Once every five years, La Palma holds its Fiestas Lustrales, a two-week festival in honor of Nuestra Senora de las Nieves (Our Lady of the Snows) in Santa Cruz de la Palma, in which the highlight is the Danza de los Enanos (Dwarfs' Dance, a day-long event in which two dozen or more costumed islanders dance polkas); the next celebration will be held this summer from July 2 through August 16. Finally, Las Palmas hosts the Festival de Opera in February and March, and in La Laguna, on Tenerife, the Festival Internacional del Teatro y de la Danza (International Festival of Theater and Dance) takes place from March through May.

Gran Canaria Car hire

Book Gran Canaria car hire before you fly to save money and time when you arrive at the airport on the island. Cheap airport car hire in Gran Canaria is easy to book online and you can choose from every major car hire company, including Hertz, Helle Hollis and Avis, and a range of local car rental companies in Gran Canaria.

Grand Canary (Gran Canaria), the most heavily populated of the Canary Islands, covers only 592 square miles but encompasses a variety of landscapes and climates. When it is cool and cloudy along the northern slopes where tomatoes, potatoes, sugarcane, and bananas flourish sunbathers can be soaking up the rays on beaches in the cloudless south. At the same time, chill winds may be sweeping over this circular island's 6,400-foot central heights, ruffling the upland forests of laurel, pine, and eucalyptus. Sheer ravines cut into the volcanic mountains of the center, and agriculture flourishes because of intricate irrigation schemes.

While ever-increasing numbers of sun-hungry visitors flock to the fine beaches of the southern coast, most of the island's 600,000 inhabitants live in the north in the bustling capital of Las Palmas. Stretched along a strip of seafront at the island's northeastern tip, Las Palmas is the largest city in the archipelago, with 350,000 inhabitants, a major port, a fading tourist resort, and a shopping center.

In the interior of the island, southwest of Las Palmas along narrow mountain roads, is Tejeda, standing about 4,800 feet above sea level amid a bleak, volcanic landscape. The setting, described by the Spanish poet Miguel de Unamuno as a petrified storm, is awesome. More soothing is the Maspalomas Playa del InglesSan Agustin resort area, sometimes called the Costa Canaria, along the island's southern coast.

The area stretches for miles, embracing three resort developments, excellent beaches, and a mini-Sahara of spectacular sand dunes. Quainter, more secluded spots are opening up in the coves west of MaspalomasPlaya del Ingles. The tiny fishing community of Puerto de Mogan is fast becoming the retreat of the yachting set, who are attracted by its charming marina and enchanting canal-cooled Mediterranean village.

The city of Las Palmas

Las Palmas stretches from La Isleta peninsula and the Puerto de la Luz area, where cruise liners and merchant vessels dock, south along a narrow isthmus. The Castillo de La Luz, a castlefortress on the Isleta on Calle Juan Rejon, was built in 1494 to protect the town from pirates and other invaders (including the English fleet of Sir Francis Drake) and has been restored to serve as a cultural center. Just south of the Isleta, on the western side of the isthmus, begins a twomile beach, Playa de las Canteras. Running parallel to the beach is the Paseo de las Canteras, a promenade boasting numerous bars, cafes, and a variety of restaurants: not just Spanish but Swedish, Italian, Chinese, Finnish, Mexican, Indian, and German.

Most resort hotels are in this strip as well. These, however, have suffered from a tourist exodus to the south of the island. The bulks are shabby and frayed, and serve the lower end of the package circuit. The public market, located in the southern fringes of the barrio, is still appealing. It occupies an entire block at the corner of Calle Nestor de la Torre and Calle Galicia.

Any bus traveling along Calle Leon y Castillo at Parque Santa Catalina also goes to Parque Doramas. Another parque de San Telmo, is farther south, where the broad, bustling shopping street, Calle Mayor de Triana, begins and leads south to the Vegueta, the city's old quarter. Parallel to Triana is the CasaMuseo Perez GaLdos, the former home of Benito Perez Galdos, a 19th and 20th-century writer, playwright, and campaigner against social injustice. It's closed Sundays and afternoons; admission charge.

The Vegueta Las Palmas

The Vegueta, the city's historic center, an area of peaceful cobbled streets, old balconied buildings, and pleasant squares, is a bit farther south (from the Isleta or Puerto de la Luz area, take a taxi or bus No.1). Here, fronting the noble Plaza de Santa Ana (St. Ann Square), is the Catedral de Las Palmas, a 15th-century cathedral that is Gothic in origin, with a later, neoclassical exterior. The cathedral's Museo Diocesano de Arte Sacra boasts a collection of magnificent Flemish and Castilian paintings.

Directly across the street from the cathedral is the CasaMuseo Colon, the former governors' residence. This dignified mansion hosted Christopher Columbus (Cristobal Colon in Spanish) for a short time in 1502 before he headed to the Americas on one of his later voyages. It now functions as a small museum, containing objects from the period of Columbus's explorations, including heavy cannon, faded maps, and models of the explorer's vessels. Nearby is the Museo Canario, displaying ceramics and implements of the original island inhabitants. The first floor has glass cases containing hundreds of skulls of the Guanche, some showing evidence of trepanation techniques used in primitive medicine. Most striking are the mummified remains of entire bodies.

North of Las Palmas

Cenobio de Valeron, a remarkable archaeological site, is 15 miles (25 km) west of Las Palmas via the C810 coastal highway. Here the rock is honeycombed with caves where once, it is believed, young daughters of the Guanche nobility were kept as vestal virgins. From nearby Guia, a road zigzags inland and back eastward through fertile terraced farmland, to Moya and Arucas. The latter, 10 miles (17 km) out of Las Palmas, has a somber Gothic-style church, built during this century, which stands out against .the town's white houses. There are spectacular views from the observation deck at the top of the nearby Montana de Arucas.

Continue south to Teror, 13 miles (21 km) from Las Palmas, whose wooden-balconied mansions are a marvel of traditional, harmonious architecture. At its heart is the 18th-century Basilica de Nuestra Senora del Pino (Basilica of Our Lady of the Pine), which houses the much venerated statue of Grand Canary's patron saint, said to have been found in a pine tree in 1481. The statue is the object of the island's annual pilgrimage on September 8.

The original whitewashed fishing village sits on a hill to the north, providing a rustic backdrop to the newer, sleeker enclave below. A ferry ride to neighboring Puerto Rico and Arguineguin (service six times daily from the port; buy tickets on board) is a pleasant, leisurely way to study the underlying coast.

Things to do in Ibiza

noreply@blogger.com (Fay) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 14:45:00 +0000

The third largest of the Balearic Islands (about 25 miles east to west and 12 miles north to south) lives up to its reputation as the jet set playground of Europe. Before the 1950s and 1960s, when this once-obscure island began to evolve into an international artists' colony and concourse for the counter-culture, word of its existence had hardly seeped beyond the borders of Spain. Then it became almost a household word and today the island is home away from home to artists and pseudoartists, movie stars, rock stars, and fashion designers.

While Majorca's tourist industry has been leveling off of late, business in Ibiza is booming. The population of its capital, Ibiza town, increases nearly tenfold in summer, so don't even think of alighting here in high season without a confirmed and reconfirmed hotel reservation (the influx is such that some of the locals have been known to get a little cranky by September). The hippie nomads have been replaced by the young rich, the packaged tourists, and gay travelers; the resulting mix has made the island so cosmopolitan it is virtually impossible to label it Balearic or Spanish.

The Greeks referred to Ibiza and its southern neighbor, Formentera, as the Pittiusae (pine-clad islands), a word which survives today in the word pitiuso, which visitors will see attached to everything from car rental companies to publications. Except for the addition of almond, olive, fig, and other fruit trees, the reference still holds. But Ibiza is also known as the Isla Blanca (White Island), thanks to the brilliance of its square, flat-roofed houses, typically Moorish in style and religiously whitewashed each spring. The local architecture reflects a close affinity to North Africa, a legacy not only of 300 years of Moorish rule, but also of 500 years of colonization by the Carthaginians.

Ibiza Town information

Ibiza town (also known in the local version of Catalan as Eivissa) occupies a hill next to a natural harbor on the southeast coast. The two other main towns are Sant Antoni de Portmany (formerly known as San Antonio Abad) and Santa Eulalia del Rio (also called Santa Eularia del Riu). The former, on a natural harbor, is the epicenter of packaged tourism on the island, with a frenetic nightlife. The latter is a pleasant, quieter resort town at the mouth of the Balearic Islands' only river (actually a seven-mile-long stream).

Ibiza beaches

Ibiza's beaches range from those that are backed with hotels and packed with the tourists to stretches of fine white sand lining deserted coves. Beach buses and boats connect the more popular ones to town; a car or a yacht or even a pedal boat allows travelers to discover the more secluded ones. The beaches closest to Ibiza town are Platja Talamanca to the north and Platja Figueretas and Platja d'en Bossa to the south, but anyone seeking to avoid the crowds keeps on riding to Las Salinas, the salt flats farther south, where the beaches include Platja Es Cavallet, one of the island's official nudist strands, although there is some shedding of bathing suits nearly everywhere.

Similarly, the hotels of Sant Antoni de Portmany hold many more people than can be accommodated on Platja San Antonio, but within easy reach by bus or boat are the beaches of Port des Torrent, Cala Bassa, Cala Conta, and Cala Tarida, all southwest of town. The beach at Santa Eulalia del Rio is also unimpressive, but Platja Llonga to the south and the beaches that stretch northward, Platja d'es Cana, Cala Nova, Cala Lenaare some of the best on the island. Along the north coast are the beaches at the resort development of Portinatx and at Puerto de San Miguel.

Things to see in Ibiza Town

Sightseeing on Ibiza really means observing the passing scene, although the island does have its complement of more conventional sights. Most are in the capital, which is divided into a medieval upper town, the Dalt Vila, and a lower town that, at least in the area around the harbor, dates mainly from the mid-19th century. In the lower town, the Barrio de Sa Penya, stretching east from the Estación Maritima, is the fishermen's quarter, full of shops, restaurants, bars, and a lively nightlife.The Marina district to the west of it is the business district, with more shops, restaurants, and bars.

Ibiza's main street, Paseo Vara de Rey (named after an ibicenco hero of the Spanish-American War), is on the western reaches of this district, and still farther west stretch the newer zones of the city, brought about by the boom in tourism. Dalt Vila is picturesque and compact, an oasis of calm far removed from the hubbub of the rest of the island.

It's crowned by an ancient cathedral and enclosed by 16th-century walls that have been declared a national monument. Enter by the main gateway, the Portal de las Tablas, flanked by Roman statues, and climb the winding cobblestone streets to the cathedral of Ibiza and Formentera, the Catedra de Santa Maria de Las Nieves (St. Mary of the Snows). Built during the 13th century and extensively revamped early in the 18th century, the church is rather plain and austere inside and out, but the panoramic view from the terrace is the best in town, 300 feet over the Mediterranean.

Also in Plaza de la Catedral is the Museo Arqueologico, which contains items unearthed on Ibiza and Formentera and is one of the most important museums of Punic (Carthaginian) artifacts in Spain and in the world. All exhibit identification and information is in Spanish only. The museum is open daily; admission charge . Another Dalt Vila museum - the Museo de Arte Contemponineo displays contemporary Spanish paintings and sculpture.

Windmill Hill Ibiza

Visitors whose appetite for - artifacts has not been sated should head down to a part of the lower town west of Dalt Vila to the Punic necropolis of Puig des Motins (Windmill Hill). Because the Carthaginians considered the soil of Ibiza to be especially good for burial purposes, they buried their dead from other colonies here as well, and this necropolis was the largest of several on the island. More than 4,000 tombs were carved into the hillside, and although the graves were pillaged over the centuries, scientific excavations yielded enough to stock the Museo Monogrrifico del Puig des Molins, at the bottom of the hill. The museum is open daily, and the admission charge includes a visit to the necropolis.

Formentera and things to do

Formentera The sea is visible from every point on Formentera, which is nearly flat as a pancake except for a lump the 630-foothigh La Mola mountain at its eastern extremity. Made up of two islets joined by an isthmus, the island measures only about 12 miles from end to end. Ferries arrive at La Sabina, the island harbor, which is on the north coast between two lagoons, Estang de Peix and Estang Pudent (which translate as fish lagoon and stinky lagoon, respectively). The cluster of sparkling white house’s down the road from the port is San Francisco Javier, the capital, home to less than half the island's population (and also called, in ibicenc, Sant Francesc Xavier).

At the center of town is the 18th century Iglesia de San Francisco. The nextlargest village is San Fernando, 2 km to the east. The rest of the island consists of pine forests and salt flats, generously fringed with beaches - Platja de Mitjorn, on the southern coast and 3 miles long, is long enough to escape being crowded.

Others include Platja d'Es Pujols, north of San Fernando, which attracts a certain amount of business from package tours; Platja de Ses IIletas and Platja de Llevant, on either side of the Trocadors peninsula, which stretches north from La Sabina; and Cala Sahona, on the western side of the island, still reasonably remote.

The Carthaginians are known to have worked the salt pans, but they left no trace of settlement on the island. The Romans left it its name, a corruption of the Latin Frumentaria – from frumentum, or wheat since Formentera served as a granary for the Roman camp on Ibiza.

Places to visit in Majorca and Minorca

noreply@blogger.com (Fay) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 14:40:00 +0000

The Joan Miro Foundation Majorca

Near the fashionable town of Andraitx, 3 miles (5 km) west of Palma, is this cultural complex built on the site of the famed artist's former studio. Before Miro's death in 1983, he and his wife, Pilar, created a foundation to ensure that his workplace would continue to be used. The foundation mounts changing exhibits from its permanent collection of 5,000 works, including paintings, sculpture, collages, etchings, and lithographs. Some of the artist's correspondence, photographs, and personal possessions are also displayed.

The Valldemosa Carthusian Monastery Majorca

Set in the mountains 11 miles (18 km) north of Palma, this monastery was founded during the 14th century, although the present buildings are from the 17th and 18th centuries. After the Carthusian monks were expelled during a period of anti-clericalism in the 18th century, its cells were rented out to guests, including Frederic Chopin and George Sand, who spent the winter of 1838-39 here (two cells have been converted into small museums of Chopin and Sand memorabilia).

The Claustro de Santa Maria (Cloister of St. Mary) offers beautiful views, and the neoclassical church is decorated with frescoes by Francisco Goya's brother-in-law, an intricately carved choir stall, and rich tapestries. It also features a lovely, well tended garden area and a preserved 18th-century pharmacy. Closed Sundays. Admission charge.

Deia Majorca Spain

This lovely old village (Deya in Spanish) enjoys an enchanting setting perched loftlike over the sea and backed by evergreen mountains 17 miles (27 km) northwest of Palma. Its natural beauty lured a number of talented people who made it an artists' and writers' colony the poet Robert Graves, who lived here until his death in 1985, was probably its most famous long-term resident. He is now buried in the local cemetery, which also has a splendid view of the area. There is also a small archaeology museum with Neolithic artifacts.

Soller Majorca

Almond, lemon, and orange groves surround this town, the largest on the western side of the island, 19 miles (30 km) north of Palma. Like many a settlement on Majorca, the threat of attack from the sea caused it to grow up a few miles inland from its port, Port de Soller, which sits 3 miles (5 km) from the valley on a round, sheltered, beach-lined bay and has become a thriving resort center.

Soller itself has little to see except for San Bartolome, a turn-of-the-century modernista church designed by a pupil of Gaudi, that is among the most elaborate on the island. Most visitors arrive aboard the turn of the century narrow-gauge railroad train from Palma, a wonderfully scenic ride (see Train, above), then continue via an extension down to the port for the beach or a bite to eat.

Cape Formentor

The road from Puerto de Pollensa to Cabo de Formentor follows the spine of the Sierra de Tramuntana out to sea and provides stunning vistas, particularly at the Mirador d'Es Colomer and at the Formentor lighthouse (not open to the public) at the end of the peninsula.

The Art Caves Majorca

These extensive caverns are perhaps the most beautiful of the many on the island, yet they are the least visited. They were first explored thoroughly during the 19th century and are said to have inspired Jules Verne to write Journey to the Center of the Earth but were known as long ago as the 13th century, when they served as a hiding place for Moors after the Reconquest. Open daily. Admission charge. On the east coast of the island at Cabo Vermeil, 6 miles (10 km) east of Arta.

The Dragons Caves Majorca

The largest of Majorca's caves are just over a mile long and contain a subterranean lake in addition to four chambers full of fanciful formations in limestone. Visits are guided (English language tours are possible) and include a concert by musicians in a boat at the end of the tour. Be warned: The crowds are ridiculous during the summer months. Open daily. Admission charge. On the east coast of Majorca, just south of Porto Cristo.

Minorca car hire

Minorca car hire is available directly from the airport, but if you want to explore the island by hire car, pre-book your car rentals for the best deals, offers and promotions available online.
Minorca The second largest of the Balearic Islands is the eastern-most of the group and also the island farthest from the Spanish mainland. Minorca, which measures about 30 miles from east to west and between 6 and 12 miles north to south, is relatively flat hilly plateau with its highest point, Monte Toro, rising just over 1,000 feet in the island's center.

The absence of a mountain range such as the one on Majorca means that Minorca is without some of the larger island's spectacular scenery. Yet its outline is rugged and irregular, resulting in roughly 125 miles of coastline blessed with countless small coves and beautiful beaches. More and more tourists are beginning to appreciate Minorca's pleasures, but they haven't inundated the island yet, and agriculture and dairy products remain major industries, along with the making of shoes and costume jewelry.

Minorca history

Traces of past cultures have all but been destroyed on the island, except for the massive megalithic constructions remaining from prehistoric times. Minorca is dotted with hundreds of these stone monuments cylindrical talayots, Tshaped taulas, and shipshape navetas which are remnants of a so-called talayotic Bronze Age culture that may have begun about 2000 Be and was at its height around 1000 Be.

Scholars do not yet fully understand the origins of the civilization that raised these monuments (though it's thought that they established settlements throughout the Mediterranean and even as far north as Britain), nor have they been able to fathom the structures' exact functions. Talayots may have been watchtowers or the houses of chieftains (or the roofs or foundations of such structures).

Taulas, the form most peculiar to Minorca, may have served a religious purpose. Navetas, similar to the conical mounds of the talayots but oblong and containing chambers (like the upside-down hull of a ship, hence the name), are thought to have been communal graves. These monuments are found on both government and private land; although some of the sites are easily accessible from the road, others are not.

Mahon Minorca

The largest city on Minorca is its capital, Mao (pronounced Mahoh), a port at the eastern end of the island; its menorquin name is commonly used interchangeably with its Spanish form, Mahon (Mahohn). This is the town that gave the world mayonnaise (from salsa mahonesa ), a favorite sometimes garlicky local sauce. The second largest city and former capital, Ciutadella (Ciudadela in Spanish; population 16,000), is at the island's western extreme. The two cities are starkly different.

Mao shows the influence of eight decades of 18th century British rule in its architecture (which sports details such as sash windows and Georgian doors) and caters to predominantly English-speaking visitors. The architecture of Outadella, where Germans fill the bungalows of the tourist villages is classically Spanish. Other towns, such as Alayor, Mercadal, and Ferrerias are in the interior, along the main road that crosses the island from east to west. Fornells, at one time a fishing village and now a resort town, is on the north coast on a deeply indented bay.

Minorca Attractions

Minorca's beaches are what most visitors come to explore. All are posted with flags due to capricious currents red signals danger, yellow means caution, and green signifies safety. Son Bou and Santo Tomas, in the center of the southern shore, are the two longest beaches on the island. Cala Santa Galdana, to the west of these, is a beach in a sheltered cove with very safe and shallow waters, and Cala Blanca, a few miles soth of Ciutadella, is a tiny beach surrounded by rocky cliffs. Cala del Pilar, a deserted beach on the north side of the island, is known mainly to locals.

To reach it, turn off the main Mao-Ciutadella road about 3 miles (5 km) past Ferrerias, near the Alputzer farm. Cala Pregonda, east of Cala del Pilar, is also deserted but easier to reach. From Mercadal, take the road northwest toward Ferragut Nou, then walk the last hundred yards to the sea. Es Grao, one of the beaches closest to Mao, is very shallow, perfect for children. Drive due north from the city to the sea.

Best places to visit in Minorca

Throughout most of its history, the capital of modern Minorca was second in importance to Ciutadella. That changed during the 18th century with the arrival of the British, who found Mao's long, narrow, deep harbor and port facilities preferable to those at the other end of the island. Mao, set on a high cliff at the end of the harbor, does not have the wide avenues, majestic buildings, and treelined streets of other Spanish capitals, resembling an overgrown fishing village instead.

Among the sights is the 18th century Baroque Esgtesia de Santa Maria (St. Mary's Church), which houses an extraordinary early 19th-century organ that is one of the largest in the world and is considered to be one of the finest (it's the raison d'etre of the city's annual summer music festival). Facing the church is the 17th century Ajuntament (Town Hall), built by the island's British governor. Not far away, the marketplace built into the arcaded cloister of a former Carmelite convent is worth a morning visit; otherwise, the town is best enjoyed by wandering through its narrow streets.

At night, the port, reached by a steep, winding road called Abundancia, becomes the focus of most nightlife, with dozens of bars and restaurants in the area of the Estacion Maritima and several excellent restaurants lining the harbor toward Villacarlos. The British founded this village, southeast of Mao near the entrance to the harbor, to house the garrison of a nearby fort. Once called Georgetown, it remains even more British in atmosphere than the capital itself.

Things to do in the Balearic Islands

noreply@blogger.com (Fay) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 14:37:00 +0000

The Balearic Islands, set in the Mediterranean Sea south-east of Barcelona and east of Valencia, have been invaded repeatedly over the centuries, as the Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines, Vandals, Moors, French, English, and Spanish successively became the dominant Mediterranean power.

These days, however, the only invaders are tourists. While the Balearics (las Islas Baleares to the Spanish) are relatively undiscovered by Americans visiting the Continent, as far as the Europeans and particularly the British and the Germans are concerned, they are Europe's most popular tourist destination.

Four main islands, aligned in two pairs - Majorca and its smaller neighbor Minorca, plus Ibiza and its little sidekick Formentera - make up the Balearic Archipelago, which also includes several smaller islets. Together, they constitute Spain's Baleares province, with Palma de Mallorca, or Majorca, the provincial capital.

Each island has had its own history, although there are some common threads. Evidence that the archipelago was the home of an advanced megalithic civilization abounds on Majorca and Minorca, in the form of stone monuments whose exact origins and purpose remain a mystery to scholars. Later, the islanders became mercenaries in the armies of Rome and Carthage (the name Baleares comes from the Greek balein, referring to the islanders' consummate skill with the sling, which they could wield against enemies with deadly accuracy from hundreds of feet away). Moorish incursions began in the 8th century, and by 902 the Moors were securely installed. They remained so, under succeeding dynasties, until James I of Aragon conquered the islands for the Christians, beginning in 1229.

Car hire in Majorca

Modern-day visitors to Majorca prefer to pre-book car hire at Palma de Majorca Airport, and make the most of this beautiful island at their own pace. Majorca Airport car hire is cheap and reliable, and easy drop offs and pickups are guaranteed.

About a half century later, an independent kingdom of Majorca was created (including Montpellier and Roussillon in France as well as the Balearics), which endured until the mid14th century. Thanks to the islands' position along the main seagoing trading route between northern Italy and northern Europe, these were prosperous times, a virtual Balearic golden age, which continued even after the islands reverted to the kingdom of Aragon in 1343. But early in the 16th century, because of the pirates off their shores, the Balearics were prohibited by the newly united crown of Aragon and Castile from trading with the Americas, a ban that cut them off from Spain's golden age and consigned them to a backwater of history.

The islands are closely tied culturally to the region of Catalonia. Two languages are spoken: Castilian Spanish and the Balearic dialects of Catalan, which varies slightly from island to island (mallorquin on Majorca, menorquin on Minorca, and ibicenc on Ibiza and Formentera). Thus the confusion of many island place names, spelled one way in Spanish and another in the local language; some signs, for example, may bear the Catalan for street, avenue, square, and beach (carrer, avinguda, plaqa, and platja), while others will use the Spanish (calle, avenid, plaza, playa).

Majorca things to see

Each island has a distinct personality. Majorca (its name in Spanish and mallorquin, Mallorca, means the larger and dates back to the Romans) is the best known and the most developed in terms of the tourist trade. On this small island (about 62 miles from east to west and 47 miles from north to south) is the very Balearic city of Palma, complete with a massive cathedral, Es Seo (La Seo in Castilian), and a medieval Casco Viejo (Old Quarter) commonly referred to as La Ciutat (the City) by locals. On either side of the capital city are beaches endowed with blocks of high-rise hotels, tourist-oriented restaurants, and late night discos that stretch for miles, much like areas of the Costa del Sol.

In the countryside, only a 10-minute drive from the center of Palma, almond and olive groves blanket the landscape, peasants still plow their fields with oxen, and black clad women can be seen laboring during harvest time. In one port, the world's most luxurious yachts lie at anchor, while in the next, fishermen drag their boats onto the beach after working through the night.

Majorca and Chopin

Majorca has been a magnet for writers, painters, and musicians for more than a century. The trend may have begun in the 1830s when the consumptive Polish composer Frederic Chopin (1810-1849) and his mistress, the French author who used the pseudonym George Sand (1804-1876), shivered through an unusually cold winter here in La Cartuja de Valldemosa (Valldemosa Carthusian Monastery). Despite his ill health, here Chopin was inspired to write some of his finest work.

His lover wrote A Winter in Majorca, a not exactly flattering account of island life (at that time, Majorcan society had not taken kindly to this illicit couple) that was nevertheless enthusiastic about the landscape. It was later translated into English by a 20th-century visitor, the poet and writer Robert Graves (1895-1985). The author of 1, Claudius and The White Goddess, Graves settled in the town of Deia and presided over a virtual artists' and writers' colony. The steady stream of books the group generated spread the word of the island's beauty, creating the mass tourism industry that boomed in the 1960s.

Menorca things to do

Minorca (Menorca in Spanish and menorquin, meaning the smaller) is far less developed than either Ibiza or Majorca. Only in the past few years has Minorca entered the tourism competition in earnest, so it still has plenty of undisturbed countryside and isolated beaches. The island is easy to explore no part of it is more than an hour's drive away from another. Nightlife here is tame by Spanish standards, with only a handful of discos pulsating until dawn. Ancient megaliths and burial grounds provide the major distraction from a very lazy beach existence.

The history of the Balearic Islands

The history of Ibiza (pronounced Eebeetha) is not as much in evidence as that of Majorca, with its castles and cathedrals, or Minorca, where cows graze around ancient ruins. The Carthaginians established a colony here during the 7th century BC to exploit the island's salt beds, and the remains of 500 years of this Punic culture are preserved in museum displays and carved in the hillsides as tombs Iblza became a haven for writers and artists and a refuge for the counterculture in the 1950s and 1960s; today it serves as a playground for the jet set. Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, U2, and Julio Iglesias have all made regular appearances on this small island; a number of performers have cut albums at Ibiza's tucked away recording studios, and some even maintain sprawling hidden villas here.

Things to do in Ibiza

The town of Ibiza, also known as Eivissa, tumbles down from a cathedral and rampart that overlook the protected harbor. Narrow streets and stairs wind between picture perfect whitewashed houses, with views of the more modern city and the bay around every corner. Tiny boutiques hawk gaily colored scarves, T-shirts, and postcards, as well as trendy art. Outside of town, there are hundreds of private coves for swimming some with fine white sand, others with tiny, water smoothed pebbles rather than mile-long beaches. High-rise hotels are limited, and the tourist enclaves blend with the island's natural lines.

Nightlife begins late, with live entertainment and dancing that slows down only with the dawn. During the winter months, fewer than a dozen of the island's scores of hotels remain open, and the discos pack up the speakers and lights.

Ibiza Car Hire

Car hire in Ibiza can be pre-booked and collected easily from the airport terminal when you arrive. You can save plenty of money by booking car hire in Ibiza before you travel, and every major car hire company is represented at Ibiza Airport, including Hertz, Helle Hollis and Avis, plus a host of local car rentals companies.

Formentera is little more than a spit of sand that lies four miles across a strait from Ibiza. This undeveloped island is a tranquil retreat, where what visitors see is what they get. Don't expect any major changes in scenery, though the cliffs at the far end of the island are spectacular. The point here is to relax and lie in the sun. In Formentera, there aren't many distractions from those pursuits.

Keep in mind when planning visits that in the Balearics, as in other parts of Spain, churches, museums, historic sites, and other places of touristic interest usually 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; schedules may change with the seasons. Some museums are open mornings only, and weekend hours are often shorter than on weekdays. Closing days tend to be Sundays or Mondays.

Majorca information

Almost half of Majorca’s residents live in Palma de Mallorca, a city that has miles of sandy beaches stretching to the east. Those from Ca'n Pastilla to El Arenal, lined by high-rise hotels, restaurants, and discos, are known collectively as the Platja de Palma (Playa de Palma in Spanish). To the west, newer tourist developments their highrise hotels clustered rather than strung along the seahave been created on smaller beaches at Cala Mayor, Palma Nova, Illetas, Magaluf, and, beyond the Badia de Palma, Paguera.

At the northern tip of the island is the town of Pollenca, which offers excellent swimming and boating. The rugged Cabo de Formentor (Cape Formentor), at the end of the peninsula curving up around Badia de Pollenca (Pollenca Bay), offers spectacular scenery, especially to those who make it to the lighthouse at the end of the road. Just south of the bay is Alcudia, where a Roman city once stood (and a ruined Roman theater and walls still stand), and, a mile or so south of the village, Badia d'Alcudia, lined by a - beach that is much less developed than the Platja de Palma.

Majorca's mountainous western coast is dotted with small villages that have become retreats for those seeking to leave the crowds behind. Soller is the largest town in this part of the island, and it, along with Porto de Soller, a few miles away on the coast, receives its share of tourists via the train that connects the beach with Palma. A bit to the south is Deia (Deya in Spanish), a medieval-looking town built on a small mound between the sea and towering mountains. Still farther south, the villages of Banyalbufar and Estellenchs hug mountainsides that drop steeply to the sea. Valldemosa, where Chopin and George Sand stayed, lies at one of the few passes through the spine of mountains that separate Palma from the coast.

Things to do in Palma de Mallorca

The bulk of Majorca lies to the east of Palma. Most visitors make their way in this direction to visit the Cuevas del Drac (Dragon's Caves) and the Cuevas de Els Hams (Hams Caves) in the vicinity of the village of Porto Cristo on the island's eastern coast. They also stop in the city of Manacor, in the interior, 30 miles (49 km) due east of Palma, where the island's pearl industry is based. Compared with the coasts, the interior of Majorca is a step back in time. Here, the life of the islanders still revolves around farming, shop keeping, and early morning markets, rather than around the housing, feeding, and entertaining of tourists. Inca, 17.5 miles (28 km) northeast of Palma on the way to Pollenca and Alcudia, is probably the most interesting interior town. A leather-working center, it also has a large flea market, in full bustle every Thursday morning.

The real beauty of Majorca's countryside is enjoyed by driving across the fields, through the mountains, along the coastline. Limit excursions to trips easily completed in a day, since detours to visit unexpected sights constantly crop up. On one day, loop from Palma to Valldemosa, then along the coast to Banyalbufar, Estellenchs, San Telmo, Porto D'Andraitx, Paguera, Magaluf, and back to the city. On another day, go north to Pollenca, then take the narrow road to the tip of Cabo de Formentor. A visit to a pearl factory in Manacor and to one of the massive caves farther east is another day trip. Or head away from the crowds down to Arenal de la Rapita, a totally undeveloped beach near the southeast corner of the island.

About Palma de Mallorca

The city's name comes from Palmaria, which is what the Romans called it after they conquered Majorca in the 2nd century BC. Palma's most prominent reminder of the Moorish occupation is the Palacio de la Almudaina (Plaza de la Almudaina) the palace-fortress of the island's rulers of that time, later converted into a royal palace for the Spanish kings of Majorca and now used, in part, to house the Museo del Patrimonio Nacional (National Heritage Museum).

Palma de Mallorca Cathedral

Sa Seo, which stands right in front of the Almudaina on the plaza, is a golden stone Gothic structure and one of Spain's largest cathedrals (it also has Europe's largest rose window, more than 40 feet across). It was begun in 1230, finished in 1601, and underwent a restoration in the early 20th century overseen by Antoni Gaudi, the famed Catalan architect, who among other things designed a modernista (Catalan Art Nouveau) canopy now over the main altar. The cathedral's Sala Capitular (chapter house) contains a small museum, which is closed Saturday afternoons and Sundays; admission charge. The cathedral has the same hours and is also open during services.

Sa Seo stands at the western edge of the oldest part of the city, which is to the east of the wide, tree shaded promenade known as El Borne (or Paseo del Borne). The Banos Arabes (Arab Baths), on Carrer Serra, remain essentially as they were under the caliphs. They're open daily and charge admission. Still in La Ciutat (the Old Town), in the Portella quarter behind the cathedral, is the Museo de Mallorca, housed in an old mansion at 5 Carrer de la Portella; it illustrates island history through a collection of archaeological artifacts, documents, paintings, and sculpture.

Working your way north, you'll also see the 17th-century Casa Oleza (33 Carrer Morey)known for its inner court yard and the 16th-century Gothic and Renaissance Casa Palmer (17 Carrer del Sol; these interiors are not open to the public) before reaching Palma's second-most-renowned church, the Esglesia de Sant Francese or Iglesia de San Francisco, on the plaza with the same name. Built in the 13th and 14th centuries, it was given a Baroque facade in the 17th century but retains its beautiful Gothic cloister. Ramon Uull is buried here.

Proceed west from Esglesia de San Francisco to reach the Esglesia de Santa Eulalia, a fine example of Majorcan Gothic built from the 13th to the 15th centuries; behind it (at 2 Carrer Zavella) is the 18th century Casa Vivot, another mansion with a notable courtyard, but whose interior is not open to the public. Still farther west, but still in the Ciutat on the east side of El Borne, is Palma's 17th century Ajuntament (Town Hall), standing in a beautiful old square, Plaza Cort (not open to the general public).

The Lonja Palma de Mallorca

The Lonja, on the seafront west of EI Borne, is one of Palma's star attractions. Built during the 15th century as a stock exchange and commercial building for the city's busy trading merchants, it now serves as an exhibition space for art shows (and is thus open irregularly). Also on the west side of El Borne is the Casa de los Marqueses de Sollerich (House of the Marquises of Sollerich; 10 Carrer San Cayetano), an 18th century mansion with perhaps the finest courtyard in town, but also not open to the public.

The attractions beyond the center, on the west side of Palma, should not be missed. One of them, the Castell de Bellver, an unusual round castle built during the 14th century and beautifully preserved, boasts perhaps the best view of Palma and the surrounding area. The adjoining Torre de Homenaje (Tower of Homage), looking like a stone rocket ready for blast off, housed the dungeons.

The castle and tower are open daily and charge admission. The other main attraction in town, the Poble Espanyol, or Pueblo Espanol (Spanish Village), located across from the Palau de Congresos (Convention Center) offers a chance to see all of Spain at a glance. Much like its counterpart in Barcelona, this model village contains reproductions of houses and famous buildings from all parts of Spain. It also offers a chance to see Spanish artisans at work and shops where their handiwork can be purchased.

Extremadura and things to do in Spain

noreply@blogger.com (Fay) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 13:27:00 +0000

Far to the west of Madrid, close to the Portuguese border, lies a remote and often rugged region that played a leading role in one of the most important chapters of Spanish history. During the 15th and 16th centuries, this vast, landlocked area exported its sons to the farthest reaches of the earth to chart unfamiliar and hazardous oceans and explore the Americas. Extremadura was the cradle of the conquistadores, men such as Francisco Pizarro, an uneducated swineherd who set off to conquer Peru for the Spanish and to plunder the gold of the Inca.

Pizarro came from Trujillo, today one of the jewels of Extremadura, a small town rich in fine 16th-century palaces built with gold from the Americas. Also from Trujillo was Francisco de Orellana, the first European to explore the Amazon, while Vasco Nunez de Balboa, who made the first European discovery of the Pacific Ocean, and Hernando de Soto, who colonized Florida for the Spaniards, both hailed from the southern Extremaduran town of Jerez de los Caballeros. Pedro de Valdivia, who conquered presentday Chile, was born and brought up in Villanueva de la Serena.

Today, the names of Extremadura's towns and cities echo all over Latin America. There are Trujillos in Peru, Honduras, and Venezuela. Medellin, the name of the small Extremaduran citadel that produced Hernan Cortes, the European discoverer of Mexico, can be found in Mexico, in Argentina and, most notoriously, in Colombia. Numerous other places in the Western Hemisphere, including the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, take their name from the mountain Monasterio de Guadalupe, the monastery where Queen Isabella of Spain drew up a contract with Christopher Columbus (Cristobal Colon in Spanish) for his voyage of discovery to America and in which the first Native Americans brought back as prisoners were baptized by their conquerors.

The modern-day sons of Extremadura continue to travel far from home, although now they are more likely to go to the big cities of Spain or the more industrially advanced north of Europe than to cross the Atlantic. This wild corner of the country can still be harsh and primitive, and emigration is an attractive option for young people who aren't drawn to the rustic life.

For the visitor, however, it is precisely this remoteness that gives the region its appeal. Extremadura is an area of immense natural beauty, with vast expanses of rolling countryside broken only occasionally by little whitewashed pueblos (villages) peopled by shepherds and their families. In the north, the fertile plains of wheat, cotton, and tobacco give way to soft hills and tumbling olive groves, then to the snow-capped peaks of the Gredos and Gata mountain ranges. Farther south, the rich red soil is thickly wooded with pungent eucalyptus trees and holm and cork oaks. In spring and early summer, before the heat has burned the landscape brown, carpets of wildflowers stretch for miles.

The region is also rich in architecture and history. The towns, especially Caceres, Trujillo, and Guadalupe, contain palaces and fine churches - fantastic examples of 16th century one upman ship built by the Spanish nouveaux riches with gold brought back in galleons from their newly discovered territories. Merida has a museum housing the finest collection of Roman finds in the whole of Spainfittingly, since Extremadura was one of the chief colonies of the Romans' vast province of Lusitania, and Merida, founded during the 1st century BC, was Lusitania's capital. The Visigoths, who came later, also left an important heritage, particularly in finely tooled stonework and jewelry. Again, Merida has some of the best examples of this early Christian civilization.

Extremadura and the Moors

The Moors arrived during the 8th century and stayed for 500 years, building magnificent castlefortresses and other structures in their decorative architectural style. Extremadura was next ruled by several orders of knights, who took it upon themselves to chase out the Moors and to protect Christian pilgrims on the long and arduous journey north to the sacred shrine of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia. They controlled vast areas of land, given to them by grateful Spanish nobles in payment for their services. Alcantara, Monfragiie, Merida, and Caceres are still steeped in the history of these crusading orders, which wielded immense political and financial power in the late Middle Ages.

During the 19th century, Napoleon tried to make Extremadura a French province, and the region was the site of fierce fighting until the Spanish, assisted by the British, beat the French back over the Pyrenees.Today Extremadura is one of Spain's main cattle raising areas; the black bulls seen throughout the countryside may end up in the bullring or in one of the regional dishes. The local fare is good and hearty, with lots of game and meat dishes. The beef, lamb, and pork are all good, and the strong, deep pink ham is superb. Fish such as trout and tench appear on most menus. Another favorite meal is braised partridge. The region produces some good wines; particularly noteworthy are the strong rose from Caiiamero and the justly renowned, full-bodied red named for the Marquis of Caceres.

The route outlined below enters the northeast corner of Extremadura, turning off the main NV highway from Madrid just short of the small town of Navalmoral de la Mata and running down through the foothills of the Sierra de Altamira Mountains to the famous sanctuary town of Guadalupe. From there, it continues west to Trujillo, southwest to Merida, and west again to Badajoz, a town dominated by the imposing Moorish castle where generations of Muslim kings made their base.

The itinerary then proceeds north to Caceres, richly evocative of Spain's golden age, and on up to Plasencia, a charming town and a good base for trips into the picturesque valleys of the far north of Extremadura. Among these, a visit to the lovely wooded Monasterio de Yuste, the monastery where the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V spent his last days, is' particularly recommended. The total length of the route is between 422 and 453 miles (675/725 km), depending on side excursIons.

Extremadura and Madrid car hire

The best way to explore Extremadura is to hire a car from Madrid Barajas Airport. Airport car hire in Madrid can be pre-booked so you avoid delays and save money when you arrive.The roads in Extremadura are generally good (provided you stick to those recommended in the itinerary), except in the remote Las Hurdes area, which can be explored as an optional detour. Distances are often greater than they seem on a map, however, and gas stations can be few and far between, so allow plenty of time and keep the tank full. Don't rely on renting a car locally, because tourism is still new here and there are few car rental offices.

When planning your itinerary, bear in mind that opening hours for churches, museums, and other places of touristic interest usually run from 9 orl0 AM to 1 or 2 PM and then again from 4 or 5 to 6 or 7 PM; schedules may also vary with the season. Weekend hours are generally shorter than on weekdays, and closing days tend to be Sundays or Mondays.

Extremadura paradors

Extremadura is particularly rich in paradors. Staying in them is the best way to get a real taste of the region, but be sure to book well in advance; they tend to fill up quickly, even outside the high season. The north of Extremadura is likely to prove more captivating than the south, so it's a good idea to allocate more time for Trujillo, Caceres, and Guadalupe when planning. Unless otherwise noted, most restaurants in Extremadura are open for both lunch and dinner.

Extremadura Monastery

The conquistadores adopted the shrine as their own and heaped treasures on it from the Americas, making it one of the most elaborate and richly decorated monasteries in Spain. Conquered Inca leaders were brought here to be baptized. Freed Christian slaves left their chains here in votive thanks. The monastery was abandoned in the 19th century, then restored and taken over by Franciscan friars in 1908. For the Spanish, it is still one of the most important places of pilgrimage in Christendom, as well as a symbol of hispanidad, the cultural and linguistic link between Spain and Spanish America.

A guided tour takes visitors around the complex, including the manuscript room, which houses giant illuminated books of hours, and the sacristy, which has eight paintings by Extremadura's most famous artist, the painter Francisco de Zurban: ln (1598-1664). The 14th-century church, which was a later addition, features an altarpiece with works by Carducci, Giraldo de Merlo, and Jorge Manuel Theodopoulos, son of EI Greco.

One of the main features of the monastery is the 15th-century Mudejar cloister, unmistakably Moorish in influence and faced with glazed colored tiles (there is a smaller, Gothic cloister in the monastery as well). The tour ends with a visit to the Camaren de la Virgen, where the statue of the Virgin of Guadalupe reposes on a richly worked altar, a casket to one side stuffed full of peseta notes, gifts from grateful or hopeful pilgrims.