Spain Mini Guide
Located on the Iberian Peninsula in south-west Europe, Spain is a European country which is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the east, and to the north by Andorra and France, whilst in the West it is bordered by Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean. Spain also contains the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands, both of which are a string of medium-size islands to be found in the Mediterranean Sea.
Spain is most usually of interest to visitors and tourists due to its excellent Mediterranean climate and stunning southern coastline. Spain was the original package tour destination in Europe, becoming extremely popular in the early to mid 1980s with residents of the rest of Europe, and most specifically the UK. During this early period of Spain's growing tourist industry many of the southern towns developed unsavoury reputations, this was mostly due to the rapid development of badly constructed hotels, the inability of the Spanish government to maintain the beaches along the southern coast, and a massive influx of foreign nationals investing in tourist related businesses in these prime areas.
Over the last two decades Spain has done much to clean up this mess, and even cities such as Malaga, which in the 1980s was deemed to be one of the worst tourist cities in Europe, have significantly cleaned up their acts and Spain is now a well developed tourist location, dispelling its previous reputation, and presenting itself as a world-class holiday location.
Moving inland and away from the coast, Spain features some of the most impressive cities in the world such as Milan, Barcelona and Madrid, each of these has a style and atmosphere all of its own mainly due to the huge range of influences to be found in their architecture and culture.
Madrid is the capital city of Spain, and is the third most highly populated city in Europe. Located almost dead centre of Spain on the banks of the River Manzanares, Madrid is considered to be a major European financial centre, and is noted for its particularly high standard of living and healthy economic growth rate.
Madrid makes a great choice of location from which to explore Spain due to its central location, staying in a hotel or guesthouse in Madrid and hiring a car to explore the surrounding area is a great way to see inland Spain from the comfort of your own vehicle. Indeed, some of the best sites and places of interest can be found within day’s drive of Madrid, we will discuss several below.
Toledo used to be Spain's capital, a walled fortress city with imposing gates; Toledo should be considered one of the essential places to visit if you're staying in Madrid. The best time to visit Toledo is during Easter, when the city hosts a week-long celebration, one of Spain's most lively festivals. Whilst visiting Toledo you should check out some of the blacksmiths in the area, as Toledo is famous for its steel and for its Toledo forged swords. Toledo is also of great interest to those wit a passion for culture, three religions collide within Toledo and a visit to its Christian Cathedral, Islamic mosque and Jewish synagogue leaves the visitor with a profound sense of unity.
Segovia is another town which is comfortably short drive from Madrid, making it an excellent choice for a day excursion. Segovia is defined by its famous Roman aqueduct which is over 2000 years old and still maintained in pristine condition, along with its castle, which it is rumoured was the original inspiration for Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty's fairytale castle. Segovia also has a tasty local dish of roasted suckling pick or “cochinillo” as it is known in Spain, completely unique to the town. A gentle stroll around the Plaza del Corpus Cristi or Jewish quarter is a great way to spend a relaxing afternoon.
For some breathtaking medieval architecture, take your hire car out to El Escorial and visit the Monasterio de San Lorenzo del Escorial. Within this extremely well preserved monastery is the King's Crypt, where a long line of Spanish kings have been entombed, starting with Charles I and ending with Alphonso XIII. For an interesting counterpoint visit Valle de los Caídos which is close by and is the place where General Franco, the infamous Spanish ruler is buried.
Car Hire Locations in Spain by Region
Delicious wines and fertile vineyards make Alava a good place to go wine tasting and the reds here are gutsy and delicious. Enjoy a gorgeous landscape which is punctuated the Ebro River and the foothills of the Pyrenees Mountains.
Almeria is a relatively barren place which contains the only desert in Europe. It is one of two provinces in which you can have access to the Sierra Nevada national park. This is one of the hottest provinces in Spain.
Alicante is also known as Alacant and is one of the largest metropolitan areas in Spain. Alicante is part of the autonomous Valencian community and has some of Spain's finest beaches including San Juan and Postiguet beaches.
Andalucia has everything a tourist could want - fantastic beaches, beautiful world heritage sites and the most southerly ski resort in Europe. With a vehicle you can explore the Costa del Sol and the Costa de la Luz as well as cities such as Granada.
Located in the central north east of Spain, Aragon is a gateway to the stunning Pyrenees Mountains. From Aragon you can drive to the National Park of Ordesa and Monte Perdido where the highest peak in the Pyrenees can be found.
Asturias has it own language as an autonomous community of Spain and culturally it is unique. There are also areas of great natural beauty worth seeing like the Picos de Europa national park. Oviedo has a lively and diverse nightlife too.
Off the east coast of Spain lies an archipelago of heavenly islands. The most famous of them, Ibiza is one of the world's biggest party destinations. Mallorca, or Majorca, is also popular with celebrities and is the home of tennis star Rafael Nadal.
Spain's second largest city Barcelona is the capital of the Catalonia region and in terms of culture this is one of the world's great cities. You can also see secluded beaches and marvellous coastlines across the Costa Brava.
Most of the residents of the Basque country live in and around Bilbao and the city stretches towards the Bay of Biscay. With snow in winter and beaches and vineyards which are at their best in the summer, this is a rewarding place to visit.
Cantabria is an autonomous region in the north of Spain which is bordered by the Cantabrian Sea. Buffeted by the winds of the Atlantic Ocean, this is a fresh and blustery region to visit which has lots of green.
One of Spain's 17 autonomous regions, Castile and Leon is full of beautiful cities with amazing landmarks including the Douro in Zamora and the Tormes in Salamanca. Valladolid is the capital and the region is roughly in the north west of Spain.
Almeria is a relatively barren place which contains the only desert in Europe. It is one of two provinces in which you can have access to the Sierra Nevada national park. This is one of the hottest provinces in Spain.
Castile la Mancha is an autonomous community with contains the province of Albacete. It is famous for being the area where legendary Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes wrote his novel about Don Quixote. This is a country of windmills of olive yards.
Cadiz is the most southerly part of the continent of Western Europe. More than half a million people live in the Bay of Cadiz area. The most exciting way to see Cadiz is to arrive in spring when a huge carnival takes place.
Encompasses the Badajoz province and Badajoz city. It is located in the west of Spain near the border with Portugal. The River Guadiana runs through the region and Badajoz was built along its banks. There are numerous wildlife reserves in Extremadura.
Located in the north west of Spain, Galicia is an autonomous community which has been given the status of a historic nationality. Bordered by the Atlantic to the west, Galicia also has a border with Portugal to the south.
The province of Granada contains this famous city of the same name which is home to the spectacular Alhambra Moorish palace. Granada is surrounded by mountains including the tallest one in mainland Spain, Mulhacen, and it has easy access to the Mediterranean Sea.
Malaga is perhaps the most popular province of Spain with tourists. It has so much to see and do, from visiting the birthplace and museum of artist Pablo Picasso to playing golf in one of the many courses. There are marinas galore for sailors and plenty of bars, restaurants and nightclubs.
Home to the capital of Spain and located slap-bang in the centre of the country, Madrid is a rich and powerful province. Nevertheless the autonomous community of Madrid is small compared to some of the other autonomous communities. It has a continental Mediterranean climate.
Murcia is an autonomous region and community of Southern Spain. Its capital is the city of Murcia which was founded by the Moors centuries before Christ. The city is known for its Holy Week processions and fabulous local cuisine.
Formerly known as the kingdom of Navarre, Navarre is an autonomous community in Northern Spain. Pamplona is its capital and Ernest Hemmingway wrote about it in The Sun Also Rises. Although Spanish is spoken there the official language is Basque.
Santa Cruz de Tenerife encompasses the Canary Islands which are among Europe's most popular holiday destinations. Tenerife, Fuerteventura, La Palma and other islands make up this archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean. Water sports, a great nightlife and cheap shopping make for fun in the sun.
There are two hundred and sixty five municipalities in the province of Valencia on the east coast of Spain. Valencia City is the capital of the province and is a great place to visit sights, go to the beach and to eat.
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