Spain

Spain shares the Iberian peninsula with Portugal and is bordered to the north by the Pyrenees, which separate Spain from France. The Balearic Islands (Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera), 193km (120 miles) southeast of Barcelona, and the Canary Islands off the west coast of Africa are part of Spain, as are the tiny enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla on the north African mainland. With the exception of Switzerland, mainland Spain is the highest and most mountainous country in Europe, with an average height of 610m (2000ft). The Pyrenees stretch roughly 400km (249 miles) from the Basque Country in the west to the Mediterranean Sea; at times the peaks rise to over 1524m (5000ft), the highest point being 3404m (11,169ft). The main physical feature of Spain is the vast central plateau, or Meseta, divided by several chains of sierras. The higher northern area includes Castille and León, the southern section comprises Castile/La Mancha and Extremadura. In the south, the plateau drops abruptly at the Sierra Morena, beyond which lies the valley of Guadalquivir. Southeast of Granada is the Sierra Nevada, part of the Betic Cordillera, which runs parallel to the Mediterranean, rising to 3481m (11,420ft) and the highest point on the Spanish peninsula (the Pico del Teide on Tenerife in the Canaries is the highest peak in Spain). The Mediterranean coastal area reaches from the French frontier in the northeast down to the Straits of Gibraltar, the narrow strip of water linking the Mediterranean with the Atlantic and separating Spain from North Africa.

In many parts of Spain, high season begins during Holy Week (Semana Santa) and includes festival days. If you want to make sure you hit some parties, the best festivals are concentrated between Holy Week and September.

Summer is high season for coastal and interior regions in Spain. Tourism on the Iberian Peninsula reaches its height in August; the coastal regions overflow while inland cities empty out, leaving closed offices, restaurants, and lodgings. The Peninsula plays host to some thirty million tourists a year - almost one for every resident - and all the main beach and mountain resorts are packed in July and August, as are the major sights. So, as a general rule, always make reservations if you plan to travel in those months.

On the other hand, traveling in the low season has many advantages, most noticeably lighter crowds and lower prices. Many hostels cut their prices by at least 30%, and reservations are seldom necessary. However, keep in mind that, during these months, many smaller seaside spots are ghost towns, and tourist offices and sights cut their hours nearly everywhere.

Spain may be flanked to the east by France and the Pyrenees and to the west by Portugal, but most of the country is ringed with sand, rock, and seawater. That, coupled with almost year-round sunshine, has attracted many millions of beachgoers.
Costa de la Luz

This stretch of coastline in southwestern Andalusia boasts long stretches of sand and almost-constant sunshine. The blue, sometimes rough, Atlantic waters are enticement enough for a visit, as is the region’s proximity to several historic cities, including Cádiz and Seville. This area is less developed than the
more popular Costa del Sol.
Costa del Sol

Stretching east from Gibraltar along the southernmost coast of Spain, the Costa del Sol is the most famous, partyhearty, and overdeveloped string of beaches in Iberia. The beaches feature superb sand, and the Mediterranean waters are calm and warm throughout most of the year. But these charms have
brought throngs of visitors, making this the most congested string of coastal resorts in Europe. The most important resorts here are Marbella, Torremolinos, Málaga, and Nerja. Look for soaring skyscrapers; eye-popping bikinis; sophisticated resorts and restaurants; lots of sunshine; and interminable traffic jams.
Costa Blanca

This southeastern coast embraces the industrial city of Valencia, but its Best-known resorts, Benidorm and Alicante, are packed with northern-European
sun-seekers every year. The surrounding scenery isn’t particularly dramatic, but the water is turquoise, the sand is white, and a low annual rainfall virtually guarantees a sunny vacation.
Costa Brava

Rockier, more serpentine, and without the long stretches of sand that mark the
Costa Blanca, the cliff-edged Costa Brava stretches from Barcelona to the French border. Look for the charming, sandybottomed coves that dot the coast.
Although there are fewer undiscovered beaches here than along Spain’s Atlantic coast, the Costa Brava still retains a sense of rocky wilderness. One of the more eccentric-looking villas along this coast belonged to the late Salvador
Dalí, the region’s most famous modern son who lived much of his life near Cadaqués.
Costa Verde

Radically different from the dry and sunbaked coastline of Andalusia, the rocky Costa Verde (Green Coast) resembles a sunny version of Ireland’s western
shore. It’s temperate in summer, when the rest of Spain can be unbearably hot. Much of the coast is within the ancient province of Asturias, a region rife with Romanesque architecture and medieval pilgrimage sites—and one that has not yet been overwhelmed with tourism. Premier resorts include some districts of Santander, Gijón, and, a short distance inland, Oviedo.
The Balearic Islands

Just off the coast of Catalonia and a 45- minute flight from Barcelona, this
rocky, sand-fringed archipelago attracts urban refugees seeking the sun, jet-set glitterati, and exhibitionists in scanty beachwear. The Mediterranean climate is warmer here than on the mainland. The city of Palma de Majorca has the greatest number of high-rises and the most crowded shorelines. Much of Ibiza is party central for young people and gay visitors during the summer. Sleepy Minorca offers more isolation.