Spain   

The foreign package holiday was more or less invented in Spain, and the country's popularity as a beach destination keeps on growing. Over 40 million (mainly British and German) tourists visit Spain each year, plus some 20 million day trippers. But there is another, more authentic, Spain that begins only a few kilometres from the beaches. This is the traditional Spain of stone-built villages surrounded by olive groves, vineyards, and almond blossom; the upland Spain of the Pyrenees, the Picos de Europa, and the Sierra Nevada; the wild Spain where there are still brown bear, lynx, and bearded vultures; and the desert Spain of Almería, where spaghetti westerns were filmed. In this large and varied landscape live a people whose origins include the Phoenicians who founded Gadir (Cádiz), the Greeks who built Empúries, the Carthaginians who made their new capital at Cartagena, the Romans who built Córdoba, Mérida, and Tarragona, and the Moors who, landing in 711, went on to create the empire of al-Andalus, which lasted until the completion of the Christian reconquest in 1492.

This rich heritage has gone largely unrecognised by the tourism industry. The greatest Roman theatre is not in Rome but at Mérida in Extremadura, the most beautiful mosque is not in Istanbul but at Córdoba in Andalusia, and the world's most sensual building may not be the Taj Mahal but the Alhambra in Granada. The Prado, Madrid, is one of the world's greatest art galleries, while Barcelona not only boasts more museums and galleries than most European capitals, but has become one of its most beautiful and dynamic cities—partly thanks to the 1992 Olympics.

It is dangerous to generalise about Spain, and yet it is universally true that the Spanish are everywhere a gregarious and vital people who celebrate life. To paseo (stroll) bare-armed in the small-hours of a Spanish summer night, when northern Europe sleeps, is just one of many freedoms. There have been rapid changes since the death of General Franco—Western Europe's last dictator—in 1975, and membership of the European Union in 1986, leading to substantial investment in the tourism infrastructure. Spain's economy has moved onto the world's centre stage, while culturally it continues to break new ground, with the anarchic films of Pedro Almodóvar or the startling “new flamenco” music of the 1990s.

Citizens of the European Union (EU), and citizens of Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, and Switzerland can enter Spain with a valid national identity card and stay for up to 90 days. However, citizens of the United Kingdom and Ireland, where there is no identity card system, must have a valid passport. Other nationals should consult the Spanish embassy or consulate in their country of residence before departure for details of any visa requirements.

Police: 091
Local police: 092
Fire (Bomberos): 085
Alternative pan-European emergency number for all services: 112

Central European Time (GMT plus one hour). Clocks are put forward one hour from the last Sunday in March to the Saturday before the end of October.

An International Driving Permit is required by most foreign nationals, including some European Union (EU) nationals, and you are advised to check before departure. The International Driving Permit can be issued by driver licensing authorities and motoring organisations in your country of residence. Check with your motor vehicle insurance company regarding any documents you will need and whether additional insurance is required. Your vehicle manufacturer can supply a list of approved dealers in Spain.

Always carry your full valid driving licence (or International Driving Permit, if necessary), vehicle registration documents and insurance documents with you at all times.

Traffic drives on the right in Spain. The use of seat belts is compulsory for the driver and front-seat passenger. Rear-seat passengers must wear seat belts if the car has them fitted. Make sure you have a red warning triangle in the car in case of an accident or breakdown. You should also have a spare bulb kit. The highest level of alcohol permitted in the bloodstream is 80 mg per 100 ml (8g/l). Fines for traffic offences can be issued on the spot.

The quality of a road and the number of lanes is indicated by a letter. ‘A’ indicates an autopista, a well-maintained four-lane motorway often charging tolls, which avoids the centres of towns and villages. ‘N’ indicates a national highway, with one lane in each direction, which usually passes through towns and villages, or an autovia, almost equivalent to an autopista but without tolls. ‘D’ and ‘C’ indicate lesser roads, slower, and usually with more bends. Speed limits are 120 kilometres (75 miles) per hour on autopistas, 100 kilometres (62 miles) per hour on national highways, 90 kilometres (55 miles) per hour on other roads unless marked, and 50 kilometres (30 miles) per hour to 40 kilometres (25 miles) per hour in towns.

Watch out for hairpin bends, not only in the mountains, but also on flat terrain. Be extra careful late at night and in the early hours at weekends, when the proportion of drunken drivers rises significantly. You will need loose change for motorway tolls.

Emergency telephones are only available on motorways, where they appear every 2 kilometres (1.2 miles). For general assistance in case of accidents or breakdowns contact ASETA (the Spanish motorways association), tel: +34 91 571 6258.

The electrical current in Spain is 220 volts AC. Generally, round two-pin plugs are used. An adapter is necessary for UK and Irish appliances.

The official monetary unit in Spain is the peseta. Notes are issued in Pta10,000, 5,000, 2,000, and 1,000. Coins are issued in Pta500, 200, 100, 50, 25, 10, 5, and 1. Spain is one of 11 European Union countries which will adopt the Euro (€) as its currency on 1 January 2002. Prices and bills are increasingly quoted in both pesetas and Euros. The fixed exchange rate is €1=Pta166.386. Peseta notes and coins will cease to be legal tender on 1 July 2002.

Credit cards, payment cards (such as Maestro) and cash machines have largely superseded travellers cheques in Spain. "Plastic money" is widely accepted and cash machines give instructions in various languages. Do not keep all your cards in the same wallet, in case of theft. You will find foreign exchange rates listed in major newspapers and advertised in banks and bureaux de change-look for the sign cambio. If possible, exchange money at banks, as hotels, restaurants, and shops give less favourable rates. Commission is charged so changing a large sum is advised, but not more than you intend to use. For cash transactions, most banks or cash machines accept Eurocheque, Visa or Access/MasterCard credit cards. Cajas de ahorros (Caixa d'Estalvis in Catalan) are savings banks which also provide banking services. Banks are open 8.30 to 14.00 Monday to Friday and 09.00 to 13.00 Saturday (except from June to September when banks are closed on Saturdays). Bureaux de change are usually open longer hours.

In restaurants service is always included, but it is still normal to leave a tip—the small change as a minimum, with 5 percent as a maximum. If service is not included, a tip of approximately 10 percent is expected. In hotels, staff may expect to be tipped for providing a service, such as hailing a cab or carrying luggage. Tipping taxi drivers is usual. Keeping a supply of coins and small denomination notes handy is a good idea.

1 January: New Year’s Day
6 January: Epiphany
Maundy Thursday (except Barcelona)
Good Friday
1 May: May Day/Labour Day
15 May: St Isidro (Madrid only)
Variable date: Corpus Christi
24 June: St John’s Day (not all regions)
25 July: Santiago, or St James of Compostela, Day
15 August: Assumption of the Virgin
12 October: National Day
1 November: All Saints Day
6 December: Constitution Day
8 December: Immaculate Conception
25 December: Christmas
26 December: St Stephen's Day (Barcelona and some other regions only)

Major cities and resorts have hotels accessible to travellers with disabilities. By law, all new public buildings must be accessible to those with a disability. Buses can be difficult for travellers in wheelchairs, but AVE high-speed trains running from Madrid and Seville and the Talgo 200 services from Madrid and Málaga are accessible to wheelchair-users. Spanish National Railways (RENFE) can provide wheelchairs at main cities and border stations. Cabins accessible to wheelchair-users can be booked in advance on ferries operating from England. Minibuses are available at both ports to help travellers with disabilities transfer between ship and terminal and to provide other assistance if notified in advance.

The Spanish National Tourist Office (SNTO) publishes a leaflet for travellers with disabilities, which includes accessible accommodation and useful contact numbers. (In rural regions, facilities for travellers with a disability tend to be less common.) Further information on services for travellers with disabilities can be obtained from the following institutions: Institut Municipal de Disminuits, Comte d’Urgell 240, Suite 3A, Barcelona, tel: +34 93 439 6600; Federation ECOM (Federation of Spanish Private Organisations for the Disabled), Gran Via 562, PR2, 08011 Barcelona, tel: +34 93 451 5550; and Cruz Roja Española (the Spanish Red Cross), carrer Rafael Villa, s/n, 28023 El Plantío, Madrid, tel: +34 91 335 4444, fax: +34 91 335 4455.

Bus tickets are usually available on board, but should be bought in advance at the bus station for longer journeys. The Guía de Horarios, published monthly and available at most news-stands, lists all routes and times for buses, trains, and planes. Madrid, Barcelona, and Bilbao have modern and efficient metro systems. The metro in Madrid opens at 6am and closes at 01.30. The metro in Barcelona runs from 05.00 to 23.00 on weekdays, until 01.00 on Friday and Saturday, and from 06.00 to 24.00 on Sundays and holidays. There are discounts on the purchase of tickets.

A number of ferries operate from the Spanish mainland to the Balearic Islands. Trasmediterranea (tel: +34 971 702300) sails to Palma, Ibiza, and Mahón from both Barcelona and Valencia. Flebasa sails from Vilanova to Palma and Alcudia and from Denia to Ibiza and Palma (tel: +34 971 405360). For sailing times see: http://www.baleares.com/tourist.guide/ferries.htm. Inter-island ferries also operate between the Balearic Islands. There are also regular services to the Canary Islands.

City & Town Overview

Almería

The white houses of this distinctive coastal town lie scattered over an arid hillside guarded by an ancient Arab fortress. Almería combines tourism with a thriving agricultural export business based on its mild winter climate. The old fishing quarter of La Chanca makes fascinating exploring: many of the cube-shaped houses built into the rock are surmounted by caves. The 16th-century cathedral replaced a mosque destroyed in an earthquake. It has a renaissance façade and imposing furnishings of marble and jasper. Excursions from Almería lead through astonishing countryside: hills, gorges, dramatic cliffs, and the sand dunes used as the setting for the film Lawrence of Arabia.

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City & Town Overview

Cádiz

This ancient city was founded nearly three thousand years ago by the Phoenicians. Once it enjoyed huge prestige as one of the Mediterranean's greatest ports. Today it is raffish and crumbling with salt spray. It now combines its role as naval base and industrial centre with fishing and tourism. The inner town, constructed on an apron of land jutting into the Atlantic, is fringed with attractive palm-lined alamedas (promenades). The main sights in town are the well-proportioned, gold-domed cathedral where the composer Manuel de Falla is buried, and the Fine Arts and Archaeological Museum, notable for antique sarcophagi and 17th-century Spanish art. A short drive away lies one of Spain's most fascinating and important wetland nature reserves, the Coto Doñana National Park.

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City & Town Overview

Cartagena

The name suggests the Punic origins of this major naval base. Captured by the Carthaginians in 227 BC, it enjoyed a prosperous heyday in Roman times. Oil refining and mineral exports swell its coffers today, but after a thorough battering during the Civil War, little remains of its historic centre. The town is dominated by the presence of Spain's Mediterranean fleet, and warships prowl the scallop-shaped bay. An early version of a submarine, invented by a native of Cartagena in 1888, can be seen near the modernist town hall by the seafront. The National Museum of Maritime Archaeology displays some fascinating antiquities retrieved during diving expeditions.

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City & Town Overview

Córdoba

Seville or Granada may be better known, but if you're in Andalusia, Córdoba is not to be missed. Its long and glamorous history has left a wealth of fine buildings and an old quarter of enormous charm. Outstanding among these is its glorious mosque or “Mezquita”, flanked by courtyards of orange trees and superbly decorated inside with horseshoe arches and rich mosaics. Near the Mezquita lies the Judería or Jewish quarter, a picturesque maze of white houses and flower- or fountain-filled patios. Among many other sights, the 15th-century Palacio de los Marquéses de Viana and the Alcázar de los Reyes Católicos particularly deserve a visit. The Municipal Museum of Bullfighting commemorates the local hero, Manolete, and the bull which killed him.

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City & Town Overview

Tarragona

Catalonia's second port dates back to antiquity, and its classical ruins are renowned throughout Spain. It was a favoured port in Scipio's time, providing safe anchorage for the ships used in the Punic Wars. Saint Paul preached here in AD 58. Two excellent museums house its excavation finds, notably a writhing mosaic of Medusa and the 3rd-century sarcophagus of Hippolytus, fished out of the sea. The Roman amphitheatre stands beside the waves, and the ancient ramparts line the Passeig Arqueològic encircling the richly decorated cathedral. A Palaeo-Christian necropolis lies on the west side of town; other well-preserved monuments lie just outside the city boundaries.

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City & Town Overview

Madrid

Among Spanish cities, Madrid is a relative newcomer, owing its present status to Philip II who moved the court there from Toledo in 1561. Subsequent centuries saw the new capital boom, with periodic flowerings of classical or baroque architecture, and sleek modern development in recent decades. For many visitors, its main sightseeing interest lies in its superlative art collections. The world-famous Prado Museum is closely followed by the recently acquired Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum with its treasures, and the Museo Nacional “Centro de Arte Reina Sofia” featuring 20th-century Spanish art (including Picasso's Guernica). A dozen other top-class museums could easily feature on any itinerary, but Madrid is too vivacious a place to confine to museums and is best enjoyed outdoors. Elegant parks and avenues glistening with smart shops and fountains, a delightful old town packed around a graceful Plaza Mayor (main square), and vibrant nightlife lasting until dawn are just some of the aspects that make this city such an invigorating experience.

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City & Town Overview

Barcelona

Sandwiched between sparkling sea and green hills, Spain's second city makes a spirited contrast with Madrid. Capital and economic powerhouse of wealthy Catalonia, vibrant Mediterranean seaport, and thriving cultural centre, it presents an impossible but enjoyable challenge to any short-stay visitor. Essential sightseeing includes the Gothic Quarter, one of Europe's architectural gems. Many buildings date back beyond the 15th century, including its cathedral. Nearby, the famous tree-lined avenue known as Las Ramblas leads down to the sea. Throughout the day (more dubiously at night) a fascinating tide of humanity flows past flower-stalls and news-stands. Barcelona has many excellent museums, including superb art collections. In architecture too, Barcelona excels, with imaginative examples of Spanish modernism by the local genius Antoni Gaudí. Don't miss the Casa Batlló on Passeig de Grácia, his unfinished masterpiece La Sagrada Familia (Church of the Holy Family), or the whimsical Parc Güell.

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City & Town Overview

Granada

No serious tour of Andalusia would be complete without a visit to Granada. Visitors flock here to see the Alhambra, that great Moorish pleasure palace. Yet even without this world-class wonder, Granada would deserve a visit for its other sights and its gorgeous setting overlooking the Sierra Nevada, which makes it a marvellous excursion base. Besides the Alhambra and the Generalife Gardens, see the cathedral and the Capilla Real (Royal Chapel), the Monasterio de la Cartuja, and the two fascinating quarters known as the Albaicín (Moorish) and Sacromonte (gypsy caves where flamenco is performed).

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