Relaxing at Marbella

Marbella was just a tiny, unknown fishing village until it became an overnight tourist sensation for the rich and famous, in the Mediterranean. This city is considered the epicenter of the fast paced and celebrity filled festivity, with its beautiful gardens, parks, and boulevards of Moorish tradition. This distinctly marks out Marbella’s uniqueness for tourism.With a great climate of 18.7 degrees Celsius all year round, and fantastic beaches, a unique variety of sports activities, entertainment, and cuisine is in store for the visitor.

Beautiful Beaches

The stretch of beach between Cabopina and Guadalmina is 26km, and contains many quaint bars with fresh seafood to savor. This area offers an abundance of water-sports with yachts anchored around to set you in a relaxed mood.

Puerto Banus is the place for the jet setters to meet, as there are shops and restaurants for great cuisine and shopping. The contrast between the white buildings and the blue sea is breath-taking.

The town center, Plaza de los Naranjos, is right at the center of Marbella and is full of activity and life, whether it is day or night. It is an Andalusian-Moorish style square, which is named after the orange trees planted around that region.

Some interesting sights from every century can be found here, such as the Renaissance from the 15th century, the town hall that was built in the 16th century, and Casa del Corregidor from the 17th century.

Parking spaces are in abundance below the Avenida del Mar, which is a lovely promenade at the seaside, just a couple of minutes from the town center.

There are museums that store some of the region’s oldest historical pieces from the Roman settlements in Villa Romana and the thermal spas from the 3rd century. A 4th century cathedral from the Christian epoch in Vega del Mar exists.

There are many other attractions that exist dating back to the 9th century, such as Moorish ruins, fortresses, palaces, Spanish engravings, and famous paintings.Parks here hold some of the best bonsai collection in the whole of Europe. These are known as ‘micro-trees’. Other flora is the typical Mediterranean species.

Fiestas in Marbella

There are as many performances as there are traditional festivities for the tourist to feast and indulge in here at Marbella. The main carnival in the month of February is an international event, which is held on a large scale with complete colors and works. Feria is celebrated by the locals on 11th June every year. It is complete with regional attire and Flamenco dances, whereas the religious festival of Virgen del Carmen is solemnly carried out on 16th July with the long procession of beautifully decorated fishing boats.

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Historical Values of Burgos

The Burgos province is a popular tourist stop because it houses the famous path of Saint James. There are monuments of various shapes and designs; even if they are wall ruins, these structures hold a deep historical heritage for this province.

Scenic beauty

The beautifully carved Villafranca mountain landscape leads the way to San Juan de Ortega. This famous trek was named after the Saint who built this pathway and also the town’s church with Santo Domingo de la Calzada during the 12th century. Along the way, there are the 16th century Castle Olmillos and Castrojeriz, a medieval church fortress that lies in ruins. Another interesting medieval structure is the famous Ponteroso Bridge that has 11 arcs as recorded in some medieval literature.

La Ruta de los Pueblos del Norte, or the serene northern village route, is a quiet path for those who want to explore Spain unhurriedly. It is away from the standard mass tourism routes, and allows you to soak in the medieval times and ambience.Briviesca offers an ancient stone bridge and Santa Casilda Sanctuary as beautiful sights just 10 km away from the village.  Medina de Pomar is known as a picturesque town that boasts of the resplendent Alcazar castle, hermitage, and monastery. Frias is noted as a true medieval village that is dominated by a medieval castle built upon a high and huge rock.

Other places of interest include the 11th century Puentearenas, a Romanesque abbey, two ancient palaces, the Sedano and the Espinosa de los Monteros, Moradillo de Sedano church, which is a Romanesque structure from the 12th century, and the Rebolledo de la Torre, which is a 11th century temple. La Ruta de Los Pueblos del Sur is also known as the Southern Village route, and has a church of Gothic origin. Covarubias has a very historical palace and the impressive Doña Urraca stone tower. Nearby you will find the exceptional Monastery of Silos from the 11th century.

Folklore and Fiestas
There are a variety of archaic traditions in Burgos, which trace back to the original Iberian Peninsula culture as well as the medieval Christian Reconquest and Moorish cultures.  There are plenty of varied fiestas; some are extremely religious and spiritually based while others are more lively and informal. One such popular procession is the Easter week procession, which takes place on Good Friday; this is practiced with intense solemnity.Las Huelgas monastery holds a victory celebration where the Moors were defeated in 1212, with a second procession of Curpillos the following day in Corpus Christi.

The Fiesta de San Juan del Monte may be the most spectacular of all the processions here complete with traditional attire and amazingly adorned horse coaches.There are plenty of traditional festivities complete with picturesque traditional attire, which can last from one day to a fortnight. These are known as the Fiesta series in Burgos, inclusive of bullfights and exhibitions displaying folklore culture. Pagan war dances and Moorish dances taking place in the pique province of Burgos make these festivals an essential part of the inhabitants’ life and culture.

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Overview of Andalucía

The Autonomous Community of Spain, which has the highest population, is Andalucía; it also has the 2nd largest surface in Spain, with differing landscapes, a mild climate, and a friendly population. All of these make it a very attractive tourist region.

Climate at Andalusia
There is plenty of sunshine every year, stretches of beaches full of golden sand, and lovely natural ports, making it a safe haven, to the Phoenician navigators, many decades ago.The Cadiz and Huelva coasts face the Atlantic Ocean, with its fine sand, whereas the Mediterranean coast, running from Almeria to the Strait of Gibraltar, has warmer waters, less wind, and a milder climate.

Sights of Andalusia

Andalucía is picturesque with the grand Guadalquivir River and the Sierra Morena and Sistemas Beticos mountain ranges. Andalucía offers so much to the visitor; from sandy, golden beaches to impressive mountains ranges, spectacular fauna and the renowned ‘white villages’ that are rich with artistry and folklore. For the active visitor, different sport activities await, such as skiing at the Sierra Nevada slopes or surfing the coast of Cadiz.

Andalucía is well known for its Flamenco magic and authentic bullfighting. Famous myths were born here, such as Carmen and Don Juan.  Its large offerings of splendid traditions need to be slowly understood and appreciated.

Places of interest

Seville, as well as being Spain’s 3rd biggest city, is also the capital of Andalucía. It is one of tourists’ favorite places to visit, due to its very different ambience. It also has some amazing monuments, such as the city’s landmark, Giralda, an amazing bell tower of Arabic origin. There are also its huge Torre del Oro cathedral and the old Barrio Santa Cruz district.Granada is situated at the foothills of Sierra Nevada. The city is called the ‘Moorish Jewel’ with the most impressive Alhambra, an Arabian palace.Cordoba is the preservation center of Moorish Spanish monuments, such as the impressive Cordoba Great Mosque.

Malaga offers the resplendent Mediterranean coastline, as well as the Alcazaba, which is of Moorish origin.Costa del Sol is part of Malaga’s coast with splendid beaches, a temperate climate, and fantastic tourist centers. Ronda is a quaint little town, which is surrounded by a beautiful mountain range. Antequera is famous for Bronze Age remnants and outstanding monuments, together with the awesome Torcal de Antequera mountain range.

Almeria has the best preserved Moorish heritage and a fantastic coast.Cadiz, as one of Spain’s oldest cities which the Phoenicians founded, has tropical vegetation with the Andalucían influence of whitewashed houses.

Huelva functions as an important fishing port as well as an industrious city. It was marked by the arrival of Christopher Columbus, with its reconstructed port, monastery, and three famous ships.

Doñana National Park is a vast preservation of beaches, moving dunes, rich fauna, and marshy regions situated near the Guadalquivir River, El Rocio, Acebuche, and Matalascañas. Plenty of migrant birds of different species make this park their breeding spot, flying all the way from Eurasia.

Costa de la Luz, or ‘Coast of the Light,’ is located near the Atlantic Ocean in the provinces of Cadiz and Huelva. It offers fine, sandy beaches in many of its tourist attraction centers. Jerez de la Frontera is famous for its Sherry wine and wineries or ‘Bodegas’ as well as an equestrian school.Jaen is situated inland and has a massive medieval fortress containing Moorish baths from 11th century. It also has a cathedral from the Renaissance era and a natural Sierra de Cazorla preserve.


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Almeria,

Ronda, modern part of Ronda

While visiting Spain, it is really necessary to go to Andaluzia. The rhythm of Flamenco and the Moorish echoes accompany you everywhere in this region.

Why Ronda?

This is the biggest rock in Andaluzia : Ronda lies over some gorges at a height close to 100 meters, extending to the Guadalevin River. After the gorges (known as „El Tajo”), lies Puente Nuevo or „The New Bridge”, that connects the old town with the new, „new” being a relative feature, since it dates from the XVIIIth century. Ronda is a popular town with lots of services for the tourists who come to visit it, including the antique shops. The town constructed in Andaluzia steel has kept a strong atmosphere, if you avoid the crowded summer months.

What to visit while in Ronda

The withdrown squares and the cobbled streets of  Old Ronda are very evocative and there are many places to visit in this area. One of the most beautiful and intimate is Palacio de Mondragon, which now hosts a little museum. The palace was built in 1314 as a residence of the Moorish king Abb el Malik. Fernando and Isabella lived here in 1485, and the palace’s facade was rebulit in the XVIIIth century. Around this palace the very beautiful gardens and the famous „patio” of the Spanish people can be admired.

A few steps away lies the magnificent „Parque Duquesa de Parcent”, dominated by the Santa Maria la Mayor Church, built on the side of a mosque, and by the Town Hall in Renaissance style , with an impressive „loggia”.Eastward below, on the principal road, there is the San Sebastian Church, and to the south are some of the Arab Ramparts, with double doors:  Puerta de Almocabar,a moorish one, and Puerta de Carlos V, a Renaissance one. If you go to see them, you will also see the beautiful facade of Palacio del Marquez de Salvatierra with its strange sculptures showing nude children, considered to be Columbian figures.

A more modern part of Ronda

In the new town, you are not allowed to miss the famous bullfights, at „Plaza de Torros”, where men have tried their luck against bulls since the year 1785. In the interior, in Museo Taurino, there are some exhibits with clothes of the toreadors, capes embroidered with beads, sequins and cordings, next to historical photos of bullfights.  Enjoy your stay in Ronda, and return here to fill your soul with some of the beauty of the Spanish people.


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A Tranquil destination: Costa Dorada

Why Costa Dorada?

Millions of tourists from all around the world choose Spain as their holiday destination. Some come to Spain attracted by its major cities, others come for its unique architecture; but most of them come for its beaches and the clear waters. If you are looking for a place to go with your family and children, you have found the perfect one: Costa Dorada. Costa Dorada is famous for being a family holiday destination, due to its wide range of apartments that can be rented throughout the entire year.

The coast line is more than two hundred kilometers long, having fine sand beaches and the clearest waters in the region. Costa Dorada is formed out of twenty municipalities that host coquette villages with picturesque vineyards and olive groves, and almond and hazelnut crops that delight children.

Sightseeing in Costa Dorada

When you are in Costa Dorada, you have the opportunity to enjoy the sun and the beach, but you also have the opportunity to learn pieces of the history of Spain by visiting the sights in the region. Tarragona Cathedral, built in the 12th century in Calle Virgen Del Claustro, is a Christian church built, like many others in Spain, on the remains of an Arab mosque. The special thing about it is that it has been built in a Romanesque style with Gothic influences.

The Roman Amphitheatre is also worth visiting. It dates back to the second century and it has even hosted gladiatorial fights. The Roman Circus is even older, dating back to the first century. They are both Roman vestiges that show us the importance of their rule in the region. If you like museums, there are a few: Tarragona National Archeological Museum, Paleo-Christian Necropolis and Museum, and Salvador Vilaseca Regional Museum, in Reus.

Going to the Beach

When it comes to going to the beach, the list is long and they are all marvelous and unique in their own special way. The best thing to do is to just choose whichever is closest to the place where you are staying.

Accommodations

Costa Dorada is famous for the numerous apartments and villas that are at the disposal of tourists. Most of them choose the villas, because some of them offer traditional cuisine. So besides just delighting your eyes and relaxing you, you will also be delighting your senses if you choose a villa.  

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Ciudad Rodrigo

Castilla and Leon
You can almost hear the Moorish and Christian armies thundering and lighting in the plains of these lands, having castles here and there, superb cathedrals, numerous monasteries and Renaissance buildings built in golden stone. Castilla and Leon are very vast, sometimes arid, but always fascinating; this is however, the quintessence of the north of Spain. Here you can explore hidden villages, you can contemplate monasteries and Romanic churches, and climb the medieval parapets. It is a wonderful region of Spain, and also the region where you can find Ciudad Real.

About Ciudad Rodrigo
Ciudad Rodrigo is located on a geographical limb and the fortified city is one of the charming secrets that the north of Spain has never revealed. It is a city that still wears the history’s perfume without being affected by massive tourism. Things have changed with the new links that appeared on the highway leading to Oporto, in Portugal, towards Valladolid. The road comes back to life with the beginning of every new year, when the bullfighting season starts during the carnival that takes place in February; this is the period when the ”encierro,” (the ones who run the bulls), take control of the streets.

Wandering in Ciudad Rodrigo

The surrounding agricultural region is doubtless very prosperous. You can guess this from the unusual specialty of the city; el farinato, a sausage made of flour and fat, generally eaten with scrambled eggs. By eating this unique specialty of Ciudad Rodrigo you will receive the energy you need for sightseeing. Your sightseeing list must contain Enrique the 2nd de Tamara’s Castle, which is now a Parador. The austere walls wear the marks of the Roman foundations, and the embattled towers are spectacular when lighted at night.

The Cathedral has features dating back to the 12th century and the beautiful portal dates back to the 13th century. It  is a wonderful combination of architectural styles: the Portada la Virgen, the choir stalls built in an Isabelian style, richly sculptured by Rodrigo Aleman, the Renaissance altar made of alabaster and the galleries, which have a mixture of architectural styles. The Capilla de Cerralbo, situated in the near vicinity, is worth visiting thanks to the painting of the altar, realized by Jose Ribero. Plaza del Buen Alcalde is your final destination: it is the meeting point for all the citizens of Ciudad Rodrigo. It is a place full of life and passion. Yoi will feel wonderful in Ciudad Rodrigo.

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Castilla-La Mancha

A Beautiful Territory

Castilla-La Mancha is a very fertile territory situated between Madrid and Andaluzia. Even though it is not the most interesting region in Spain, having flat terrain with very few people who live there, this is a very beautiful region with rural relishes. Castilla-La Mancha has two very interesting points of interest: Toledo and Cuenca.

Cuenca

Cuenca can be considered as the biggest surprise of Castilla-La Mancha. It is spectacularly situated on a cliff, between the Huenca and Jucar rivers. Cuenca is equally far from Madrid and Valencia, and it is very famous for its houses built on very abrupt slopes. They are called Casas Colgadas and you can see them very well from the Puente de San Pablo (San Pablo’s bridge).

One of these houses hosts the Museo de Arte Abstracto Espanol ( the Spanish Museum of Abstract Art), where the paintings of famous paintors such as Antoni Tapies and Antonio Saura can be admired by the tourists. On the other side of the bridge stays the Monasterio de los Paules. Just a few steps further you will find the Gothic and Renaissance Cathedral. Even though the cathedral has been built by combining two architectural types, the result is wonderful. Plaza Mayor is also a place where tourists enjoy  going. It is the scene of the processions that take place in the Bright Week, so it is a place especially loved by Christians.

Albacete

Albacete is isolated in the eastern part of the La Mancha region and it doesn’t have a lot of imposing monuments. But it is situated at the intersection of several roads, between the center of Spain, Valencia and Andalusia. However, you will find absolutely lovely vine crops there, that offer spectacular views. This is a city that once belonged to the Arabs, so their influence, with their culture, tradition and their customs has remained alive in the region.

They are the ones who brought here the art of creating knives, so you will be able to visit the Museo de la Cuchilleria (the Knives’ Museum).While here, also go to the Museo Arqueologico and to the Alcala del Jucar if you want to see a miniatural Cuenca; a village built in rock and dominated by a Moorish castle. The region will seem wonderful to you, once you give it a chance. It has a lot to offer, so your holiday will be a very pleasant one. Enjoy your stay!!!

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