Take it from us, this impressive, progressive country's miles beyond iconic but stereotypical bullfights, flamenco, and mass beach tourism, with historic sights reaching back to the era of ancient Greece, wine regions, skiing, some of Europe's most cutting-edge culture; and a gorgeous tapestry of different cultures and languages. ¡Viva España!


Cover photo: Jim Gordon

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Exploring Madrid´s little known medieval (Muslim) legacy

David Paul Appell I've always had a fascinating for things medieval. Would never want to have actually lived back in the Middle Ages, mind you - perish the thought. But the architecture and atmosphere of the Romanesque and the Gothic have always captivated me. And while my adopted country provides more than enough to delight me on this front year after year, I've been enjoying my home town Madrid more for its marvelous architecture and monuments dating from the mid-16th century onward, when…

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Flamenco: the soul of Spain?

Ask many people around the world what comes to mind when they think of Spain, and chances are flamenco will land near the top of the list. The sinuous moves; the rapid, hypnotic shoe tapping; the staccato hand-clapping; the mesmerising guitarwork; the plaintive singing - if you've never witnessed a performance in person, your first time in particular will stay with you forever.An art form and indeed a sensibility closely intertwined with the culture and traditions of Andalusia, flamenco grew…

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Spain's wonderful (and sometimes wild) west: Extremadura

Mariaplr Hugging Spain's upper border with Portugal, the autonomous community of Extremadura, composed of the provinces of Cáceres and Badajoz, is well known to other Spaniards as a proud land of strong traditions; rich history; distinguished cuisine; and fascinating historic, architectural, and natural riches. In fact, in particular this is considered one of the country's under-the-radar eco-paradises, with extensive and dramatic valleys, plains, and natural parks that attract nature-lovers…

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What not to miss in Barcelona

  walkerssk/pixabay There's a good reason Spain's second largest city after Madrid is one of Europe's (indeed, the world's) most popular cities - famous and beloved for its art, architecture, culture, cuisine, and nightlife ever since hosting the 1992 Summer Olympic Games. It's also the capital of the region of Catalonia, one of Spain's nations along with Galicia and Euskadi (aka the Basque Country), with its own distinct language and culture. Well, there's a lot to unpack here, so let's…

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  • Now on the Tripatini blog, a look at a jewel of Castile: Salamanca.
  • Never wanted to ski there but I'm with you on the mountain hiking. I like the old castles and churches, the spagetti Western landscape, the girls in their flamenco dresses in Seville, the guitar music, the cafes, the tapas bars. I've been to Spain ten times and have hardly ever sat down for a meal. Affordable country, too.If I had more money I'd stay at one of the golf resorts in the south.
  • Wink beat me to it and gives a good explanation indeed. I would add that it's also one of the most varied countries in Europe, from the deserts and the beaches of the Moorish-influenced south to the cool green Celtic north. There are ancient Roman and Greek ruins; Christian pilgrimage routes; great skiing, mountain hiking, and soft adventure; destinations like Ibiza where the clubbing is world-class; stimulating modern art and music scenes; an enlightened political culture; one of Europe's best gay scenes; and the list goes on...
  • Tony - there is a long history of Brits enjoying holidaying in Spain because of cheap package tours to the coast, for sun and cheap booze.
    However, there is so, so much more to Spain than that - Madrid and Barcelona are fabulous cities, there are wonderful cultural sites like Sevilla and Granada in Andalucia, then there is fantastic countryside with mountain villages and more.
    On top of all of that, the food gets better and better and so does the wine, plus the mark-up on the wines in the restaurants is much lower than in most countries, so you can eat and drink very well indeed.
  • Why do people like Spain for vacation destination?
  • There'll Be No Strike

    The Daily Mail (UK) reports: "Spain's air traffic controllers have called off a strike planned for later this month, saying they don't want to further dent the country's troubled tourism industry."

    Unusual, no?
  • A Tripatino has a question on Barcelona hotels & sights. Can you help?
  • From today's New York Times:

    "The [Spanish] media reported one study claiming the publicity from [Michelle Obama's] visit would be worth $1 billion for a country where tourism is at its lowest level in seven years." What I don't get is why tourism has fallen off in the first place.
  • CONGRATULATIONS WORLD CHAMPION SPAIN / FELICIDADES ESPAÑA CAMPEÓN MUNDIAL!!
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