The sacred Catalan monastery of Montserrat is located on top of a range of craggy mountains some 60km north-west of Barcelona. It is one of Spain’s most important pilgrimage sites where more than two million annual visitors come to visit ‘La Moreneta’. This is a small statue of the Virgin …
Where is El Escorial? The Royal Palace of El Escorial lies 45km north-west of Madrid and is one of Spain’s most famous sights. Day trips from Madrid to El Escorial are on of the most popular excursions from the capital city. Felipe II ordered the construction of the palace to …
Deciding on my Top 10 NATURAL Attractions in Spain proved even more complicated than creating the previous list of Top Historical Attractions in Spain. Whilst I’ve visited just about everywhere of historical note I still haven’t seen all the country’s natural beauty spots. You might be surprised to hear that Spain …
Having spent so many years travelling around Spain it’s very common for me to be asked where my favourite place is. This is always a question I find impossible to answer. The first place I lived in Spain was on the island of Mallorca which I still try to visit as …
The Mezquita of Cordoba is the world’s third largest Mosque and along with Granada’s Alhambra Palace is the finest example of Islamic Art in the Western world. It dates back to 785 when Abd ar-Rahhman I founded the Mezquita on the site of an ancient Visigothic church which had previously …
The Alhambra was a palace, a citadel, a fortress and home of the Nasrid Sultans, high government officials, servants of the court and elite soldiers of the Nasrid Dynasty (1238-1492), the last Islamic sultanate in the lberian Peninsula. Together with the Mezquita (Great Mosque) of Cordoba, the Alhambra is one …
It was an extraordinarily farsighted decision to locate the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. The initial idea met with much opposition. Why spend such an enormous sum of money on one building? Couldn’t the money be spent on better things? Who’s going to come here anyway, just to look at a …
Spain is primarily considered to be a summer holiday destination, with British holiday makers most prominently flocking to the Mediterranean in the July-August period. What many do not realise however, is that Spain is just as beautiful in the winter months. The climate remains warm, and it does not carry …
For most visitors to the holiday hotspots of Spain’s Costa del Sol the most popular day trips are to the white village of Mijas and Ronda or along the coast for a visit to Gibraltar. Whilst these are well worthwhile excursions, especially for first time tourists, there’s another that I’d …
