Holidays in Spain
Occupying the bulk of the Iberian Peninsula, Spain is a country of vastly different geography and holiday opportunities. Whether you yearn the kind of relaxing break provided by an Spanish apartment rental on the sun-drenched beaches of the Costa del Sol, or the peace and tranquillity of a villa high in the Pyrenees Mountains, there are plenty of holidays in Spain to choose from.
With five vast ranges, mountains and high arid plateaus dominate the Spanish interior. Successive occupations by Roman, Muslim and Germanic invaders have left numerous archaeological attractions, none more impressive than the Alhambra, an ornate and sprawling testament to Spain's Islamic influence, located in the southern city of Granada, Andalucia. Villas in the Sierra Nevada mountains, towering away behind the city put you in easy reach of some fine beaches, although apartment rentals in Marbella and Malaga are a better idea if you prefer the comforts of a developed resort.
Intense summer temperatures mean that many Spanish cities become unbearably hot between June and September, making spring the best time for apartment rentals in Madrid, when the city's nightlife throbs to Flamenco rhythms and your can comfortably enjoy the Spanish capital's numerous art galleries including the famous Prado Museum. A must for anyone staying in Madrid is a daytrip to Segovia, home of the imposing Alcazar castle and its immaculate 2000-year-old Roman aqueduct.
A few hours south lies Seville, with its historic architecture. The Andalusian capital is also a great place to discover Spain's love of festivals and the city's Feria de Abril, held every Easter is one of the country's cultural highlights.
Many visitors choose to avoid central Spain, preferring instead to stay in either bed and breakfast or apartment accommodation in Barcelona and enjoy the city's fairytale, Art Nouveau inspired architecture. Treating the second city as a base is popular and allows for greater exploration of the Catalan region to the north including Figueres, birthplace of surrealist Salvador Dali, and some of Spain's finest unspoilt beaches.
Spanish cities buzzes like nowhere else and visiting any one of then, from laid back Almeria in the south to bustling Bilbao in the north, offers the chance to soak up a decidedly individual culture and love of life. Food is a hugely important and Spain enjoys a wide variety of regional specialities, influenced by both former occupiers and later colonial activities.
Renting a Spanish self catering holiday apartment along Spain's Mediterranean coastline means you will encounter Paella, the country's national dish. Made primarily of rice and fish, just about every restaurant has an individual take on this wonderfully social dish, usually shared with family or friends. With a group of islands stretching between France and the African coast, seafood is a major part of a villa rental holiday anywhere from the Balearics down to the Canaries. Popular destinations include Mallorca in the Mediterranean and Tenerife, way down in the Atlantic Ocean, often described as Spain's Hawaii.
With one of Europe's richest cultural backgrounds, coupled with a welcoming charm and some of the world's most hospitable people, no other country attracts tourists like Spain and the place remains perennially popular with visitors from the UK, who make up around a third of the 60 million people who visit every year.
If you want to discover everything on offer in this unique destination why not browse the range of holiday rental accommodation in Spain including Costa Blanca holiday rentals today or read our guide to the top 10 cities in Spain for more information on short or weekend breaks.
