Spain

Stretched over nearly 200,000 square miles of land, from the dry, sometimes desert-like south to the green pastures of the Basque Country, one thing Spain does not lack is variety. Whether it is the energy of Andalucia, where life beats to the rhythm of Flamenco and your beer comes with a side order of tapas, the grand nobility of the city of Salamanca, the riot of colour that is Barcelona or the ordered vines that criss-cross the countryside in the Rioja region, every corner of this great land mass is filled with personality.

Famed for many decades for its spectacular beaches, Spain’s coastline still attracts the crowds in droves. But venture beyond those great golden borders and discover an interior packed with grand historic cities from the heyday of the Moorish occupation and the Spanish Empire, tiny pueblos blancos – white villages – that have barely changed at all in hundreds of years and national parks that brim with wildlife and flora and fauna. Across the country, iconic Islamic architecture rub shoulders with traditional colonial piles in the great cities of yesteryear, such as Toledo, perched on a hill just outside Madrid and Granada, way down in the south and home to the spectacular Alhambra palace – the pink-tinged fortress that was so loved by the Moorish leader Muhammad XII that he reportedly cried when he was driven from it by the Spanish crusaders in 1492.

It’s not just the old capitals of empires gone by that have encanto – charm – Madrid, the current capital, located right in the centre of the country, is graced by an elegant palace, imposing cathedral and spectacular plazas which make a great starting point from which to enjoy the city’s famous nightlife. Art-lovers will be in heaven in the Catalan capital Barcelona, where the old Gothic Quarter is surrounded by twisted, coloured buildings, the handiwork of the great Antoni Gaudi, the man behind the iconic – and still unfinished – Sagrada Familia.

But Spain offers more than just architecture. Half the fun in visiting this fascinating country is experiencing the culinary offerings which differ from region to region. Visit Jerez in Andalucia and discover a world of sherry, with so many varieties you’ll struggle to try them all. Or head north to La Rioja, home of the famous wine, where you can call in at vineyards and sample the region’s finest produce and even stay at some overnight as part of a spa break. In Granada, where the tapas tradition began as a morsel of food used to cover the top of your drink and protect it from flies, you can still be served up a little tapa – which literally translates as lid - to accompany your cerveza or vino for free, while in the Basque Country – home of most of the country’s greatest chefs – and neighbouring Navarra, pintxos are the bite-sized portions that so excite the international culinary experts.

And if you’re in the north in July you can’t pass through Pamplona without stopping off to see the San Fermin running of the bulls, when dozens of the angry creatures are set free to rampage through the city. But that is not the strangest feria by any stretch of the imagination. If you’ve ever dreamt of taking part in a giant food fight, head to La Tomatina in Bunol, near Valencia, where tomatoes are hurled among revellers until the streets become one enormous, swimming gazpacho. If there is one thing the Spaniards know how to do, it is celebrate.

One of the great pleasure of travel in Spain is the ease with which visitors can combine city breaks with a slice of the great outdoors, whether it’s the mountains like the Sierra Madre outside Granada or the Pyrenees lining the northernmost point of Catalonia, the great plains in Castilla La Mancha in the centre of the country or the deserts in the southeast corner of the country. With old cortijos – country estates – boutique hotels and a huge selection of grand paradors housed in historical buildings or perched above towns and cities offering panoramic views, your accommodation options can be as spectacular as the places you are visiting by day.

The Unique Traveller can not only find the accommodation option to suit you, but can put together a whole itinerary based on your particular interests. Want to combine a mix of colonial cities? Or would you prefer a gourmet trail though Spain? Perhaps a city and country break would suit you better? With local experts on hand to talk you through your plans, The Unique Traveller can make sure your holiday is one you’ll never forget.