Spain

Spain
How to Use This Book
Contents
Welcome to Spain
	An Epic Land
		A Culinary Feast
		Art Imitates Life
		Fiestas & Flamenco
	Why I Love Spain
Spain’s Top 18
	Barcelona
		Pintxos in San Sebastián
		The Alhambra
		La Sagrada Família
		Flamenco
		Madrid Nightlife
		Renaissance Salamanca
		Semana Santa
		Sierra Nevada & Las Alpujarras
		Hiking in the Pyrenees
		Madrid’s Golden Art Triangle
		Córdoba’s Mezquita
		Bilbao
		Seville
		La Rioja Wine Country
		Asturian Coast
		Cabo de Gata
		Camino de Santiago
Need to Know
	When to Go
		Useful Websites
		Important Numbers
		Exchange Rates
		Daily Costs
		Opening Hours
		Arriving in Spain
		Getting Around
First Time Spain
	Checklist
	What to Pack
		Top Tips for Your Trip
		What to Wear
		Sleeping
		Money
		Bargaining
		Tipping
		Etiquette
		Language
What’s New
If You Like…
	Incredible Art
	Islamic Architecture
	Roman Ruins
	Beaches
	Staying Out Late
	Spanish Food
	Wine Tasting
	Hiking
Month by Month
	January
	February
	March
	April
	May
	June
	July
	August
	September
	October
	November
	December
Itineraries
	Barcelona & Around
	Grand Spanish Tour
	Castile & Aragón
	Northern Spain
	Andalucían Adventure
	Essential Spain
	Mediterranean to Mountains
	Extreme West
Eat & Drink Like a Local
	Food Experiences
		Food & Wine Festivals
		Meals of a Lifetime
		Cheap Treats
		Cooking Courses
		Dare to Try
	Local Specialities
		Food
		Wines
	How to Eat & Drink
		When to Eat
		Vegetarians & Vegans
		Where to Eat
		Menu Decoder
Outdoor Activities
	Hiking
		When to Go
		Hiking Destinations
		Information
		Camino de Santiago
	National & Natural Parks
	Canyoning
	Cycling
		Cycling Destinations
		Information
	Skiing & Snowboarding
		Skiing & Snowboarding Destinations
		Information
	Scuba Diving & Snorkelling
	Surfing
		Surfing Destinations
	Windsurfing & Kitesurfing
		Information
	Kayaking, Canoeing & Rafting
		Information
	Stand-Up Paddling
Travel with Children
	Children’s Highlights
		Beaches
		Architecture of the Imagination
		Theme Parks & Horse Shows
	Planning
		When to Go
		What to Bring
		Accommodation
		Eating Out with Children
		Transport
Regions at a Glance
	Madrid
		Castilla y León
		Toledo & Castilla-La Mancha
		Barcelona
		Catalonia
		Aragón
		Bilbao, the Basque Country & La Rioja
		Cantabria & Asturias
		Santiago de Compostela & Galicia
		Extremadura
		Seville & Andalucía’s Hill Towns
		Granada & South Coast Andalucía
		Valencia & Murcia
Madrid
	Best Places to Eat
		Best Places to Sleep
		Why Go?
		When to Go
		Madrid Highlights
		Locals’ Madrid
	Around Madrid
			San Lorenzo de El Escorial
			Aranjuez
			Chinchón
			Alcalá De Henares
			Sierra de Guadarrama
			Buitrago & Sierra Pobre
Castilla y León
	Best Places to Eat
		Best Places to Sleep
		Why Go?
		When to Go
	The Southwest
			Ávila
		Castilla y León Highlights
			Salamanca
			Ciudad Rodrigo
			Sierra de Francia
			Guijuelo
			Sierra de Béjar
	The Central Plateau
			Segovia
			Around Segovia
			Valladolid
			Around Valladolid
			Zamora
			Around Zamora
			Palencia
			Around Palencia
			Montaña Palentina
	The Northwest
			León
			Astorga
			Sahagún
	The East
			Burgos
			Around Burgos
			Ribera del Duero
			Soria
			Around Soria
			South of Soria
Toledo & Castilla-La Mancha
	Best Places to Eat
		Best Places to Sleep
		Why Go?
		When to Go
		Toledo & Castilla-La Mancha Highlights
	Toledo
	The West
			Talavera de la Reina
			Oropesa
	The South
			Consuegra
		On the Trail of Don Quijote
			Campo de Criptana
			Ciudad Real
			Almagro
			Parque Nacional Tablas de Daimiel
			Alcalá del Júcar
	The Northeast
			Cuenca
			Pastrana
			Sigüenza
			Atienza
Barcelona
	Best Places to Eat
		Best Places to Sleep
		Why Go?
		When to Go
		Barcelona Highlights
		Sights
		The Genius of Gaudí
		Activities
		Courses
		Tours
		Festivals & Events
		Sleeping
		Eating
		Drinking & Nightlife
		Entertainment
		Shopping
Catalonia
	Best Places to Eat
		Best Places to Sleep
		Why Go?
		When to Go
		Catalonia Highlights
	Costa Brava
			Tossa de Mar
			Sant Feliu de Guíxols
			Palafrugell & Around
		Spain’s Best Beaches
			Girona
			L’Estartit & the Illes Medes
			L’Escala
			Castelló d’Empúries
			Cadaqués
			Cap de Creus
			Figueres
			Besalú
	The Pyrenees
			Olot
			Parc Natural de la Zona Volcànica de la Garrotxa
			Ripoll
		Hiking the Pyrenees
			Vall de Núria & Ribes de Freser
			Cerdanya
			Pallars Sobirà
			Parc Nacional d’Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici & Around
			Val d’Aran
	Central Catalonia
			Vic
			Montserrat
			Cardona
			Lleida
	Costa Daurada & Around
			Sitges
		Penedès Wine Country
		Tarragona
		Delta de L’Ebre
		Tortosa
Aragón
	Best Places to Eat
		Best Places to Sleep
		Why Go?
		When to Go
		Aragón Highlights
	Zaragoza
	Central Aragón
			Fuendetodos
			Tarazona
	The Aragonese Pyrenees
			Sos del Rey Católico
			Around Sos del Rey Católico
			Valles de Echo & Ansó
			Valle de Zuriza
			Santa Cruz de la Serós
			Jaca
			Valle de Tena
			Parque Nacional de Ordesa y Monte Perdido
			Torla
			Aínsa
			Benasque
			Upper Ésera Valley & Maladeta ­Massif
			Alquézar
		Villages of Aragón
			Huesca
			Loarre
			Fraga
			Somontano Wine Region
	The South
			Daroca
			Laguna de Gallocanta
			Teruel
			Albarracín
			Around Albarracín
Bilbao, Basque Country & La Rioja
	Best Places to Eat
		Best Places to Sleep
		Why Go?
		When to Go
		Bilbao, Basque Country & La Rioja Highlights
	Basque Country
			Bilbao
			Around Bilbao
			Central Basque Coast
			San Sebastián
			Around San Sebastián
		Basque Culture
			Oñati
			Vitoria
	Navarra
			Pamplona
			Around Pamplona
			The Navarran Pyrenees
			Southern Navarra
	La Rioja
			Logroño
			West of Logroño
			La Rioja Wine Region
Cantabria & Asturias
	Best Places to Eat
		Best Places to Sleep
		Why Go?
		When to Go
	Cantabria
			Santander
		Cantabria & Asturias Highlights
			Around Santander
			Eastern Cantabria
			Southern Cantabria
			Western Cantabria
		Surprises of the North
	Asturias
			Oviedo
			Gijón
			East Coast
			West Coast
			Inland Western Asturias
		Wild Spain
	Picos de Europa
			Western Picos
			Central Picos
			Eastern Picos
Santiago de Compostela & Galicia
	Best Places to Eat
		Best Places to Sleep
		Why Go?
		When to Go
		Santiago de Compostela & Galicia Highlights
	Santiago de Compostela
	Costa da Morte
			Fisterra & Around
			Muxía & Around
			Camariñas & Around
			Laxe & Around
	Rías Altas
			A Coruña
			Betanzos
			Pontedeume
			Cedeira & Around
			Cabo Ortegal & Around
			Bares Peninsula
			Viveiro
			Ribadeo
			Parque Natural Fragas do Eume
	Rías Baixas
			Ría de Arousa
			Pontevedra
			Ría de Pontevedra
			Ría de Vigo
			Vigo
			Illas Cíes
	The Southwest
			Baiona
			A Guarda
			Tui
	The East
			Ourense
			Ribadavia & the Ribeiro Wine Region
			Ribeira Sacra
			Lugo
			Verín
Extremadura
	Best Places to Eat
		Best Places to Sleep
		Why Go?
		When to Go
			Cáceres
			Extremadura Highlights
			Valencia de Alcántara
			Alcántara
			Trujillo
			Guadalupe
			Plasencia
			La Vera
			Valle del Ambroz
			Parque Nacional de Monfragüe
			Mérida
			Alburquerque
			Olivenza
			Zafra
			Around Zafra
			Badajoz
Seville & Andalucía’s Hill Towns
	Best Places to Eat
		Best Places to Sleep
		Why Go?
		When to Go
	Seville
		Seville & Andalucía’s Hill Towns Highlights
	Seville Province
			Carmona
			Écija
	Huelva Province
			Huelva
			Lugares Colombinos
			Parque Nacional de Doñana
			El Rocío
			Minas de Riotinto
			Aracena & Around
	Cádiz Province
			Cádiz
			El Puerto de Santa María
			Sanlúcar de Barrameda
			Jerez de la Frontera
			Arcos de la Frontera
			Parque Natural Sierra de Grazalema & Around
			Southern Costa de la Luz
	Ronda
	Córdoba Province
			Córdoba
			Parque Natural Sierras Subbéticas
Granada & South Coast Andalucía
	Best Places to Eat
		Best Places to Sleep
		Why Go?
		When to Go
		Granada & South Coast Andalucía Highlights
	Granada
	Legacy of the Moors
	Granada Province
			Sierra Nevada
			Las Alpujarras
			Costa Tropical
	Málaga Province
			Málaga
			Costa del Sol
			Ardales & El Chorro
			Antequera
			East of Málaga
	Southern Cádiz Province & Gibraltar
			Tarifa
			Gibraltar
	Jaén Province
			Jaén
			Baeza
			Úbeda
			Cazorla
			Parque Natural Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas
	Almería Province
			Almería
			Desierto de Tabernas
			Cabo de Gata-Níjar
			Mojácar
Valencia & Murcia
	Best Places to Eat
		Best Places to Sleep
		Why Go?
		When to Go
		Valencia & Murcia Highlights
	Valencia
	Around Valencia City
			La Albufera
			Requena
			Sagunto
	Costa del Azahar & El Maestrazgo
			Benicàssim
			Peñíscola
			El Maestrazgo
	Costa Blanca
			Gandia
			Denia
			Xàbia
			Calp
			Benidorm
			Altea
			Alicante
	Inland from the Costa Blanca
			Xàtiva
			Villena
			Guadalest
			Elche
			Orihuela
	Murcia
	Murcia Province
			Cartagena
			Costa Cálida
			Lorca
			Parque Regional de Sierra Espuña
Understand Spain
Spain Today
	Economic Crisis
		A New Politics
		Catalan Independence?
		Uncertain Times
History
	Spain & the Ancient Civilisations
		Phoenicians & Greeks
		The Romans
	Moorish Spain & La Reconquista
		The Moorish Arrival
		Al-Andalus: The Early Years
		Córdoba’s Golden Age
		Al-Andalus: The Later Years
		The Reconquista
	The Spanish Inquisition
	Spain’s Empires
		Conquering a New World
		Entangled in the Old World
	A Country Divided
		Out of Step with Europe
		France Invades
		Spain’s Decline
	The Spanish Civil War
		Seeds of War
		The Civil War Begins
		Nationalist Advance
		Republican Quarrels
		Nationalist Victory
	Franco’s Dictatorship
		The Early Franco Years
		Franco’s Spain
	Democratic Spain
		The Transition
		A Maturing Democracy
		Troubled Times
Art & Architecture
	Architecture
		The Introduction of Islam
		Romanesque & Gothic
		Modernisme & Art Deco
	Art
		The Golden Century – Velázquez & Friends
		Goya & the 19th Century
		Picasso, Dalí & Miró
People & Culture
	Flamenco
		The Birth of Flamenco
		Flamenco – The Essential Elements
		Flamenco Legends
		Flamenco Today
		Seeing Flamenco
	Football
		National Team
		La Liga
	Bullfighting
		The Basics
		The Bullfighting Debate
Survival
Guide
Directory A–Z
	Accommodation
		Customs Regulations
		Discount Cards
		Electricity
		Embassies & Consulates
		GLBTI Travellers
		Health
		Insurance
		Internet Access
		Legal Matters
		Maps
		Money
		Opening Hours
		Post
		Public Holidays
		Safe Travel
		Telephone
		Time
		Toilets
		TouristInformation
		Travellers with Disabilities
		Visas
		Volunteering
		Women Travellers
		Work
Transport
	Getting There & Away
		Entering the Country
		Air
		Land
		Sea
	Getting Around
		Air
		Bicycle
		Boat
		Bus
		Car & Motorcycle
		Hitching
		Local Transport
		Train
Language
	Basics
	Accommodation
	Directions
		Key Words
		Meat & Fish
		Fruit & Vegetables
		Other
		Drinks
	Emergencies
	Shopping & Services
	Time & Dates
	Transport
		Public Transport
		Driving and Cycling
Behind the Scenes
	SEND US YOUR FEEDBACK
	Our Readers
	Author Thanks
	This Book
	Acknowledgements
Index
Map Legend
Our Writers