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The Running of the Bulls, the encierro in Spanish, is the most anticipated part of the Fiesta de San Fermín. I still remember the first time I learned of this event; my teacher had shown us a YouTube video in Spanish class.

The capital city of Catalonia, and the 2^nd largest city in Spain, is Barcelona and its nearly 2 million residents. One of its most attractive features where tourism is concerned is the fact that it is situated on the Mediterranean Sea’s northeastern coast. The city has a rich culture and history that dates back some 2,000 years but it is known for so many other features that continue to attract tourists year in and year out. In addition to the culture and the history, don’t overlook the Spanish cuisine and the many entertainment venues.

As one of Spain’s economic and cultural center, Barcelona is also a prime beach-lover’s destination with a myriad of beaches to choose from. Its 4.5-kilometer long coastline near the urban area showcases at least seven general beaches where one has even been named by a Discovery Channel documentary as the world’s third best beach! Let’s go and see what these beaches have to offer so be prepared to go for a dip below the cool waters, watch the beautiful people, and bask under the palm trees beneath the hot Spanish sun!

When you think of Barcelona, the spectacular Gaudi architecture, breathtaking cathedrals and busy pavement cafes of Las Ramblas are often the first things that spring to mind.

These attractions draw thousands of tourists to Catalonia’s cosmopolitan city every year – but anyone that has every travelled with a couple of energetic kids in tow, knows that all the culture in the word sometimes just doesn’t cut it. Here are three of the best family friendly activities to keep everyone happy. read full article

Madrid, as every cosmopolitan city in the world, offers its visitors a large variety of good restaurants where they can enjoy a great meal. Eating tapas is the most commonly known practice in Madrid but if you are looking for a traditional Spanish meal there are numerous dishes you must try.

Photo by scaredy_kat

Most of them consist of meat, but you can also find some dishes based on seafood and vegetables. read full article

A tapa, the miniature cuisine from Spain, is a finger food eaten between the meals. In Spanish, tapa means “cover or appetizer”. The Real Academia Española de la Lengua defines a tapa as “any portion of solid food able to accompany a drink”. You can choose from four types of tapas: cold, fried, sauce based and warm. The fried tapas, such as boquerones, calamaries, croquets, fritters, sausages and torreznos, are the most popular.

The tapas served with salads can even replace a complete lunch. Tapas are made from both animal-based and agricultural products: anchovies, beef, cheeses, cocktail onions, dry nuts, meat, mackerel, sardines, squid, tuna, and vegetables. However, no tapa will be complete without olives. read full article

Of all the major cities in Spain, none boasts the shopping opportunities that Madrid offers to both locals and visitors alike. If the primary focus of your vacation to Madrid is shopping, you are headed for the right place. Fortunately, most of the more popular shopping areas are featured on the majority of the city’s sightseeing tours. The following content will provide you with information on the best shopping districts and malls in Madrid.

Madrid gives you the opportunity to make some great day trips from the city. Take advantage of European trains that for little money will take you around some pretty nice and interesting places.

One of the most popular trips is a visit to the El Escorial palace. Take the Cercanias Train line C-8 from Atocha train station for a one hour-long ride. read full article

Madrid is often left off the tour schedules of international bands- well, non Spanish speaking ones. Location doesn’t help and some feel they can tick the Spain box with Barcelona, considered more in tune with the international music “vibe”. To an extent true, but these days the Spanish-European link is stretching further than the Catalan capital and Madrid is mixing more European live music into its already well developed and certainly well appreciated local and national scene.

Cibeles, the ancient goddess of Nature, or more precisely, mother of the mountain – a symbol of Madrid?

When thinking ‘symbols’, two ideas come to mind, one symbolic meaning read full article

Menorca is the quietest of the Balearic Islands, although still geared mainly towards tourism. While the clubbers and cheap package tourists tend to stick to Ibiza and Majorca,

Menorca attracts more families and relaxed read full article

Since the Ibiza nightlife is nothing if not extensive, this will have to be a brief overview bringing you the highlights in no particular order and skimming over

the countless, and often nameless, clubs and bars that regularly spring up before disappearing again the next week. read full article

One of the most popular holiday and vacation destinations in the Mediterranean Sea

is the Island of Ibiza situated off Spain’s Iberian Peninsula. read full article

San Isidro is the Patron Saint of Madrid, Spain.

Known for his benevolence towards the poor and animals, he is also the patron saint of farmers. read full article

Torremolinos is just 7 km west of the better known Málaga and now is almost considered a suburb of Málaga.

Formerly a sleepy fishing village, the place still retains traces of this past, read full article