Places of interest in Spain - Castile la Vieja
Places of interest in Spain have uniqueness and that is it is not just some beaches or some wildlife sanctuary; there are many places to visit like places of worship, museums, castles and places of natural beauty like beaches, parks, etc.

Amongst the cathedrals is the La Mezquita located in the famous Cordoba province of Spain which is one of the most visited cathedrals by those who visit this city. Historians are of the opinion that this was actually a place where a mosque existed. The beautiful arches in and around the cathedral and the sculpture and painting works add beauty to this most imposing building. Certainly Gerald Brenan, the renowned writer of the 20th Century was right in saying that this cathedral and the fortifications around it are the most beautiful buildings ‘in the whole of Spain’. Interestingly the building has an interesting combination of Gothic, Roman, Syrian Byzantine and Persian architecture. Perhaps no other building in the whole of Spain has so much of a combination of different architectures. This place was sanctified as a Cathedral in 1236.

Castle Montilla is another place of interest in Spain. This is also located in the famous province of Cordoba. This castle is located on the top of a mountain. The castle is believed to have been built in the 15th century. The castle has huge towers. This is a huge castle with a large terrace and it even houses a palace within it. The terrace is large enough to house about 400 horses. It only demonstrates the battle preparedness of those who built this castle. The ruins of this castle can be seen.

Another place of visit is the La Judería which is a shrine believed to have been built by the Jewish people in honor of intellectuals and scholars from Cordoba. To pay homage to such people, shrines were built and La Juderia is one such shrine which is believed to have been built during the days of Romans and Goths. The La Juderia is believed to have been built to pay homage to Roman Philosopher Seneca. Other philosophers who are remembered here are Averroes who was an Arabian Philosopher and Maimonides who was a Jewish Philosopher. This shrine is popular for its immaculate works of art and some of the artifacts are made of gold and silver. In fact some call it a challenge to the modern goldsmiths. It is certainly worth seeing this shrine.

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Excursions to Spain
If someone asks the question ‘Where to go in Spain during holidays?’, the answer is quite simple, go anywhere in Spain, there is a place of interest for tourists. For example it could be Madrid, Barcelona, Costa Blanca, Seville or any other place for that matter, it is a place of importance and there are a lot of things for the tourist to see and enjoy.

Another interesting point is that in Spain wherever one goes, there are villas or hotels and the tourist gets a grand welcome. Be it on the hilltop or in the country side or on the beach or in the midst of a busy city, there are hotels and villas which ensure maximum comfort for the tourist. His stay would be comfortable and it is just a home away from home. Almost all the places of interest are well connected by road and even by railways. There are some islands which are connected by good ferries and even by air.

People go on excursions for spending their leisure time away from the busy mundane schedule. They just want to relax with family or friends and return home rejuvenated with energy and with good memories of their excursions. All this is possible only with excursions to Spain. The most beautiful nature, vast seashore, tall mountains, plain land full of vegetation, beautiful tall buildings which are of historic importance, museums, parks and most popular wine and traditional foods are some of the many features one finds in his excursions to Spain.

Some of the places like Madrid and Barcelona are so rich in historical places that tourists are advised to walk their way because if they go in a car, it is likely that they would miss some of the places of interest. These places are located so near to each other that going by foot is more advantageous than going by car. At each of these tourist spots there are many utilities like restaurants, bars, etc. which make the tourist comfortable.

Spain has a long beach facing the Mediterranean Sea. This beach spreads to more than 250 miles and along this beach are many villages. Across this entire stretch of beach, provision has been made for water sports, sailing, boating, etc. Many of the beaches have facilities for skiing also. There are designated places for children to play and engage in water sports, etc.

The tourist will always find his excursion to Spain more entertaining and relaxing.  

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Benalmadena

Overview

The town Benalmádena is situated in the Málaga province and is a part of the Andalusian autonomous community in the southern part of Spain. This is a municipality. The distance between Málaga city and Benalmádena is about 12 Km. The population of this city is about 53000; however there is a large floating tourist population that the city caters for. British tourists come to this city in large numbers. This town has a Buddhist structure – Enlightenment Stupa – that has a height of 108 feet.

History

This city has been inhabited from Bronze Age; Phoenicians, Romans and Moors influenced the civilization of the Iberian Peninsula. In the 15th century, 2 Almenara towers were built along the coastline to protect the city population from the Barbary Pirates invasion. Nowadays this has become a major tourist center in addition to Costa del Sol area. The city has expanded so much that there is a degradation of the environment.

This city gained its name from the Arabic word – Bani al-Medina meaning Son of the Settlement.

Climate

The maximum and minimum average temperatures in this city are 29°C in July-August and 7 °C in January.

Art and Culture

Teleferico - cable car travels between Carramolo Mountain and Tivoli World enabling you to see the entire Costa del Sol area and the mountains of Africa.

Church of St. Domingo – built in the 18th century.

Benalnatura – is a nudist beach with official approval.

Tivoli World – is a theme and attraction park with a lot of attractions and rides for the family.

Other attractions are - Municipal Archaeological Museum, Sea-Life Aquarium, Torre Quebrada watchtower and Castillo de Colomares.

Cuisine

There are many restaurants serving Spanish, Indian, Chinese, Italian, Thai and Mexican foods. You can also get English, Welsh and Scottish foods if you want.


The local traditional cooking involves seafood, fried fish and gazpachos with sangria made from fresh fruit of the area.


Sports and Entertainment

Football and Golf are the most popular sports in this city.

Some of the beaches that are popular are Malapesquera, Arroya, Toore Bermeja, Santa Ana Arroyo Hondo, etc.

A large Municipal Sports Centre exists at Arroyo de la Miel and has facilities for practicing football, tennis, handball, basketball, volleyball, martial arts, aerobics, gym, etc.

This town is located to the west of Malaga and has a large number of night clubs, late night bars and discos.

Shopping

Different markets – Car boot market at Tivoli World on Sundays, Flee Market on Thursday at Paloma Park and the Town’s Municipal Market on Friday, etc. cater to various shopping requirements.

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Balearic Islands
Overview

The Balearic Islands are a cluster of islands in the western Mediterranean sea that are formed tectonically near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. It consists of 4 islands – Majorca, Ibiza, Minorca and Formentera. These islands form an autonomous community and the city of Palma is the capital. Both Spanish and Catalan languages are the official languages.

History

The history of the earliest inhabitants is hardly known. However the following legends are being spoken about by various people:

According to Lycophron, the Greek poet and comedian, these islands had nude Boeotians as inhabitants.

Another legend states that after the Trojan War, these islands were colonized from Rhodes.

Some stories indicate that the inhabitants remained naked until Phoenicians clothed them; some say that they were nude only during summer.

These inhabitants loved their women so much that they gave as ransom 3 or 4 men to a woman.

Climate

The maximum and minimum temperatures in this city are 29°C in July-August and 8 °C in January.

Art and Culture

Museum Palau March in Palma – houses sculpture collections of Chillida, Rodin, Moore, etc.

Museum Balear of Natural Sciences and Botanical Garden – has plants in an area of 10000 sq. meters. Some of these plants are in danger of extinction.

Cuisine

The food items that are popular are - Sobrasada Mallorquina, a type of sausage, soups with noodles, meat or fish, vegetable sauces, Tumbet, Rostit, etc.

Sports and Entertainment

The Balearic Islands have a large number of tourists because of the nightlife in these places and the beautiful sea landscape.

Majorca is the largest of these four islands with a population of 780,000 people. Its capital Palma de Mallorca is attractive and popular for cultural tourism.

Minorca is the second largest of the Balearic Islands with a population of 85,000. It is relatively quiet but is full of historic monuments – pre-historic remains, ruins of Christian churches, Roman ruins and monuments from the Islamic, English and Spanish periods.  

The third largest but youngest island is Ibiza and it is very popular for its fun filled and high intensity night life; youngsters love this island. The population of this island is about 110,000. The old town of Ibiza has been declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

The island, Formentera is the smallest of these islands with a population of 7500 and it has a beautiful coastline and attractive white sand beaches.

Shopping

You can purchase arts and crafts in ceramics, glass, fabrics, embroidery, leather, shoes, jewelry, silverware, pearls, trinkets, etc.

Business

Tourism is the main economic activity of the islands. The economy also depends on agriculture – potatoes, cereals, wine, olive oil, vegetables and fruits and livestock – cattle and poultry and fishing.

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Baeza – the Exemplar Renaissance City
Overview

The historic town Baeza is located in the Jaén province in Andalucía; this town is surrounded by the largest olive plantation in Europe and is very near to one of the best national parks – El Parque Nacional de Cazorla – in Spain. The population of this town is about 15000.

This town did exist during the Roman times and it was called Beatia. Nowadays it is well known for its well-maintained Italian Renaissance architecture in Spain. This town was included in the World Heritage Site list in the year 2003.

The European Council has named Baeza as an Exemplar Renaissance City.

History

In the 9th century this ancient city was under the occupation of Moors and in the 13th century the Christian Kingdoms re-conquered this town. In the 16th century this town was changed to the Renaissance style that was emerging at that time. Architects began to incorporate Italian urban design ideas in this place.

Climate

The maximum and minimum temperatures in this city are 34 °C in July-August and 2 °C in January.

Art and Culture

The monuments and museums in this place are as follows:

1.Marquessa de Jabalquinto – was one of the finest palaces and is at present used as a seminary; the Isabelline front differentiates it from other Moorish designs.

2.16th century Cathedral – has iron screens painted by craftsmen of 16th century. This also has a large silver custodia kept behind the St. Peter painting and the painting revolves to show the silver custodia for a small donation.

3.National Park of Cazorla – gives visitors opportunities to unwind themselves by looking at various sceneries – green valleys, mountains, wild deer, mountain goats, wild boar, vultures, eagles, foxes, rabbits, squirrels, etc.

4.Olive oil museum – displays the technology – old and new – for extracting olive oil from the fruit.

5.Iglesia de la Santa Cruz – is a beautiful Romanesque church built in the 13th century.

6.Palacio de Jabalquinto – is a palace built in the 16th century that has a Gothic façade and a patio of Renaissance style.

Cuisine

Olive oil is largely used in the cuisine in this town. The traditional local dishes are roast lamb, migas, partridge, etc.

Sports and Entertainment

Some of the games played in this town are football, Archery and Adventure sports.

Shopping

The shops in the town of Baeza sell items of leatherwork and woodwork that are made locally. The town Ubeda is near Baeza and you can purchase carpets, ceramic items and ironwork from this place.

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