Types of Tourism in Spain
BEACH HOLIDAY
Resorts in Spain will satisfy every taste of vacationers. The sand on the beaches is different: from large to fine, from golden yellow on the Costa Dorado to dark gray volcanic in Tenerife. The beaches in Spain are all public, free. Even the most expensive hotels do not have their own beaches. Umbrellas and sunbeds are provided for a fee (2-4 EUR per sunbed and the same amount for an umbrella for the day).
Costa Brava is a resort area with picturesque bays and small sandy beaches in the north of the country. Sheer cliffs rise straight from the Mediterranean Sea, pine groves side by side with small fishing villages and modern hotels. The resort stretches for 240 km from the French border to the town of Blanes, 60 km from Barcelona. The Costa Brava has been holding the status of a major tourist center of Europe for several decades, and the combination of cozy bays and rocky cliffs, ancient monuments and modern hotels creates endless opportunities for a varied and memorable vacation. Check top-medical-schools.org for travel information in Spain.
Costa Dorado – located on the southern coast of Catalonia. The sand on the beaches has a peculiar golden hue. A walking pedestrian zone stretches along the coast, so the hotels are far from the sea. But a well-developed recreation infrastructure and a lot of entertainment compensates for this shortcoming.
Costa Blanca is one of the main tourist centers of the country. Most of the beaches are sandy with soft white sand. Costa Blanca is the record holder among Spanish resorts for the number of “blue flags” awarded by the EU for the cleanliness of water and beaches.
Costa de la Luz. This resort area is located in the Gulf of Cadiz, washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean and borders on Portugal. Huge open spaces, a lot of light and heat are ideal not only for a passive beach holiday, but also for windsurfing.
Costa del Garraf is located 36 km south of Barcelona. Here, the rich historical past is advantageously combined with the achievements of the modern resort industry and special conditions have been created for both mass and elite recreation. Throughout the coast, the coastline is bordered by a continuous chain of picturesque mountain ranges, forming small and very calm sea bays.
Balearic Islands. The Balearic archipelago is located in the western part of the Mediterranean Sea and consists of four islands: Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera. The islands have the highest standard of living throughout Spain and vacations here are available only to very wealthy people. Mallorca island- very picturesque. There are long sandy beaches, spacious bays, and cozy coves surrounded by greenery. Mallorca has over 76 beaches, of which 22 have been awarded the EU blue flag. The island is famous for the fact that the royal family in full force rests in Marivent Castle every year. Ibiza island. This is a place of entertainment for young people who prefer a relaxed, free holiday. The Canary Islands require a separate narrative . They are more than all other islands removed from the Iberian Peninsula and located in the Atlantic Ocean between 25 o N.S. and 30o
NL close to the African continent. The Canarian archipelago is of volcanic origin and consists of seven large and several small islands with a total length of 7500 sq. km. Despite its proximity to the tropics, a cold ocean current runs along the Canary Islands, which causes moderate air temperatures throughout the year. Water temperature +20…+24 o all year round. The sand is coarse, gray, of volcanic origin. There are beaches with loose yellow sand, but they are few in number. The largest island in the archipelago is Tenerife. Tenerife is called “the island of eternal spring” – during the year the air temperature ranges from +20 o in winter to +25 osummer. The symbol of the island is the extinct volcano Teide with a height of 3710 meters. This is the highest point in Spain. Gran Canaria is characterized by a variety of landscapes. In the south – beaches with golden sand, in the north – beautiful cliffs combined with deep bays and azure ocean waters. In the center of the island – a variety of tropical vegetation. Lanzarote is the northernmost of the islands of the Canary archipelago. Lanzarote is the preserve of volcanoes. There are hundreds of volcanic vents here, some of them are still hot. The vegetation on the island is only artificially planted, there are no cities, but only small settlements.
EXCURSIONS
Spain is a country with a long history. In Spain preserved monuments of different eras. The most ancient cultural monuments in Spain belong to the Paleolithic era. These are rock paintings on the walls of the Altamira cave.
From the architecture of the Iberians (the ancient tribes that inhabited the Iberian Peninsula in the 1st millennium BC), there were ruins of gigantic stone walls in Tarragona.
The Romans in Spain are mainly reminded of civil buildings – water pipes, bridges, aqueducts, amphitheatres, arches. Well preserved one of the Roman bridges – Alcantara on the Tagus River. The bridge has six arches and a triumphal arch in the middle. Majestic ruins of the Roman amphitheaters in Merida and Sagunto for 6000 spectators and arches in Medisaneli and Bara, built in 107-102 BC.
The Arabs had a great influence on the development of medieval Spanish art and architecture. The palace-fortress of the Alhambra in Granada gained world fame (depending on the lighting, its walls and towers change color during the day. The courtyard of the Lions, surrounded by columns of white marble, is especially beautiful. There is a fountain in the middle of the courtyard. Its huge marble bowl rests on 12 lions. In the palace has several magnificent halls: the Hall of the Ambassadors with a huge dome made of cedar wood, the Royal Hall with golden lace arches in the form of stalactites, the Hall of Secrets with amazing acoustic effects), the mosque in Cordoba, the La Giralda minaret in Seville (It was built by the Arabs in the XII century. The mosque was not preserved, and the minaret was turned into the bell tower of the cathedral. If you climb the bell tower, to a height of 97 m, you can see a beautiful view of the city from there. Numerous medieval castles – paradors have been preserved in Spain. Alhambra (in Arabic “red”),
In Spain, numerous medieval castles – paradors have been preserved. here 374 km, elevation difference 1500-2750m, 114 lifts.There are major airports of the country not far from the resorts.In the Cantabrian Cordillera there are resorts: Alto Campo, Val Grande Pejares,
San Isidro, Leitariegos, Manzaneda The total length of the tracks is 80 km, the elevation difference is 1375-2175m, 44 lifts.
In the Aragonese Pyrenees – resorts: Kandanchu, Astun, Formigal, Panticosa, Kerler. The total length of the slopes is 345 km, the elevation difference is 1500-2630 m, there are 133 lifts.
In the Iberian mountain system – resorts: Valdescarai, Valdelinares, Chavalambre. The total length of the tracks is 2 km, the elevation difference is 1530-2262 m, 24 lifts.
In the Central mountain system – resorts: La Pinilla, Valcotos, Valdeschi, Navacerrada. The total length of the slopes is 46 km, the elevation difference is 1500-2280 m, 38 lifts. The resorts are located near Madrid.
In the Penibetan mountain system – the Sierra Nevada resort. The total length of the tracks is 61 km, the height difference is 2122-3142 m. 23 lifts, including 2 cable cars, 2 tracks are equipped with artificial lighting, 278 snow cannons, a snowboard park, half-pipe, competitions are held, the height above sea level is 2100m.
The ski season runs from November to April.
THERAPEUTIC
IN SPAIN many thermal springs from Celtic and Roman baths to large balneological resorts. Mineral waters are used for baths, drinking cures and inhalations. And the range of diseases recommended for treatment is wide. These are diseases of the musculoskeletal system, kidneys and urinary tract, gastrointestinal tract, respiratory organs, diseases of the nervous system, gynecological diseases. The main balneological resorts are Alama de Aragon, located in the valley of the Halon River, southwest of the city of Zaragoza; Archena – located northwest of the city of Murcia, in the valley of the Segura river; Verin, located in the northwest of Spain, near the border with Portugal; Caldes de Malavella, located northeast of Barcelona; Caldes de Montbuy and Caldes de Estrac, located north of Barcelona, on the slopes of the Catalan Mountains; Caldas de Reyes, located south of A Coruña, in a flat area, on the banks of the Umia River; Lanjaron, located southeast of Granada, on the southern slopes of the highest Sierra Nevada mountains in the country, at an altitude of 600 m; Mondariz, located northeast of the city of Pontevedra, in the valley of the river Tea; Ontaneda, located south of the city of Santander, in the valley of the Toranso River; Panticosa, located in the central part of the Pyrenees, at an altitude of about 1640 m.
