For
those who are unfamiliar with Spain, outside of the occasional trip to
one of the touristic hotspots like the Costa del Sol, you may actually
be surprised and amazed at the cultural delights and magnificent natural
landscapes that can be found around this vast and beautiful country.
From the lush green forests of Galicia and Asturias to the breathtaking
oasis of Ruidera, there are and endless amount of places to explore,
with each new location offering you something new.
Spain’s
Mediterranean coastline stretches for an amazing 1660km and a trip
along it will offer you more adventure and captivating sights than you
ever imagined. If you like to travel in style and comfort, and have your
trip laid out for you, perhaps one of the best ways to explore the southern coastline
is on a
Spanish cruise holiday as
this will afford you all of the luxury as well as the sights and sounds
of Spain. Some of the best attractions along the southern coast are
actually the old ports such as the magnificent harbor at the old Roman
city of Cartagena, and you will get to get the full experience as you
sail into the port and dock up.
It is also possible to travel along much of the coast by train: from Barcelona (or you could start in
Perpignan, located in French Catalunya) to Valencia to Malaga.
RENFE is Spain's national train service. If you want to travel to Gibraltar from Malaga, you can buy a
commuter train ticket as far south as Fuengirola, then you will have to either take a bus to
La Linea, which is the town on the Spanish side of the border, or you can rent a car and drive into Gibraltar. A taxi from Fuengirola to Gibraltar is also a possibility, which would take about 1 hour, 15 minutes. At the time of this writing, the fare would be about 80 euros.
If you prefer to tackle the vast expanse
of coastline by car, you are likely to be in for a whole different
experience, including some rather hot and sweaty days spent in the car in summer, unless you have air-conditioning!
Taking the road option does give you much more flexibility on your
destinations and timing, and it also allows you to fully explore the
real hidden gems of southern Spain. Here are some of the finest
locations to visit along the coast, starting from Andalucía in the west
and ending up in the dramatic coastline of northern Catalunya.
Malaga
is an ideal start point if you are taking a road trip as it is easy to
fly into and there are lots of places to find cheap car hire. If you
want to get the ‘traditional’ Spanish holiday experience, you could head
to the touristic beaches of the Costa del Sol to soak in some rays and
indulge in some sangria. Heading east from here, you can discover the
‘pueblo blancos’ which are the white villages of Axarquia. There are
lots of quaint little Spanish villages in the region which are all made
up of immaculately painted white buildings. Salobrena is a particularly
interesting location as it is home to an Arab castle from the 10th Century,
which sits overlooking the sea. As you head further east from here, you
will enter the much forgotten about region of Almeria, which is home to
some spectacular sights such as the Cabo de Gata, and the only
recognized dessert in Western Europe, Desierto de Tabernas.
Murcia
is a relatively small, but very interesting region of the coastline,
which is home to the aforementioned historic port of Cartagena as well
as some beautiful beaches and even a set of hot springs. The seaside
town of Mazaron is a great place to stop off if you are looking for some
comfort and time to relax on the beach, and from here you can head on
up the coast towards the famous Levante Español which is where some of
the most popular seaside resorts (Benidorm, Torreveija, Gandia) in Spain
are situated. If these locations do not take your fancy, there are
plenty of great alternative destinations to visit, including the 21,000
hectare freshwater lagoon at Albufera de Valencia. This is a wildlife
haven that is home to huge numbers of birds and fish, and is a great
place to stop off and relax.
To
the north of Levante is the Spanish ‘Golden Coast’ which is called
Costa Duarada, and although the beaches in this region are extremely
busy during the summer months, there are some great places to visit
inland a little way including the spectacular national parks of Poblet
and Sierra del Montsant, and the largest wetland region in Europe, the
Ebro Delta. There are also some lovely little villages and towns in
these regions which have not been invaded by mass tourism, but instead
go about life upholding many of the old traditions.
Just
90Km further north is one of the most fascinating places in the whole
of Europe, Barcelona. If you really want to get the full Barcelona
experience, you should put by at least four days to spend in this
magnificent city as there is just so much to discover. Although it is a
huge and vibrant city, popular with tourists from all over the world,
there are still some untouched seaside locations just a stone’s throw
from the main city. Tamariu, Llafranc, and Calella are some worth
investigating.
By Melissa Hathaway (mostly) and Carloz (a very little)
On Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings I teach English in a little town not far outside Madrid. It's just three stations away from the Principe Pio commuter train station, which is near the city center. The trip takes less than 20 minutes and the business where the classes are held is about a five minute walk from my arrival station.
