Berlitz Pocket Guide Spain (Travel Guide eBook)

By Berlitz

Berlitz Pocket Guide Spain

The world-renowned pocket travel guide by Berlitz, now with a free bilingual dictionary.

Compact, concise and packed full of essential information about where to go and what to do, this is an ideal on-the-move guide for exploring Spain. From top tourist attractions like Seville's Cathedral, Toledo and the Alhambra, to cultural gems, including Gaudi's Barcelona, the dramatic scenery of the Picos de Europa and the rocky coves and sandy beaches of the Costas, plan your perfect trip with this practical, all-in-one travel guide. 

Features of this travel guide to Spain
- Inspirational itineraries: discover the best destinations, sights and excursions, highlighted with stunning photography
- Historical and cultural insights: delve into the country's rich history and culture, and learn all about its people, art and traditions
- Practical full-colour map: with every major sight and listing highlighted, the full-colour maps make on-the-ground navigation easy
- Key tips and essential information: from transport to tipping, we've got you covered
- Dictionary: quick-reference bilingual language guide to help you with vocabulary 
- Covers: Madrid and environs; Barcelona and environs; Inland Andalucia; The Costas; The Costas; The Costa Verde; The Basque Country; Castilla y Leon; Navarra and La Rioja; Aragon; Castilla-La Mancha; Extremadura; The Balearic Islands; The Canary Islands

Get the most out of your trip with: Berlitz Phrasebook and Dictionary Spanish 

About Berlitz: Berlitz draws on years of travel and language expertise to bring you a wide range of travel and language products, including travel guides, maps, phrase books, language-learning courses, dictionaries and kids' language products.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Insight Guides
• Release date: Mar 1, 2020
• ISBN: 9781785732737

Berlitz

Make the most of your time on Earth with the ultimate travel guides

Book preview

How To Use This E-Book

Getting Around the e-Book

This Pocket Guide e-book is designed to give you inspiration and planning advice for your visit to Spain, and is also the perfect on-the-ground companion for your trip.

The guide begins with our selection of Top 10 Attractions, plus a Perfect Itinerary feature to help you plan unmissable experiences. The Introduction and History chapters paint a vivid cultural portrait of Spain, and the Where to Go chapter gives a complete guide to all the sights worth visiting. You will find ideas for activities in the What to Do section, while the Eating Out chapter describes the local cuisine and gives listings of the best restaurants. The Travel Tips offer practical information to help you plan your trip. Finally, there are carefully selected hotel listings.

In the Table of Contents and throughout this e-book you will see hyperlinked references. Just tap a hyperlink once to skip to the section you would like to read. Practical information and listings are also hyperlinked, so as long as you have an external connection to the internet, you can tap a link to go directly to the website for more information.

Maps

All key attractions and sights in Spain are numbered and cross-referenced to high-quality maps. Wherever you see the reference [map], tap once to go straight to the related map. You can also double-tap any map for a zoom view.

Images

You’ll find lots of beautiful high-resolution images that capture the essence of Spain. Simply double-tap an image to see it in full-screen.

About Berlitz Pocket Guides

The Berlitz story began in 1877 when Maximilian Berlitz devised his revolutionary method of language learning. More than 130 years later, Berlitz is a household name, famed not only for language schools but also as a provider of best-selling language and travel guides.

Our wide-ranging travel products – printed travel guides and phrase books, as well as apps and ebooks – offer all the information you need for a perfect trip, and are regularly updated by our team of expert local authors. Their practical emphasis means they are perfect for use on the ground. Wherever you’re going – whether it’s on a short break, the trip of a lifetime, a cruise or a business trip – we offer the ideal guide for your needs.

Our Berlitz Pocket Guides are the perfect choice if you need reliable, concise information in a handy format. We provide amazing value for money – these guides may be small, but they are packed with information. No wonder they have sold more than 45 million copies worldwide.

© 2020 Apa Digital (CH) AG and Apa Publications (UK) Ltd

Table of Contents

Spain’s Top 10 Attractions

Top Attraction #1

Top Attraction #2

Top Attraction #3

Top Attraction #4

Top Attraction #5

Top Attraction #6

Top Attraction #7

Top Attraction #8

Top Attraction #9

Top Attraction #10

A Perfect Day In Barcelona

Introduction

Evolution of modern Spain

Regional pride

Rich scenic diversity

A Brief History

Early influences

Spain under the Caesars

The Visigoths

Enter the Moors

The Christians strike back

A singular nation

The Habsburgs

Bourbons on the throne

The Spanish Civil War

The new Spain

Historical landmarks

Where To Go

Madrid

Plaza Mayor

Palacio Real

Art collections

Around Madrid

Aranjuez

Toledo

El Greco in Toledo

Ávila

San Lorenzo de El Escorial

Valle de los Caídos

Segovia

Barcelona

La Rambla

Barri Gòtic

Parc de la Ciutadella

Montjuïc

Gaudí’s Legacy

Pedralbes

Around Barcelona

Montserrat

Poblet

Inland Andalucía

Seville

Córdoba

Medina Azahara

Granada

Jerez de la Frontera

Carmona

Ronda

The White Towns

Baeza, Úbeda and Jaén

The Costas

Costa Brava

Costa Daurada

Tarragona and beyond

Ebro Delta

Costa del Azahar

Valencia

Costa Blanca

Costa de Almería

Costa Tropical

Costa del Sol

The Costa de la Luz

Cádiz

Sanlúcar de Barrameda

The Costa Verde

Cantabria

Asturias

Oviedo

Galicia

La Coruña

Santiago de Compostela

Pontevedra

Bayona (Baiona)

The Basque Country

Vitoria

San Sebastián

Bilbao

Castilla y León

Burgos

León

Salamanca

Around Salamanca

Soria

Valladolid

Zamora

Navarra and La Rioja

Pamplona

Logroño

Aragón

Huesca

Zaragoza

Teruel

Castilla-La Mancha

La Mancha

Cuenca

Sigüenza

Extremadura

Cáceres

Trujillo

Guadalupe

Badajoz

Mérida

Zafra

The Balearic Islands

Mallorca

Menorca

Ibiza (Eivissa)

Formentera

The Canary Islands

Tenerife

La Gomera

La Palma

Gran Canaria

Lanzarote

Fuerteventura

What To Do

Active pursuits

Watersports

Land sports

Shopping

Entertainment

Flamenco

Other cultural activities

Children’s Spain

Festivals

Eating Out

Where to eat

What to eat

Breakfast

Lunch and dinner

Regional tastes

Sweet-tooth specials

What to drink

Wines and alcoholic drinks

Tea, coffee and soft drinks

Reading the Menu

To help you order...

Menu reader

Restaurants

Ávila

Barcelona

Córdoba

Costa del Sol

Granada

Madrid

Pamplona

Salamanca

San Sebastián

Santiago de Compostela

Segovia

Seville

Toledo

Valencia

The Balearic Islands

Ibiza

Mallorca

Menorca

The Canary Islands

Fuerteventura

Gran Canaria

La Gomera

La Palma

Lanzarote

Tenerife

A–Z Travel Tips

A

Accommodation (see also Camping and Recommended hotels)

Airports (see also Getting there)

B

Budgeting for your trip

C

Camping

Car hire (see also Driving)

Climate

Clothing

Crime and safety

D

Driving

E

Electricity

Embassies and consulates

Emergencies

G

Getting there

H

Health and medical care

L

Language

Lost property

M

Media

Money

O

Opening times

P

Police

Post offices

Public holidays

Public transport

T

Telephone

Time zones

Tipping

Toilets

Tourist information

Travellers with disabilities

V

Visas and entry requirements

W

Websites

Recommended Hotels

Avila

Barcelona

Bilbao

Carmona

Córdoba

Costa del Sol

Granada

León

Madrid

Mérida

Pamplona

Salamanca

San Sebastián

Santiago de Compostela

Segovia

Seville

Toledo

Valencia

The Balearic Islands

Ibiza

Mallorca

Menorca

The Canary Islands

Fuerteventura

Gran Canaria

La Gomera

La Palma

Lanzarote

Tenerife

Dictionary

English–Spanish

Spanish–English

Spain’s Top 10 Attractions

Top Attraction #1

Corrie Wingate/Apa Publications

La Mezquita, Córdoba

A stunning example of Moorish architectural prowess. For more information, click here.

Top Attraction #2

Corrie Wingate/Apa Publications

Seville’s cathedral

Its landmark Giralda tower is the world’s largest Gothic church. For more information, click here.

Top Attraction #3

Corrie Wingate/Apa Publications

Barcelona

Home to Gaudí’s eccentric Sagrada Família church. For more information, click here.

Top Attraction #4

Corrie Wingate/Apa Publications

The Costas

From rocky coves to sandy beaches, each coast has its own distinctive character. For more information, click here.

Top Attraction #5

Corrie Wingate/Apa Publications

The Alhambra, Granada

The grandest of all monuments left by the Moors. For more information, click here.

Top Attraction #6

Corrie Wingate/Apa Publications

The Picos de Europa

These mountains provide some of the most dramatic scenery in Spain. For more information, click here.

Top Attraction #7

Public domain

The Museo del Prado

With its art treasures, this is one of the top attractions of Madrid. For more information, click here.

Top Attraction #8

Corrie Wingate/Apa Publications

Museo Guggenheim, Bilbao

The futuristic museum is the top attraction of the Basque Country. For more information, click here.

Top Attraction #9

Gregory Wrona/Apa Publications

Salvador Dalí

His works feature prominently on the Costa Brava. For more information, click here.

Top Attraction #10

Corrie Wingate/Apa Publications

Toledo

Spectacularly situated on the River Tajo, it’s famous for its cathedral and the works of El Greco. For more information, click here.

A Perfect Day In Barcelona

9.00am

La Rambla

Get an early start on Barcelona’s La Rambla, to enjoy it in the morning Mediterranean light before the crowds arrive. Pick up your newspaper from a newsstand then pop into La Boqueria market – at its most colourful in the morning – for a proper Catalan breakfast like baby squid and poached eggs.

10.30am

Gothic Quarter

Across La Rambla is the Gothic Quarter. Meander through its shady, narrow lanes and palm-filled courtyards. Get the background on today’s Old Town at the City History Museum (MUHBA) or have a coffee break in the diminutive Meson del Café on Llibreteria.

12 noon

Breathtaking church

Over Via Laietana is the Born district. Glimpse the breathtaking interior of Santa Maria del Mar, or sip una copa de cava on the terrace of La Vinya del Senyor and admire the church facade.

1.30pm

Lunchtime

Get into the local rhythm and have a menú del dia, three courses at remarkably low rates in a neighbourhood bar like Rodrigo in Argenteria, or around the Passeig del Born. Another option is to walk 10 minutes to Barceloneta for a paella by the sea at Can Majó.

3.30pm

Siesta break

A gentle stroll along the Passeig Marítim towards the Vila Olímpica, pausing for coffee in one of the waterfront xiringuitos (beach bars), is ideal for working off lunch. Indulge in a taxi back to base for a reviving siesta, essential to keep up the pace until the wee hours.

5.30pm

Explore the Eixample

A session of retail therapy in the modernista setting of the Eixample is recommended for all the family. Those who don’t shop can visit a Gaudí building, like La Pedrera or Casa Batlló, or just wander around the area to see a wealth of decorative details, from stained glass to ceramics, by his genius contemporaries.

8.30pm

Drinks and tapas

Relax at one of the many terrace bars in elegant Rambla Catalunya, or try the eponymous cocktail at Dry Martini, Aribau 162. Afterwards go for tapas, the perfect dinner, especially when created by top chef Carles Abellan at Tapas 24.

11.00pm

On the town

Round off the day in style just up the road with a show and dancing at City Hall Club, Rambla de Catalunya 2–4, where you can rub shoulders with the sleek and beautiful. Alternatively, catch a cab to Mirablau, halfway up Tibidabo hill, and dance till dawn overlooking the city.

Introduction

Spain is located in the far southwest of Europe and comprises the largest part of the Iberian Peninsula (with Portugal claiming a narrow strip hugging most of the western coastline). The Balearic Islands of Ibiza, Mallorca and Menorca, in the western Mediterranean, also belong to Spain, as do the subtropical Canary Islands, off the west coast of Africa.

Evolution of modern Spain

Starting with the Phoenicians’ founding of Cádiz in 1100BC, Spain was colonised over a period of some 2,500 years by such diverse cultures as the Carthaginians, Romans, Vandals, Visigoths and the Moors, all of whom contributed something to the character of the country. It was not until the Catholic Monarchs, Fernando (Ferdinand) and Isabel, drove the last remaining Moors from their capital in Granada in 1492 that Spain became a united country. At the same time, the previously harmonious relationship between Catholics and people of Jewish and Moorish origin was broken by the Spanish Inquisition, which persecuted the latter two groups and expelled them from the country. The same year saw the event that started Spain’s Golden Age – the first modern European voyage to America led to Spain becoming fabulously wealthy from her Southern American colonies. These treasures, however, were soon squandered in pointless wars and Spain retreated, introspectively, behind the formidable barrier of the great Pyrenees mountain range.

It was a desperately poor Spain that re-emerged onto the international stage in 1936, torn asunder in a violent, murderous civil war between the left-leaning Republicans – assisted by the famed International Brigades – and the right-wing Nationalists led by General Franco, helped by German and Italian Fascist military might. After his victory in 1939, Franco instituted a harsh dictatorship that ended only with his death in 1975. He was succeeded as head of state by King Juan Carlos I who, despite having been groomed as a successor by Franco, surprised the country by immediately setting in motion a rapid and bloodless transformation of Spain into a democratic constitutional monarchy. Since then, general elections have seen the government controlled by parties of both the left and of the right. During the past two decades, more and more power has devolved to the 17 autonomous regions.

Wide open spaces

While Spain is (at 504,880 sq km/194,885 sq miles) the fourth largest country in Europe, after Russia, Ukraine and France, it has a proportionately small population (just 47 million). Consequently, and unusually in Europe, vast areas of the country remain wild, rugged and under-populated.

Regional pride

Spain’s varied terrain and the assimilation of so many diverse cultures have shaped the character of its peoples. And it is, in reality, peoples in the plural. Some of the country’s 17 autonomous regions are fiercely independent – both in their thinking and in their relative freedom from interference by central government, a combination that has given rise to passionate ‘regional nationalism’, most notably among the Catalans and Basques, but in other regions as well. This is reflected most obviously for visitors in the use of local languages rather than Castilian Spanish. In fact, only about 60 percent of Spaniards use Castilian as their first language.

Tiled mural inside Valencia’s railway station

Corrie Wingate/Apa Publications

Despite the regions differing widely in custom and character, they generally share a very ‘Spanish’ lifestyle. This includes a love of children, devotion to family and friends, and an open and inclusive social life that involves partaking of much fine food and wine.

Rich scenic diversity

Impressive mountain ranges, such as the Pyrenees and Sierra Nevada, as well as numerous lesser-known massifs, are spread throughout Spain’s mainland, a large part of which is made up of the central plateau, or meseta. And, not to be outdone, the Canary Island of Tenerife has Mt Teide – the highest mountain in the country. Along Spain’s Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts – and, of course, on the islands – you find almost every conceivable type of beach environment. Inland are powerful rivers, arid plateaux, wide plains and even, in Almería and on the island of Fuerteventura, desert.

Madrid is the Spanish capital and transport hub, located at the geographical heart of the country, and is the most obvious place to start. Not only is it of importance in its own right, but it can also be used as a base to visit a host of fascinating nearby cities and places of interest. Barcelona, world famous for its architecture and style, should be high on everyone’s list of priorities. In fact, if anything, it has more individual attractions than Madrid. Andalucía, a name that is evocative of passionate emotion, is a must, with its famous white villages and spectacular Moorish heritage in the cities of Seville, Córdoba and Granada.

Modernisme in Barcelona

Corrie Wingate/Apa Publications

Many millions of people visit Spain each year with the aim of simply relaxing on a beach, and for this they have numerous options. The world-renowned Costas stretch from the Costa Brava at the eastern end of the Pyrenees all the way round past Gibraltar to the Costa de la Luz and the border with Portugal. Less well known is the Costa Verde (Green Coast), which is quite different in almost all respects from the other Costas, and stretches along the northern coast, passing through Cantabria, Asturias and Galicia on its way from the Basque Country. Don’t forget, either, the Balearic Islands off Spain’s eastern Mediterranean coast, with resorts that range from the rowdy to the refined. Visitors from the northern hemisphere in search of serious winter sunshine and swimming need look no further than the volcanic Canary Islands. Just off the coast of northwest Africa, these seven islands are as different from each other as it