An important reason to visit Spain is that travel throughout the country is easy and affordable. The buses and trains are safe and reliable and allow you to travel from the Portuguese border on the west coast to the exciting city of Barcelona on the east coast in a little more than a day. Rail passes are available and reduce the cost of travel even further. Car rentals and returns are easy as well. Most flights land in Madrid, which is the geographical and governmental center of Spain, making Madrid an excellent city from which to begin your exploration of Spain.
The culture of Spain is likely to provide something for everyone and is reason alone to visit Spain. From watching Flamenco dancers to participating in festivals or attending a bullfight, visitors of all ages will be entertained. Spaniards eat dinner late, the siesta is still observed in many villages and club life extends long into the night. There are traditional shops to visit as well as designer boutiques with the latest international fashion trends. The museums in Spain provide opportunities to see the work of some the world's most renowned painters ranging from Velazquez to Picasso. There are castles and cathedrals to explore with some of the ancient Paradors serving as modern day hotels.
Spanish cuisine can be experienced in many countries today, but nowhere will the food be as delicious as in Spain. You can have an enjoyable meal with almost any variation of the Spanish national dish, paella. Tapas, small dishes or snacks, were introduced in Spain and you can enjoy your meal with sangria, a regional drink made from wine and fresh fruit. Meals are relatively inexpensive and substantial and each region of Spain has it's own signature dishes. La Rioja in the north of Spain is a well-known wine growing region and some wineries are open to visitors. The Rioja wine resembles a French Bordeaux. The area around Jerez is known for it's sherry. Spaniards also drink a lot of water, both plain and sparkling, as well as "cafe solo," which is strong, thick, delicious black coffee.
No matter where you travel in Spain, you are likely to experience a beautiful sunset. The central cities such as Toledo and Madrid provide an arid climate with clear skies. With a bit of travel toward the north, the climate becomes more similar to England's.There are beautiful mountains, islands and thousands of miles of beaches to explore. Many beaches boast beautiful, clean sand and the Mediterranean waters remain warm most of the year. Along the Costa Brava, you can view the the villa that once belonged to Salvador Dali.
An important reason to visit Spain is to experience the joy of meeting the people. The Spanish people are friendly and relaxed and want their visitors to enjoy themselves. They are not in a hurry, and meals can often stretch for hours with much laughter, talk and food and drink. They are a family-oriented people and you will often see several generations of a family working and relaxing together.
The Museum of El Prado, in Madrid, is a definitely worth a visit while you are in Spain. It is renowned as the largest art gallery in the world and exhibits sculptures, drawings, coins and other works of art, but it is unique in its large collection of paintings. The Prado houses more than 8,000 paintings, of which less than 2,000 are displayed at one time because of space constrictions. The Dali Museum and the Picasso Museum, which displays both art and sculpture by Picasso, are also worth visiting. There are many new structures being built all over Spain contributing to Spain's fame as a "hotbed" of new architecture.
