famous; with excellent seafood and a wide range of Tapas (and wines) served well into the late hours, Spain is ideal for the foodie happy to sit back and enjoy an evening dining on the colourful, romantic streets found at every turn.

As one of the first countries to embrace the package holiday, Spain has become a favourite with western European tourists who throng to regions like the Costa del Sol, Costa Brava and its major tourist islands. The Canary Islands (Notably Tenerife, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria) are popular with families and the Balearic Islands (Notably Ibiza and Mallorca) attract partygoers from across the world. All of Spain enjoys reliable steady sunshine at generally affordable prices.

Spain does offer a lot more than sunshine and sangria though. Away from its golden beaches, there's an extraordinary variety of things to see; with several historically important and vibrant cities to wander to at your leisure. Barcelona, Bilbao, Madrid, Seville and Valencia are each worthy of a devoted holiday, with a mix of medieval castles, Moorish markets, modern art and famous nightlife.

For the more off-beat traveller, the sleepy villages of the mainland offer excellent opportunities for rambling, walking and sedate retreats without the crowds of Spain’s busier tourist hubs.

For many Europeans, a holiday to Spain is their first big trip to another country and for many more, it's a regular summer vacation. With so much to see, do and eat we are quite sure this is a trend which will remain popular.

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