Spain, a country on Europe’s Iberian Peninsula, includes 17 autonomous regions with diverse geography and cultures. Capital city Madrid is home to the Royal Palace and Prado museum, housing works by European masters. Segovia has a medieval castle (the Alcázar) and an intact Roman aqueduct. Catalonia’s capital, Barcelona, is defined by Antoni Gaudí’s whimsical modernist landmarks like the Sagrada Família church.
Quick Facts:
Country code +34
Capital Madrid
Largest city Madrid
Language Official: Spanish
Currency Euro "€”
Time Zones GMT+2
India is 3 hours and 30 minutes ahead of Madrid, Spain
Temperature Chart –
Annual | JAN | FEB | MAR | APR | MAY | JUN | JUL | AUG | SEP | OCT | NOV | DEC | YEARS | CITIES | |
Average Temperature (C) | 15.5 | 9.4 | 10.3 | 12 | 13.5 | 16.3 | 19.8 | 22.6 | 22.9 | 20.7 | 16.8 | 12.9 | 10.4 | 42 | 138 |
Average High Temperature (C) | 20.7 | 13.8 | 15.1 | 17.2 | 18.6 | 21.5 | 25.3 | 28.4 | 28.6 | 26 | 21.7 | 17.4 | 14.7 | 28 | 115 |
Average Low Temperature (C) | 11.2 | 5.7 | 6.4 | 7.6 | 9 | 11.7 | 14.8 | 17.3 | 17.7 | 15.9 | 12.7 | 9.2 | 7.1 | 28 | 115 |
Average Precipitation (mm) | 550.3 | 58.9 | 50.6 | 46.7 | 48.9 | 42.3 | 26.6 | 14.2 | 18.4 | 36.5 | 61.2 | 68.9 | 68.8 | 46 | 136 |
Getting There:
Carriers flying from India to Spain are Air India, Emirates, Etihad Airways, EL AL Israel Airlines, British Airways, Turkish Airlines, Air China, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, Qatar Airways, Saudia, Air Canada, Air France, Cathay Pacific, China Eastern, KLM, Iberia, Austrian Airlines, Jet Airways, Finnair, Egypt Air, Swiss, United, Japan Airlines, Aeroflot, Thomas Cook Airlines and Korean Air.
Getting Around-
When in Spain, the most convenient means for intercity travel is by train. The extensive rail networks of the country provide a comfortable and affordable journey across Spain. With high frequency and point-to-point availability, the bus services in the country are popular too. In case you want to save some travel time, frequent flights to most of the major airports are also available. Enjoy the beauty of the pastures on a road trip by hiring a car to get around the country.
Bus: Cities and provincial capitals all have reasonable bus networks. You can buy single tickets (usually between €1 and €2) on the buses or at estancos (tobacconists), but in cities such as Madrid and Barcelona, you are better off buying combined 10-trip tickets that allow the use of a combination of bus and metro, and which work out cheaper per ride. These can be purchased in any metro station and from some tobacconists and newspaper kiosks.
Regular buses run from about 6am to shortly before midnight and even as late as 2am. In the big cities, a night bus service generally kicks in on a limited number of lines in the wee hours. In Madrid they are known as búhos (owls) and in Barcelona more prosaically as nitbusos (night buses).
Metro: Madrid has the country’s most extensive metro network. Barcelona has a reasonable system. Valencia, Zaragoza, Bilbao and Seville have limited but nonetheless useful metro (or light rail) systems.
Taxi: You can find taxi ranks at train and bus stations, or you can telephone for radio taxis. In larger cities, taxi ranks are also scattered about the centre, and taxis will stop if you hail them in the street – look for the green light and/or the libre sign on the passenger side of the windscreen.
No more than four people are allowed in a taxi.
Tram: Trams were stripped out of Spanish cities decades ago, but they’re making a minor comeback in some. Barcelona has a couple of new suburban tram services in addition to its tourist Tramvia Blau run to Tibidabo. Valencia has some useful trams to the beach, while various limited lines also run in Seville, Bilbao, Murcia and, most recently, Zaragoza.
Climate: The climatic diversity of Spain makes it an all-year-round travel destination. The most optimal time for visiting Spain would be from April to October. The legendary Running of the Bulls (July), the epic Tomatina (Aug), Semana Santa celebration and Las Fallas (March) are major festivals.
Cuisine- Spanish cuisine is heavily influenced by historical processes that shaped local culture and society in some of Europe's Iberian Peninsula territories. From tasty tapas to superb seafood and traditional roasts, food in Spain is all about making the most of the best local produce.
Accomodation– It has boutique hotels and backpackers, luxury resorts. You can expect friendly service and the best standards in whichever budget range you choose.
The Alhambra and Generalife Gardens, Granada
The Nasrid dynasty's royal palace is the artistic highlight of Spain's Islamic period, when Al-Andalus - as they called Andalucía - represented the epitome of culture and civilization in Europe's Middle Ages. The Alhambra complex includes several buildings, towers, walls, gardens, and a mosque, but it's the indescribably intricate stone carvings, the delicate filigrees, the magnificent tile-lined ceilings, the graceful arches, and serene courtyards of the Nasrid palace that will haunt your dreams.
The Great Mosque of Cordoba (Mezquita)
Once the principal mosque of western Islam and still known as the Mezquita, Cordoba's mosque is one of the largest in the world and the finest achievement of Moorish architecture in Spain. In spite of later alterations that carved out its center to build a Catholic cathedral at its heart, the Great Mosque ranks with the Alhambra in Granada as one of the two most splendid examples of Islamic art and architecture in western Europe.
Sagrada Familia
The Sagrada Familia is a large Roman Catholic church in Barcelona, and one of Spain’s most visited tourist attractions. It’s a design by Antoni Gaudí, a Catalan architect who worked on this project for almost 40 years until his death in 1926. The construction of the basilica began in 1882 and still as yet not finished.
El Escorial
Nestled in the foothills of the Sierra de Guadarrama, El Escorial was the political center of the Spanish empire under King Philip II. Philip appointed Juan Bautista de Toledo as the architect in 1559 and together they designed El Escorial as a monument to Spain’s role as a center of the Christian world. Today it functions as a monastery, royal palace, museum, and school.
Toledo's Old City
High on a granite hill and surrounded on three sides by the deep gorge of the Tagus River, it presents a stunning profile; approaching it from below is an unforgettable sight. The layout of the town, with its irregular pattern of narrow streets and numerous blind alleys, reflects its Moorish past and the architecture of the Christian period is represented by the numerous churches, convents, and hospices. This makes the old city a kind of open-air museum illustrating the history of Spain, and it has been listed by UNESCO as part of mankind's cultural heritage.
Seville Cathedral and Alcazar
A Giralda tower, Seville Cathedral, and the Alcazar combine to form a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The tower is a minaret, a "masterpiece of Almohad architecture," according to UNESCO. The cathedral has more interior space than St. Peter's in Rome. La Giralda, the emblem of Seville, began life as a minaret and is all that's left of the city's Great Mosque, destroyed to build the cathedral. The Alcazar opposite was begun by the Moors in 712 and continued after the Christian re-conquest by King Pedro in the 1300s in the ornate neo-Moorish style called Mudejar.
The Prado and Paseo del Artes, Madrid
The Prado alone ranks with the world's top art museums for the riches of its collections. But add the Reina Sofia National Art Museum, the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, and the CaixaForum, all along Madrid's mile-long, tree-shaded boulevard, and you have what may be the world's highest concentration of priceless art treasures. It's no wonder this is known as El Paseo del Arte - Boulevard of the Arts.
Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias, Valencia
When Valencia diverted the course of the river that had repeatedly flooded the city, it was left with a broad, flat riverbed spanned by bridges. It was upon this clean palette that the brilliant Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava created a breathtaking ensemble of structures that have become a magnet for aficionados of contemporary architecture. Not only the buildings, but the museums, arts venues, and aquarium (by Félix Candela and the only building not designed by Calatrava) form a series of tourist attractions that rank among Spain's most popular.
Cuenca
Situated between Madrid and Valencia, Cuenca is a marvelous example of a medieval city, built on the steep sides of a mountain. The many “hanging houses” are built right up to the cliff edge, making Cuenca one of the most striking towns in Spain, a gem in the province of Castilla La Mancha.
Palacio Real
The Palacio Real (Royal Palace) of Madrid is the official residence of the King of Spain although it is only used for state ceremonies. The Royal Palace was built between 1738 to 1755 and King Carlos III took up residence in the palace in 1764.
SPECTACULAR SPAIN
Day1. - MADRID
Welcome to the Capital of Spain
Day 2. - MADRID
Today head towards the city tour, gain a complete vision of the city. Approach the façade of the Royal Palace, the Sabatini Gardens and Campo del Moro. The church of San Francisco El Grande, the fountains of Paseo del Prado, the Toledo Bridge, the Prado Museum, and Puerta de Alcalá are also good examples of this splendid style.
Day 3. - MADRID - CORDOBA
Transfer to Cordoba.
Day 4. - CORDOBA – SEVILLE
City tour of Cordoba. Take a stroll through the historic quarter of Cordoba to discover the splendid Mosque-Cathedral. Then, the Synagogue, the Alcazar and stroll around the Jewish Quarter.
In the evening transfer to Seville
Day 5. - SEVILLE - GRANADA
City tour of Seville: First stop will be the cathedral, one of the world’s most beautiful Gothic temples. The dimensions of this cathedral make it the third largest church in the world. Walk through Santa Cruz quarter, and pass by the Reales Alcázares (Royal Fortresses), Archive of the Indies declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, where we will see the Torre del Oro, of Arab origin, which dates back to the 13th century and was part of the ancient walls. In the end, arrive to Guadalquivir River, enjoy a tour on a boat cruising the Guadalquivir River.
Departure by fast train to Granada. Possibility to book an optional flamenco dance show in the caves of Sacromonte.
Day 6. - GRANADA - BARCELONA
Tour of Alhambra Palace & Generalife Gardens built on the top of a hill. The palace complexes of the Alhambra and Generalife, beside the Albaicin, have been declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.
In the afternoon transfer to airport to proceed to your next destination by flight - Barcelona.
Day 7. - BARCELONA
The variety and wealth of Barcelona’s heritage provide a number of attractive routes through its various districts. This way, the traveler will get to know the most typical monuments of the city. Barcelona is a Cosmopolitan Mediterranean city. Visit the façade of the Cathedral, the façade of the Sagrada Familia: a unique creation that has become Barcelona’s most universal symbol. The visit continues to the Olympic Village, the Columbus monument and then on to the Montjuïc Mountain, where you will be able to see the Olympic Stadium and Sant Jordi Palace.
Day 8. - BARCELONA
Proceed onwards to your next destination.
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