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The best way to enjoy a holiday in Spain? Just go with the flow. Our guidebook writer Jamie Ditranato was at a bus stop in the Delta de l'Ebre, researching the Catalan coast for our latest guide to Spain, when a local suggested skipping the bus for something more interesting.
"That's when I found myself in the middle of the sea sipping cava on the wooden deck of a mussel farm. I was lucky to be traveling during Semana Santa in spring when the Musclarium would temporarily reopen out of season to ferry visitors, throwing in a bowl of glistening shellfish with the ticket."
Jamie's discovery in the Delta, where flamingo-dotted wetlands meet mountain backdrops, captures what makes easy-going Spain a joy to explore. Away from the sun-baked costas, you might find yourself in the green landscapes of Galicia, hiking through stone-built villages, or along the windswept plains of Castilla-La Mancha. You could be discovering hidden pintxo bars in San Sebastián, following the modernist art trail through inland Catalonia or sharing stories with locals in a cider house in Asturias.
This isn't one homogeneous country, but many – each with its own language, cuisine and cultural identity. Understanding these distinct personalities is key to experiencing the real Spain, where every region provides you with a different adventure, especially when you're open to a last-minute change of plan, like Jamie.
I'm a Dublin-based editor who finds joy in every place I visit – and yes, I'll be raving about it for weeks afterward. Happiest on a sunlit terrace, munching on something delicious and watching the world go by.
Enjoy a fabulous foodie weekend sinking glasses of fizzy txakoli white wine under Michelin stars in the dazzling coastal city San Sebastián, before hopping between pintxo bars, galleries and museums in Bilbao, the Basque Country's artistic capital.
Sun-drenched Barcelona is one of the Mediterranean's coolest cities. With beach-to-bar living, mind-bending architecture and some of the best festivals in Europe, this is a place that will always keep you coming back for more.
Madrid-based travel writer
Our Madrid guidebook author Felicity Hughes moved to Spain’s capital after living in London and Tokyo. Turns out the third time’s a charm as she’s discovered that the city suits her perfectly. Walkable and yet still filled with new corners to explore, Madrid provides endless inspiration for her blog the Making of Madrid.
My favorite time of year is the Fiestas de San Isidro, celebrations that fall around May 15, the day Madrid’s patron saint was canonized. This is exactly when the unpredictable April weather has given way to longer and reliably balmy spring days. Though concerts are held around the city, the Plaza Mayor takes center stage, and I love to watch majos and majas – Madrid’s answer to London’s Pearly Kings and Queens – sporting red carnations and dancing the chotis (folk dance) under the stone colonnades.
Enjoy a sunset by the Templo de Debod, a real Egyptian temple relocated to a park that overlooks the Palacio Real and Madrid’s Manzanares River. Every night there’s a festive atmosphere with young and old enjoying the views. Afterwards, you can amble back to the palace and people watch from an outdoor terraza seat on the grand Plaza del Oriente before catching some opera or flamenco at the Teatro Real.
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Photography credits: Lonely Planet, Joe Logan, Kirill Neiezhmakov, Shutterstock, Page Light Studios/Getty Images
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