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Spain & its Islands
Modern Spain is a revelation. While such great cities as Barcelona, Bilbao and Seville are justly famed for flamboyance and vitality, our chosen regions represent the country's quiet face. Boasting splendid scenery, these are corners where time seems to have stood still, from the wooded volcanoes of the Garrotxa in Catalonia to the fertile valleys of the Alpujarras in southernmost Spain. What unites the country, though, is the love for life of the people, perhaps the most hospitable of all Europeans. The rhythms of Spanish lifeYou will quickly get attuned to the rhythms of Spanish life - a late breakfast, perhaps some tapas for lunch at two, followed by a siesta, and dinner at around nine or even later. The cuisine is strongly regional, served with local wines - sparkling Catalan cava or chilled fino sherry from Andalucia. The wines of La Rioja are the most renowned of them all. From wild mountains to gently rolling sierras
Spain has some of Europe’s wildest mountain areas, and not just the magnificent peaks of the Pyrenees. In the north, the Picos de Europa are green and rugged, while in the south, Andalucia and Valencia surprise with craggy limestone mountains. Equally dramatic is north-west Mallorca, where the Tramuntana Sierra plunges into the Mediterranean, a spectacular fusion of mountain and sea. For gentler scenery, choose rolling hills such as those of Andalucia’s chestnut-clad Aracena Sierra. Rugged, unspoiled coasts
Our chosen coastal areas offer clean seas and unspoiled villages. In Galicia, the lush green interior possesses a timeless quality, with rolling moorland interspersed with steep valleys; in Catalonia, the Empordà region is truly the quiet side of the Costa Brava, with authentic fishing ports and rocky bays, while in the forgotten Andalucian province of Almería, Arizona-like landscapes give way to secluded coves and mainland Spain’s warmest waters. Dramatic volcanic islands
Deep in the Atlantic, our featured isles in the Canary Islands all have their own special allure. On La Palma, it is the contrast between volcanic landscapes and lush forests, on Tenerife the constant presence of Mount Teide, on Gran Canaria the amazing variety of scenery, and on La Gomera the feeling of discovering a well-kept secret. All four are astonishingly varied and are paradises for walkers, with much to discover, from plunging ravines and arid lava fields to sweeping views across the Atlantic. Our walking holidays & destinations> Catalonia - from Southern Catalonia and the Costa Brava to the Pyrenees > Green Spain - Asturias & Galicia > The Vibrant South - Andalucia, Almería, Extremadura, Murcia & Valencia > Dramatic Islands - Mallorca & the Canary Islands
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