Travel and Entertainment

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Facts for the Traveler

Visas: Spain, along with Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Portugal, forms part of the border-free travel zone subject to the Schengen Agreement. US, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand and Israeli citizens are among those who may enter Spain as tourists without a visa and stay up to 90 days. EU passport holders can come and go as they please.
Time: GMT/UTC plus one hour (plus two hours in summer)
Electricity: 220 volts, 50 Hz AC
Weights & measures: Metric
Tourism: 51 million visitors

When to Go

        The ideal months to visit are May, June and September (plus April and October in the south). At these times you can rely on good weather, yet avoid the sometimes extreme heat - and the main crush of Spanish and foreign tourists. That said, there's decent weather in some parts of Spain virtually year-round. Winter along the southern and southeastern Mediterranean coasts is mild, while in the height of summer you can retreat to the northwest, or to beaches or high mountains anywhere, if you need to get away from excessive heat. If you want to make sure you hit some parties, the best festivals are concentrated between Semana Santa (the week leading up to Easter Sunday) and September.
 

Events

        In true Spanish style, cultural events are almost inevitably celebrated with a wild party and a holiday. Among the festivals to look out for are Festividad in San Sebastián in January, when the whole town dresses up and goes berserk. Carnaval takes place throughout the country in late February; the wildest is said to be in Sitges. In March, Valencia has a week-long party known as Las Fallas, which is marked by all-night dancing, drinking, first-class fireworks and colourful processions. Semana Santa (Holy Week) is the week leading up to Easter Sunday with parades of holy images through the streets; Seville is the place to be if you can get accommodation. In late April the Feria de Abril in Seville is a week-long party counterbalancing the religious fervour of Semana Santa.

        The last Wednesday in August sees the Valencian town of Buñol go bonkers with La Tomatina, in which the surplus from its tomato harvest is sploshed around in a friendly riot. The Running of the Bulls (Sanfermines) in Pamplona in July is Spain's most famous festival. Along the north coast, staggered through the first half of August, is Semana Grande, another week of heavy drinking and hangovers.

Activities

        Skiing is cheap and the facilities and conditions are surprisingly good. The season runs from December to May and the most accessible resorts are in the Sierra Nevada, the Pyrenees and in the ranges north of Madrid. Spain is a trekking paradise, especially the Pyrenees and the Picos de Europa. You can also hike the Camino de Santiago, the famous pilgrims' route running from Navarra to Santiago de Compostela
Cycling is popular but there are deterrents, like the often-mountainous terrain, crowded roads and summer heat. Take your pick of the hundreds of beaches offering fine swimming, but be prepared to tiptoe over package tourists during summer. The coast of the País Vasco (Basque Country) has good surf.
 

             One of the Major Attraction "Bullfigthing"                                             Jardines del Portal "Alhambra"
 
 

lonelyplane/spain -  General information for traveler around the world about Spain.  Importants sites in cities, attraction,
events, transportation, culture, travel and entertainment, etc.

docuweb.ca/SiSpain- Information about main attraction, events, regulations, maps and description of the most important cities.