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The Catalonian region has a distinct personality and many peculiar characteristics of its own. We strongly recommend walking through the city. Enjoy the picturesque sailor's quarter as the "Barceloneta", the "Ramblas", Europe's best known thoroughfare, with its bird and flower markets, the "Gothic Quarter" (Barrio Gotico) still kept as it was built centuries ago, the "Pueblo Espanol" of Montjuich (Mountain of the Jews) where houses and streets with shops copy the architectural style of other Spanish regions.
Some of the "musts" in Barcelona are: The Museum of Catalonian Art, the Museum of Modern Art, the Miro Foundation, the Picasso Museum and the Cathedral's Museum.
As a complement to Barcelona, visit some of the charming and extremely wellkept fishing villages, such as Palamos, Tossa or San Feliu with their incredibily beautiful coves and beaches where the emerald/topaz-coloured Mediterranean reaches perfection. In Figueras (Dali's birthplace), admire his museum and a short drive away see the impeccably-white port village of Cadaques.
Finally, Gerona and Tarragona are both a must. The former because it is one of Spain's oldest cities and the latter is a treasure of Roman art and vestiges.
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This itinerary gives the visitor a rather complete idea of Spain with its exceptional museums and historical richness, as well as an insight into the way of life of Spaniards, very friendly people, who enjoy spending much of their time outdoors.
This is the reason we recommend that you dedicate a fair amount of your time to walking and browsing around the old quarters and typical commercial streets (the Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor, Plaza de Cascorro are picturesque parts of the "old" Madrid while Goya, General Mola, Narvaez, Gran Via, Preciados, etc., are some of the commercial streets).
Some of the "musts" in Madrid are: the Prado Museum, the Centro de Arte Reina Sofia National Museum and the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, the Museum of the Americas, the Lazaro Galdiano Museum, the Royal Palace and a visit to Picasso's "Guernica". And for a "typical touch" we suggest you spend an unforgettable evening of dinner and flamenco at "Cafe de Chinitas", the "Corral de la Moreria" or other restaurants of this type.
Among the towns recommended for excursions are: Segovia, Avila, El Escorial, Toledo and Aranjuez.
Segovia, Avila and Toledo are like open-air museums where the two-thousand year history of Spain is imbued in every street, building and square.
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We suggest flying to Sevilla or Malaga and there renting a car to visit the other sites. During the beach season (May to late October), Marbella or Torremolinos would be the best places to stay, as you could alternate busy sightseeing days of driving with relaxed, leisurely ones on the seaside resorts.
Although Andalucia represents "typical" Spain with bullfights, flamenco dancing and the charm of its white villages, it also has an extraordinary rishness in its museums, monuments and architecture, a result of a long and creative cohabiting of the Arab, Jewish and Christian cultures.
"Musts" are the Mosque (Mezquita) of Cordoba, the Jewish Quarter of Santa Cruz, the Torre del Oro and the Cathedral's Museum in Sevilla. The Alhambra (palace of the last Moorish kings) and the Jewish Quarter of the Alcaiceria in Granada are just other examples.
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These Southern Mediterranean Islands enjoy an extremely mild climate allowing you to alternate cultural sightseeing with any kind of seaside activities (specially skin-diving, snorkeling, sailing, etc.) during the high season (May to late October).
Landscape and scenery are also main attractions and we recommend the drive from Palma de Mallorca to Puerto Andraitx and along the cliffs to Valldemosa (where Chopin lived and composed some of his most inspired music), to Formentor and Pollensa or to Cala D'Or and Porto Cristo along a series of beautiful coves.
The other two main islands are also worth a visit of two or more days. Ibiza is one of the most "in" places in the international world of tourism and yet its old capital (Ibiza city) is a walled citadel which has been declared National Monument. The other Island, Menorca, has charming towns such as Ciudadela, and offers sea lovers the most perfect and beautiful beaches and coves of the Mediterranean.
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