Castellano (Castilian) Spanish, spoken almost everywhere, is Spain’s official language; other languages are official regionally. Català (Catalan) is spoken throughout Cataluña in the northeast and ...more
The Roman Catholic Church has prevailed in Spain since 1492. In 2005 the Center for Sociological Investigation determined that almost 80 percent of the population still identified as Catholic. As a testament ...more
Spaniards are generally polite and courteous to foreigners and attempts to be culturally correct will not go unnoticed. Taboos. Spaniards are very proud and take offense to criticism about their country ...more
The Castillas. Sheep share space with more of the prized black-footed pigs in nearby Extremadura, where the pastoral life has inspired cocidos (hearty stews), cheeses, and unique meals based on migas ...more
Cervezas. A normal-sized draft beer is a caña de cerveza, while a tubo is a little bigger. Small beers go by different names—corto in Castilian and zurito in Basque. Pros refer to mixed drinks as ...more
Restaurant Dining. While some restaurants are open from 8am to 1 or 2am, most serve meals from 1 or 2 to 4pm only and in the evening from 8pm until midnight. Some hints: eating at the bar is ...more
The Spanish Gothic style (13th-16th centuries) fused mudéjar influences with European innovations of the Renaissance, including pointed arches, flying buttresses, airy spaces, and stained-glass windows ...more
During Spain’s imperial ascent in the 16th century, Spanish painting reached its Siglo de Oro (Golden Age; roughly 1492-1650). Felipe II, one of the era’s presiding monarchs, imported foreign art and ...more
Romantics And Innovators. The 18th century brought a belated Enlightenment, while the 19th century inspired new heights of romanticism and realism. The lyrical verse of Rosalía del Castro (1837-1885) ...more
Classical. Spain bred two of the world’s greatest Renaissance composers in Francisco Guerrero and Tomás Luis de Victoria, whocomposed both sacred and secular masterpieces. Spain’s classical tradition ...more
Contemporary Cinema. Domestic censorship laws were revoked in 1977. The move brought artistic freedom and financial hardship for Spanish filmmakers, who found their films shunned domestically in favor ...more
Soccer is a nationally unifying and locally divisive passion for Spaniards. Historically, Spanish national teams have underperformed at international tournaments, and for forty years their failure to punch ...more
The national spectacle of la corrida (bullfighting) derives from earlier Roman and Moorish practices, but its modern form dates to around 1726. A bullfight has three stages: first, picadores (lancers on ...more
Known as pelota vasca in Spanish, the Basque government promotes jai alai (meaning “Merry Game” in Basque) as the “fastest game on earth.” Jai alai is a game played with a wicker cesta basket, ...more
Fans fondly remember five-time consecutive Tour de France champion Miguel Indurain, a Navarran hero and Spain’s most decorated athlete. The Vuelta de España is a crucial piece of the European cycling ...more
 |
 |
 |
 |
For 52 years, we have published the world’s favorite budget travel guides, written entirely by students and updated every year. With pen and notebook in hand and a few changes of underwear stuffed in our backpacks, we spend months roaming the globe in search of travel bargains.
Facebook
Twitter
You Tube
Foursquare
Newsletter
RSS Feed
Overview