Holidays in Spain by Sawday's

The Basque Country is very different from the rest of Spain – with quaint fishing ports, some of the best food in Europe and two fascinating cities to visit: Bilbao, with the iconic Guggenheim, and San Sebastian.

Mountainous and peaceful sierra, and Huelva, one of Spain’s lesser-known food capitals just two hours from the south coast. The region is famous for Jamón Iberico bugo and Pata Negra ham and you can participate in chestnut, mushroom and truffle harvests in their respective seasons.

Gredos is remarkably undiscovered despite being only two hours from Madrid. It’s cool, even in summer, and vividly green, with rivers roaring through spectacular gorges. Just south of the mountains is Extremadura, where the National Park of Monfragüe is stunning and the cities of Cáceres and Trujillo are beautiful and fascinating. 

The south-facing slopes of Sierra Nevada provide the southernmost ski resort in Europe, where you can ski with views of Africa and swim in the Med one hour later. A magical area where you feel the Moorish influence so strongly.

This is Spain’s wild coast, for those in search of a bit more adventure than the Med coast generally provides. Sample excellent tapas in tuna fishing ports, go whale watching, or you could even take a day trip to Africa with a ferry ride to Morocco. 

The town that Pizarro came from and returned to between his expeditions to the Americas. It’s very well preserved and there are great places to stay high up next to the castle, overlooking the town and the plains beyond.

At the foot of the Spanish Pyrenees, the town is more than a gateway to the mountains, it’s a foodie paradise, where Spanish and French flavours come together to create a unique and delicious cuisine. 

This is the oil capital of the world, if you’re talking olive, not crude. More (and better!) olive oil is produced here than anywhere else and you can visit co-ops in the rolling hills to see how it’s made as well as popping to the lovely cities of Granada and Cordoba.

We are always out exploring new areas and keeping up-to-date with the latest travel trends, and these are five places that we think you’ll love visiting this year  – including Seville, Spain.

Here are our favourite ways to travel slow through Spain, including the vast networks of trails and pathways for exploring by foot, bike or horseback, abandoned railway viaducts and pilgrimage hiking trails.

Jo Keeling hops on and off the narrow gauge FEVE railway, exploring the astonishingly green and mountainous regions of Asturias and Galicia.

After France, Spain has more Michelin starred restaurants than any other European country and a host of world-famous chefs. Alongside this are tapas, pintxos and regional specialities all over the country, with delicious sweets heavily influenced by the Moors.

Everyone knows Rioja, but as money poured in at the turn of this century, creating a fine bodega became a popular endeavour. The result is excellent wines in the most unlikely regions – Madrid, Murcia and Alicante all have fine produce – and a vineyard tour is a delicious way to get to know the country.

Spain is fairly easy to travel, even in the more remote places, and the lifestyle is laid-back and relaxed. Lunch is from two to around four and many bars serve food all day long. Tourism has flourished in Spain since the 60s, so amenities are generally excellent.