“So where do the Spanish go on holiday?” and “how do I avoid the stereotypical Brit abroad” are two extremely valid questions I ask myself when trying to decide where to have a different, more genuine holidaying experience in Spain…..you know the ‘avoid at all costs’ scenarios; rows of cafes offering full English breakfasts, showing repeats of ‘Only Fools and Horses’, blackboards crudely advertising 2 euros a pint during the next Premiership football match ‘live on Sky’…sound horrendous?
If so read on! With so many available from so many UK airports, most of lesser known Spain is accessible to UK visitors all year round.
Some years ago I visited Madrid for a family wedding of my Spanish friend Susana, a visit which made a lasting impression on me, particularly the Spanish way of life. Her beautiful wedding and the after celebrations were truly awesome, I have many happy memories, the salty tang of tapas, the smell of delicious crepes wafting down the street, not to mention trying to save a friend falling onto Madrid’s metro tracks, having had one too many!
However the most overriding image that really stuck with me was seeing children playing happily on a small playground in a bustling Madrid square. . .at midnight on a Saturday!
Not at all out of place, the children blended in with the happy revellers surrounding them. Can you imagine that in Leeds city centre on a Saturday night?
So it is to Susana I turned recently for some suggestions! Naturally, I want to combine the best of both, in terms of holiday vibe and the company of the Spanish and their infectious fiesta feel. She replied with a few recommendations that I’ve expanded on a little here:
Spanish Beaches Where You’re Less Likely to Spot a British Football Shirt
Of course the Spaniards love their beautiful beaches as much as we do. Susana mentioned the province of Valencia and Alicante as popular with Spanish tourists more specifically the beach resorts of Denia and Gandia.
Second largest city in the Valencia province, Gandia is noted for retaining plenty of local charm and bustle of daily life, with the beach a mere two kilometres away, and Denia as having miles of family friendly beaches.
Asturias – Where the Spanish Head for Sea Food!
It’s when Susana tells me about the lesser-known Northern providence of Asturias that I become interested, curiously because I haven’t heard of it before. The common British tourist is not overly familiar with this large area of natural beauty; yet it remains a popular Spanish holiday area. With a little more research I find on its boarder lies the spectacular Cantabrian mountain range, with the 8688 ft Torre de Cerredo peak dominating the skyline.
No matter what holiday experience you’re after, climbing, walking, skiing and caving it’s all here. If you are hankering after golden sandy beaches, you’re in luck as the coastline presents hundreds of beach and cove options for you to choose from. The weather may not be as good as the southern resorts, but it’s still enviably warm and sunny. What really captured my attention though was the mention of food “the Spanish go there for the sea food” Susana confided, which is reason enough for me. I would also head for the Cathedral Santiago de Compostela which Susana notes as worth a visit, a common pilgrimage site for the Spanish.
A Short Break in the Spanish Country
Susana’s next tip was equally as off-the-beaten track, this time another recommendation linked to my desire for good Spanish food, “Siguenza Castle”, declared as special interest or ‘parador national’.
As well as the obvious castle ambience, the Spaniards go there to eat delicious piglet or local specialty of baby goat! Easily accessible from Madrid, it makes a good gastronomy led short break option.
Valencia and a Fiery festival
If you are not solely confined to the summer months, Spaniards also love their festivals that occur year round. Susana particularly enthused about the festival in Valencia on 19th March each year called Las Fallas Fiesta or the ‘Fire Festival’ “if you get the chance you really must go, it is a great site to see and very popular” she explained how it originated from carpenters getting together to burn waste wood and paying respects to St Joseph,
the patron saint of wood, and has now become an annual festival where large structures made from waste materials are publicly burnt, and includes amazing firework displays. The townsfolk vote which structure is best and apparently that gets saved from a fiery fate and moved to the museum. Valencia triples in size (from 1m inhabitants) during the festival and has an aroma of gunpowder that looms around the city.
With budget airlines servicing Spain so readily available these days, there’s no reason why a Spanish break with a difference can always be an affordable option. Thanks to my amiga’s recommendations I can maintain my holiday vibe for a few more trips and feel like I am on holiday in ‘real’ Spain, not a hot version of Blackpool!
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