Living la vida loca in Spain

Few countries party as hard as Spain and the challenge for the visitor is trying to keep up. But by carefully balancing your fiestas with siestas, you should have energy left to tell the extraordinary tale.

Spread over an area of 504,788 square kilometres, Spain is one of Europe's largest countries. It is a nation of 40 million people and five languages, its diverse regions possessing their own unique culture, history, architecture, cuisine and landscape.

Spain's north is characterized by rocky coast and rolling green farmland as well as the snow-capped mountains of the Pyrenees; the interior has the distinctive parched plains of the legendary Don Quixote, and the terrain of the south owes much to North Africa with dry rugged mountains and long sandy beaches. Add into the mix the beaches of the hedonistic Balearic Islands and the sub-tropical Canary Islands off the northwest coast of Africa and you have a remarkably varied country.

Spain's architectural wonders include the palatial Moorish creations of Seville, Cordoba and Granada; Cantabria's network of natural caves decorated with prehistoric wall paintings; Guadi's surreal erections in Barcelona, and the uber-modern titanium shell of the Guggenheim museum in Bilbao. Unfortunately however, much of Spain's southern and eastern coastlines have been debased by high-rise eyesores targeting Europe's package holiday market.

On any given day, Spain is eating, drinking, dancing and singing its way through an average of nine different festivals. Arriving in Bunol when La Tomatina is in full swing could find you pummeled with big juicy tomatoes in the world's largest tomato fight. Stumbling into La Rioja in the aftermath of a wine fighting festival could find you sloshing through puddles of vino tinto. Or if you turn up to Seville during the pre-Easter Semana Santa parade and see men donning conical white hats you could be forgiven for thinking the Klu Klux Klan had moved into town. Spaniards are forever dreaming up new excuses for a party, and the Benicàssim rock music festival held near Valencia every August has become one of the highlights of the European music festival calendar.

Some 40,000 bulls are killed in Spanish bullrings every year

Outside of Spain, Latin America and the United States are not the only places where the influence of Spanish culture is felt. The trendiest bars in the world's hippest cities now serve Spanish tapas (snack-sized meals), sangria (a red wine punch) and stage flamenco performances. Unsurprisingly, Spain's love of bullfighting (approximately 40,000 bulls are killed in bullrings every year) has yet to catch on beyond the Iberian Peninsula.

Survival guide

Don't expect anything to be done in a hurry in Spain. If one word summed up the national mindset, it would be 'mañana', which translated literally means 'tomorrow' or 'morning', but could just as well mean "maybe I'll get around to doing it sometime if I can be bothered". With a work ethic like that, it's a miracle Spain was ever invited to join the European Union. While Spain is a devoutly Catholic nation and is still shaking off the baggage from its bloody civil war and years under a stifling dictatorship, the country's conservatism is slowly waning. Significantly, in 2005 Spain went against the Vatican to become the third country in the EU to legalize gay marriage.

Food

Hams dangle from above in a bar in Santander

Spaniards rarely have lunch before 2pm (when many businesses close for a three-hour siesta) nor eat dinner before 9pm. Food is often soaked in olive oil and garlic. The sight of pigs' legs and chorizo (sausage) hanging from ceilings in restaurants and bars can be a little confronting for vegetarians. Cuisine differs according to region. Andalucia is the spiritual home of tapas, but these snack-sized meals are devoured all over the country as an accompaniment to pre-dinner drinks - try mushrooms in garlic sauce, the classic Spanish omelet or octopus in paprika. The northern Galicia and Basque regions are known for fresh seafood, Valencia is famous for its paella, while everything in Asturias is washed down with apple cider. For a sweet treat, nothing hits the spot like churros (donut-like pastries) dipped in thick hot chocolate.

Sleeping in Spain

Accommodation in Spain includes a thousand or so camping grounds, refugios (basic mountain shelters for hikers), more than 200 youth hostels, pensiones (one to two-star hotels), hostales (one to three-star hotels) and hoteles (higher-end hotels).

Bravado-fuelled revellers at the San Fermin festival in Pamplona. Picture: Tourist Department of the Government of Navarra

Getting there and getting around Spain

Most long-haul international flights touch down at Madrid's Barajas airport, while European airlines service numerous Spanish cities, including Vitoria, Bilbao, Barcelona, Malaga, Alicante, Almeria, Granada, Seville and Palma de Mallorca. Spain's official airline is Iberia. Long-distance bus services within Spain are surprisingly cheap, reliable and comfortable, while the extensive train network provides services that vary dramatically in price and speed. The high-speed AVE train from Madrid to Andalucia is the most expensive option, but whizzes passengers to Seville in just two-and-a-half hours.