You'll have buns of steel after exploring the steep old mule paths and olive-grove terraces in the valleys of Las Alpujarras. Located just south of the snow-capped Sierra Nevada mountains in Andalucia, Las Alpujarras is a 70km-long series of fertile valleys characterized by Berber-style whitewashed villages, bubbling streams and arid hillsides dotted with cacti and lemon trees.

A Spanish man gives the Asturian bagpipes a blow on a remote cliff near Llanes

The fishing port of Llanes is located on Spain's north Costa Verde (green coast) in the Bay of Biscay.

Stroll the promenade near Alicante's beachfront

There's a good reason why much of Europe's homeless population decamps here every winter - this lively, sun-soaked city on Spain's east coast has one of the mildest climates on the continent. Mid-winter, it is one of the few places you can comfortably parade around in a T-shirt.