Culture Spain – for all things Spanish

Gandia is a town located on the mid eastern side board of Spain.  It is within Valencia Province (one of the three Provinces of the Autonomous Region of Valencia Comunitat de Valencia) and is situated some 70 kms south of Valencia City.  The immediate area around Gandia is known as La Safor which comprises a number of small towns and [...]

The demonstrations in Spain continue with many town hall squares still full of Indignados (the Indignant) surrounded by banners expressing their wrath and dismay at the current situation in Spain.  Indeed, it would seem that the current protests in Spain are set to run for some time to come. But what are the Indignados actually saying and how extensive is [...]

I am faintly amused by the fuss that is being made about the ‘Spanish Revolution’. I say ‘faintly’ because something of importance may actually happen – in which case I may find myself somewhat embarrassed. The thing is that the ‘Spanish Revolution’ (if it can really be called that) is, to my mind, somewhat odd. Politicians in Spain have always [...]

A few days ago I wrote an article here about the general disenchantment of Spaniards with politics in Spain.  This had become increasingly apparent to me over the past month or so as the Spanish prepared themselves for the forthcoming local and regional elections in Spain (due to be held on the 22nd May). However, political matters have accelerated considerably [...]

Whoops! I completely missed advising you about a terrific event that was due to occur at the Valencia City of Arts and Sciences during the weekend.  This was all the more regrettable – because I had bookedup long before, went myself – and had a fantastic time! During the weekend the Global Champions Tour was run beside the Valencia science [...]

Recently, I wrote a couple of articles about the potential for a rise in demand for holidays in Spain.  Well, my predictions look as though they may have been accurate. Figures just produced by the Ministry of Tourism in Spain show that tourism in Spain increased by 2.9% in comparison to the same time (the first quarter) of last year.  [...]

One of the most notable aspects to any Easter holidays in Spain is the appearance of the Capuchins. All of a sudden, throughout Spain, you can see gorgeous religious processions with the people concerned resplendent in costumes that mimic the Klu Klux Klan – albeit far more colourful! Semana Santa (Easter week) is a very important time for anyone religious [...]

Valencian oranges are world renowned for their sweetness, size and extraordinary colour.  Although they are now grown throughout the world, you can still not better Valencian oranges grown and harvested in their native soil in Valencia, Spain. In fact, one of the most notable aspects to Valencia Province in Spain is the extensive evergreen citrus groves that extend as far [...]

There was an interesting article about tourism in Spain today in Levante (a Spanish newspaper covering the Levant). In January Exelter, a Spanish tourist association, predicted a growth in tourism in Spain, this year, of 1% – which they have now revised to 2%.  This is almost two and a half times greater than that predicted by the Bank of [...]

Spain is one of the most popular destinations in the world, and over 53 million people came here last year. This is great news for the tourist industry, but if you take a moment to think about that number it begins to seem a bit overwhelming  - not least because Spanish tourist spots are becoming incredibly crowded. This works for [...]

One of the extraordinary things about Spain is the sheer number of people who come, annually, from abroad to take their holidays in Spain.  In fact, some 53 million people visit Spain each year and, of course, the vast majority are holidaymakers. To put 53 million people into perspective – you have to appreciate that the total population of Spain [...]

The conumdrum for anyone thinking of taking a summer holiday in Spain is: do I book now – or wait until later and then pick up an ultra-cheap deal? Obviously, getting a ‘good’ deal on your summer holiday in Spain is important but this year it is more difficult than ever to predict what will happen about the number of [...]

So, Las Fallas is almost upon us!  Indeed, it starts in earnest tomorrow (15th March) and then continues until Saturday (19th March) – with the same dates annually, irrespective of how those dates land in the week.  However, I should stress that this is not a fiesta that celebrates the culture of Spain – this is about Valencian culture and [...]

Talking of sumer holidays in Spain, one event that springs to mind is La Tomatina – which has got to rank highly as one of the wierdest fiestas in Spain. It happens in Buñol in August and can only be defined as irredeemably and joyously wacky! In fact, La Tomatina has emerged over recent years as a must-see fiesta in [...]

Few people would argue that Spain has some pretty incredible fiestas.  However, one of the most bizarre has got to be La Tomatina – which is a massive tomato fight. Amazingly, some 30,000 people a year crowd into the village of Buñol to hurl rotten tomotoes at each other.  The mess is simply beyond imagination but taking part has become [...]