Almeria Airport terminal is split over three floors with the majority of departures and arrivals taking place on the ground floor. The departures terminal at the air port has twenty one check in desks and a further six are expected to be added when phase two of the expansion work is completed by the middle of 2010. After you have checked in you’ll want to head towards the right end of the terminal to go via the security control checkpoint. Once into the departures lounge you’ll find plenty of shop, cafes and a duty free area.

The arrivals area at Almeria International airport is located at the far left end of the terminal building and consists of four baggage reclaim belts. When you have entered the baggage reclaim area simply check the information screens that will indicate what carousel your gear will appear on. Once you’ve exited this area into the arrivals hall you will find  five Car Hire Almeria Airport desks as well as tour operators situated here.

Directly outside the terminal exit is the taxi rank and just a few yards further up is the stop for the buses at Almeria International airport. There is no train service available at the air port. The taxis can provide transport to all of the major tourist resorts. If you are picking someone up at the airport or if you are flying out from Almeria International airport and require to park your car there, then the car park is situated directly in front from the terminal building and is quite small with a capacity for just over three hundred cars. Parking charges for both short term and long term parking at Almeria Air port are reasonable.

If you are planning on driving in Almeria and are hiring a car from Almeria Air port you’ll discover that there are good transport communication links. From Almeria Air-port it is relatively easy to drive up and down the coast of Spain. You can drive north to Murica in just two hrs, and south towards Malaga and the Costa del Sol in under three hrs. Regular scheduled flights to Almeria from the UK and Ireland are available from Belfast, Birmingham, Dublin, and more. If you need to fly to Almeria Air port from within Spain then there are a good number of internal flights to Almeria from Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca and more.

The Canary Islands is located approximately two hundred and ten kilometres off the coast of Africa and within the possession of Spain. The third largest isle in this chain is Gran Canaria with a population of close to eight hundred thousand. This island might not be the largest or the most populated but it is  certianly no backward locale either.

Getting around the Island of Gran Canaria is made simple by a system of highways that encircle the entire isle and run up into the mountainous locations as well. Utilizing these highways is  a fleet of modern busses, which are a great way to get around and to see the island. A railway has also been approved, and construction hinges now on the budgeting. There’s a single airport terminal on the island, the International Airport terminal of Gran Canaria-Gando, which is recognized as one of the busiest Spanish airports because with a vast amount of visitors.

This number is of course so vast because the Island of Gran Canaria is a wonderful location to visit and to vacation. Most of the two million plus visito to the island prefer the southern part of Gran Canaria, which is sunny and warmer than the northern area. Towards the west of the island, the landscape is mostly mountainous, towards the east the isle is flatter and peppered with many beaches. For those who enjoy natural wonders, Gran Canaria is interesting in that it’s almost a “mini-continent”, with a broad collection of unique ecosystems nearly unheard of in such a small place.

If you are vacationing in Gran Canaria, you will most likely be staying in one of the resort communities on the southern part of the island. There are tourist flights that offer aerial views from the isle, always a fascinating adventure, and numerous parks and preserves, most of which are open to the public. Attractions include the Dunes and Lighthouse of Maspalomas, Roque Nublo, botanical gardens, and a lot a lot more.

You will find destinations on Gran Canaria for just about anyone, from a community that welcomes gay tourists to areas for the whole family to enjoy, to spots for honeymooning couples to romance and more. There is as a lot to do on Gran Canaria with little chance that you will become bored with this popular destination isle.

The Basque Country is an autonomous community in northern Spain with its capital town Vitoria. The region borders France, and the locals harbour a proud and defiant nature with strong support for a separate, united Basque state. The origins of their local language Euskadi cannot be traced, like that from the Basque race itself.

The coastal road from Bilbao to San Sebastian offers some spectacular scenery with little fishing villages and coves overlooked with jagged and dramatic cliffs. The town of Bakio includes a long beach, frequently used by the locals, and a rocky island that’s joined towards the mainland by a little bridge. The picturesque port of Bermeo offers a good selection of bars and restaurants, while the fishing villages of Lekeitio and neighboring Ondarroa both provide historical architecture in their Gothic churches. The coastal town of Zarautz has a sixteenth century Town Hall, Palacio Narros and also the church of Nuestra Senora de la Real, also hosts the annual International Surfing Championship.

Bilbao is the largest town within the Basque Country region and also the capital of Vizcaya province. The town was a main seaport and in the past and offered little in the way of attractions for the visiting holidaymaker. However urban renewal has helped to move it away from its industrial roots and more towards tourism. Numerous developments within the town have helped to enhance its image such as new parks, a Metro system and at the heart of the renaissance, the Guggenheim Museum. The Guggenheim Museum was opened in 1997 and is one of the most visited museums in Spain. It provides constantly changing exhibits along with a permanent collection focused on the 2nd half of the twentieth century. The building was created by Frank Gehry and is a masterpiece of modern architecture built out of titanium, glass and limestone. Inside, the large windows of the central atrium bring organic light into the museum and outside stands a surrealistic floral structure of a giant puppy.

San Sebastian is the capital of the Guipuzcoa province and has been visited by Spanish aristocracy for hundreds of years due to the quality of its beaches and beautiful town. Much of the original city was destroyed in the early nineteenth century during the Spanish War of Independence, so few historical buildings can be found within the centre. However, the town does offer a unique atmosphere and a distinguished cosmopolitan feeling making it different from numerous other Spanish towns. In summer, the resort is packed with holidaymakers, and even in the winter the beach and its wonderful promenade of tamarind trees, Edwardian lampposts and beachfront cafes is a well-liked destination with the locals.

Vitoria ranks second in standard of living out of all the cities in Spain. It has a huge number of green parks around the town such as Florida Park that was created in 1820 with its huge variety of plant species, and San Juan de Arriaga Park, which is the largest in the town. Vitoria is the capital of the Alava province, which as a whole offers a tremendous diverse amount of protected spaces including many Nature Reserves such as the Izki Nature Reserve with its melojo-oak forest and Gorbeia Nature Reserve.

This type of break is getting particularly well-liked with those wishing to take a long weekend in a location having a café culture, good restaurants and a few buildings and museums to visit. If this may be the kind of holiday you’re considering, then Spain’s northern city of Santiago de Compostela may well fit the bill.

Santiago is the capital of the region known as Galicia and its the most visited city in the north of Spain. Over recent years its cosmopolitan nature has attracted an ever increasing number of foreigners and it’s now promoted as the cultural capitol from the northern Iberian Peninsula, and with good reason. What Santiago has to offer is history, monuments, a religious legend and an old town steeped in baroque and neo-classical architectural beauty. The city’s most famous building is its massive cathedral which, according to the Catholic Church, has within it a tomb containing the remains of the apostle Saint James. It all sounds a bit macabre, but the story behind these claims have led to Santiago becoming the finishing point of arguably the worlds biggest Christian pilgrimage called the Way of St. James.

Religion aside, the cathedral is a really spectacular building and it sits on the city’s big Obradoiro plaza facing the equally impressive Rajoy palace. The world’s oldest hotel, now a state run Parador, also occupies this square. Plazas or squares are an integral component of the old district of Santiago’s charm and there are four famous courtyards dotted around the cathedral that contain, or are overlooked by some of the city’s outstanding buildings. Several of these older building are now, in part a least, museums and the cathedral itself can adequately fill two or three hours of most tourist’s time if they choose to view the numerous exhibits.

A café culture is also one of the city’s appeals and although an international menu is available at most restaurants, all favour dishes based on the Galician speciality of fish and seafood. Prices can be high, but that depends on where you select to eat and numerous excellent restaurants are highly affordable, particularly should you venture slightly off the beaten track. As an example, we have enjoyed a 3 course lunch within the city center for as little as eight Euro per head.

Getting to Santiago is getting ever easier as well as cheaper with direct flights from most European countries to either Santiago air-port or neighbouring A Coruna airport. Hotels are plentiful and if you merely want a short break for a few days Santiago should fill your time amply.

Jerez Airport is the primary air port for the Costa de la Luz and is nicely linked to Algeciras and Gibraltar via the motorway which merges into the A-Seven motorway along the Costa del Sol. The airport is quite small and consists of two floors.

Flights to Jerez from the UK are obtainable from London Stansted and Flights to Jerez from within Spain are obtainable from Barcelona, Madrid and Palma de Mallorca. Arrivals at Jerez air port is located on the ground floor and also the baggage reclaim region contains three suitcases belts. Once you have collected your suitcases and entered thearrivals hall you’ll find two tourist information desks, lost gear information desks and also the Car Hire Jerez Airport desks.

Immediately outside the terminalis where you will discover the taxi ranks and bus stops. A taxi from Jerez Air port to the City centre will cost around twelve euro and a taxi to Cadiz will cost about fifty euro. There are numerous other ways to get to and from Jerez Airport terminal for example hiring a car or catching one of the new air-port buses that have just started operating at Jerez Air-port.

The Bahía de Cadiz Transport Consortium has recently added additional buses to connect the cities of Cadiz, El Puerto de Santa Maria and Jerez with the international airport. In the near future and as passenger numbers increase at the international airport, the local bus organizations will hopefully be introducing a service up to the Costa del Sol and down to Tarifa. Whilst you will find no trains at Jerez Air port there are local trains in Jerez and for the area of Cadiz.

Departures from Jerez Airport terminal are also handled on the ground floor and consists of thirteen check in desks with two automatic check in machines for Iberia and Spanair. A number of tour operator desks are also situated here as well as a selection of shops and an air port information desk. Help points for passengers with reduced mobility are located both on the outside and inside of the terminal building. As soon as you’ve gone via the security control checkpoint you’ll enter the departures lounge where you are able to grab a bite to eat in the restaurant or do a bit of last minute duty-free shopping. You will then need to board the aircraft from here through one of the five gates.

Situated on the foot of the southerly Sierra Nevada ski resort, Granada is one of the most splendid cities of eastern Andalucia. On its southern side is one hundred and three kilometres of fabulous Mediterranean coastline, with the Costa del Sol and Costa Tropical in close proximity whilst, in between, lies a fertile plain producing exotic fruits.

Granada dates back to prehistoric times and was recognized as Ilbyr. When the Romans colonized the southern component of Iberia, they built their own city there, calling it Illibris. The Arabs, invading the Peninsula in the
eighth century, gave the city its current name of Granada.

Being the last Muslim city of Spain to be reconquered bythe Christians, Granada has an unmistakable Arab flavor,
and Moorish and Christian elements go hand-in-hand. One of the most brilliant jewels of Granada may be the Alhambra, a series of palaces and gardens built under the Nazari Dynasty within the fourteenth century. This mighty compound of buildings, including the summer palace called Generalife with its beautiful fountains and gardens, stands at the foot of the Sierra Nevada.

The hill facing the Alhambra may be the old Moorish casbah or medina called the Albaicín. Among the oldest districts,
it has been declared a World Heritage Website, along with the Alhambra and Generalife. The Plaza de San Nicolas, in the highest point from the Albaicín, is famous for its magnificent view of the Moorish Palace.

Sacromonte Hill, which overlooks the city from the north, is famous for its cave dwellings, once home to a large gypsy
community. Here, you can find some of the best flamenco shows in Andalucia.

Perhaps probably the most important Christian monument of Granada is the Cathedral. Constructed in 1523, Queen Isabel and King Ferdinand are buried there in the Royal Chapel. Among museums well-worth visiting are the Art Museum within the Palacio de Carlos V at the Alhambra, the Alhambra Museum, the Cathedral Museum, the Archaeological Museum and the Science Museum.

If the children become a little bored with sightseeing, they will just love the activities available within the nearby
Sierra Nevada ski resort or the beautiful beaches not too far away. And so will you!

Valencia is known as the land of ‘flowers, light and love’ and is the jewel of the Mediterranean. Nestling between the sea and mountains, the vast orange groves of Valencia stretch for miles along the white sandy beaches. The well-known rice fields of La Albufera, Valencia are just twelve kilometres from the centre of town and are separated from the sea by a thin strip of land. The region is complete with sand dunes and pine forests and is famous for it is natural park and stunning freshwater lagoon where you are able to enjoy romantic boat rides.

La Albufera is also the birthplace of the traditional dish of Spain paella and you are able to sample this lovely dish at any of the many mouth-watering restaurants in Valencia. You will find approximately 1,500 restaurants and tapas bars in Valencia Metropolis and also numerous clubs and destinations to have fun.The fairytale Old Quarter of Valencia is really at the heart of this magnificent metropolis. The region is very simple to explore on foot and is complete with narrow cobbled streets that twist and turn eventually bringing you towards the hip and really bohemian area of Barrio del Carmen.

This is one from the best areas to come to in Valencia. There’s so much to do, it’s full of open air terraces and restaurants and bars where you are able to soak up the intoxicating atmosphere of Valencia.Throughout the day it’s as if time has stood still and you’ve been transported back in time. You will find gothic and baroque treasures such as La Lonja and also the beautiful Cathedral of Valencia. Also the magnificent and very beautiful modernist buildings of Mercado Central (Central Market) and Estación del Norte (North Station).

Nightlife is rivalling the greatest in Europe and during the hot summer months everything moves towards the clubs and discos from the beach area of Cabanyal. Valencia is a university city with a very large student population and the area around Avenida Blasco Ibañez is also a great place to go for late night fun.The number one attraction in Valencia at the moment may be the Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències (City of Arts and Sciences). Designed by architect Santiago Calatrava this jaw-dropping attraction is set in the beautiful Jardí del Túria (Turía Gardens) where the old Turía river used to be.The Turía river was diverted south of the city in 1957 and throughout the nineties the entire region was totally transformed into the beautiful park it is today.

The park is like a long green ribbon twisting and turning through the city to it’s final destination towards the beach region of Valencia. The Jardí del Túria is full of fountains, ponds and sports facilities and is perfect for taking an early morning cycle ride or jog. At the end of Jardí del Túria is the City of Arts and Sciences which is a stunning state of the art complex full of shimmering glass, steel and concrete. This really is where you’ll find the Valencia Spain aquarium which is the largest aquarium in Europe.

The area of Aragon can be found in northeastern Spain and comprises the provinces of Zaragoza, Huesca and Teruel. The region lies approximately within the historic kingdom of Aragon and is bounded towards the north by France; the south by Valencia; the east by Catalonia and on the west by the regions of Castilla la Mancha, Castilla Leon, Navarre and La Rioja. The official spoken language in Aragon is Castilian Spanish, even though in some from the valleys of the Pyrenees its feasible to hear the original language of Aragonese.

The greatest peaks from the Pyrenees Mountains could be found in Aragon with Aneto, the highest of them all, being found within the province of Huesca. In amongst the mountains can be found some beautiful secluded valleys, which remain largely un-spoilt due to their inaccessibility. Spread thinly through the valleys and plains could be found little towns and churches with great views from the rugged landscape.

Aragon is traversed by the river Ebro, which offers fish of such numbers and proportions that the Ebro is considered one of the best locations in Europe for Cat and Carp fishing. With a population of just more than 1.3 million people living in Aragon, and half of them living within the capital city of Zaragoza, the area is mostly deserted with beautiful, mountainous scenery towards the north, and mainly barren land in the south.

The area of Aragon has three provinces whose capital cities Zaragoza, Huesca and Teruel take the same names as their province. There are lots of, little towns all across the region, and especially within the province of Teruel exactly where out from the 236 municipalities, more than half the villages have a population of fewer than 200 people. In-between the villages the land is mostly deserted and quite barren. Aragon is really a wonderful area of Spain to visit. The Pyrenees Mountains provide fantastic dramatic scenery to the north and also the ancient cities of Zaragoza, Teruel and Huesca have numerous essential historical buildings. If you are looking for a various holiday experience in Spain, Aragon may just be the location of choice.

The huge Plaza del Pilar is the social centre of Zaragoza, looked over by some wonderful old monuments and fine fountains. Here could be found the Basílica del Pilar; whose domes and towers dominate the city and this is exactly where legend has it the Virgin Mary appeared. Towards the west of the city centre could be discovered the La Aljaferia palace. An Islamic-fortress, it was once the residence of Arab kings and later by Christian kings, Aragonese kings and then by Spanish monarchs. Nowadays, the building houses Aragon’s regional parliament.

Located 30km southwest of Jaca, this monastery church that is dedicated to saint John, is situated beneath a large overhanging rock. The monastery has had special significance since Muslim times where pilgrims would stop here in the hope of viewing the Holy Grail, a Roman chalice which was hidden somewhere in the monastery. The Roman chalice is now on view in Valencia Cathedral. The lower church represents the heart from the monastery that was founded in 920. On the second floor is the Pantheon where could be observed the tombs of noblemen from both Aragon and Navarre. Within the apse of the High Church of San Juan could be observed a replica from the Holy Grail which was kept within the walls to protect it against Muslim invasion.

Declared a national park in 1918, an area of more than 15,600 hectares is now protected in the Biosphere Reserve or Ordesa as declared by UNESCO is 1997. Most from the park is limestone and a retreating glacier still exists on the north face of Monte Pedido, the third largest mountain in the Pyrenees. The park’s dramatic mountain scenery comprises of limestone cliffs, canyons, caves, chasms and crystal-clear streams with forests of pine, birch, ash, willow and oak. Great birds fly the skies including the royal eagle, hawks, royal owls, ospreys and also the snow partridge, while about the ground could be seen the marmot, wild boar, chamois and the red deer. The park is open all year round but the months between April and October provide the greatest conditions for walking and hiking.

Reus is situated in north east Spain on the Costa Dorada. Its a historic city with a number of interesting sights to visit and when you need to take some time out you can find an excellent choice of bars, restaurants and shops. The greatest method to explore Reus and the surrounding area is by car. Its not difficult to drive to the Autopista del Mediterraneo which is the principal motorway going north to south along Spain’s eastern coast.

Reus International airport is just 2km from the city and about 80km south of Barcelona. From your railway station in Reus there is a daily train service to Barcelona which takes about 55 minutes. Reus is most well-known for being the home of the well-known architect Antoni Gaudi, but it boasts no examples of his work while the finest Modernist creations are by Lluis Domenech I Montaner.

Within the old quarter of Reus you’ll discover the Gothic San Pedro church (Antonio Gaudi was christened here on 26th June 1852), and also the Prim-Rull Museum. The Reus Tourist Office offers scheduled excursions to buildings which are usually closed towards the public plus free entrance to the Salvador Vilaseca Museum and the Art and History Museum with paintings and drawings.

Reus has for numerous centuries been notable for the production of wines and spirits (particularly brandy). Other products consist of olives and hazelnuts. A recommended tour of Reus starts in the Plaza de Prim with its beautiful Theatre Fortuny along Calle de Monterols to Plaza del Mercadal with the modernist Casa Navas which still contains all its period furniture, coffered ceilings and lamps. Plaza de Sant Pere has a sixteenth century Gothic church with an octagonal bell tower from which you can see the whole of the Costa Dorada.

Within the month of June Reus holds its biggest festivals with live music within the squares every night and street entertainments including Castellers which are the famous towers made of men. Once you’ve seen the main attractions that Reus city has to offer, you might like to give consideration to a day trip to Tarragona, Salou or Montblanc.