Travel & Leisure

Home to about 47 million residents, Spain is the largest country in Southern Europe and the second largest in the European Union.

With numerous UNESCO World Heritage sites and more than 8,000 kilometres of beaches that are sunny most of the year, Spain is one of the most famous tourist attractions in the EU. And not only because of the heritage sites and beaches! Home to about 47 million residents, Spain is the largest country in Southern Europe and the second largest in the European Union. ere are endless reasons why Spain should be your next European destination. With its mesmerising nature, mixed gothic and moor buildings and Roman ruins, crazy festivals, vibrant nightlife, nger-licking food, and super friendly people, Spain will make every visitor fall in love with it.

In case you are wondering whether Spain should be your next destination or not, we have made a short list for you, of the main reasons why Spain must be the next country you step in.

1. ere Is a Lot to See

Spain is one of the most instagramable countries in the world, with a mixture of everything you would ever want to see. e architecture in Spain is wonderful, with the breathtaking temple of Sagrada Família in Barcelona [pictured], the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao that looks as if it has been built by superhumans, the masterpiece called Basílica de Santa María la Real de Covadonga in Asturias, the Plaza Mayor in Madrid, the old town of Ronda, and many many more.

Spanish nature is unlike anything you have ever seen in Europe. Among others, you can travel to the Gaztelugatxe islet on the coast of Biscay, which is connected to the mainland by a man-made bridge and has a small church at its top.

You can see the Lagunas de Ruidera Natural Park, which has 15 small lakes, the As Catedrais beach with its natural arches and caves that can be seen only in low tide, or the historic gold-mining site of Las Médulas.

In Spain, you will be able to nd two extremes. Wild noisynight life in the bigger cities, and quiet, peaceful life in the Spanish villages, either by the mountains or close to the sea.

Moreover, you can always check museums of history, art, sports, etc., theatres that give a variety of performances, and you can as well go see bulldodging.

Why Spain is always worth a visit

2. Festivals All Year Round

No matter at what time of the year you are in Spain, you can always get to attend at least one festival. Spaniards love celebrating, partying, dancing, and even wearing costumes. As a tourist, you can easily attend any of the festivals, and become part of an unforgettable experience.

Some of the most famous festivals that take place in Spain are:

La Tomatina e festival of tomatoes, where 20 thousand people gather and throw tomatoes at each other. is original and fun tradition dates back to 70 years ago, and many tourists save the date just so they can be part of it.

Semana Santa e Holy Week takes place during Easter in Spain. It lasts for a full week and consists of religious celebrations, which are worth seeing no matter what religion you have. Men and women ll the streets, lighting thousands of candles and waiting for the parades of di erent church members and brotherhoods.

Carnival of Cadiz

No one does Carnivals better than Spaniards. rough humour, sarcasm, mockery and irony, the Carnival of Cadiz “purges” the most pressing problems of Spain and the world. People with fancy costumes ll the streets with pained faces, singing and dancing. e Wine Battle of Haro

Spaniards love throwing food at each other. e Wine Battle of Haro is literally people pouring wine at each other’s bodies. People in white clothing join the battle, only to leave it looking all red.

Boloencierro in Mataelpino

You may have been planning to do some bull ghting in Spain, but that is not possible. Instead, you can join the Boloencierro in Mataelpino in Madrid where hundreds of people run while a 160 kg gigantic ball rolls chasing them.

3. Superb Food at You Can Only Taste in Spain

Travelling without tasting the food of the country you are visiting, is not even travelling. Food is a very important part of every trip, and to enjoy your trip, you must taste the most famous dishes of every country you are in.

Spain is known for being home to the oldest restaurant in the world, which is still open today. Moreover, restaurants in Spain often top the list of “World’s 50 Best Restaurants”, while many world-famous chefs are Spanish.

Some of the foods you must try in Spain are the tapas, the Paella dish, Calamari in freshly-squeezed lemon, Spanish Tortilla de Patatas, Spicy Chorizo, and churros con chocolate which is basically fried sugary sticks with hot chocolate.

4. Friendly People

All travel bloggers who have visited Spain, point out at least once in their blogs that people in Spain are super friendly. Unlike people in other Western Europe countries who can be a bit colder, people in Spain are very welcoming and friendly with tourists.

If you feel like asking something, you can just stop someone in the street and ask them. In bigger cities, most people know English, so it will be very easy for you to communicate. However, in smaller places you will have it harder to nd English speakers, but you will still manage to get answers to your questions by doing some gestures and mumbling at least two or three words in Spanish.

5. Die Hard Football Fans

Home to two of the top football teams in Europe, Real Madrid and Barcelona, Spain gathers thousands of football fans every year. In particular, if you nd yourself in Spain while a Champions League or Copa Del Rey match is about to happen, you will see crowds of football fans singing and shouting or even celebrating after a match.

You may as well join them, if you have even at least a bit of sympathy for their team. It could become an unforgettable memory, who knows.

e Hilton Hotel in NYC’s Times Square is reopening — just in time those planning the traditional Christmas shopping spree to the Big Apple. e renowned Hilton has reopened for the rst time since 2020, bringing back a new hotel option to New York City in time for the holiday season and New Year’s Eve. e Hilton New York Times Square is once again welcoming guests to its 478 rooms on 42nd Street, according to the hotel group. e hotel sits tall at 44 stories with views of the skyline and the Hudson River as well as select rooms that look out onto the traditional New Year’s Eve ball drop.

“ is is an incredibly vibrant time of year in New York, and the reopening of Hilton New York Times Square demonstrates our con dence in the resurgence of this iconic neighbourhood,” Danny Hughes, the executive vice president and president, Americas, at Hilton, said in a statement. e hotel, which rst closed in April 2020, is reopening under new ownership after being sold for about $85 million, according to e Wall Street Journal. e reopening comes as 44 hotels in New York City were forced to permanently close during the pandemic, the most of any US city, the paper reported.

Now, the modern hotel features a tness centre with Peloton bikes and three dining concepts, including a daily breakfast bu et. Later this year, the hotel plans to open the Pinnacle Bar, which will o er late-night snacks overlooking Times Square.

However, the Hilton is not the only hotel to plan a Times Square comeback. Last year, Margaritaville Resort Times Square opened on West 40th Street with 234 guest rooms, fuve restaurants and bars, and an outdoor heated pool. And earlier this year, the Hard Rock Hotel opened on 48th Street with more than 400 rooms and suites along with music-themed amenities like a Crosley Record Player, curated playlists, or a Fender guitar upon request.

So, there’s a c spice of where to stay for that pre-Christmas shopping trip toe New York City.

Hilton Hotel reopens in Times Square