Benalmadena, Paloma Park

Walking around Paloma Park in Benalmadena, you are sure to see something different each time you visit! The park is a haven for wildlife, although only 3-4 mins walk from the beach, its almost like having a walk in the country side. You will see tame rabbits running around right next to the hens and cockerel's which roam freely around the park, and can sometimes even be seen walking along the pavements outside!

Puerto Banus

More photos from the small but wealthy town of Puerto Banus. Taking a walk around the marina you can see not only the yachts of the rich and famous but also their very expensive vehicles (such as this Astin Martin above!) parked alongside.

 A view of the apartments surrounding the waters edge, if you click on the photo to enlarge it you will see over to the right the very well known Sinatras Bar.

Puerto Banus Marina

Some of the most exclusive yachts in the world can be seen in the stunning marina at Puerto Banus. The one above 'Shaf' was owned by King Fahd of Saudi Arabia until his death in 2005. I should think now it has been passed down to one of his sons. This is the largest yacht here in the marina and is a very popular tourist attraction. To read more about the impact the wealth of the Kings family has had in Marbella and Puerto Banus - CLICK HERE

Galicia - Pontevedra

60kms from Santa de Compostela is the historical province of Pontevedra, which is one of the four regional provinces of Galicia. Here you will find a coastline more than 500 kilometers long, so has a history of trading and maritime, even to this day the coast is dominated by the industries of fishing and shipbuilding. Even Christopher Columbus's ship the Santa Maria was built here, but at the same time you can see some of the best coastal scenery in the North West of Spain, and also many grand buildings such as the Pilgrims church as seen above.

Ronda - Lara museum

In the ancient town of Ronda is the very interesting Lara Museum. Situated in a former palace where some members of the Spanish royal family stayed when they visited Ronda. The museum is split into various rooms each with its own theme. Some of the themes being music, knives, bullfighting and the very spooky witchcraft collection, but the most sickening part of the museum is the torture chamber, on show here you'll find implements of torture used during the Spanish Inquisition.

Galicia, Sanxenxo

The most exclusive area of Galica is the resort of Sanxenxo. It's said that property prices here are among the most expensive in Spain and quite possibly in Europe.

The most busiest time of the year for this resort is between July and August, when many of the local Spanish who live and work out of town take their annual holidays and come to their holiday homes here in Sanxenxo. During this time is when the waters of the Atlantic are at their warmest and the southern facing beach which seems to go on forever also make it a very popular tourist resort.

Galicia - Santiago de Compostela

Santiago de Compostela is the capital of the north eastern province of Galicia. With an unspoilt coastline of more 200 kms, Galicia has a much steadier pace than the more popular holiday spots in the southern and eastern regions of Spain. Its history can be traced back to the 9th century.
The famous Cathedral here is a destination of thousands of pilgrims throughout the year, who come to visit the shrine of Saint James.
Also in the town is what is claimed to be the worlds oldest hotel - Hostal Tres Reyes Catolics.
For more information and a virtual tour of the cathedral visit the website HERE.

Thanks to Karl for the excellent photos!

Colourful Carnivals.

Every town in Spain throughout the year has a carnival time. This event is usually the most coloutful and most visited event of the towns calendar. The locals start to plan and prepare the for the next carnival as soon as the last one ends.

These photos are from the 2006 carnival in Lloret de Mar, which takes place every February.
 

Costa Brava - Tossa de Mar

Views from Tossa de Mar. Just a 20 minute bus journey up the road from the very lively resort of Lloret de Mar on the Costa Brava is a totally different resort. This small town is very quiet with hardly any disco's or nightclubs. Although there are quite a few bars, entertainment is usually found in the hotels, and not on the streets! Which makes quite a change these days, with the bad press which some European resorts are getting this year.

Tossa has been able to keep its 'small town charm'...and with the shopping area at the back of the resort and weekly market- held on Thursdays, long beach and historic castle it is still a good choice for a family holiday.

 

Spain - Bullfighting

This bullring is the oldest one in Spain, and can be found in Ronda in the province of Andalucia. Housed beneath the seating area is museum where you can see all things related to bull fighting such as these colourful costumes as seen in the photo below.