Benidorm's Eco Form
May 19, 2008



Think of Benidorm and you will probably be imagining tall hotels full of touristst, fryups, lager and sunburnt shoulders. However, what about Benidorm as a top destination for eco-tourism ?

Well, firstly, it's now being widely recognised that an "eco" trip to the African Jungle, or chasing penguins in Antarctica, are actually expensive and big footprint eco-wise. You really ought to be thinking about leaving those places to your wild imagination while you are doing something just a wee bit more straight. Like relaxing on a beach in Benidorm.

The BBC have reported that there is a lot to commend the hotels and utilities in this Mediterranean town in terms of energy saving and local sourcing of food. Once you are there you can access all you need by walking around, you do not need to hire a car or motorbike.

You do of course use up a fair old whack of carbon getting their unless you go by foot pilgrimage style. But not many of us would do that, and Benidorm is not Lourdes or Santiago. Even so, you could have a look at different ways rather than flying. What about on horseback dressed in rags ? Maybe not for everyone - but the comparisons in Carbon Footprint work out like this:

Return Flight to Benidorm from Gatwick - 0.466 tonnes C02 per person

Drive in a Ford Fiesta 1.6 petrol (2 people) - 2500 miles round trip - 0.407 tonnes Co2 per person

Train - 2500 miles round trip - 0.242 tonnes Co2 per person

Coach - 2500 miles round trip - 0.358 tonnes Co2 per person


Figures courtesy of www.carbonfootprint.com







Amazing Cuenca, Central Spain
March 11, 2008


Cuenca is one of Spain's eleven Unesco World Heritage sites, and if you go there you will not question why ! It lies approximately halfway between Madrid and the Mediterranean coast, not on usual beat of the sun seeking tourist, but a stunning vista awaits hose of you intrepid enough to try something different. The old medieval city stands one thousand metres up on a narrow ridge between the limestone canyons of the Jucar and Huecar rivers.

Because space was tight successive generations of Cuenca inhabitants were forced to build outwards to the extreme edge of the gorges, and then up, raising their dwellings on top of the previous layers until the "rascacielos" skyscrapers were piled 12 storeys high. Most famous of these are the Casas Colgadas — the “hanging houses” with amazingly frightening balconies that lean out over the Huecar Gorge below.

Things to enjoy on your wanderings around this special place are the medieval warren of lanes and steps, the 18th-century Town Hall and Spain’s oldest gothic cathedral.

You get a great view of Cuenca fromthe 16th-century Convent of San Pablo on the other side of the gorge. If you have the cash to splash then you could stay there because it is now a luxury hotel.

If you want to give Central Spain a closer look then here are a couple of links to get you going:

Ramblers Worldwide Holidays - Hidden Gems of Central Spain


Secret Destinations - Mainland Spain

Spain 2008 - Hot Holiday Tips
January 22, 2008


This year why not treat yourself to a holiday in Spain - here are some ideas to get you thinking about this wonderful country:

San Sebastian
A party town with beautiful scenery, sensational beaches (see picture above), rich nightlife and culture, fiestas like the mid August spectacular "Semana Grande", renowned cuisine and major music and film festivals. San Sebastian obviously has a lot to offer. More info at www.sansebastianspain.info

Yurts in Spain
Here are some links to sites that offer Yurt accommodation in Spain. This lovely way of camping is a real treat and everyone should give it a go some time !
www.andaluciayurts.com
The Hoopoe Yurt Hotel - Andalucia
Alpujarra Yurt Inn

North Majorca (Mallorca)
North Mallorca has the mountains, the Serra de Tramuntana mountains to be precise, and this makes for beautiful, challenging and fulfilling walking country. Unlike the touristy South of the island, there are many towns and villages almost untouched by tourism, like Alcudia and Pollenca. Many agree that this is one of the most beautiful places in Spain, Europe and the world !
I know Majorca - North Mallorca
Walking in Mallorca

Dreaming of a holiday in Spain !
September 25, 2007
With the ever increasing rise in Internet Holiday booking you will find a bafflingly huge array of sites offering everything from cheap bargains to luxury five star breaks. If you are looking to book a holiday to Spain on the internet then make sure the site is ABTA registered and that they offer a telephone option if you decide that you’d rather deal with a human being! Of course where the Internet can offer genuine advantage is in price and On The Beach - Holidays In Spain have a “Low Price Promise” where they will refund the difference if you find your holiday cheaper on any other UK website on the same day as you made your purchase with them. They offer holidays to all the major Spanish resorts, with cheap flights, more than one thousand of Spain’s best hotels plus self catering and all inclusive options.

So, why should you be dreaming of a holiday in Spain ? it could be for the sun, sand and sea, and there is plenty of that! Add to that the great cuisine, excellent wines and the friendly people and it becomes more than compelling. When you also look at Spain's rich heritage, it's beautiful, dynamic cities such as Barcelona, Malaga and Valencia, the spectacular natural environment and passionate flamenco then you’ll realise what a wonderful holiday destination this is. There really is a perfect Spanish holiday for everyone, which is why Spain is the most popular holiday destination in the world for Europeans, especially Britons, welcoming some 30 million tourists each year. For the sun worshippers amongst you, the Costa Del Sol should be high on your list. There are many great resorts including:
Benalmadena - picturesque village and fine coastline, good for family holidays, adventure holidays, in fact all types of holidays !
Estepona – authentic “pueblo” atmosphere with fewer high rise hotels.
Fuengirola - five miles of golden sandy beaches.
Marbella - luxurious resort town and favourite location for the rich and famous.
Nerja - 16 kilometres of beaches with powdery golden sand and sparkling clear water.
Torremolinos - clean sandy beaches, great choice of hotels and restaurants and large choice of entertainment, activities and nightlife available.
Torrox - 9 kilometres of wide sandy beaches.

For holidays to these and many other Spanish Destinations visit our section on Cheap Package Holidays. For Majorca, Minorca and Ibiza go to our Balearic section and those of you with families we have a dedicated family section.

Walking in Andalucia
July 25, 2007
I've been enjoying the book Driving Over Lemons by Chris Stewart, " skilled sheep-shearer and sometime Genesis drummer, who took one look at the Alpujarrás, the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, and decided that's where he wanted to be". It made me think of walking holidays in Andalucia, what a nice thought ! Here are a couple of top ideas:

There is the tempting Sheila's Guided Walking Holidays in Andalucia - these are really special walking holidays for small groups of friends or family. They are based in the beautiful mountains of Axarquia in Southern Spain and Sheila and Steve who have lived in this beautiful area for several years, create the ideal holiday, tailormade to your requirements . The benign climate makes for great walking most of the year and you will love the breathtaking views of mountains and the Mediterranean.

Or take a look at Spanish Steps who offer a great variety of walking holidays in Andalucia with great accommodation, either in their lovely village house in Cómpeta or in carefully chosen rural hotels. Good food and wine of course ! with meals enjoyed at favourite local restaurants. They deal with transfers to and from airports, to trail heads and between locations on multi-centre holidays. The choice of walks is exceptional, generally around 5 or 6 hours led by Spanish speaking British guides. The groups are small, normally with eight to fourteen guests.

Go for a walk, a long walk, maybe over lemons - in the beautiful region of Andalucia !


Mallorcan Finca
June 28, 2007
Explore the island of Mallorca out of season to avoid the blistering heat. The temperature hovers around 27° C (80° F) throughout autumn.
Received wisdom has it that to get to know the "real Mallorca", you must point your car due north at Palma airport and not spare the horsepower until you are safely up in the Sierra de Tramuntana mountain range, whose foothills act as a cordon sanitaire separating you, the authenticity seeker, from the great stonewashed down in Magaluf.

The key is to stay in a finca - a farmhouse - of which there are scores dotting the arable landscape. These establishments are testament to the island's agricultural history and evidence of its growing rejection of toxic, 20th-century-style tourism.
The Finca Son Rito is just a few minutes' drive outside Felanitx. (Campos, a dusty, normal sort of town noted for an incongruously handsome art nouveau-style cake shop is also nearby.) The building, rented out by the family business Mallorca Farmhouses, is a splendid conversion that sleeps up to 16 and stands amid 200 acres of cornfields and almond groves. The oldest, central part was built in the 17th century and is wonderfully solid, with everything made of marble and wood. Yet it is also ultramodern, as the two main bedrooms illustrate perfectly: in one, the ensuite bathroom has a clawfooted, rolltop bath looking out over a pool shaped like a cartoon speech bubble and on to a wall crawling with purple bougainvillea; the other is so modern and masculine it is like being inside a granite tennis court.
Outside is a small orchard of orange and apple trees; also a beautifully gnarled specimen whose Tolkeinesque arms shelter a dining table: a perfect place to breakfast on ensaimada, the local pastry.
On Sunday morning in Felanitx there is a weekly market. This winds on for street after street and is reassuringly mundane, the goods on offer include live birds of many kinds, pots and pans and an awful lot of towels. In the covered food section, people are selling large, orangey mushrooms, gathered from under pine trees and are around for one month of the year only.
Besides the market, Felanitx is also worth visiting for its handsome church, Sant Miquel. This was the scene of Mallorca's worst historical disaster when, in 1844, one of the building's side walls collapsed on the townspeople as they processed outside, killing 414 of them. A side chapel commemorates the event, and houses the statue of the virgin the victims were holding aloft when tragedy struck.
The market is the place to buy everything required for a paella - including the paellera, the special wide, flat, two-handled pan.

Getting there
Mallorca Farmouses (0845 800 8080) has a selection of villas, country retreats and rustic farmhouses, all with private pools, maid service and complimentary car hire.
Prices for hiring Finca Son Rito start from £1,495 a week in 2007. Smaller properties are available from £425 per week, for a two-bedroom farmhouse.
More information: Spanish Tourist Board: Mallorca

Inter Rail
May 20, 2007

Back twenty or more years ago, if you asked any long or short haired student what they were going to do in their summer holidays then “InterRail around Europe" was the standard reply even from the skint ones. Not much could better the joy of owning that railpass that was going to give you unlimited train travel all over Europe. It was cheap and run jointly by all the national railways. It was started in 1973 and was the “cosmic pass” that opened the doors of Europe to young people eager to make the grand European tour by train, with the freedom to go where they liked and exactly when they wanted. Of course InterRail soon became a cult of huge proportions and young adults were InterRailing all over the continent creating there own adventures as the mood took them North to Scandinavia or through Germany down to the beaches of the Mediterranean.

Budget airlines have cast a shadow over InterRail in recent years, but now that the carbon footprint of air travel is a consideration and environmental awareness is increasing all over, it’s an interesting time for InterRail to offer a completely new range of passes on sale from April 1 this year, and it looks like InterRail is positioned for a powerful return to prominence. The new ticket range offers loads of options and good value, but importantly for anyone over 26 years old InterRail is no longer just for backpacker youth either. There are passes for those of us over 26 and our kids, in both first and second class.Gone is the annoying zone system introduced in the 1990s, and once again all InterRail global passes now give unlimited train travel across the whole of Europe, from Portugal in the West to Poland in the East, Helsinki in the North to Istanbul in the South. There are two options for those not expecting to travel all the time, either five days unlimited travel in any 10-day period or 10 days unlimited travel in any 22-day period (what days you travel is up to you at the time). There are also two continuous options for those expecting to zip here and there most of the time and they are either 22 days or one month.

The 10 days in 22 days pass allows you to go there and back by train for £175 (under 26) or £263 (over 26). It gives plenty of time for stopovers in Paris, Vienna, Budapest, Bucharest or even Transylvania, and of course you can go out on one route and come back on another.

Travel on comfortable (some of the time !) daytime trains or make good use of the overnight sleepers to save on hotel bills and cover big distances. You can get into the thrill and pace of the long train journey – something I enjoy so much more than air travel. It’s not all about getting there as quick as possible, it’s about the journey, the scenery, the people you can meet and the freedom you can feel. And it is that freedom that InterRail gives you that you don't get with the strict itinerary of pre-booked non-changeable air fares. If the mood takes you, you can stay longer; if you are not keen to stay, you can move on to somewhere new. With InterRail and the European train network, you can really go where the fancy takes you.
· For more information on InterRail passes, see raileurope.co.uk, interrailnet.com or seat61.com/Railpass.htm.


Best Spanish Beach
March 4, 2007
Las Islas Cies, Galicia, Spain. 'The wilder, stunning Atlantic coastline of Galicia, just north of Portugal, has far more dramatic praias - with far fewer people on them.'

Las Islas Cies, Galicia, Spain
The warm, gentle mediterranean lapping round your ankles is one way to experience the Spanish beaches. Some people prefer a wilder, more romantic coastline and opt for the beaches in Galicia, just north of Portugal for something more dramatic and less crowded.
. Like a jewel of this coast are Las Islas Cies, which can be reached by taking a 40 minute boat trip from the pretty town of Baiona.
Once the haunt of pirates, Cies is now an uninhabited and perfectly preserved national park, which is only open to the public in summer. Galegos come here in the summer to spend long, lazy days on the Praia das Rodas, a white sandy moon shaped beach backed by small, soft dunes sheltering a calm lagoon of clear blue sea.
It looks like the Carribean but the temperature of the sea will soon remind you that it’s not!
You can sleep in an idyllic campsite, shaded by tall pine trees, with a view over the ocean. And, this being Spain, there's even a proper restaurant serving great seafood.Where to stay: Camping Islas Cies is open Easter week and June-September.

Bulli For You To Go
February 15, 2007
El Bulli - the famous restaurant on the Costa Brava - owned by Juli Soler and Ferran Adrià, is a treat that takes a bit of planning. It is only open April to September (the rest of the year is spent inventing new taste sensations!) and you can book from January onwards but it is such an exciting treat - read this article, written when ElBulli was voted by Restaurant Magazine the best restaurant in the world back in 2002 - and you will get an idea why it has such a strong reputation for innovation and sheer delight (do not raise your hopes though - over 400,000 try to book for the 8000 or so seats over the season).

If your wallet will not stretch to the El Bulli prices, maybe 200 Euros a head with wine (very good value though, for the experience), or you just could not get a table, then maybe you will settle for Ferran Adrià's version of fast food and burgers - done with the quality expected but fast and cheap. His Fast Good concept has two outlets in Madrid, one in Santiago de Chile, and more in Spain due. Fast Good



The addresses of the Fast Good outlets are:




Calle Padre Damián, 23 Madrid
(Corner of the NH Eurobuilding)




Juan Bravo, 3c Madrid
(Corner of Lagasca)

Av. Isidora Goyenechea 2890,Las Condes. Santiago de Chile

And soon:



Barcelona: Balmes 127 (corner of Roselló)

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria: Simón Bolívar 5

Madrid: Orense 11, Arroyo de la Vega

Valencia: Gran Vía Marqués del Turia 26



So if you are visiting one of these cities I suggest Bulli for you to go

Spain can be so Moorish !
January 10, 2007
If it’s the worlds best sherry and seafood you’re after you can’t go far wrong with the Andalucian city, Jerez de la Frontera. In this charming town there is also The Hamman Andalusi, a beautiful Moroccan style baths in a palatial 18th century town house. To quote the local guide in a delightful translation:


"A visit forced in your time of leisure, a place of calmness and delight for your senses, in magical and fascinating unique surroundings. A house-palace of rehabilitated century XVIII with beauty, where the power of the water will make you disconnect of the daily routine. Hamman Andalusí, a balsam for your spirit.
In the Arab baths “Hammam Andalusí” you will enjoy relax between massages and baths in conditionned swimming pools. All it in unique Sherry surroundings right in the center."



Surely you cannot resist that !



To get in the Spanish/ Mooorish mood try the Moro restaurant http://www.moro.co.uk/ in Exmouth Market, London for an adventurous zing to the taste buds.

Spanish Dreams Can Come True !
January 1, 2007

The Spanish are one of the most hospitable people of Europe and it is immediately apparent that they know how to enjoy life.
The flamboyance and vitality of the Spanish cities contrasts with the splendid scenery and tranquility of the countryside where it seems time has stood still.

Here are a few select holidays in Spain 2007:

Classical Spain - 7 days from £499pp
Departs March, April, May, June, September & October 2007 From London Gatwick, Luton, Manchester, Bristol, East Midlands, Leeds/Bradford & Birmingham
http://travel.guardian.co.uk/article/2006/oct/20/spain.spain

Why not try a holiday auction?


Coach holiday – Spain mini cruise:
http://www.gold-crest.com/tourpage.php?tour_ref=GCSMC4




Or for something more wild and exciting why not try www.trailblazers-spain.com/ for Spanish off road motorbiking with tuition provided.


A Christmas Getaway to Barcelona ?
November 17, 2006

Spain is one of the best countries to be during public holidays and festivals. Christmas is no exception. Here is a guide to their traditions around this time: (Don’t forget to buy a loved one some red underwear on New Years eve and eat 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight) www.idealspain.com/pages/information/ChristmasInSpain.htm

Barcelona has got to be one of the coolest cities in Europe especially when there are festivities to be had. The picture here is of Barcelona at Christmas and it is certainly a lively place to visit in the festive season. Here is a complete guide to what shops, restaurants and tourist attractions are open during Christmas in Barcelona, including interactive map:
www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com/barcelona-christmas.html

Get an idea from a couple’s journal from last Christmas doing the Barcelona tour thing: realtravel.com/barcelona-journals-j1582480.html

On the other hand how about incorporating a language course over the festive season with all the trimmings thrown in: www.cactuslanguage.com/en/book/course.php?course_id=337

If you want a flamenco Christmas maybe Jerez is the place to be:

“Christmas is here. Jerez dresses up for the festivities. Thousands of light bulbs illuminate the downtown area. The town is decked out. It is a time for celebration. Despite the low winter temperatures, thousands of Jerez inhabitants take to the streets. It is a dearly loved time, a time for family. Encounters and re-encounters. Indelible moments. Zambombas. Yes, that so peculiar festival belonging to Jerez's popular heritage which is held every month of December. The magic of a genuine tradition. Gatherings of Christmas songs, of Christmas carols to a flamenco beat.”
Flamencoworld.com

Hotels in Jerez and more at Christmas:
www.timeout.com/travel/jerez/seasonal.html

For latest offers to Spain:
travel.guardian.co.uk/readeroffers/spain





Spain - Top holiday destination
November 1, 2006
Spain attracts more than 45m tourists each year. With incredible Moorish architecture from centuries of Arab rule, such as the Alhambra in Granada, Spain offers history and culture as well as a warm climate and sandy beaches.
Spain can be extremely hot in the summer, often reaching and exceeding 30C, as well as cold in the winter especially in the mountains where temperatures drop to below freezing and it can snow.

Expect to be served little snacks in the bars and restaurants called “tapas” which include tortilla de patatas - potato omelette, calamares – fried squid, paella – rice with vegetables and seafood, gazpacho – cold tomato and vegetable soup which is often served chilled in the hot summer.

The Spanish have a siesta – an afternoon nap, which helps them stay up in the cooler evenings. They tend to eat very late in the evenings with lunch as the main meal of the day.

The Spanish usually drink wine with their meal - rioja, penedes and sparkling cava - and sherry from Jerez.

Villa holidays in Spain
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