Spain Hotels

Located in the southwest of Europe below France, Spain is one of the continent’s largest and most prosperous countries, synonymous with sunny weather, golden beaches, bullfighting, flamenco dancing and a rich culture and history.

Amusement Parks
Spain is loaded with them and chances are that there will be one near you wherever you go. Madrid’s Parque de Atracciones in Casa de Campo is one of the best with many great rides and lots of fun for everyone. Those staying in Barcelona have Tibidabo amusement park which is just north of town and is especially great for younger kids. The Tibibus bus leaves from outside El Corte Ingles in Placa Catalunya. A little farther out is Port Aventura Theme Park. Meanwhile, Majorca’s brilliant Marineland features performing dolphins and sea lions and Europe's largest collection of sharks. There is also a parrot circus and a reptile zoo here.

La Tamborrada: in San Sebastian is one of the loudest and most manic of festivals in Spain, featuring uniformed drummers parading through the streets in honour of patron saint, the Donostia of San Sebastian. The parade goes from Plaza de la Constitution and through the old city from midnight January 19, for 24 hours.

Alcázar
Walt Disney loved the view of the front of the Alcázar so much that he used the image for the look of Sleeping Beauty's castle, a perfect fairytale castle. The castle has been fortified since the days of the Romans and was greatly rebuilt in the 13^th and 14^th centuries, and again in the 1800s after it burned down in 1862. What one sees today is not the original look by a long shot and is somewhat an over-the-top version mock up of it. The main highlights of the castle are the Sala de Reyes (Kings' Room), with its many sculptures, and the Sala de las Piñas. Views of the town from the castle are outstanding.

The airport is about 10 miles from central Madrid and handles millions of passengers a year. There are three terminals at Barajas Airport, with Terminal 1 for international flights, Terminal 2 for domestic flights and Iberia European, and Terminal 3 for Iberia domestic.

Banks: 09:30 to 14:00, M/F; 
09:30 to 13:00, Sat
Post offices: 09:00 to 17:00 M/F; 
09:00 to 12:30, Sat
Government dept: 09:00 to 17:00, M/F
Business Centres: 09:00 to 17:30, M/F
Shops: 09:30 to 20:00, M/Sat
Many shops and public offices will close for siesta from 13:30 to 16:30 in lesser destinations although most tourist places stay open.