Is the Great British love affair with Spain grinding to a halt? Not by a long straw. We may have moved on from those early package holidays of sun, sandcastles and sangria, but, as a nation, we are making more trips to Spain than ever.
Not only are there so many ways to get there - budget airlines, cheap charters, ferries and even trains - Brits are realising that there is much, much more to the country than its overcrowded costas.
You can hike in the mountains, stay in a castle, learn to dive, tour vineyards, study art, make a pilgrimage, learn to cook, charter a yacht, play golf or ride the range. To prove the point, we present 20 great summer holidays in Spain, to satisfy any taste.
Unless stated, all package prices are per person, based
on two sharing, and include flights from London. For other UK or Irish departures, contact the operator
1 PLAY TOGETHER
Take the family on an activity-packed week in the Sierra Aitana, a rugged mountain region near Alicante. Parents and children can have a go at mountain-biking, sea kayaking, abseiling and caving - no experience is required - while based at an attractive farmhouse overlooking olive groves and orchards near the village of Sella.
Each day brings a new activity or excursion - a ferry trip to the small fortified island of Tabarca, a walk led by a local shepherd and his goats, and chances to savour traditional village life, helping to pick fruit and press olives. Eight days cost £575 (under-11s £295, under-3s free), including most meals, but not flights, with Guerba (01373 826611, www.guerba.co.uk). Flights to Alicante can be arranged on request. Other operators include The Adventure Company (0845 450 5311, www.adventurecompany.co.uk) and Explore (0870 333 4001, www.explore.co.uk).
2 STAY IN A CASTLE For many years, the province of Gerona was barely disturbed by tourism. Charter flights would land and disgorge coachloads of package holidaymakers to the grim coastal resorts of Blanes and Lloret de Mar, but few tourists lingered inland. Now, though, a new generation of visitors is heading for the hills, forests and medieval towns of this delightful corner of Catalonia.
One of the finest places to stay is the four-star Castell d'Emporda, a beautifully restored 14th-century castle, with towering views over the surrounding countryside. Doubles start at £72, B&B, in May, rising to £109 in August. Book direct (00 34 972 646254, www.castelldemporda.com) and fly with Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) to Gerona. For a package, try Kirker Holidays (0870 112 3333, www.kirkerholidays.com).
3 WIND DOWN If you like your beaches to come complete with straw donkeys and banana-boat rides, don't go to Formentera. This languidly laid-back island, a half-hour boat ride from Ibiza, has sugar-white sand lapped by clear turquoise waters and just a few flat roads where you can hop on a rented bike to explore a salt lagoon, a nature reserve and a hippie market. The biggest cause of stress? Deciding which bar to sit outside to watch the sunset. Stay at the Hostal Voramar, in Es Pujols, where a week costs £425, B&B, in May (£585 in August), with Thomson Small & Friendly (0870 165 0078, www.thomson.co.uk).
4 TAKE A LEAP OF FAITH It's hard to imagine a more thrilling, heart-in-your-mouth experience than jumping out of a moving aircraft at 12,000ft and free-falling solo for 90 seconds back to earth. Incredibly, you can do this after just two days of training. And where better than over the foothills of the Pyrenees, with glorious mountain scenery unfolding around you as you race through the air? Spend a week at the four-star Port Salins Hotel, in Empuriabrava, with two days of skydiving - ground training, tandem jump, then solo jump - and three days of ground-based activities, including mountain-biking, canyoning and white-water rafting. Prices start at £899, B&B, with Black Tomato (020 7610 9008, www.blacktomato.co.uk).
5 GLAM IT UP If you want to take that new Versace two-piece for a spin, head for the Marbella Club Hotel. Although it enjoyed its heyday in the 1960s, when it became a renowned party hang-out for film stars and young Eurotrash, it retains a heady whiff of glamour. It's the kind of hotel where ladies get fully made up to go to the pool and boyfriends can easily be mistaken for indulgent uncles: great for people-watching. If that begins to pall, you can always head to nearby Puerto Banus to ogle the billionaires' yachts. A week costs £1,280, B&B, in May (£1,800 in August), with Seasons in Style (01244 202000, www.seasonsinstyle.co.uk).()
6 TAKE THE FAST TRAIN Spain's high-speed intercity trains glide through the countryside at 190mph and are so efficient that if they arrive more than five minutes late, passengers are offered refunds. Because of this, it's possible to embark on a grand tour of the country without spending days hanging around on branch lines or being held up by engineering works. Great Rail Journeys (01904 521980, www.greatrail.com) has a 14-day escorted tour, leaving London Waterloo on Eurostar on May 19 or September 8 and taking in Barcelona, Seville, Madrid, Toledo and Bilbao, as well as tours of Andalusia, Catalonia and the Basque country. Prices start at £1,950, including first-class travel throughout, 13 nights' B&B, five dinners and three lunches.
7 DIVE IN Spain is not best known as a destination for scuba-divers, but just off the coast at L'Estartit, on the Costa Brava, lies a string of islands, the Illes Medes, that are home to about 1,400 species of marine and plant life. A conservation area since 1985, the area is ideal for first-timers. Stay a mile away at Castell Montgri, a hillside holiday park that hits the spot for families with teenagers, thanks to its swimming pools, sun terraces, organised sports, live music and nightly disco. A week's self-catering in a mobile home for up to six people costs £502 in May (£1,221 in August), including short ferry crossings, with Thomson Al Fresco (0870 060 1389, www.thomsonalfrescolifestyle.co.uk). A five-day Padi course costs £265; minimum age 12. Or try Keycamp (0870 700 0740, www.keycamp.co.uk).
8 SNAP TO IT Sharpen up your camera skills on a week-long photography course amid the mountains and villages of the Sierra Nevada. With expert guidance and one-to-one tuition from the travel photographer Peter Netley, you wander around this idyllic corner of Andalusia, visiting quiet whitewashed villages and walking in the surrounding hills. As well as shooting scenes of traditional country life, you will visit nearby Granada, to see and photograph the Alhambra. Go in June, when the light is perfect and the temperatures are not too punishing. A week in a small hotel with swimming pool starts at £899, full-board, including airport transfers and wine with your evening meals, but not flights, with Andalucian Adventures (01453 834137, www.andalucian-adventures.co.uk). Flights to Malaga can be arranged.
9 PAY HOMAGE Pilgrims from across Europe have been walking the Camino de Santiago since the 10th century. It's a gorgeous trek across the high plains and green mountains of northern Spain. There's just one snag - it will take you about 30 days to cover the entire route, from St-Jean-Pied-de-Port, on the French border, to the cathedral at Santiago de Compostela. Fortunately, you can bite off the best bits on a new 12-day guided trek between Burgos and Santiago, taking in the gorgeous scenery of the Castilian Meseta, the 3,280ft-high Pedrafita do Cebreiro pass and the rich medieval cities of Burgos and Leon. Departing in May or September, the trip starts at £980, B&B, with Explore (0870 333 4001, www.explore.co.uk).
10 MAKE A MEAL OF IT In the foothills of Mallorca's Tramuntana mountains, surrounded by vines and citrus groves, sits Read's, a restored manor house with 24 rooms, two pools and a Michelin star. Now guests can indulge in a week-long gastronomic feast overseen by the restaurant's director, Marc Fosh.
Treats include a seven-plate tasting menu with wine, three-course à la carte dinners in both of the hotel's restaurants, a visit to a local bodega and tutored tastings of Spanish wine, ham and cheese, as well as two evenings at Fosh's cookery school in Palma, watching his crew at work, learning techniques and recipes, then dining on the results. The week costs £1,190, B&B, throughout the year, including car hire, but not flights, with Balearic Discovery (0870 243 2272, www.balearicdiscovery.com). Airlines serving Palma include easyJet (www.easyjet.com), British Airways (0870 850 9850, www.ba.com) and bmibaby (0870 264 2229, www.bmibaby.com).
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11 CEREBRAL AND SENSUAL If you've ever wandered around a historic city and thought the experience would be so much richer if you had an authoritative guide to bring it all alive, you might want to consider an art and culture tour. Try a week in Salamanca, Madrid and Old Castile, the historical and cultural heart of Spain, with visits to the Prado and Goya's frescoes in the church of San Antonio de la Florida, as well as access to private palaces in Toledo and Segovia. With accommodation at top hotels, including the Palacio de Castellanos, a former palace in Salamanca, and meals at leading restaurants such as Botin, in Madrid, it's a treat for all the senses. Departing on May 22, the trip costs £2,370, including most meals, with Specialtours (020 7730 2297, www.specialtours. co.uk). Other operators include Martin Randall Travel (020 8742 3355, www.martinrandall.com) and The Traveller (020 7436 9343, www.the-traveller.co.uk).
12 EMBRACE NATURE Hike across the spectacular limestone peaks of the Picos de Europa, looking for rare birds, wild flowers and butterflies. On this eight-day guided trip with Naturetrek (01962 733051, www.naturetrek.co.uk), you'll walk through deserted gorges, across alpine meadows and along ancient drovers' tracks. Staying in two pretty mountain villages, you'll be accompanied by an ornithologist, a botanist and a butterfly expert, who will point out rare species such as Egyptian vultures, hen harriers and swallowtail butterflies. Departing on June 18, the trip costs £985, including meals with wine.
13 SADDLE UP Ride across the wild countryside of Extremadura, home to the conquistadors. Three hours west of Madrid, the snow-capped peaks of the Gredos Mountains provide the perfect backdrop for a guided trek along unspoilt valleys and across lavender-carpeted hills. Riding an Arab-Andalusian cross, you spend about six hours a day in the saddle, stopping at villages for picnics. At night, you sleep in paradors or comfortable village hotels. Aimed at intermediate to experienced riders, the seven-night trip starts at £1,000, including meals with wine, with Ride Worldwide (01837 82544, www.rideworldwide.co.uk). Flights to Madrid are not included; try Iberia (0870 609 0500, www.iberia.com), British Airways (0870 850 9850, www.ba.com) or EasyJet (www.easyjet.com). Other operators include Inntravel (01653 617906, www.inntravel.co.uk).
14 TWO WHEELS GOOD Explore La Rioja on two wheels, cruising along the banks of the River Ebro as it passes through vineyards and lush valleys, and stopping for breathers at medieval villages and bodegas, where the owners will welcome you inside to taste their wines. This week-long, unescorted cycling trip through one of Spain's most beautiful and unspoilt regions includes visits to salt lakes and 17th-century monasteries, with nights in charming village hotels. Prices start at £626 in May (£666 in August), including three nights' B&B and four nights' half-board, bike hire and rail and taxi transfers, with Inntravel (01653 617906, www.inntravel.co.uk). Flights to Bilbao are not included; try Iberia (0870 609 0500, www.iberia.com) or EasyJet (www.easyjet.com). Other operators include Freewheel Holidays (01636 815636, www.freewheelholidays.com).
15 SET SAIL If you go to some of the smarter beaches on Ibiza or Mallorca, you'll often see a small fleet of yachts moored just off the coast. As lunchtime approaches, outboard motors will be fired up and the smiling, tanned beautiful people will whizz ashore to take their tables at the best seafood restaurants. Some of these people will be super-rich, some will be well connected, others will be those simply canny enough to charter a yacht for a week rather than book rooms at a boring hotel. To join the boat set, rent a 43ft-long Cyclades 43, which sleeps six people in three berths and costs £2,085 for a week in May (£3,255 in August), with Sunsail (0870 770 4839, www.sunsail.com). Flights to Palma can be arranged for a supplement.
()16 CANVAS AND CULTURE The northern coast of Cantabria - the Costa Verde - boasts fine sandy beaches and great seafood restaurants, overlooked by mountains and dairy pasture. Be brave and sleep under canvas at Camping Playa Joyel, near the resort of Noja. The camp site has a pool, tennis, football, riding and direct access to the beach, with Bilbao - home to the Guggenheim - and Santander both less than an hour's drive away. A week's self-catering in a fully equipped and extremely comfy tent costs £369 in May (£615 in August) for a family of two adults and up to four children, including short ferry crossings, with Canvas Holidays (0870 192 1159, www.canvasholidays.co.uk).
17 THRILLS TO SPILLS If it's happy, smiling children's faces you want, head to PortAventura, one of Europe's best theme parks and now part of the extensive Universal Parks and Resorts. The park itself has some world-class rollercoasters, including the eight-looping Dragon Khan, and up to 100 shows a day. After all that excitement, you can cool off next door at the Caribe Aquatic Park, which has wave pools, slides and water rides. The resort has three themed hotels that have free access to both parks, including the Hotel PortAventura, where a week costs £754, half-board, in August (£524 for a child under 13 sharing the parents' room; £584 for a second), with Airtours (0870 608 1940, www.airtours.co.uk). Other operators include Thomas Cook (0870 750 5711, www.thomascook.com).
18 SEA, SPORT AND SEVILLE A new motorway has made it easier than ever to combine a beach holiday on the Costa de la Luz with a couple of days in Seville, one of Spain's most deliciously Moorish cities. Spend a week at the five-star El Rompido Golf and Beach Hotel, which sits on a stretch of unspoilt coastline and has indoor and outdoor pools, an 18-hole golf course, tennis courts and a spa.Local markets and seafood restaurants are nearby. Then it's 90 minutes on the autopista to Seville, where, in the heart of the old quarter, you spend two nights at the Hotel Melia Colon. Prices start at £641, B&B, in May (£888 in August), with Travel Club of Upminster (01708 225000, www.travelclubofupminster.co.uk). Or try Sovereign (0870 366 1626, www.sovereign.com) or Stowaway Travel (0845 230 1212, www.stowawaytravel.co.uk).
19 DISCOVER A CLASSIC The big tour operators may be deserting the Costa Brava, but there are still some lovely hotels if you know where to look. The Sant Roc is a perfect example - a friendly, family-run three-star built on rocks near the fishing village of Calella de Palafrugell. The food is excellent, the beach nearby is great for swimming and the hotel makes an ideal base for exploring lazy sea ports and medieval walled towns. Top of your to-do list should definitely be the Dali triangle: Cadaques, where the painter lived; La Pera, where he turned a castle into a shrine to his wife; and Figueres, where the Museu Dali is a monument to surrealism. A week at the Hotel Sant Roc (book direct: 00 34 972 614250, www.santroc.com) starts at £364pp, half-board, in May (£508pp in August). Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) flies to Gerona.
20 REACH THE HEIGHTS The Ordesa Canyon is sometimes dubbed Europe's Grand Canyon - and it's easy to see why when you stand at the top and look down more than 6,000ft to the valley floor below. The canyon lies within Spain's longest-established national park, and is fabulous walking country. Overlooked by the peaks of the Pyrenees, you can hike along natural ledges once used as trails by hunters, rounding cliffs to discover one spectacular waterfall after another. Join an escorted tour with Ramblers Holidays
(01707 331133, www.ramblersholidays.co.uk), based at the Edelweiss hotel, in the village of Torla, with daily walks along and around the canyon, in the company of chamois, eagles and griffon vultures. A week costs £574, half-board, for all summer months except August. Other operators include Sherpa (020 8577 2717, www.sherpa-walking-holidays.co.uk).