Ancient Rome, Islamic raiders, and other influences combine to make Spain one of the world’s top historical tourism destinations. The beaches don’t hurt either.
History of Spain
Part of Hispania, the Romans oversaw Spain and successfully integrated with the local population. Today’s Spanish language descends directly from Latin. In the latter stages of Roman rule Christianity became the dominant religion; Catholicism remains the dominant religious force in Spain.
The peninsula’s various groups came together to drive Muslims from Spain, in a reconquest that took nearly 700 years to complete (it took 1 year for the Muslims to invade, in case anyone wants to keep score). The reconquest was completed in 1492, the same year that Ferdinand and Isabella sent Christopher Columbus out to find more people to maraud.
Spain remained an independent country after 1492, although controlled as a satellite state of Napoleon’s France for a while in the early 1800s. Spain lost most of its colonies to the USA in 1898, and after that came the Spanish Civil War. The dictator Franco ruled Spain with an iron fist for much of the century, until his much-celebrated demise in 1975.
Today Spain is a peaceful and a shockingly liberal architectural and cultural wonder.
The Albayzin, the old city of Granada.
Travel Tips for Spain
- Eat the local fare. Cheap but awesome food is just around the corner.
- Meals consist of a light breakfast, a second light breakfast, late lunch, snacks and then a very late dinner.
- Spanish pastries are a must have. They can be found at any café or pasteleria.
- Exploring the country is easy by train or bus, just don’t expect it to be as efficient and logical as the rest of Europe.
- City buses are really cheap, usually running from €1.20-1.60 a ride. You can usually pay for the ride on the bus.
- Intercity buses are also pretty cheap. You can buy tickets ahead of time, at bus stations and on the bus.
- Trains are the least confusing way to get around. However, they can be crowded and sell out. You can buy tickets online or at stations.
- Explore the country on your own terms, rent a car!
- Driving in Spain is relatively easy. Spain has a huge network of highways and expressways that are easy to navigate.
- Tolls roads are easily avoidable. Set your GPS to avoid toll roads.
- Parking can be a nightmare. Sometimes it’s just best to shell out for a parking garage.
- Many cities have free parking on the outskirts of town, just have to walk a bit extra. Don’t be scared off if it’s just a random dirt lot. Looking at you Segovia and Cordoba.
- Parking areas marked green are usually for permitted vehicles only. Blue parking areas are paid spaces during working hours and Saturday morning, free on Sundays and public holidays. (You can pay for parking at a nearby machine.) Parking spots marked white are golden. Aim for those.
- Watch out for pedestrians. The Spanish have a habit of walking into a crosswalk without checking if oncoming traffic can stop or not.
- Driving in Spain is relatively easy. Spain has a huge network of highways and expressways that are easy to navigate.
- The Siesta is an event. Between 2pm-5pm, many places including stores, museums, etc. close up shop. This is lunch and nap time. Many places stay open all day in larger cities, but stores will close in small towns and in southern Spain.
Top Sights
Places I have been or just recommend for visitors in Spain.
