17 best resorts in Spain โ which one to choose for recreation, photo, description
Spain โ the birthplace of Gaudi and Salvador Dali โ is always attractive and mysterious. Spain can't just get bored โ did you manage to see all the most hyped sights? Come here for a beach holiday. Tired of lazy days under the hot southern sun? Wine or gastronomic tours are always relevant. The best beach resorts in Spain are invariably hospitable โ the main thing is not to get confused and choose the one that best suits how you imagined this vacation.
Ibiza
This resort can hardly be called loyal in terms of local prices, but this does not deter the numerous tourists who come to the island year after year. Ibiza is universally famous as the center of nightlife. The main party place is considered to be San Antonio, where wealthy English youth usually go. The club season usually falls during the summer months. However, if you are planning a family vacation, you should not cross out Ibiza from the list of potential resort towns โ in the north you can easily find a more secluded resort with a clean beach and excellent living conditions.
Behind the bright neon illumination, it is too easy to forget that Ibiza is also an old historical center, and the local Gothic architecture has the features of classic Spanish Gothic, easily distinguishable and majestic. Outside the city, a completely different world begins โ with pirate towers, deep grottoes and the romance of life on the water.
Majorca
This sunny island is in many ways considered the most democratic of the islands of the Balearic archipelago. Queens, actresses, and old friends meet here. An effervescent cocktail becomes an absolutely explosive mixture in the high season, and therefore it is worth seriously considering whether you are ready to mingle with the thousands of other tourists who come to the island. However, it should be borne in mind that as you move deeper into the island, prices miraculously decrease, as does the number of tourists per square meter. Rock climbing, beach holidays, diving โ the local nature is rich and diverse.
The reefs amaze with an abundance of colors, the valleys โ with their width, and the mountain ranges with the steepness of cave formations. For a family holiday, Cola d'Or is ideal with its many cozy coves. Young people usually flock to Arenal, as club life is always seething here, and prices are relatively affordable. Russian tourists usually choose Magaluf with its excellent infrastructure. Romantics should make a choice in favor of Paguera โ the local nature is fascinating.
Menorca
The second largest island after Mallorca is strikingly different from it. It is often called the island of lights and winds. Menorca owes this name to the Phoenicians, who have repeatedly mentioned that strange lights flare up on the steep shores of the island. However, their mystery still remains unsolved. Despite the fact that Menorca is indisputably one of the top most expensive resort areas in Spain, you will not see clumsy giants of the hotel business here.
The fact is that the territory of the island was declared a biosphere reserve, in order to preserve the ecosystem of which the construction of high-rise buildings was prohibited, and a number of restrictions were imposed on their appearance, in particular, the need to paint the walls exclusively white. Even in the high season, Menorca is usually less crowded than Mallorca. And compared to Ibiza, it can be called deserted. Usually the British and Catalans come here, who appreciate a measured rest without annoying guides and are guided by an individual version of the tourist program.
Tenerife
Are you planning a trip to the Canary Islands? Make your choice in favor of Tenerife. This is the largest island of the archipelago, whose hospitality has long become a classic holiday in Spain. Here you can really find entertainment for every taste. Do you want your family vacation to be unforgettable? Puerto de la Cruz is the right choice. Thirst to dissolve in the lights of discos and become part of a diverse crowd? Feel free to go to Costa Adaje. Tenerife is diverse โ beaches blown by all the winds, which are always occupied by those who want to conquer the water element, alternate with calm lagoons, where fans of diving and beach holidays usually go.
You can relax from the bustle of megacities in Loro Park โ on its territory there is a water park, an old botanical garden, a huge zoo and even a dolphinarium. If you still doubt whether it is worth going to Tenerife, say, in winter, drop these doubts. It is deservedly called the island โthe vein of springโ. The temperature here is stable within the range of +20 to +25 degrees Celsius all year round.
Costa del Sol
The resorts of this line are called โSunny Beachโ for a reason. Many owners of a Hollywood smile and eminent athletes have chosen this coast for the construction of their villas. Regardless of the season, it is always noisy and bustling here โ the piers are habitually bristling with yachts, and beach discos do not stop until the morning. The chic beaches contrast somewhat with the cool waters. Due to the Atlantic currents, even in the hottest weather, local waters do not warm up to high temperatures.
Therefore, beach lovers may be somewhat annoyed, which cannot be said about avid surfers โ thanks to the same cool currents, you can โcatchโ waves here almost around the clock. There are other attractions here as well. For example, Frigiliana, a city that hides in the mountains. Or the caves of Nerja. Aquariums and amusement parks will surprise few people, so a safari park has opened in Costa del Sol. Animals from all continents live here. For each of them, conditions close to natural were created.
Costa de la Luz
The โCoast of Lightโ is washed by the waters of the Atlantic. This resort is located on the border with Portugal and has a bright ethnic connotation. There are no tourists active around the clock here โ holidays in the Costa de la Luz are always distinguished by calmness and measured rhythm. Windsurfing is very popular here, as is sailing under one's own sail โ a warm and sunny climate and vast expanses. The local beaches are longer in comparison with the Costa del Sol. The sand here is finer and seems almost snow-white.
Thanks to this, many local beaches are awarded the Blue Flag from year to year. It is best to go here to one of the carnivals โ at this time you should be ready for bullfights, folk music, horse races and juicy national flavor, which literally soaks the air. The most colorful festivities take place in Cadiz in May. The top attendance also includes Dew in Ayamonte, which takes place at the end of August. For the sake of this action, the best voices of Andalusia flock to the vicinity of Huelva.
Costa del Almeria
This part of the Mediterranean belongs to the Spanish Andalusia, which implies the presence of architectural monuments and the flavor of the Old World. Remembering the Costa del Almeria, there is often an association with the โwhite coastโ. Looking at the local coast, sparkling like a placer of sugar in the rays of the midday sun, it is difficult to avoid such a train of thought. Steep rocky massifs look extremely contrasting against the backdrop of a pacifying landscape. Despite its historical past, the Costa del Almeria is a fairly young resort.
Almost all local hotel complexes have been built over the past twenty years. The center of local tourism is Almeria โ the main city of the island, which appeared during the Roman era as โPort Magnusโ, after the Arab conquest from the โGreat Portโ it turned into the โMirror of the Seaโ without changing its essence. Mojacar โ another center of local tourism โ has the charm of the Spanish hinterland with narrow streets and a cozy promenade. Roquetas de Mar is the best option for families with children.
Costa Blanca
It is hardly possible for any of the numerous Spanish resorts to compete with the โWhite Coastโ as beaches. This resort is an absolute champion in two categories โ in the number of beaches marked with the Blue Flag, and in the number of sunny days. Trying to capture the nuances of the differences between the Costa Blanca and, say, the Costa Dorada, you can be at a dead end. But in the most general terms, we can say that the Costa Blanca is more democratic, a little less expensive and somewhat freedom-loving. Why is it worth going here?
The cleanest beaches, invariably warm weather, an abundance of deep grottoes along almost the entire coast, ancient villages in national color and chic golf courses. Among the main resorts are usually called Ganlia, located along the turbulent streams of the Serpis River, Calpe with its old observation tower and a rich conservation area lying at the foot of Ifach Mountain, Javea with an abundance of fruits and a variety of water sports, as well as Villayosa, where traditional August festivities.
Costa Brava
This โWild, Rocky Coastโ or, as it is also called, โCoast of the Braveโ is widely known among tourists who want to visit Spain. The Costa Brava is part of sunny Catalonia, where traditions are stronger than anywhere else, and the sun is always hot. The local views are breathtaking. The verdant peaks of the Pyrenees, densely overgrown with fir and pine trees, the most beautiful bays with beaches of white sand and pebbles, the azure of the clear sea โ nature has never been more generous in relation to this Catalan region.
Representatives of numerous ancient civilizations could not fail to appreciate this, which moored to the then wild shores and often remained on them, endowing them with their cultural heritage: the ancient Greeks, Iberians and Romans chose these places long before the colonizers of the New World. The resorts of the Costa Brava are as diverse as its nature. Suffice it to mention Tossa de Mar, where not only the fortresses are ancient, but also the casinos of the nineteenth century, Figueres, a Mecca for fans of surrealism, and Lloret de Mar, whose infrastructure is considered the most developed.
Costa Dorada
The Gold Coast is home to landscapes that are extremely diverse, stretched between the rice paddies of the Erbo River and a string of tiny towns dotted west of Barcelona. Local beaches, unlike many others in Spain, have a pleasant slightly golden hue. If you are looking for a bustling resort, feel free to choose any of the cities of the central and western Costa Dorada, which are more developed than all other components of this zone. If you decide to go to one of the beaches around Erbo, you will be amazed by its emptiness, despite the fact that the season can be high.
Tourists with children come here with pleasure, because it is in the Costa Dorada that the largest European amusement park PortAventura is located. Those who are more interested in sightseeing holidays often choose Tarragona, where the monuments of Roman architecture and medieval buildings are perfectly preserved. Local party centers are Salou and La Pineda.
Costa Verde
The green coast stretches along the surf line of the Atlantic and is considered hardly the main resort area of โโโโthe northern coast. Fishing in Costa Verde attracts thousands of tourists mainly from Europe. Vacationers often start their journey from the ancient port of Llanes, around which picturesque villages are scattered. Many beaches that have earned a reputation among surfers are located at the mouth of Villavillos, surrounded by apple orchards.
Gijรณn is one of the oldest industrial cities in the region. San Lorenzo โ the main beach of Costa Verde โ is considered the most luxurious of the chain of beaches that lie between the city and the cape of Cabo de Peรฑas. Among this colorful kaleidoscope, you can also highlight the brown beach of Moniello, which is great for diving, Concha de Ardeto, which offers the most breathtaking panoramic views on the northern coast, and Cavedo Beach, a small seaside town that has managed to resist and retain its charm. .
Cantabria
The Spaniards themselves, without undue modesty, call Cantabria the โLand of Joy.โ Although this region can hardly boast of its size, its diversity is something that really amazes, even if you are not visiting Cantabria for the first time. Here you can see the mountain ranges, and the fertile valleys of the south, and the bays. This motley โ3Dโ mosaic also includes surada, a dry, warm wind that invariably blows towards the coast, among the wonders of nature.
Among the local beauties, one can especially highlight the Peaks of Europe National Park, which is rightfully considered the pride of Cantabria, as well as a unique dune complex at the mouth of the Pas River. But the real wealth of Cantabria is its cultural attractions, many of which are today under the protection of UNESCO. So, the cave of Altamira is often compared with the notorious Sistine Chapel, but of ancient painting. Try also to visit one of the local settlements โ because of their closeness, they were able to form a unique culture of pasyego.
San Sebastian
This largest and oldest city in the Basque Country is called Donostia among the local population. Its foundation was in the twelfth century. For a long time it was nothing more than a tiny fishing village that lived off a busy port, through which there was trade with France and England. It is noteworthy that the city owed its tourist debut to the wife of one of the greatest conquerors of history โ the wife of Napoleon Bonaparte himself, who moved the court here.
Gradually, the resort became more and more expensive, and during the First World War, which passed by Spain, this fame only became stronger. San Sebastian became the most fashionable aristocratic resort, hosting many representatives of royal families. It is not surprising that modern San Sebastian is one of the most expensive cities in Spain. But the service here is worthy of royal families.
Costa Tropical
The tropical coast is located near the African continent, which explains the surprisingly warm climate of this region. In addition, this resort area is under the reliable protection of mountain ranges โ the peaks of the Iberian Peninsula serve as a reliable shield from the northern winds. Costa Tropical will be interesting not only for beach holidays and surprisingly fertile soils, but also for ancient monuments โ here you can see Roman aqueducts, Arab โwhite citiesโ, and Phoenician necropolises.
Granada, the main city of the province, with its hanging gardens of the Generalife, is on par with the Louvre in terms of tourist attendance. Salobrena is a piece of the Arab world in Spain, one of the most โwhite citiesโ that have survived to this day. There are also echoes of Moorish architecture. Motril is the proud owner of the best beaches in the Costa Tropical. It will be an excellent choice for those tourists who are focused on outdoor activities.
Benidorm
Unexpectedly for everyone, Benidorm grew and expanded in breadth, which was a completely unremarkable town, where most of the men were fishermen until the twentieth century. Today, here you can find entertainment for literally every taste: from spearfishing to furious shopping or ethnographic research. It is often called the Spanish Las Vegas, however, more modest in size. As is often the case, the city consists of the Old and the New. Here you can see the settlements of the seventeenth century, whose streets were built according to the principle of one knight's spear, and therefore it will be extremely difficult for a crowd of tourists to disperse here.
The central artery of the city, from which modern supermarkets, restaurants and boutiques are fed, is the embankment. Concerts are often held in the central Plaza de Toros. The same square has repeatedly become the center of the movement of numerous festivals, and there are a great many of them here โ from gatherings of instrumental music fans to food festivals.
Barcelona
This city is undeniably worthy of all those epithets that easily come to mind, one has only to hear this name: proud, colorful, seething. Geniuses walked along its streets, idlers occupied its taverns โ and so century after century under the noisy lapping of the sea. The indomitable energy of Dali and the sometimes difficult to perceive architecture of Gaudรญ perfectly demonstrate the individuality of this stunning city. Want to touch history?
With regard to Barcelona, โโit will be enough just to go outside, and if you take a walk to the old Roman port, you will suddenly find that almost every stone has its own legend associated with it. The Gothic quarter is gradually moving into the New Town, which was built already in the nineteenth century. And there are so many museums here that even a week is not enough to see all the local exhibits. The favorite beach of visitors and residents of the city itself โ Barceloneta โ is located north of Barcelona. It is followed in a chain by the beaches of Ikaria, Mar Bella and Sitges.
La Manga del Mar Menor
Usually the name of this beach town is shortened to La Manga. It is a rather narrow sandy spit in the east of Murcia. If you find yourself here, then on either side of you there will be only two things โ sand and the azure sea. Over the years, La Manga has cemented its reputation as a โtwo seasโ resort, as it separates Europe's largest lagoon, also known as the โlittle seaโ, from the Mediterranean Sea. Local beaches are considered one of the cleanest not only in Spain, but throughout Europe.
It is difficult to single out any well-defined beach areas here, as they are usually just endless golden strips of sand that have never been named. On Cape Polos, you can rent all the equipment you need for snorkeling or diving, and the Playa de Galua beach is usually occupied by kitesurfers. There are no architectural sights, which is compensated by the presence of breathtaking natural beauties. To get to know the most beautiful local views, you can join one of the popular trekking routes.
Which one to choose for families with children
If you are planning a trip with children, you can, without much thought, opt for Barcelona โ the mild climate typical of the Mediterranean, clean beaches, the sweet smell of orange groves and all the entertainment that a modern city can offer. Seville is better suited for outdoor activities without a powerful excursion base. However, the presence of a water park, an ultra-modern amusement park and, in general, a rather futuristic look of the city is guaranteed to make children delighted.
Costa Blanca is a well-deserved children's health resort, whose reputation has been confirmed for centuries. This corner of the Spanish coast is considered the coolest, and therefore it is almost impossible to find a hotel room during the high season โ many choose this particular resort, as little travelers are not always able to withstand the scorching southern sun. Tenerife should also be mentioned โ exotic birds and animals, games with funny lemurs, adventures in the local jungle โ such a vacation will be remembered by children for a long time.
Resorts for youth
Benidorm โ Spanish Las Vegas โ is located on the Costa Blanca and has the most vibrant nightlife. Only Ibiza, the club capital of Spain, can be compared with it, where eminent DJs are happy to go. The audience here is always cheerful and welcoming. Lloret de Mar offers a slightly different โ more โartisticโ option for recreation with a festival of fine arts and the most popular Clone Festival, in which young people are especially actively involved.
Megaluf takes with the blessings of civilization and the achievements of an inquisitive human mind: a house of wonders with a water piano and mirrored corridors, adventures on a real pirate ship and a huge water park that is simply impossible not to visit. The top five resorts among young people also include Salou, the gastronomic center of the region, as well as the happy owner of the Port Aventura amusement park.
Spanish beaches have already managed to turn into a kind of brand โ you expect only the most comfortable rest and the most colorful views from them. And these expectations, fortunately, are justified. Aiguablava beach is located near a tiny picturesque village near Girona. It lies in the heart of the bay and is considered one of the best in the Costa Brava. Granadella is another iconic beach. He settled comfortably in a cove near Javea. The bay hardly reaches twenty meters, and therefore the water here is simply amazingly clear, and shoals of colorful fish can be seen even from the coastal cliffs. Macarella looks, without exaggeration, bewitching. It is often referred to as blue tourmaline due to the unique hue of the local sands. It is also impossible not to name the beach of Bologna, which is located in the bosom of a truly virgin, wild nature.
Best time to travel
The high season for a beach holiday in Spain lasts from May to October. It is worth bearing in mind the presence of regional peculiarities โ in the north of the country, the swimming season really begins only by June. July and August have the highest number of tourists. At this time, it is almost impossible to find a free hotel room if you have not booked it in advance. The prices are also in line with the high season. In winter, the tourist life of Spain does not stop at all โ numerous ski centers open.