The Rough Guide to Spain 13 (Rough Guide Travel Guides)

1016 Pages·2009·27.28 MB·English

by  Rough Guides, Simon Baskett, Marc Dubin, John Fisher, Jules Brown, Mark Ellingham, Geoff Garvey, Greg Ward, Annelise Sorensen

J>;HEK=>=K?:;je
HeV^c
HEK=>=K?:;I
IF7?D
68dgjŠV <^_‹c HVciVcYZg HZWHVVhci^{c
EVj ;G6C8:

Edc[ZggVYV
K^\d
<^gdcV
OVgV\doV
7gV\V
Hdg^V
7VgXZadcV

Edgid
IVggV\dcV
HZ\dk^V
EDGIJ<6A <jVYVaV_VgV IZgjZa
BVYg^Y

8{XZgZh IdaZYd 8VhiZaa‹c EVabV BV‹
KVaZcX^V

A^hWdc 6aWVXZiZ >W^oVIdlc
7VYV_do
6a^XVciZ
8‹gYdWV B:9>I:GG6C:6C
H:6
HZk^aaZ
8VgiV\ZcV
;Vgd =jZakV Bd_{XVg
B{aV\V
6abZg†V
8{Y^o
/ BVgWZaaV 6A<:G>6
IVc\^Zg <^WgVaiVg
BVYg^Y 8VciVWg^V6hijg^Vh
6gdjcYBVYg^Y <Va^X^V
8Vhi^aBaVZ"aA^aVaVBVcX]V 6gV\dc
:migZbVYjgV 7VgXZadcV
6cYVajX†V 8ViVajcnV
BDGD88D 8Vhi^aaVnAZ‹cAVG^d_V KVaZcX^VBjgX^V
LN
:jh`Va=Zgg^V I]Z7VaZVg^X>haVcYh
Rough Guides are designed to be good to read and easy to
use. The book is divided into the following sections and you
should be able to find whatever you need in one of them.
The introductory colour section is designed to give you a
feel for Spain, suggesting when to go and what not to miss,
and includes a full list of contents. Then comes basics, for
pre-departure information and other practicalities.
The guide chapters cover the country in depth, each starting with a
highlights panel, introduction and a map to help you plan your route.
The contexts section fills you in on history, wildlife,
flamenco and books, while individual colour sections
introduce Spanish festivals, wine and walking.
The book concludes with all the small print,
including details of how to send in updates and
corrections, and a comprehensive index.
This thirteenth edition
published April 2009.
The publishers and authors have done their best to ensure the accuracy and
currency of all the information in The Rough Guide to Spain, however, they
can accept no responsibility for any loss, injury, or inconvenience sustained by
any traveller as a result of information or advice contained in the guide.
US$24.99 CAN$27.50
I S B N 978-1-84836-034-1
5 2 4 9 9
9 7 8 1 8 4 8 3 6 0 3 4 1
The Rough Guide to
Spain
written and researched by
Simon Baskett, Jules Brown, Marc Dubin,
Mark Ellingham, John Fisher, Geoff Garvey,
AnneLise Sorensen and Greg Ward
with additional contributions by
Phil Lee and Iain Stewart
NEW YORK • LONDON • DELHI
www.roughguides.com
00 Spain intro 1-24.indd 1 11/21/08 4:34:16 PM
00 Spain intro 1-24.indd 2 12/15/08 5:17:19 PM
Contents
Colour section 1 Contexts 927
Introduction ............................... 6 History ................................... 929
Where to go ............................... 7 Wildlife .................................. 945
When to go .............................. 11 Flamenco ............................... 953
Things not to miss ................... 13 Books .................................... 959
Basics 25 Language 973
Getting there ............................ 27 Spanish words and phrases ... 976
Getting around ......................... 33 Menu reader .......................... 977
Accommodation....................... 38 Catalan .................................. 980
Food and drink ........................ 42 Basque .................................. 981
The media ................................ 46 Galician .................................. 982
Festivals .................................. 48 Glossary of Spanish and
Culture and etiquette ............... 50 architectural terms ............. 983
Sports and outdoor activities ... 51 Political parties and
Travelling with children............. 55 acronyms ........................... 984
Travel essentials ...................... 57
Small print & Index 985
Guide 65
1 Madrid ................................ 67
2 Around Madrid .................. 139 F
foielloswtaisn gcopl.o3u1r2section
3 Castilla-La Mancha and
Extremadura ..................... 183
4 Andalucía .......................... 233
5 Castilla y León and Walking in Spain
La Rioja ............................. 377 colour section following
6 Euskal Herria: the País Vasco p.536
& Navarra .......................... 445
7 Cantabria and Asturias...... 503
8 Galicia ............................... 553 Wines of Spain colour
9 Aragón .............................. 605 section following p.824
G Barcelona .......................... 657
H Catalunya .......................... 725
I Valencia and Murcia .......... 831
J The Balearic Islands .......... 885
3
왗왗 Santiago de Compostela 왗 Parc Güell, Barcelona
00 Spain intro 1-24.indd 3 4/12/08 16:05:07
| CONTENTS |
(JKØO
4BOUBOEFS
"$PSV×B
0WJFEP $BOHBT
4BOUJBHPE$F EF0OJT #JMCBP
-VHP
$PNQPTUFMB * "4563*"4 1*$04%& 1"*47"4$0
&6301"
1POUFWFESB 1POGFSSBEB -FØO
0VSFOTF "TUPSHB
7JHP
#VSHPT
5VJ 1BMFODJB
"(VBSEB -"
7BMFOÎB 7FSJO
$BNJOIB
$IBWFT
#SBHBOÎB 7BMMBEPMJE
#SBHB ;BNPSB
$"45*--":
1PSUP 7JMB3FBM
-&»/ 4*&33"%&
4BMBNBODB (6"%"33"."
4FHPWJB
7JTFV
(VBEBMBKBSB
«WJMB
$JVEBE
3PESJHP
$PJNCSB ."%3*%
$0.6/*%"%%& ."%3*%
1 0 3 5 6 ( " - 1MBTFODJB "SBOKVF[
$BTUFMP
#SBODP
5PMFEP
&953&."%63"
5SVKJMMP
$ÈDFSFT
4BOUBSFN
$JVEBE
.ÏSJEB 3FBM
-*4#0/
&WPSB
#BEBKP[
7BMEFQF×BT
+FSF[EFMPT
$BCBMFSPT ;BGSB $"45*--"-"."/$)"
#FKB
ÁCFEB
"SBDFOB
$ØSEPCB
+BÏO #BF[B
7JMB3FBM 4FWJMMF
EF4BOUP &DJKB "/%"-6$¶"
"OUPOJP
)VFMWB (SBOBEB
"ZBNPOUF
'BSP 1"326&
-"4
"OUFRVFSB
/"$*0/"-%& "-16+"33"4
%0º"/" +FSF[
3POEB
"SDPTEF
.ÈMBHB
$ÈEJ[ MB'SPOUFSB
.BSCFMMB
"7&)JHITQFFE-JOF
(JCSBMUBS
'&7&1SJWBUF3BJMXBZ "MHFDJSBT
$FVUB
4UBOEBSE.PUPSXBZ
5PMM.PUPSXBZ 5BOHJFS
5ÏUPVBO
4
LN .FMJMMB
.030$$0
$BOBSZ*TMBOET
00 Spain intro 1-24.indd 4 11/21/08 4:34:35 PM
"
*
P
S
J C &

P
3

3JP%VFSP
U T
$P
B
MF
E
B
[V
-
| INTRODUCTION | WHERE TO GO | WHEN TO GO
#

T
B
J
3
T
B
K
B
%
3
3
4*& "

×
J
P

P
$"/5"#3*"
(

&

T
B
J
3
J
.
3
0
%
4

&
3
(
B
V
E
B
M
R
V
JW
JS

T
B
U
M
"

5
B
B K
OB P

J
3 J E
P

3
J
P

( "
VB

/
&
M
F 7
$
P
TUBE "%"
-
("
3JP5BKP 3JP
*&
4 3
3

M
P
4
/
' 3 " / $ &
4BO #BZPOOF
4FCBTUJÈO 1BV
5BSCFT
#JBSSJU[
" 4
1FSQJHOBO
$BOGSBOD&TUBDJPO "/%033"
7JUPSJB 1"326&
1BNQMPOB 1"326& /"$*0/"-%&
+BDB 1PSUCPV
-PHSP×P /"$*0/"- "*(Ã&45035&4
%&03%&4" 'JHVFSFT
6ODBTUJMMP )VFTDB
3*0+" $"5"-6/:" (JSPOB
-MFJEB -MPSFU
;BSBHP[B EF.BS
4PSJB S
#BSDFMPOB
P
.POUCMBOD
5BSSBHPOB
"MDB×J[
5PSUPTB %FMUB
EFM&CSP
5FSVFM .FOPSDB
$JVUBEFMMB
.BMMPSDB
$VFODB
$BTUFMMØO "MDVEJB
.BØ
"SUB
1BMNB
.BOBDPS
7BMFODJB
*CJ[B
4BOU"OUPOJ
"MCBDFUF (BOEJB
*CJ[B5PXO
4BO'SBODFTD 'PSNFOUFSB
9BWJFS
"MJDBOUF
.63$*"
.VSDJB
-PSDB
$BSUBHFOB
.PKÈDBS
1"326&
/"$*0/"-
.FUSFT
%&$"#0%&
"MNFSÓB
("5"

" - ( & 3 * "

5

00 Spain intro 1-24.indd 5 11/21/08 4:34:37 PM

1 :
3&
3"
7
/
C
3
"
P
&

J
3
| INTRODUCTION | WHERE TO GO | WHEN TO GO
#
S
B
W
B

$
P
T
U
B

$PTUB
EFM
$
"[BIBS
"
"
3
$0.6/*%"%
7"-&/$*"/"
B
U
T
P

/
»
(
B B

S
%
P

B
D
O
B
#M

$ B
P
T E
U
. &
% *
5 &
3 3
" /
& "
/
4 &
"
"
3
3
4
*&
&
&

"3$¶ /
3
"
#
"-
&
%

/
Introduction to
Spain
If you’re visiting Spain for the first time, be warned: this
is a country that fast becomes an addiction. You might
intend to come just for a beach holiday, or a tour of the
major cities, but before you know it you’ll find yourself
hooked by something quite different – the celebration
of some local fiesta, perhaps, or the amazing nightlife
in Madrid, by the Moorish monuments of Andalucía, or
maybe Basque cooking or the wild landscapes and birds
of prey of Extremadura. And by then, of course, you’ll have
noticed that there is not just one Spain but many. Indeed,
Spaniards often speak of Las Españas (the Spains) and
they even talk of the capital in the plural – Los Madriles,
the Madrids.
This regionalism is an obsession, and perhaps the
most signifcant change to the country since the
1970s has been the creation of seventeen autonomías
– autonomous regions – with their own govern-
ments, budgets and cultural ministries. The old days
of a unifed nation, governed with a frm hand from
Madrid, seem to have gone forever, as the separate
kingdoms that made up the original Spanish state
reassert themselves in an essentially federal structure.
And the diferences are evident wherever you look:
6 in language, culture and artistic traditions, in landscapes and cityscapes,
attitudes and politics.
00 Spain intro 1-24.indd 6 11/21/08 4:34:38 PM
| INTRODUCTION | WHERE TO GO | WHEN TO GO
Fact file
• Spain’s land area is around
half a million square kilometres
– about twice the size of the UK
or Oregon. Of its 46 million-strong
population some eighty percent
declare themselves nominally
Catholic, though religious obser-
vance is patchy.
• Politically, Spain is a parlia-
mentary monarchy; democracy
and the monarchy were restored
in 1977, after the death of
General Franco, the dictator who
Where to go seized power in the Civil War of
1936–39.
• Regionalism is a major force
he major cities are compel- in Spanish politics; the most
lingly individual. Barcelona, powerful of the seventeen
for many, has the edge, thanks autonomías are Catalunya and the
Basque Country, where nation-
Tto Gaudí’s splendid modernista alism is pushing them towards
architecture, the lively promenades quasi-independence.
of Las Ramblas, fve kilometres of • Spanish (Castilian) is spoken as
beach, and designer clubs par excel- a first language by 74 percent of
lence. But Madrid, although not as the population, while 17 percent
pretty, claims as many devotees. The speak variants of Catalan (in
Catalunya, parts of Valencia and
city, immortalized in the movies of Alicante provinces, and on the
Pedro Almodóvar, has a vibrancy and Balearic Islands), 7 percent speak
style that is revealed in a thousand Galician and 2 percent Basque.
bars and summer terrazas. And, of Since regional languages were
course, it possesses three of the world’s banned under Franco, the vast
majority of the people who speak
fnest art museums, not to mention them are also fluent in Castilian.
one of the world’s most famous
• The most important newspapers
football clubs. Then there’s Seville, are El Pais, La Vanguardia and El
home of famenco and all the clichés Mundo, fairly liberal in outlook. But
of southern Spain; Valencia, the Spaniards read fewer papers than
vibrant capital of the Levante, with a almost any other Europeans – and
thriving arts scene and nightlife; and the best-selling daily is Marca,
devoted purely to football.
Bilbao, a recent entry on Spain’s
• A minority of Spaniards attend
cultural circuit, due to Frank Gehry’s bullfights; it doesn’t rain much on
astonishing Museo Guggenheim. the plains; and they only dance
Monuments range just as widely flamenco in the southern region 7
from one region to another, of Andalucía.
00 Spain intro 1-24.indd 7 11/21/08 4:34:41 PM
| INTRODUCTION | WHERE TO GO | WHEN TO GO
왖 Plaza Mayor, Madrid
dependent on their history of control and occupation by Romans, Visi-
goths or Moors, the areas’ role in the Golden Age of imperial Renaissance
Spain or their later fortunes. Touring Castile and León, you can’t avoid
the stereotypical Spanish image of vast cathedrals and literally hundreds of
reconquista castles; in northerly, mountainous Asturias and the Pyrenees,
tiny, almost organically evolved Romanesque churches dot the hillsides and
villages; Andalucía has the great mosques and Moorish palaces of Granada,
Seville and Córdoba; Castile boasts the superbly preserved medieval capital,
Tapas
Tapas have become inter-
nationalized fare in recent years
– yet nothing can prepare you
for the variety available on their
home soil. The proper way to eat
tapas is to wander from one bar
to another to sample a particular
speciality, for although many bars
will have a range of tapas on
display or on their menu board,
most tend to be known for just one or two dishes ... and the locals would
not think of ordering anything else. So you might go to one place for
a slice or two of jamón serrano (cured ham), another for pulpo gallego
(deliciously tender pot-cooked octopus), a third for the bizarre pimientos
de Padrón (small green peppers – about one in ten being fiery-hot), and
8 then maybe on to a smoky old bar that serves just fino (dry sherry) from
the barrel along with slices of mojama (dried, pressed roe).
00 Spain intro 1-24.indd 8 11/21/08 4:34:50 PM
왔 Ciudad de las Artes y Ciencias, Valencia
| INTRODUCTION | WHERE TO GO | WHEN TO GO