From Antarctica to Zimbabwe, if you're going there, chances are Lonely Planet has been there first. With a pithy and matter-of-fact writing style, these guides are guaranteed to calm the nerves of first-time world travelers, while still listing off-the-beaten-path finds sure to thrill even the most jaded globetrotters. Lonely Planet has been perfecting its guidebooks for nearly 30 years and as a result, has the experience and know-how similar to an older sibling's "been there" advice. The original backpacker's bible, the LP series has recently widened its reach. While still giving insights for the low-budget traveler, the books now list a wide range of accommodations and itineraries for those with less time than money.

Here is an imagination-fueling guide on how to experience the best Spain has to offer. With lively features on Spanish history; coverage of Spanish Catalan, Basque, and Galician languages; more than 145 maps, including metro maps for Madrid and Barcelona; details on outdoor activities, including national parks; chapters on Madrid and Barcelona; plus hundreds of options for food and accommodations no matter what your budget, you'll be hard-pressed to limit your stay. --Kathryn True


Book Description
Note from Publisher: This is the old edition of Lonely Planet's guide to Spain. Lonely Planet's new edition of Spain may be found by typing the ISBN number, 1740597001, into the search box. Lonely Planet's fantastic new 5th edition to Spain has improved maps, a useful directory of information and new dedicated chapters on Architecture and Outdoor Activities and is packed with practical travel advice for getting around and off the beaten track. Lonely Planet's new edition of Spain also includes a comprehensive Food & Drink chapter, written by a Spanish cuisine specialist. The new edition also features a bonus guide to the Camino de Santiago pilgrim's route by an expert contributor.


From the Publisher
Destination Spain Tapas, the charge of the bull, endless beaches and guaranteed sunshine. Say Spain and these are among the first images that occur to many, but they are also only the beginning... Spain is a country with four official languages, a rich palette of local cuisines, powerful mountain ranges and desert plains. It is a haven of high art and home to some of the most extraordinary Islamic architecture in the world. Indeed, it's astonishing just how many Spains there are. The cool, green northern regions from Cantabria to Galicia are a world away from hot, dry Andalucia, home of flamenco and bullfighting. Fertile Catalonia, with its separate language and independent spirit, seems a different nation from the Castillian heartland. The crowded tapas bars of sophisticated San Sebastian have little in common with the lazy, limpid waters of Menorca. Grand Gothic and Romanesque monasteries and soaring craggy castles litter the inland expanses. Chichi ski slopes and wilderness walking trails stretch across the Pyrenees and lesser known, if equally majestic, ranges like the Sierra Nevada, Picos de Europa and Sierra de Gredos. The cities are as diverse as the landscapes. The madness of Madrid's nightlife is as exhilarating as the strange beauty of Barcelona's Gaudi monuments is breathtaking. Home of some of the world's greatest artists (El Greco, Velazquez, Goya, Dali, Picasso...), Spain is unafraid to match its weighty heritage with daring innovation, exemplified by the Museo Guggenheim in Bilbao or Valencia's ultramodern City of Arts & Sciences. One thing that never changes is the Spaniards' legendary lust for a fiesta. From traditional sherry bars in Cordoba to the macro-discos of Ibiza, fun is calibrated to all paces and ages. Come and join in!


Excerpted from Lonely Planet Spain (Lonely Planet Spain) by Damien Simonis, Fiona Adams, Susan Forsyth, John Noble, Miles Roddis, Elizabeth Swan. Copyright © 2003. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
It has been said that Europe ends at the Pyrenees. While that has always been an exaggeration, any journey south of those mountains proves that, as an old tourism promotion campaign had it, Spain is different. With its plethora of colorful fiestas and indefatigable nightlife, its complete spectrum of scenery and its unique, well-preserved architectural and artistic heritage, Spain provides a variety of fun and fascination that few countries can match. Travel is easy, accommodation plentiful, the climate generally benign, the people relaxed and fun-loving, the beaches long and sandy, and food and drink easy to come by and full of regional variation. More than 50 million foreigners a year visit Spain, yet you can also travel for days and hear no other tongue but Spanish. Once away from the holiday costas, you could only be in Spain. In the cities, narrow, twisting old streets suddenly open out to views of daring modern architecture, while spit-and-sawdust bars serving wine from the barrel rub shoulders with blaring, glaring discos. Travel out into the back country and you'll find, an hour or two from some of Europe's most stylish and sophisticated cities, villages where time has done its best to stand still since the Middle Ages. Geographically, Spain's diversity is immense. In Andalucia, for example, you could ski in the Sierra Nevada and later the same recline on a Mediterranean beach or traverse the deserts of Almeria. There are endless tracts of wild and crinkled sierra to explore, as well as some spectacularly rugged stretches of coast between the beaches - many of which are far less crowded and developed than you might imagine. Culturally, the country is littered with superb old buildings, from Roman aqueducts and Islamic palaces to Gothic cathedrals. Almost every second village has a medieval castle. Spain has been the home of some the world's great artists - El Greco, Velazquez, Goya, Dali, Picasso - and has museums and galleries to match. The country vibrates with music of every kind - from the drama of flamenco to the melancholy lyricism of the Celtic music and gaitas (bagpipes) of the northwest. The more you travel in Spain, the bigger it seems to get. It's surprising just how many Spains there are. Cool, damp, green Galicia is a world away from hot, dry Andalucia, home of flamenco and bullfighting. Fertile Catalunya in the northeast, with its separate language and independent spirit, seems a different nation from the Castilian heartland on the austere meseta at the center of the Iberian Peninsula. Sophisticated San Sebastian and the farmsteads and rolling country of the Basque Country have precious little in common with the coast and limpid water of the Balearic Islands. Once you leave the beaten track, it can take as long to wind your way through a couple of remote valleys and over the sierra between them as it would to travel the highway or railway from Madrid to Barcelona. All you need to do is get out there and enjoy it.

FROM OUR EDITORS

One of the most dependable series available, Lonely Planet's guidebooks are packed with essential information and accurate maps and are written with enough character that they are also good reading for armchair travelers. The series is now popular with travelers of all sorts, although backpackers and adventure travelers have long relied on Lonely Planet's guides because of the wide range of destinations offered. Whether you want to relax on the beaches of Thailand, roam the Australian outback, or explore the deserts of Iran, Lonely Planet has a practical, thorough guidebook for your destination. For dangerous or less-traveled regions, we highly recommend Lonely Planet's guides because they provide crucial information in an easy-to-use format, making it possible for travelers to handle the difficulties of language, customs, and transportation. In countries with unfamiliar alphabets, the guides include the names of cities and sights in both English and native characters, and glossaries are provided to help travelers with menus. The series offers lodging and restaurant options for all budgets, but the main focus is on getting a good deal for your money. With good writing, a wealth of valuable information, and beautiful color photo sections, Lonely Planet's guides are hard to beat.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Spectacular hill-top villages, shady olive groves, sun-drenched beaches, hip cities and the wildest nightlife in Europe -- discover the exquisite passions of Spain with this essential guide.

accommodation options for all -- from pretty pensiones to palatial paradors
savvy entertainment reviews show you where to sip sangria or dance till dawn
the best of Spanish culture from Picasso and Dali to the Alhambra
handy language guide to Castilian, Basque, Catalan and Galician Spanish
more than 146 detailed maps