‘Tranquil, natural and barely a tourist in sight’: readers’ favourite hidden gems in Spain Your top off-the-beaten track discoveries, from gorges in Galicia to vineyards in La Rioja• Tell us about a trip to Italy – the best tip wins a £200 holiday voucher Recently travelling from Madrid to San Sebastián, we spent three days […]

Terrain in Spain: gravel biking in the mountains of Andalucía A cycle tour of the Sierra Nevada backcountry proves a bumpy but beautiful ride through cinematic scenery When you get into a van with an Englishman, five Irishmen and a Scotsman, you know someone is going to end up looking silly. For the next few […]

Holy parades and earthly pleasures in Spain: Easter in Granada The ancient city – with its gardens, hammams and Moorish architecture – comes alive in spring and its Holy Week processions are among the most authentic in Andalucía As I turned the corner on a narrow, cobbled street in Granada, I felt as if I […]

Five of Europe’s best accessible island escapes From the Venetian lagoon to the sparkling Med, these island getaways offer a welcome change of pace just a short hop from the mainland Connected to the German mainland by a single rail causeway, Sylt is just over three hours from Hamburg by direct train. The largest of […]

Spain’s very own sakura: cherry blossom season in the Jerte valley You don’t have to travel to Japan to see a stunning floral display. Every spring, this corner of Extremadura is transformed as two million trees come into bloom It’s late March and the villagers of the Jerte valley in Extremadura, Spain’s wild west, are […]