Spain has been one of Britain’s favourite destinations for 1 or 2 decades now, ever since mass tourism opened up the country to the states Costas, where folks were able to afford a beach holiday in a relatively exotic location and introducing many to wine for the 1st time.

While many people associate Spain with bullfighting and flamenco, and indeed it is an image popularised by the holiday maker association, the country is in really awfully regional, particularly toward the north of the country. Two regions stand out here, Catalonia and the Basque Country. While the second appears to have put its associations with separatist sponsored terrorism behind it recently, the previous is linked with Barcelona and it’s soccer team as well as the Costa Brava.

It is here that many people take their first independent vacation; the “pile ‘em high” resort of Lloret de Mar has become many people’s idea of the Costa Brava though, which casts shadows over the reality. While Lloret isn’t the only city on the Costa Brava that has cheap hotels catering to low cost package vacations and blocks of residences dominating the seafront, there are lots of towns that retain much of the aire of the fishing hamlets they once were. And in spite of the shows put of for tourists, flamenco is surely NOT part of Catalan culture and bullfighting has been banned.

Barcelona is on lots of people’s list for a weekend break, but be sure not to miss out on the capital city of Spain too. Madrid is hot in the summer and cold in the winter, but in the autumn and spring the climate is pleasant enough. The city has lots of museums and art galleries to see, including the world-famous Prado, which is stuffed full of great artworks.

Madrid also has some great nightlife and cultural events you can often see big name music acts at the places, as well as live jazz and other musical styles. Naturally sports lovers may head there just too see Cristiano Ronaldo playing for Real Madrid. If you're travelling out for a match it can be advisable to buy Real Madrid tickets ahead.

Other cities worth visiting are Valencia, Sevilla and Granada. The second has the famous Alhambra, built by the Arab occupiers in the 14th century and is one of Spain’s major tourist attractions. And once you are done sightseeing ensure you head to the beaches and experience the food. Again it can be quite regional, although you'll find paella and Basque pinxos throughout Spain.

Visit Euro Sports Events for Real Madrid tickets and other matches. You can check the availability of Spanish Grand Prix tickets and other sporting events in Spain too.