Spain is a large country with a varied landscape. There are some beautiful Mediterranean coastlines, vast open plains and stunning mountain ranges that offer fantastic opportunities for outdoor activities. Spain has quietly become one of Europe's premiere destinations for hiking, mountaineering, skiing and water sports and offers unusual accommodation like the Paradores which are ideally located stop offs for enjoying more unusual activities like sky diving and mad Spanish festivals.

Where to Stay

The Spanish government is keen to promote the country's more atypical holiday opportunities and a number of projects over the years have been designed to upgrade the tourism infrastructure, making key beauty spots and historical areas more accessible to the public. This has included the world famous Paradores project which began back at the beginning of the 20^th century and saw many neglected historic buildings given a new lease of live as restored and updated hotels. There are now over 90 Spanish paradores and these offer luxurious, affordable accommodation right in the heart of major areas of interest for tourists and outdoor enthusiasts including the famous Gredos Mountains. Paradores make a great base for your Spanish adventure trip and also provide you with some wonderful historic surroundings and a chance to taste delicious regional cuisine.

Hiking

Hiking is one of the best ways to see the beautiful countryside of Spain and there are many varied landscapes that can offer different walking experiences. The great flat open plains of the Campo Aranuelo and the gentle rolling foothills of the Alpujarras are ideal for novice hikers and there are some more challenging trails up in the great mountain ranges of the country including the stunning Sierra de Gredos. Serious walkers can also arrange tours of the Spanish mountains which offer 3 to 5 day intensive treks of some of Spain's most impressive peaks. If you are interested in a hiking holiday then there are a number of paradores located in key areas of interest including the Parador de Santiago de Compostela, the ancient city at the end of the famous Camino de Santiago pilgrimage walk. This wonderful 5 star hotel is located right in the heart of Santiago and is set in historic surroundings with four cloisters, elegant dining rooms, polished wooden floors and antiques.

Mountaineering and Skiing

Spain offers some great snow conditions from December through to May and destinations like the Pyrenees and Sierra Nevada are excellent for all kinds of winter sports. Skiing is also very popular here and many of the mountains offer quiet, family friendly ski resorts that are the ideal places to learn how to ski. The Parador de Vielha is a lovely four star hotel set in the Comarqa Vall d'Aran area of the Spanish Pyrenees. Located in a stunning high position with breathtaking views out over the mountains and valleys, ithas a clean, modern design with plenty of creature comforts. The restaurant offers stylish dining with a great choice of classic Spanish dishes and regional cuisine on offer. Not far from the Parador de Vielha is one of the largest winter sports destinations in the Pyrenees, Baqueira-Beret. This resort offers more challenging trails for the experienced skier. If you stay at the Parador de Vielha, the onsite spa which offers relaxation after a long day spent skiing. There is an indoor and outdoor pool (seasonal), a Turkish bath, Jacuzzi, massage center and fitness studio on offer. These mountains also attract many serious climbers from all around the world.

Unusual Activities

Spain is also a destination for more extreme activities including skydiving, bungee jumping, hot air ballooning and more. You can also join in with annual extravaganzas such as La Tomatina. This is a ridiculous yet popular event held every year on the last Wednesday in August in a town called Bunol near Valencia. La Tomatina is simply a giant food fight that lasts one hour and involves tones of ripe tomatoes being thrown around in the street. As many as 50,000 people travel to Bunol to witness and take part in this extraordinary event. As well as the tomato fight there is also plenty of feasting, live music, fireworks and a great party atmosphere. La Tomatina is a festival in honor of the patron saints of Bunol, St. Louis Bertrand and the Virgin Mary. There is little accommodation in Bunol so most visitors stay in nearby areas and travel in for the festivities. The Parador de Alarcón is a wonderful place to stay if you are visiting this area and is an impressive castle that has been transformed into a luxury 4 star hotel. Parts of the castle date back as far as the 8th century and this grand old fortress has been updated inside to provide a wonderful mix of history and comfortable modern living - a dream place to clean yourself up after the tomato fest!

Guest post by Escapio.com