Where does the Spanish holiday rental guru love in Spain?

Guest blog by Claus Sorensen, founder of Spain Holiday, the number-one holiday-rental site for Spain.

I have been living in Spain for the last 13 years and in that time have become a devout Hispanophile. To prove it, I even married a local Malagueña!

Perhaps unsurprisingly, people are always asking me where I like to holiday and what I love most about Spain?

For those that know Spain – I mean really know Spain – this is a very hard question to answer, as it’s one of the most diverse countries on earth. The country is blessed with every conceivable attraction and really does cater for all tastes. From the windswept and still-untouched beaches of the Costa de la Luz, to the warmer Mediterranean waters around its popular Costa del Sol, then northwards to the Costa Blanca and up to the beautiful Catalonian coast, there’s no end to the country’s cultural and geographical diversity.

Many parts of Spain’s interior are untouched and relatively unexplored. Being the second most mountainous country in Europe (after Switzerland), Spain offers a wealth of hiking, mountaineering and activity holidays. 

So with all of these choices, where do I like to holiday? Well, the beaches of the Costa de la Luz and Huelva are high on my list for summer holidays in Spain. Whereas for a short city break, Barcelona and Granada are my ideal locations.

Barcelona is without a doubt the cultural capital of Europe. You couldn’t hope for better shopping or a more cosmopolitan city. It also offers some interesting and very different architectural styles. And whilst when people consider Granada they tend to simply think of the Alhambra, there is actually so much more variety to the place. Whether it’s getting lost in the Moorish labyrinth of the Albaicin, having a drink on the Mirador de San Nicolas while contemplating the best view of the Alhambra or just savouring the  renowned tapas, Granada is quite simply a jewel and somewhere that should be seen at least once.

The chic Northern beaches of Cantabria are the perfect place to escape the fierce Andalucian summer and, closer to home, Nerja – one of the Costa del Sol’s more popular tourist destinations – is also high on my list. A town that, despite its popularity, has kept its traditional charm.

Going slightly east of Nerja you have some of the Costa del Sol’s and the Costa Tropical’s best beaches. Many are quiet, hidden coves situated within a carefully protected marine park – the Parque Natural de Los Acantilados de Maro. This whole stretch of coast is relatively unexplored and unknown to most tourists. The water quality is second to none (the area has won various awards to that effect) and teeming with fish. Amongst my favourites are Alberquillas, El Cañuelo and Cantarrijan beaches.

Needless to say, in a country as beautiful as Spain……I’m spoilt for choice. 

If this has whetted your appetite, why not try your luck and enter Spain Holiday’s competition to win €1000 towards a holiday home in Spain this year?