Spain Travel Guide

It can be tough going on foreign roads if you don't have the foggiest what this word or that word means, so we've picked out all the lingo you need to know, along with some handy little phrases to help you out on the Spanish roads. Best of luck, or ¡suerte! as they say in Spain!

Directions:

Go straight on - 'Siga todo recto'
Turn left - 'Toma el giro a la izquierda'
Turn right - 'Toma el giro a la derecha'
Take the first left - 'Toma la pròxima calle a la izquierda'
Take the second left - 'Toma la segunda calle a la izquierda'
Take the third left - 'Toma la tercera calle a la izquierda'
Take the fourth left - 'Toma la cuarta calle a la izquierda'
Take the first right - 'Toma la pròxima calle a la derecha'

Handy Phrases:
Excuse me, I'm lost… (!) - Por favor, estoy perdido…
Excuse me, could you give me a hand? - ¿por favor, échame una mano?
Where is the nearest petrol station? - ¿Donde es la gasolinera la más cercana?
How do I get to…? - ¿Por dónde se va major à…?
There is an accident - hay un accidente de carretera
My car has broken down - mi carro se averío

What You Might Meet On The Road
Accident - un accidente
Amber light - el semáforo ámbar
Bridge - el puente
Bus lane - un carril bus
Diversion - un desvío de carretera
Dual carriageway - una autovía
Green light - la luz verde
Lane - un carril
Motorway - una autopista
Petrol station - una gasolinera
Pedestrian - un peatón
Red light - el semáforo en rojo
Sign - una señal vial
Roundabout - una glorieta/un tiovivo
Side road - una carretera secundaria
Toll road - una carretera de peaje/una carretera de cuota
Traffic lights - el semáforo
Traffic jam - un embotellamiento
Zebra Crossing - un cruce de peatones

You, Your Car & Other Drivers
Bonnet - la capota
Boot - el maletero
Breaks - el freno
Car - el carro
Diesel - el gasoléo/diésel
Driver - el conductor
Lights - los faros
Overtake (to) - adelantar
Radio - la radio
Rearview mirror - el espejo retrovisor
Petrol - la gasoline/la bencina (Chile)/la nafta (Argentina)
Seatbelt - el cinturón de seguridad
Snow chains - las cadenas
Speed limit - velocidad máxima
Tyre - un neumático
Windscreen - el parabrisas
Wheels - las ruedas

Important Road Signs
Aduana - Customs
Ceda el paso - Give way
Carratera cortada - Road close
Centro ciudad - City centre
Circule por la derecha - Keep right
Circunvalación - Bypass
Curva peligrosa - Dangerous bend
Direccíon unica - One way street
Modere su velocidad - Slow down
Prohibido aparcar - No parking
Stop(Spain)/Alto (Mexico)/Pare (Chile/Argentina/Peru) - Stop
Vehículos pesados - Heavy vehicles

Spanish island Mallorca is the largest of the Balearic Islands. Her name is derived from the Latin words "insula maior," which literally mean "larger island." The Spanish island has been consistently recognized as one of the top tourist destinations in the world since 1952. As packaged tourism became more popular, Mallorca saw a half-million visitors in 1960. The number of tourists continued to increase over the years, to nearly 7 million visitors in 1997 and more than 19 million in 2001.

Mallorca has a very colourful history dating back to the Paleolithic period. It has been under Roman, Byzantine and Spanish rule. Museums in various villages on Mallorca showcase a wide variety of artifacts from each period of the island's history. The official spoken languages on Mallorca are Catalan and Spanish, but many Mallorcans are becoming fluent in English and German as well.

Mallorca has been home to some of the most influential people in Spanish history. Writer and philosopher Ramon Llull was born into a wealthy family in Palma. He wrote about and studied a wide variety of subjects, including mysticism, astrology and the occult. He's often considered a pioneer of computation theory. Other names of historical interest include Junipero Serra, Joaquin Jovellar y Soler and former two-time Spanish Prime Minister Antonio Maura Montaner.

Palma, founded as a Roman camp around 123 BC, is the capital city of Mallorca. Located on the south coast, the city is still used as a port today. Palma is the most densely populated city on Mallorca. In fact, it is the 12th largest urban area in all of Spain. Nearly half of Mallorca's population lives in Palma. In 2007, Palma's population was just more than 383,000. Palma is the most visited tourist destination on Mallorca, with many resorts and five-star hotels offering top-notch accommodations and activities to tourists.

Deia is located on the northern mountainous ridge of the island. It is a small coastal village, famous primarily for its awe-inspiring landscape and its star-studded inhabitants. After World War I, Robert Graves, the noted English poet, novelist and scholar, was one of the first foreigners to settle in Deia. There, he collaborated with Laura Riding, and together they set up the Seizin Press. Graves lived in Deia and used the village as the setting for many of his stories.

More recently, celebrities from around the world have chosen the seclusion of Deia over the crowds of other major cities around the world. Hollywood couple Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones purchased a castle-style home in Deia several years ago and continue to enjoy the relative seclusion the village offers. Other celebrities who own Mallorca villas include Claudia Schiffer and Elton John. Despite its reputation as a home to the stars, Deia is a very welcoming village that offers a great deal of hospitality to its visitors.

One of the most impressive museums in Deia is the Deia Archaeological Museum and Research Centre. Founded by Dr. William H. Waldren in 1962, this remarkable and fascinating museum is just as well known for its architectural design as it is for its archaeological collections. Many of the island's museums offer a visual and intellectual feast of archaeological artifacts, including the prehistoric antelope-gazelle which was thought to have become extinct around 40,000 years ago. The fairly recent discovery in Mallorca has shown that it probably didn't become extinct until around 3000 BC.

Mallorca is an island full of wonder and fascinating history. Millions of visitors every year enjoy the rich culture and amazing historic artifacts on display in its many museums. The island's primary cities and villages are some of the most visited tourist destinations in the world. Deia is one of the more private destinations, as no coaches are allowed to stop in the village, and parking is limited in an effort to stop the 'two hour tourist' who can clog up a village without some kind of authority measures.

As summer changes to autumn, trees start to shed their leaves and daytime temperatures drop slightly, people fortunate enough to afford the time and cost turn their thoughts to a winter break. The winter break has long been popular with residents of the colder European countries who are within a short flight to the resorts in southern Europe that remain relatively mild during the winter months. The fact that you can fly from almost anywhere in Europe to the popular winter break resorts within 3 or 4 hours makes them very accessible.

Some of the most popular destinations are those of the Canary Islands which actually lie much closer to the North African coastline (less than 80 miles) than they do to the nearest European country of Spain. Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventrua and Lanzarote are the largest four of the islands and attract the most tourist trade.

Typical winter temperatures rarely drop below 20 degrees in Lanzarote, the warmest of the islands, compared to average winter temperatures of below 10 degrees in the UK for the coldest six months of the year. So you see why the island is attractive to those looking for some warmer weather to see them through to springtime.

Because Lanzarote has long been a destination for winter travellers the island is well set up to cater for the type of tourist that time of year attracts. The islanders themselves are very laid back which suits the relaxed environment the travellers are looking for.

The landscape of the island is very unusual due to its volcanic underpinnings and it is a relatively young landscape having been created by erupting volcanoes only 250 years ago. But don't worry because the volcanoes have been quiet ever since. There is limited vegetation and very few trees to interrupt the moonscape-like scenery. In the south of the island the volcanic vistas give way to golden sandy beaches, just the pace to while away a mild December day. In fact there are almost one hundred beaches on the island, so sun worshippers will be spoilt for choice and have plenty of space during the quieter months.

The size of the island, only 12 miles coast to coast east to west and less than 40 miles between the north and south coasts, makes all resorts just a short drive from the airport in Arrecife. This compact size also make the island an ideal touring location for tourists interested in leaving their base for day trips.

There are differing views about the vibrant resort of Playa Blanca, named after its white sandy beach. Some say the town has a unique charm, retaining its traditional village feel which makes its an ideal destination for families and couple seeking a quieter break. Others however criticise the resort for being overdeveloped in recent years due to the flourishing property market.

For the past 25 years Lanzarote has been home to the famous sports resort Club La Santa. The venue provides a centre for both professional and amateur sportsmen and women seeking warmer climates to train in. The resort mixes 400 high quality holiday apartments with some of the best sports facilities in Europe, including a six lane athletics track, Olympic 50m 8 lane swimming pool and ten tennis courts. The resort also hosts its own multi-sport events including the famous Lanzarote Ironman triathlon and the International Club La Santa Duathlon.

Although the island has only one airport, it has enough capacity to cater for a range of daily flights from many of the major European airports and from the UK you can depart from most airports including Manchester, Gatwick, Glasgow, Newcastle and Cardiff.

The airlines providing these flights include the major scheduled operators like British Airways as well as the charter airlines like FlyThomasCook, Monarch and ThomsonFly.

Booking well in advance should make a return trip available for less than 200 pounds sterling but leaving bookings until the last minute could easily see prices reach twice that level.

Choosing which of the Canary Islands to visit is a real dilemma for the winter break tourist. All of the main seven islands, that are located just off the north African coastline, share similar climates, but the major differences lie in the way each of these islands has grown up and the level of urban development progression in each. Some of the resorts on these islands have their roots back in the 1950's and so exhibit some dated and, for some, unattractive architecture while the resorts that have only recently gained popularity boast modern developments that are more pleasing on the eye.

For the winter traveller who is looking for more than just a beach holiday (and the islands can certainly provide that) there are a host of other attractions from 15th century Spanish settlements, a number of spectacular national parks and a wide choice of art and culture to satisfy a range of tastes. On Lanzarote its most famous resident, artist Cesar Manrique, has left his impression all over the island with his distinctive style of sculpture, architecture and painting. The artist was sadly killed in a car accident on the island of Lanzarote in 1992 but has left his mark following his enthusiastic pursuit of sympathetic planning regulations resulting in a lack of high rise development on the island. His work reflects an acceptable form of modern functional design and includes the spectacular viewpoint at Mirador del Rio and the amazing Jameos del Agua, a cave system transformed by Manrique into an auditorium and breathtaking swimming pool and gardens. The excellent acoustic properties of the auditorium see it hosting several events including shows, concerts and regular discos.

Falling under the same administration as Lanzarote, Gran Canaria is one of the larger islands in the group and accordingly has a more established urban buzz and city feel. That's not to say it is not attractive as a resort for many visitors. A cheap flight to Gran Canaria in the off-peak season should be affordable enough to make it a suitable destination for a weekend city break. It has a varied selection of all the elements of city life including culture, restaurants, bars and clubs. The city also has a very important marina development given its location and it plays host to frequent regattas.

Gran Canaria has developed in popularity largely because of its amazingly mild climate. The temperature barely leaves the 20-30 degrees centigrade range making it pleasantly warm but never too hot. The trade winds bring pleasant breezes to create a comfortable environment for sightseers and sportspeople alike. In fact the sport of windsurfing has seen Gran Canaria establish itself as one of the world's most favoured destinations for top surfers. There a re plenty of sheltered location for newcomers to the sport but the more experienced are likely to head for Pozo Isquierdo where powerful winds provide all the thrills and challenges the best in the sport demand.

For British holidaymakers, the island of Tenerife has been a favourite ever since the 1950's. It's the largest of the Canaries and has seen its fair share of development which is still ongoing. The resorts being built now offer some of the highest quality amenities you will find anywhere in the island group. There are waterparks and golf courses, diving and sail bases. The island is now also home to many Brits who have chosen to live there permanently. Again the climate and abundance of frequent flights to several UK airports make it an easy choice compared to other ex-pat destinations like southern Spain which don't boast the same constant mild weather.

For the traveller who favours more a natural attraction rather then the bustle of establish tourist traps, the less well-known island of La Gomera provides an refreshing alternative as it is home to one of the best preserved laurisilva forests or humid sub-tropical laurel forests. The evergreen hardwood trees grow to height of up to 40m and harbor a wealth of endemic plant and animal species. Many forests of this type in the world have been devastated by logging activities so La Gomera provides one of the most accessible locations to experience these rare natural features.

So a flight to the Canaries can be a gateway to a mild winter break, a trip to visit friends and relatives or the start to a trip full of exciting natural and cultural experiences.