Spain is the paradise for numerous sport activities, some of which, like skiing, are not usually the first thing that people associate with the country. Whichever activity you prefer, there should be numerous opportunities to engage in.
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| Ready to ride? |
It is no surprise that swimming is one of Spanish favorite sports and pastime, when one thinks of 2,000 kilometers of beaches and warm weather. The beach season lasts from April to October, and the whole year on Canaries, while the swimming season is generally from June to September in the Mediterranean, and in July and August in the Atlantic. Alternatively, you can visit some of numerous swimming pools, either heated indoor pools, or the outdoor ones. Prices and opening hours differ, but the offer is great.
Surfing is very popular in the Basque region and Cantabria, while Lanazarote and Fuerteventura in the Canaries are the best European surfer's destinations. For windsurfing and kitesurfing the best place to go to is Tarifa in Andalucia. There are numerous holiday packages that include instruction, and lots of water sports clubs in most of resorts. Another very popular sport is scuba diving, and it's easy to find a club where you can get instruction or rent a boat or equipment. As far as river sports are concerned, kayaking, canoeing and rafting Aragon, Mino in Galicia, and Noguera Pallaresa in Catalonia. Or you can go are sports that can be enjoyed on more than thousand Spanish rivers. May and June are considered to be the best time, and the best place is, if you like swift and turbulent waters, Gallego in sea-kayaking near Cadaques, Tamariu or Cala Montgo on the Costa Brava shore. Guided tours, instruction and rent of equipment are easy to arrange.
Spain is ideal for all kinds of aerial sports; Pyrenees and other mountain ranges have strong air currents which enable long paragliding and hang-gliding flights. There are regular competitions throughout the country, and a lot of clubs that offer instructions. Winter is the best time, and some of the most popular sites are in the High Alpujarras in Andalucia, or near Alicant in Costa Blanca region.
.jpg "Sierra Nevada, Granada")
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| Sierra Nevada, Granada |
Spaniards are not so hot about hiking, but the country offers a lot. Some of the most spectacular hiking tours in Europe can be found there, and if you go in spring or autumn, the weather in most of the country won't be too hot, nor too cold. Exception to that is the south of the country, where the most pleasant time for walking is during the winter, but it's advisable to go with an experienced guide. Basque Country, Cantabria and Asturias are known for beauty of landscapes, while the Pyrenees and the Ebro region are the most visited places, with many ski resorts.
There are more than 30 ski resorts in Spain, and the destinations to go to are the Catalan Pyrenees: Baqueira-Beret, Boí-Taüll and La Molina; the Aragon Pyrenees: Astún, Candanchu, Cerler, Formigal and Panticosa; Grau Roig, Pal, Pas de la Casa, Soldeu, and El Tarter in Anadalucia; the Sierra Nevada near Granada. The season lasts from December to the end of April.
Hunting is very popular among Spaniards; the best hunting areas are the Cantabrian mountains in the Pyrenees, some parts of Andalucia (Cazorla, Ronda and Sierra Nevada), and the Sierra de Gredos, southeast of Madrid. Among small game hunters, the most popular prey is red-legged partridge and quail, and the big game hunters go for wild boar, wolves and Spanish Ibex. Of course, various regional and national regulations concerning the hunting season have to be respected. Brown bears and the Spanish Lynx are almost extinct, and the law strictly forbids their hunting with high penalties.
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| A piece of mind |
With its 2,000 kilometers of coast, more than 75,000 kilometers of rivers, and thousands of lakes, Spain is an ideal place for fishing enthusiasts. In 26 rivers on the Cantabrian range and the Galician coast, one can fish salmon, or you can go for barbel, huge carp, and lusty trout (Rio Frio, a small town near Granada is well known for trout fishing). Navia, Sella, Asón, Deva-Cares, Narcea rivers and the rivers of Pyrenees mountain range are inland top fishing destinations. There are 64 fishing preserves throughout the nature parks of Las Villas, Sierra Nevada, Cazorla, and Segura. Unfortunately, the Mediterranean is no longer such a good destination because of excessive exploitation, but the Atlantic offers great fishing grounds, with lots of deep sea fishes like tunas, marlins and sharks. There are regular competitions in deep sea fishing, and numerous organized fishing trips.
