Gil the Travelling Gecko’s, Spain Travel Guide For Kids and adults, includes information about the different areas of Spain.
Just click on the area and you can discover some of the great things to do there.
Where is Spain?
The country of Spain is located in Europe. Along with the neighbouring country of Portugal to the west, it makes up what is known as the Iberian Peninsula.
The north borders with France and a really small country called Andorra, which is located high in the mountains of the Pyrenees.
Spain is made up of 17 autonomous (which means individual) communities which are a bit like states or counties in the UK. The capital of Spain is Madrid which is located right in the middle of the country.
Why visit Spain? – Spain Travel Guide For Kids
Spain is popular with families because it has lots of beaches and a fantastic climate with lots of sun. It is part of the Mediterranean, and it is quite normal for kids to be allowed to stay up late. The Spanish have lots of ‘Ferias’ which are parties and they really like to enjoy themselves.
Spain is a country which loves horses, has one of the best football teams in the world and is a great place to go on holiday. There is plenty to do wherever you decide to go and most tourist hotels and villas will have either a swimming pool or will be close to a beach. A beach is called ‘playa’ in Spanish which is easy to remember because ‘play around’ on a beach.
The food can look a little weird but it tastes really nice, so remember to try it before you say you don’t like it. If you don’t like it, you will always be able to find a burger, burrito or pizza somewhere close.
Spain Travel Guide For Kids – Discover the different areas of Spain
Andalusia or Andalucia as it is often written, is home to the famous Costa Del Sol, which welcomes millions of tourists every year. Malaga is the capital of the Costa Del Sol and where your plane will land.
Gil the Travelling Gecko wrote a book about visiting the Costa del Sol.
You can buy it here.
Aragon (its capital is Zaragoza)
Asturias (its capital is Oviedo)
Balearic Islands (its capital is Palma de Mallorca)
Basque Country (its capital is Vitoria)
Canary Islands (they have two capitals – Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Santa Cruz de Tenerife)
Cantabria (its capital is Santander)
Castile-La Mancha (its capital is Toledo)
Castile and León (its capital is Valladolid)
Catalonia (its capital is Barcelona)
Extremadura (its capital is Mérida)
Galicia (its capital is Santiago de Compostela)
La Rioja (its capital is Logroño)
Community of Madrid (its capital is Madrid)
Region of Murcia (its capital is Murcia)
Navarre (its capital is Pamplona)
Valencian Community (its capital is Valencia)
Spain Travel Guide Quick Facts:
Population:46,751,520 (2020)
Languages Spoken: Spanish (official Castillian) – Catalan in the north east near Barcelona – Galician in the north west near Portugal – Basque on the north coast around Santander and even into the south of France
Currency: Euro
Capital City: Madrid
Weird & Fun Festivals – Spain Travel Guide
Flour Fight Festival in Ibi, Alicante
For over 200 years, the flour fight festival, which is called ‘Els Enfarinats’ take place. In the little town of Ibi in Alicante, on December 28th, two warring groups have a huge, pretend fight. This is very well staged and rehearsed, with male actors arguing their side of the ‘battle’. Ultimately, everyone is there is take part and throw flour and eggs at each other, while firecrackers explode. It is lots of fun and extremely messy!
La Tomatina in Buñol
La Tomatina takes ‘messy’ to a completely different level. This is the worlds largest food fight, and it happens every year. It started in 1945, when a group of local children started throwing tomatoes. Now, over 20,000 people from all over the world, invade the little town of Buñol in Valencia, each year on the final Wednesday of August.
There are some rules in place to make sure that people do not get hurt. The biggest problem with La Tomatina, is the fact that unless you can persuade one of the locals to hose you down, you will look and smell like a tomato for the rest of the day. Buñol is a very small town and most people only come for the day.
You need to buy tickets to join in, so you will need to be quick, because they sell out very quickly.
Moors vs Christians in Valencia
Moros y Cristiannos are the world-renowned, Moors vs Christians Festivals which are held each year. Based in the province of Valencia, the festivals are some of the oldest in all of Spain and held in multiple towns. There is a re-enactment of the battle between the Moors and the Christians from over 600 years ago.
If you get a chance to visit, you will see lots of parades and people dressed in ancient uniforms. The battles include lots of replica muskets, which are old fashioned guns, which fire lots of really loud gunpowder.
There are lots of street parties with singing and dancing, plus huge processions of floats, with over 3,000 people taking part.
The main town which take part are, Alcoy, Bocairent, El Campello, Villajoyosa and Vilena, all of which are in Valencia province.
Semana Santa in most towns and cities at Easter
Semana Santa is a time of reflection and celebration for the Catholic community in Spain.
It’s a beautiful time of year to witness the colourful processions, with people dressed in traditional clothing and bearing crosses, candles, and statues of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary.
The processions are held throughout the night, with people gathered in the streets to watch and pray. The climax of the festival is the Good Friday procession, which is the most important event of the week.
It’s a powerful reminder of the suffering and death of Jesus Christ and a reminder for all of us to think about the sacrifices he made for us.
One of the best Holy Week festivals is the one held in Seville each year and one you should visit if you are looking for an authentic Semana Santa experience.
Las Fallas in Valencia
Held in the middle of March, Las Fallas in Valencia must be one of the most spectacular fiestas in Spain. Massive paper-mache figures are paraded through the streets for an entire week and then they are all burned in a humongous bonfire.
Each year millions of euros are spent to create these huge figures, which ultimately go up in flames. The Spanish are really crazy sometimes.
Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife
During February, the Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife takes place. It is a little like the famous Rio carnival with huge floats, processions and people in costumes which weigh over 100 kg.
There are performers, singers, dancers and a great vibe throughout the week. It is the largest carnival in Europe and the second largest in the world after Rio. Some say it is actually better than Rio!
Human Towers Of Barcelona – La Merce
If you like the idea of being chased down the street by devils and fire-breathing dragons then La Merce could be just right you. The Barcelona ‘La Mercè’ normally lasts for about five days and is a great experience for all ages of children.
As well as the devils and dragons, there are street parades, live concerts and spectacular ‘human towers’. These human towers are called the ‘Castellers’ and they perform in La Placa de Jaume.
You may want to wear protective clothing and safety goggles because there are sparklers and bangers exploding everywhere.
San Fermin Running with the Bulls in Pamplona
San Fermin is the Spanish name for what the ret of the world call the Pamplona Bull run. What is a bull run? It is definitely NOT a herd of bulls running through the fields.
A bull run is where thousands of crazy people go into the winding streets of Pamplona in northern Spain. Then a herd of angry bulls chase them through the town and into the bull ring. Every year hundreds of people get gored by the bulls and occasionally someone is killed. It is a seriously, crazy festival but lots of fun to watch.
La Noche de San Juan is mainly in Andalucia
Most of the parties you will come across on ‘La Noche de San Juan’ are just groups of friends having fun. This Andalucian ‘ritual’ is rarely organised as basically it is an excuse for a beach party. It is held each year in the week of the 23rd of June and it is based on an ancient pagan festival.
The idea is that in order to purify yourself, you need to jump over the small bonfire three times in order to be purified. This can obviously be dangerous and each year there are a number of injuries. Just because other people jump over fires, it doesn’t mean that you should! Just go and enjoy some time on the beach. Have something to eat, something to drink and listen to your favourite music.
Los Reyes – Three Kings Processions – Across Spain
The Three Kings procession is known in Spain as ‘Los Reyes’. It is one of the most popular festivals in Spain and every town has a procession. There will be floats and carts and on these will be the three kings. The kings throw sweets into the crowds and the children – and some adults – scramble to collect as many as they can.
Los Reyes is held on the evening of January 5th and after the procession is finished, you go home to open your presents. Traditionally children didn’t get their presents until the Three Kings had visited, but nowadays, many families give some presents on December 24th/25th.
La Feria de Abril in Seville
La Feria de Abril is one of the most important April festivals in Spain. It is held during Easter, so the dates are always changing. Seville is the capital of Andalucia and the home of flamenco. You will see more flamenco dresses in one week, than you will see in the rest of your life.
The feria lasts for a full week and normally begins on a Monday evening and finished the following Sunday with a huge fireworks display.
Cordoba Courtyard Festival
During the first two weeks of May, residents of Cordoba open their homes to the public. Technically they open their patios and courtyards and especially in the Alcázar Viejo part of town.
Each year there is a competition for the best courtyard in Cordoba and the locals take it very seriously. They spend huge amounts of time to prepare their courtyards and patios, so that they look immaculate. The walls are covered in brightly coloured plant pots filled with geraniums and other native plants.
La Tamborrada Festival San Sebastian
If you are a drummer or you just like lots of noise, then this festival is for you. On the 19th and 20th of January in the city of San Sebastian, ‘La Tamborrada’ is held.
Almost 5,000 children march together banging on their drums. The it is the turn of the adults, and they make even more noise. We recommend that you buy everyone some ear-plugs!
From midnight there is a huge street party which will go on for hours.
Feast Of St James of Santiago de Compostela
The Feast of Saint James is a grand celebration of St. James, the patron saint of Spain. It is held in Santiago de Compostela, Spain on the 25th of July but many celebrations actually start ten days beforehand. It is said that the ‘Feast’ dates back to 865 AD.
Although the festival is held for religious purposes, it also has lots of street parties, dancing, markets and workshops. It is a great experience and a fun way to learn about Spanish history and its culture
Malaga Feria
Malaga Feria, one of Spain’s largest and famous festivals, takes place every August in Malaga. There are events and processions throughout the week in the city centre. Tens of thousands of people visit Malaga Feria every year. They come to enjoy the fun, dance, music, food and the traditions of Malaga
There is a huge fairground which is set up on the outskirts of the city, which really gets going in the evenings and is open until well after midnight. Special children’s days and events are held for the younger children.
Jerez Horse Fair
The famous Jerez horse fair is now over 500 years old. If you like horses it is an amazing thing to experiece. You can watch lots of horse parades and enjoy street parties which are open through the night. Dates for the Jerez fair change each year, so you will need to plan your visit
Noche en Blanca in Malaga
In May each year, Malaga celebrates the ‘White Night’ which is known locally as ‘La Noche En Blanca’.
There is a vast amount of things to attend including; street arts, visual arts, music, dancing and lots of food. The museums, galleries and other cultural spaces remain open very late into the evenings. Many of this are free of charge. There are plenty of events and exhibitions for the children and often include aerial acrobatics and live theatre shows.
La Noche en Blanca regularly attracts almost a quarter of a million guests each year.
Culture – Spain Travel Guide For Kids
One thing which Spain is famous for is their ‘tapas’. Tapas are small portions of food and are ideal for trying lots of different flavours without getting stuck with something that you might not like. The word ‘tapa’ actually means a lid. The Spanish called the food tapas because they are always served with a piece of bread. You put the bread over your food or drink to stop the flies getting to it, if there are any around. Clever isn’t it?
Another thing which Spain is famous for, is their Flamenco, which sounds a bit like flamingo but it isn’t a bird. Flamenco is a type of music and dance which is performed all over the country. Look out for posters which have ladies in swirling dresses and a flower in their hair. The music is played by men on guitars and the dancer uses ‘castanets’ to click out the rhythm. ‘Cast a net’ sounds like something a fisherman would do not a dancer doesn’t it? Well, the castanets are shaped a bit like seashells so perhaps there is a connection there somewhere!
Spain also has a great history of world famous artists including painters, sculptors, and musicians.
Finally let’s not forget that Spain has been a country since 1492, and before that is was Hispania, named by the Romans, which was founded in 218 BC. Before that it was known as Iberia together with Portugal. It has a really long history, and because of that it has some fantastic architecture and castles. Lots of castles.
What else?
Spain also has some islands. The ‘Balearic Islands’ are located on the east coast of Spain in the Mediterranean Sea and in the direction of Italy. The ‘Canary Islands’ are off the west coast of Africa in the Atlantic Ocean.
Spain Travel Guide Airport Codes
Click to View Airport Codes for Spain
| Alicante | ALC | |
| Almeria | LEI | |
| Arrecife/Lanzarote | ACE | |
| Badajoz | BJZ | |
| Barcelona | BCN | |
| Bilbao | BIO | |
| Cordoba | ODB | |
| Fuerteventura | FUE | |
| Gerona | GRO | |
| Granada | GRX | |
| Jerez de la Frontera/Cadiz – La Parra | XRY | |
| La Coruna | LCG | |
| Las Palmas | LPA | |
| Madrid – Barajas Airport | MAD | |
| Mahon | MAH | |
| Malaga | AGP | |
| Murcia | MJV | |
| Oviedo | OVD | |
| Palma de Mallorca | PMI | |
| Reus | REU | |
| San Sebastian | EAS | |
| Santa Cruz de la Palma | SPC | |
| Santander | SDR | |
| Santiago de Compostela | SCQ | |
| Sevilla | SVQ | |
| Tenerife | TCI | |
| Tenerife – Sur Reina Sofia | TFS | |
| Tenerife – Norte Los Rodeos | TFN | |
| Valencia | VLC | |
| Valladolid | VLL | |
| Valverde | VDE | |
| Vigo | VGO | |
| Vitoria | VIT | |
| Zaragoza | ZAZ |
