In 2022, Spain was the second most touristic country in the world. Although that fact might not make Spain seem like an unknown country, I still believe it is. I'm Spanish, and obviously, I see hundreds of tourists in my country. People from all over the world come every year to visit Spain. A lot of people. But that doesn't mean that they know Spain. I mean, they come here and they might visit some Spanish cities, but, in my opinion, they don't fully know Spain. Spanish tourism is mainly focused on beaches and big cities. Who hasn't heard of Barcelona, Madrid or Seville? Or those beaches on the Mediterranean coast, that get full of tourists every year. Nevertheless, when I travel to the north of Spain, for example, I don't see as many tourists, especially if we compare it with some Mediterranean beaches.
I think Spain is a country that has to be known through its towns, villages, nature and all the hidden monuments and places that it is home to. In Spain, you can find a thirteenth-century monastery in the middle of nowhere, or come across a little town with barely any inhabitants but with a lot of charm. Every year I discover new towns and places in Spain that I hadn't even heard of before, and sometimes I think: if this was in another country, such as Italy or France, this would be much more known.
Spain has also gone through a lot: a lot of heritage was lost during the Civil War, and there have also been other events, such as the French Invasion, that brought a lot of destruction to the country. A lot of cities and towns had to be rebuilt, and many monuments were lost.
Spain is an incredibly diverse country: you can find deserts, snowy mountains, flower fields, breathtaking beaches, volcanoes, forests of all kinds... The style of the buildings is completely different depending on if you are in one part of the country or another. It's full of surprises, so you never know what you might find here.
I plan on doing a more detailed post in which I will give several reasons (with examples) about why I think Spain is not as known as other European countries, so this post is going to be a little brief.
In this blog, I would like to share my recommendations about travel in Spain, give some useful tips and try to help people that want to travel here.