Spain is a country the size of Texas and between the southern and northern parts you will find a great diversity in its landscapes, cuisines and traditions. Even the architecture and the weather are varied.

There are different languages spoken in Spain as well, depending on what part of the country you live in. In addition to Spanish, spoken throughout the entire country, there are an other three official languages in three bilingual regions: Galician (or Gallego), Basque (or Euskera) and Catalonian (or Catalán).

Northern Spain is a mountainous area whose landscape is similar to that of Ireland and Scotland. There are lots of rivers where you can go trout fishing and because the climate is continental—that is, rainy and mild in both summer and winter—everything is very green. In fact, the cities in the north have been built with stone and brick to accommodate this kind of weather.

Traveling from west to east along the northern coast you will come to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia. The cathedral in Santiago is the end of an exciting pilgrimage called Camino de Santiago whose starting point is in France. Next there is the city of Oviedo in Asturias, where the Príncipe de Asturias, similar to the Nobel Prize, is awarded to outstanding people from all over the world. Continuing east along the coast you will next come to Santander, a city in Cantabria well-known for its magnificent beaches where you can even practice surfing. Further along the coast in the País Vasco there is Bilbao, home to the Guggenheim Museum, and after Bilbao you will arrive in San Sebastián, famous for its beautiful La Concha beach and the yummy tapas you may enjoy in the city’s cafés. Continuing along toward the east you will then come to Pamplona, in Navarra, and if you happen to go there in July and if you are brave enough, you will be able to run with the bulls. Finally, on the east coast in Cataluña, you will arrive to Barcelona.

The south of Spain almost seems like another country. You can only tell that you are still in Spain because people speak Spanish there as well! The Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea are its natural borders. The south, mainly occupied by a region called Andalucía, has a dry and hot climate. In the summer the temperatures can be very high—imagine 110 degrees F in the shade! There are not many mountains there. Many American movies, Westerns, were not filmed in California rather in the dessert of Almería, one of the regions of the south.

All the cities in the south share a strong influence in their cuisine and architecture from the Arabs, who lived in Spain for almost seven centuries. That is why you can see in Córdoba a Catholic cathedral that looks like mosque. It is so cool!

The most well-known city is probably Sevilla. In its cathedral, one of the biggest of the world, you can visit the Christopher Columbus’s tomb, and its bell tower, called the Giralda. Also, did you know that the Plaza de España, a beautiful square and park, appears in Star Wars Episode I, as part of the Naboo Palace.

You can visit Córdoba, ninety-three miles NE of Sevilla. The city was the capital of the Arab territory of Spain. And you can certainly tell. It looks as if you are walking in an Arab town. The most popular construction is the Mosque of Córdoba, which became a cathedral after the Catholic Kings, Fernando and Isabel, conquered Córdoba and expelled the Arabs. You might also visit a neighborhood called La judería, the part of the city inhabited by the Jewish, where you can visit synagogues and museums.

Take a trip to Granada, just a couple of hours SE of Córdoba, and you will be in one of the most vibrant and fun cities of Spain. Its university is very popular throughout Spain, as well as its cathedral, where the Catholic Kings are buried. You can also visit the famous palace of the Alhambra and the caves of Sacromonte, where gypsies present their history, good food and flamenco!