Holiday
villas and apartments in Spain for rental are still
the most popular holiday location in Europe where self-catering
apartments to rent in Spain from the owners direct have
taken off over the last 10 years. This truly magical
vacation destination of Spain is the embodiment of sun
filled holidays and has fascinated and enthralled generations
of holiday makers who resided in the up market hotels
of the 60s; survived the package holiday revolution
of the 70s, 80s and early 90s where travel agents were
stationed on every high street corner. And now, with
the latest holiday revolution in the late 90s and new
Millennium being dominated by the self-catering apartments
to rent in Spain, vacationers can book with the owners
direct. This latest revolution has predominately been
brought about by the expansion of the public’s
access to the Internet and particularly Broadband, where
the computer literate holiday maker can now book independently
online. And credit to Spain and all it offers in traditional
entertainment as well as history, culture and breath
taking landscapes, it still dominates the holiday destination
market in Europe.
 So
why do villas and apartments in Spain for rental dominate
the European holiday market? Well, firstly Spain is
located in south Western Europe on the Iberian Peninsula
which gives it a huge advantage as the sun governs most
regions. Naturally, holiday makers want the Sun to enjoy
relaxing along the many beaches, to take pleasure in
participating in a range of outdoor activities such
as golf; to explore and immerse themselves in the cultures
and traditions of Spain such as flamenco dancing. Furthermore,
Spain is made up of several provinces: Mainland Spain;
the Balearics and the Canary Islands.
Due to Spain’s vast geographical area, its diverse
climate ranges from subtropical to the temperate skiing
climate in the Pyrenees and Granada.
While Spain is still the No.1 all year round holiday
destination in Europe for private villa rentals in Spain,
the package holiday market is on the decline with holiday
makers turning to the Internet/Broadband to book their
villas and apartments in Spain for rental and direct
with the private owners, thus cutting out the high street
tour operators and avoiding their commission. The package
holiday lives on but it is a shrinking market as, not
only is booking direct with a private owner often cheaper,
it most certainly comes with a much better choice of
where to holiday in Spain and with a greater range of
facilities. Combine this with holiday freedom and the
fact that tourists are choosing to book venues where
they can take part in activities such as golf means
booking direct with the private owner is destined to
become a more popular choice.
Some Facts on Villas
and Apartments in Spain for Rental “Areas”
By using our Spain
detailed map, you will see that the north east autonomous
regions, starting with and adjoining Portugal are Extremadura
(Capital: Mérida) Salamanca, Castilla
y Leon and Galicia ( whose capital is Santiago).
The north of Spain is acknowledged to having slightly
less sun than the south but it is only relative; the
summers can be beautifully warm and, along with a superb
green location for villa
rentals in Spain, this compares very favourably
with the northern European countries.
 Looking
at mainland Spain, the area is vast with a variety of
landscapes and people. The Northern regions, sometimes
called the “Green Coast”, is well-known for
its
lush and verdant landscapes and deserving of its
epithet “Costa Verde”. The regions are autonomous
because they act as independent authorities separate
from each other with representation to the main Government.
The regions of Asturias and Cantabria,
(capital: Santander) are always popular with the Spanish
tourists who book their villas and apartments in Spain
for rental in Cantabria’s cooler climate for their
summer vacation; many of them descending from places
like Madrid and the surrounding areas which becomes
unbelievably hot in the summer. Alongside Cantabria
is the historic Basque Country. This area is
buzzing with activity and for history and culture, this
region is abundant with it. Within the boundaries of
the Basque region is the tiny province of Guipuzcoa
where the landscape is similar to
that of its Basque
neighbour. Though Guipuzcoa is the smallest of the provinces,
it does have mountains and seas which makes it quite
picturesque. Tourists, who are active and like to be
out and about in self
catering apartments to rent in Spain, may just enjoy
the challenge this region offers in its hiking and mountaineering
landscape.
The North eastern provinces of Navarra, Aragon
and Catalonia adjoin Spain with France. Both
Navarra and Aragon have had their share of conflicts
and, though their landscape is arid, both provinces
are rich in history and culture. These areas offer the
vacationer who is keen on history much room for knowledge
and exploration. Catalonia, due to its position has,
within its boundaries, the Costa Brava and the Costa
Dorado with their miles of beautiful beaches, hence
Catalonia is extremely popular with tourists who arrange
villa rentals in Spain for a relaxing “chilled
out” holiday, even better when the airport is close
to these facilities. The airport in Cantabria covers
the northern regions of Spain and is further supported
by the main airports: Barcelona and Madrid International
as well as Zaragoza Airport in Aragon.
 Turning
to the central autonomous regions of Castilla-La-Mancha,
with Guadalajara and the lovely city of Madrid.
It seems apt that the centre and heart of Spain should
also be its Capital – and Madrid certainly fits
the bill. Its location, climate and proximity to the
mountains make it a superb destination for tourists
who have booked their
villas and apartments in Spain for rental in the
nation’s capital of Madrid and wish to see traditional
Spain, which leads us to a contentious issue: Bull fighting.
Now whatever our views on the ethics of bull fighting,
in Madrid, the very capital of this sport, it is difficult
not to feel a sense of raw excitement about man pitting
himself against the power of the bull in this uniquely
Spanish tradition. The fact that the bull is a symbol
of Spain gives the bull status. This is further reinforced
by the many outlines of the bull seen throughout the
Spanish landscape.
Of course, Madrid also has a long history. This is
a city teeming with vivacity and activity and where
tourists, not only from other countries but from various
regions of Spain, congregate for certain festivals.
No wonder vacationers, wishing to book self-catering
apartments to rent in Spain or villa rentals in Spain’s
capital, find this difficult to achieve at certain times
of the year. But Madrid is not the only place for holiday
makers; Castilla-La-Mancha too has much to offer the
vacationer who is eager to learn of the traditions of
wine making and production or the holiday maker with
an instinctive thirst for historical and cultural history.
Cities like Toledo, which was once the capital of Spain
and renowned for its architecture; its remarkable bridge
and sword craftsmanship, are well worth a visit.
However and moving across, when one looks at the eastern
autonomous regions of Spain, there is no doubt that
these are very popular. If one starts with the region
of Catalonia, which spans both the north and eastern
part of Spain, with Barcelona being its capital and
the second largest city in Spain, this is truly a remarkable
region.  Barcelona,
like Madrid, has much to commend itself: history, culture,
literature and the Arts have made a profound impression
upon this city. It is no surprise that Barcelona is
a Cultural Heritage Centre. With one of its most famous
artists, the architect, Antoni Gaudi, whose monuments
and buildings alone have brought tourists flocking from
their villas and apartments in Spain
for rental to Barcelona,
just to see the effect of this modernist’s work
on the landscape of Barcelona! Gaudi’s Casa Batlló
or House of Bones is truly glorious, especially at night
when it is lit up.
Moving further along the southern coast is Castellon
(capital: Castellon de la Plana) said to be one of the
most relaxing places to have a holiday as its views
are breath-taking. The name of the coastline itself
“Costa Azahar” conjures up Moorish images
of exotic sand and sumptuous seas as well as magnificent
mountains with towns such as Morella still retaining
their Moorish defensive fortifications.
Further south are the regions of Valencia and
Murcia with capitals of the same name. Valencia
is located in the middle of the Spanish Mediterranean
coastline and is opposite the Balearic Islands. It is
also equidistant from such major cities as Barcelona
and Madrid and is a place worthy of a lengthy stay
however
bit is mainly noted for its most famous dish - the paella.
Murcia should also be noted that
Valencia is famous
for its food the paella. There is much to see in this
region, not only within the city of Valencia itself
but in the outlying regions. Murcia its neighbour is
not only a cathedral town but a university town as well.
Its cathedral is truly magnificent. Its weather is one
of contrasts with hot summer days in the summer season
however the winter is truly freezing. There is alot
to see in this historical old town: the architecture
is really magnificent. Though the landscape can be somewhat
sparse, it more than makes up for this with its orchards
of pine trees and its beautiful beaches.
Finally, on the mainland is the southern and possibly
the most famous of all the autonomous regions for villa
rentals in Spain and that is Andalucía,
supporting 8 very famous regions which are popular
for villas and apartments in Spain for rental encompassing
Almeria, Malaga, Granada, Cadiz and Huelva,
through to the inland provinces of Sevilla (capital
of Andalucía), Cordoba and the less known
province of Jaen. The very fact that this region
has over 5 International airports including Gibraltar
airport attests to the verity of Andalucía’s
popularity.
It is a shame to admit but equally fair to state that
the Coasts or Costas dominate the villas and apartments
in Spain for rental market in a similar way that the
sea coasts do in the majority of countries.
Villas and Apartments
in Spain for Rental – The Costas of Spain
 Starting
in the North, the Costa Verde and Costa Vasca
have proved extremely popular with the Spanish booking
their holidays in luxury apartments in Spain. The next
costa is the Costa Brava at the top north east
region of Spain, villas
and apartments in Spain for rental on this coast
being very popular with the British market for villa
rentals in Spain and most tourists can fly into Barcelona
Airport.
However, the most renowned of the Costas are in the
south and east of Spain mainly due to the superb all
year round weather and these regions are where most
of the self-catering apartments to rent in Spain are
commonly booked. So dropping down south from the
Costa Brava there is the Costa Dorado, named
for its golden beaches where beach front property in
Spain is much sought after. This area is extremely fashionable
as the people are friendly and there is a relaxed atmosphere
about this region. The Costa del Azahar and Costa
del Valencia, though both offer exotic locations,
they are not as populated as their sister Costas. Both
offer golden sands so tourists wanting a relaxing holiday
could find these locations suitable but these regions
also have historical and cultural features which may
appeal to the more knowledge-seeking tourists. Moving
further south there is the ever popular Costa Blanca
supported by Alicante Airport. This area has
a strong English community as the Costa Blanca region
was one of the first areas to embrace package holidays.
Now tourists are familiar with this region and are happy
to book self-catering apartments to rent in Spain.
 For
those vacationers who require a more private, more discrete
holiday there are little enclaves of detached and lesser
known Costas such as the Costa Calida, Costa
Almeria and Costa Tropical however their
popularity is growing fast as the new Costas to visit
for
villa rentals in Spain. Finally and possibly the
most widely known Costa for villas
and apartments in Spain for rental is the beach
front properties in the Costa del Sol and the
Costa de la Luz and bookings for self-catering
apartments to rent in Spain are huge and the majority
of these are made with the private owners direct. Not
only are the beaches a popular resort and pastime but
there is a great interest in watersports, golf and equestrian
sports. There are a number of riding schools in the
Costa del Sol where events such as horse shows with
show jumping and dressage are an intrinsic part of Spanish
life, tradition and culture. These shows are often publicised
and towns such as Jerez have annual equestrian championships
and the whole town participates in the festival.
Villas and Apartments
in Spain for Rental – The Canary Islands
The Canary Islands are submerged in sunshine
throughout the year making it an ideal winter holiday
vacation. These Islands are located off the north west
coast of Africa and includes Tenerife (capital:
Santa Cruz), Fuerteventura (capital: Puerto del
Rosario) Gran Canaria (capital: Las Palmas)
La Gomera (capital: San Sebastián ) La
Palma (capital: Santa Cruz de la Palma) Lanzarote
(capital Arrecife ) and Hierro. The majority
of the islands have their own airports though some are
not international airports which mean access may have
to be via hovercraft or ferry from the larger islands
such as Tenerife to the smaller islands.
Villas and Apartments
in Spain for rental – The Balearics Islands
 The
Balearics are another very fashionable holiday destination
with vacationers who require beach front property as
self
catering apartments to rent in Spain. The Balearics
are located off the east coast of Spain. Majorca,
also called Mallorca, (capital: Palma), Menorca
(capital: Mao) Ibiza and lesser known Formentera:
All the Islands are popular in peak season and offer
a varied mixture of resorts and activities to suit every
holiday maker.
The Balearics cater for all types of tourists from
small friendly resorts for families to the lively resorts
such as San Antonio in Ibiza and Magaluf in Majorca.
Entertainment from traditional flamenco dancers to modern
disco nights; from cosy tapas bars to formal restaurants
and from street performers and dancers to parades and
festivals. These are all available in the Balearics
as well as the ever popular golfing activity holidays
- with islands such as Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza having
a vast array of golf courses open to the public. However
do be aware that some of these golfing venues are open
to members only, at certain times of the year, therefore
you need to do your research first and book in advance
to avoid disappointment.
So if you are considering
villas and apartments in Spain for rental then choose
your region, town or Costa carefully; consider the type
of holiday you wish to enjoy along with the appropriate
weather conditions; choose your property: villa, apartment
or finca and contact the private owners direct and make
sure you are happy before you book your holiday in splendid
Spain.
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