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 holiday rentals Spain 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 green coast.. 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 for holiday rentals. 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, in the NW is an
apartment rental Lleida and Pyrenees then you have the region of Girona
and in the south of Catalonia is Tarragona 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, Alicante
and of course 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.
Still on the mainland is the southern and possibly the most famous of all the autonomous regions for villa
rentals in Spain and that is Andalucia, supporting 8 very famous regions which are popular for villas and apartments in Spain for rental encompassing
Almeria, Granada,
Malaga, 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 Andalucia’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.
Canary Islands properties: - Tenerife, Lanzarote,
Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria,
La Gomera, La Palma
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.
Balearic Islands Properties Mallorca,
Ibiza,
Menorca,
Formentera,
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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