Modern man settled on the Iberian Peninsula about 35 thousand years ago and was the source of genes for the majority of the modern population of Europe, at least in the female line. For 1200 years BC. the coast began to be mastered by the Phoenicians. In the V-III centuries. BC. the Celts came here and mixed with the Iberians.
After the Punic Wars (III-II centuries BC), the Romans began the conquest of Iberia, which lasted over 200 years. In 19 A.D. under the Roman emperor Augustus, Spain became the second largest center of the Roman Empire after Italy itself.
The Romans drew many military roads across Spain and established numerous military settlements (colonies); the country quickly became romanized, even became one of the centers of Roman culture and one of the most flourishing parts of the Roman Empire. Trade flourished, industry and agriculture were at a high degree of development, the population was very large (according to Pliny the Elder, there were 360 cities under Vespasian). Christianity penetrated here very early and began to spread, despite the bloody persecution.
At the beginning of the 5th century, Alans, Vandals and Suevi penetrated into Spain and settled in Lusitania, Andalusia and Galicia; the Romans temporarily stayed in the eastern half of the peninsula. In 415, the Visigoths appeared in Spain, first as allies of the Romans, and gradually drove out all other Germanic tribes. In 711, one of the Visigothic groups called for help from the Arabs and Berbers from North Africa, who were later called the Moors.
In 711-719. almost the entire territory of Spain was conquered by the Arabs, who included the country in their Caliphate. The Moors turned Spain into the most beautiful, comfortable and populated country in Europe. In less than a century, they plowed uncultivated fields, created a wise irrigation system, achieved bumper harvests thanks to their knowledge of climate, soil, plant and animal development. They introduced crops of rice, mulberry, banana, pistachio, palm, sugarcane, unfamiliar flowers and fruits, which later spread throughout the mainland. Mining, discontinued since Roman times, has been revived and improved with the use of high-performance technology.
The capture of Granada by the troops of the Catholic kings in 1492 ended the last Islamic state on the peninsula. A significant Muslim population has undergone (mostly forcible) baptism (moriscos). At the beginning of the 17th century, the descendants of the baptized Arabs and Moors were expelled from the country together with the remnants of the unbaptized.
is a seaside resort located south of Barcelona and known for its clean and safe beaches for children.
TO Torremolinos and visits to Benalmadena and Fuengirola.
On the site of the former mosque in 1538, according to the project of Diego de Siloë, the construction of the cathedral began, the construction of which lasted more than two centuries. 
-
whether backstage to a film about cowboys, or an open air museum ...
- thought that we would never get out of there ... 
Spain is a very beautiful and diverse country, about which many know quite little, although they believe that this is not so. Many interesting and beautiful places in Spain are not known to the average Russian. Do you know what Extremadura is, and where is Asturias, or maybe you know a little about Galicia?
If not, in this article I will tell you about interesting but unknown places in Spain.
Everyone knows that Spain is a country located in the southwestern part of Europe, on the Iberian Peninsula, and borders on Portugal, France and tiny Andorra, whose only income is tourism and ski resorts, and its small size does not even allow it to have its own authorities, therefore Andorra is ruled by France and Spain.
The population of Spain is about 47 million people, and the territory is about 505 thousand square meters. km. The capital is Madrid, and the second largest city, but the most popular among tourists, is Barcelona.
The history and modern culture of Spain is closely connected with the Arab Moors, who ruled the country for several centuries, and were completely expelled from Spain only in 1492, leaving a huge number of beautiful architectural monuments. The process of recapturing Spanish territory is called the Reconquista.
Although it is believed that the period of Arab rule in Spain is an occupation, but no negative effects happened in the country, the Moors successfully developed trade, as well as the Spanish cities themselves. Especially the Arab influence is felt in the south of Spain, in the region of Andalusia, where they ruled for the longest time.
The beauty of Andalusia
Andalusia is one of the most beautiful but less well-known regions of Spain among tourists, which is rich in examples of Arabic architecture, has a completely different culture than the rest of Spain, as well as a very different accent of Spanish, which some call a separate language.
The region is home to many beautiful cities worth visiting. Below you can see how each of them stands out.
Granada
The city of Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in southern Spain. The city is rich in its architecture: the Alhambra Palace is located here, which is considered the most famous monument of the Islamic heritage of Andalusia. Moreover, the city was founded back in 500 BC, and to this day you can see traces of all the peoples who ruled here.
Seville
Seville is the capital of Andalusia, which is located west of Granada. The city is divided by the Guadalquivir River into Seville and Triana, which are very culturally different from each other and successfully complement each other, making up the whole culture of Seville. Here you can also see many palaces and cathedrals, built either in style or during the time of the Moors, and you can also go to one of the many bars where performances are performed with the temperamental flamenco dance, which originated in this region.
Malaga
The second largest city in Andalusia, which is located on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, which gives it a sense of relaxation and quality of a resort town. Just 5 km north of the city, lies the Malaga Mountains. This combination of mountains and sea makes Malaga one of the most beautiful cities in Spain.
Lost Extremadura
The Extremadura region is perhaps the least known part of Spain. It is located on the border with Portugal. The population of the region is quite small, the largest city has a population of only 55 thousand people. The region features mountains, forests, lakes and national parks such as Cornalvo and Montfragues.
Although ‘extrema’ in a region's name translates to ‘external’, ‘extreme’ is a much better word for a region. The average summer temperature here does not drop below 28 degrees, but more often it is around 40, at the same time it periodically snows here in winter.
Traditional Asturias
The Asturias region is also unknown among foreign tourists, although it is well known among the Spaniards. It is located in the north of Spain, and is another place full of natural attractions such as mountains and national parks. In addition, the region borders the ocean and is also home to interesting cities full of interesting traditions and different from the Spanish culture.
Asturias has its own culture, cuisine, also another accent that locals consider a separate language, as well as a developed economy, despite the practically absence of international networks and brands.
Visit the town of Oviedo if you want to feel like a resident of a medieval Spanish town from the 16th and 17th centuries, because people here live the same way as they did hundreds of years ago.
Harsh Basques
The Spanish Autonomous Region, to the west of Asturias, is the most distant from the rest of Spain, as although Spanish is partially used here (mainly due to the oppression of minorities by the Spanish dictator Francisco Franco), the main language is Basque.
I would describe the locals as a rocker people due to the fact that most of them have piercings, side cut and dyed hair, wear almost exclusively jeans, and are strong and athletic.
The Basques have been fighting for independence from Spain for a long time, since the Basque Country is the second most developed region of the country (out of 17, after Catalonia). Healthcare, education and finance are highly developed here. Bilbao is the capital of the region, but not the most interesting city. Better to visit San Sebastian by the sea near the French border, where the famous film festival is periodically held.
Rich Catalonia
Catalonia is the more famous region of Spain, where our fellow countrymen love to relax on the white beaches near Barcelona. Popular beach resorts are small resort towns near Barcelona, as well as Alicante and Benidorm.
In addition to the well-known Barcelona, I advise you to visit Valencia, the second largest city in Catalonia, equally rich in attractions, but less crowded with tourists and more enjoyable for a relaxing break under the warm sun.
Another city worth visiting is the city of Girona, where low-cost airlines often fly. The town is small but also very interesting. Moreover, some parts of the Game of Thrones series were filmed here.
This was my list of interesting but unknown places to visit in Spain. I hope that I helped you learn more about this diverse country and now you will diversify your travels. Learn 50 Budget Travel Tips from 15 Experienced Travel Bloggers Now!
about the author
Roman, the creator of the RomanRoams.com blog about travel, interesting and unknown places in various cities and countries, as well as tips for travelers, as well as the Visit-Belarus.com site about beautiful places and useful information about Belarus.
Let's also remember the famous castles of Spain: here, here. We will not miss the beautiful and tall. And there was also such a curious incident and
NB: This post was written in 2014 as an answer to frequently asked questions. Some things have changed since then, and in any case, this text cannot be considered as a guide to emigration (it's anything, just not a guide to emigration!) Perhaps later I will edit it to make it more relevant to the moment, but for now, correct for time and purpose of the text, please.
I have been writing this post for more than one day, but in my head, probably, for more than one month or even a year. Every day I am asked many questions about how we ended up in Spain, how we live here, how we left. I will say right away that I can or want to answer not everything, and our story is too unusual to use it as a recipe. And therefore, I will tell everything that I consider necessary, just as a story from my life. Let's just say, let there be a post that I can show in response to all questions :) I hope that you will be interested in reading about this, because this incredibly important step largely determines my life and who I am today, as well as this a little about the fact that everyone dreams of completely different things, which means that everything in the world is enough for everyone.
To begin with, until the age of 23, I almost never traveled outside Russia. I worked a lot, some people know, and someone even remembers how it all happened - my family never even had the opportunity to go on vacation abroad, and when I was left on my own, then, of course, immediately provide for myself travel could not. I, in general, did not think about them, so at that moment it was beyond the boundaries of my reality. Just around the age of 23, I began to slowly get out of my problems, including financial ones, and later I met my husband, at that time an obsessed traveler for many years. So not only one person entered my life, but the whole world along with him. A period of long and numerous trips began, mainly in Southeast Asia, we were constantly on suitcases, but rather on backpacks and visited many places.
But my husband had an idea for a long time about leaving Moscow somewhere where life is quieter and slower, where the climate is warmer, somewhere closer to nature, but with a European mentality and an overall high level of comfort. At that time, I just didn’t love Moscow so much (forgive me, dear admirers of the capital, I’m with you in many respects and I’ll return to the topic, but Moscow for me is not a city where I would like to live), so I belonged to the idea of moving with enthusiasm, but give your answer to the question "where exactly?" I could not yet, since I had not yet seen much.
UPD from the future. Now I understand that the desire to travel a lot, like the desire to move, was in many ways an escape from a reality in which it was quite scary. I was followed by unresolved family conflicts, which I have long and painfully disassembled in therapy until now, but then physically withdrawing seemed the easiest and most correct (and in many ways it is). And I was ready to go anywhere, although Spain, of course, was and remains a great option.
Her husband was a longtime fan of Spain and traveled almost all over the country, at one time he even thought about moving to Barcelona, but then he did not dare. Around 2009, when I was still studying at the university and my husband sometimes traveled without me, he saw a place that has now become our home.
You often ask where exactly we live. Suffice it to say that this is the province of Cadiz and the Atlantic coast to understand the spirit of this place, washed by a calm, but still ocean, looking at Africa across the strait and salted through with a wet wind. Moreover, this is a comfortable village under the pine trees, in which it is quite comfortable and safe to live and raise children. There are a lot of tourists here during the season, mainly Englishmen, Germans and, of course, Spaniards, in the low season it is deserted, almost deserted, but at the same time it is quite warm (and in comparison with Moscow it is generally hot), but the summer is also moderate here thanks to , again, the ocean and the pines, only 5 kilometers inland, and it will already be 5 degrees higher, and 50 kilometers from us - and all 10.
In general, then all lengthy conversations and abstract ideas began to take on real outlines. We decided to move and started looking for a house. Our move was not planned as radical - we did not "leave everything behind", did not sell real estate, did not quit our jobs, we did not move abruptly in one day: a couple of years passed from buying a house to my husband moving here completely. For more than 3 years she lived in 2 countries, constantly wandered between Russia and Spain, and this was a separate, not the easiest period for both of us. Now our life is already completely focused here, here is our home, and we are happy in it. But, of course, in Russia we have family, friends, and therefore we come regularly and keep in touch.
Here's a story. Now I will try to answer the questions that many have.
-
WHAT DO YOU LIVE ON?
As much as I dislike such questions and consider them extremely tactless, so much as they are indispensable in this topic. For many years, my husband led more than one successful business in Russia in order to choose in the future what kind of life and where to live. This allowed us not to go into mortgages and choose a place that is not a compromise for us, but is suitable for most parameters. Now we are both working remotely, I have an online blogging school that takes up all my time.
UPD: As you know, temporarily or permanently. But in 4 years I have saved enough money to allow myself this hiatus.
In general, our case is not the most common, and I am definitely not the person who should be contacted for advice on emigration or on how to settle down here and find a job.
-
WHY SPAIN AT ALL?
I repeat, my husband has long been in love with this country, and especially with this place, and I understand him well :) And if we talk about more mundane things, then since we are not earning here, it matters for us that the price level here is still lower than in many European countries. At the same time, it is important for us that Moscow remains within reach (therefore, for example, Australia or the United States was not considered at all) and plane tickets, although not cheap, are still available. Well, I think everyone already knows about the climate, ocean and clean air.
-
HOW DID YOU CHOOSE A LOCATION AND BUY A HOUSE?
After my husband visited here, there was still no clear understanding that it was here that we would be moving. We looked at alternatives such as Costa Brava and other places on our Costa de la Luz. But in the end, the choice fell where it fell. We meticulously traveled around the places that we had looked after in advance, choosing houses on real estate sites and inquiring about specific urbanizations. Here we looked at 100,500 houses, left in thought, returned again, negotiated several options and unexpectedly bought this house. By the way, it was he who was shown to us first, but then it did not fit into our budget, and we just looked at it, “for general development,” but then the price for it dropped sharply, and we entered into a deal.
Honestly, I didn’t have any love at first sight with respect to the house and the feeling “I want my children to grow up here”, well, how is it filmed in Hollywood about this? The local architecture still continues to puzzle me, and the general everyday life is not entirely clear to me. And therefore, any choice would be a compromise. Despite the renovations that we did in the first year, the house still requires serious alteration and revision and still will never look like the pictures that I kick on Peterest. But I love him, and this experience teaches me to accept things as they are.
First, a good place is not necessarily a famous place. Moreover, if you do not want to live in the Russian ghetto, it is most likely exactly the opposite. If you want the opposite, then your choice is much easier, the places loved by compatriots are well known. Try to narrow your geography on the Internet by wandering the streets through Google, reading forums, and flipping through Instagram by geotagging. But some things can be understood only by seeing with your own eyes. The assessments of other people, more often than not, disagree with my perception almost completely, perhaps you will have the same.
Secondly, if you are targeting a specific place, it will not be superfluous to see it in different seasons. If the place is tourist - especially. You can be very surprised and even change your mind, and it can frighten both the high season and the low one. If you have the opportunity to rent a house and live for a while, you will get the most accurate idea of how everything will be in reality. You may decide that you don't want to buy, but rather shoot. Maintaining a home is expensive, taxes on purchases and sales are high, real estate market growth is slow, and if your residence is at its peak during the low season, renting is not the worst solution, which gives you not only financial benefits, but also more freedom. However, from the point of view of obtaining a residence permit, renting is not always a good idea.
Thirdly, there are some features of life and construction that you may not know, try to inquire about how life works in the country and even the specific region where you are going to move. (Life in a rented apartment, by the way, will also help a lot with this). For example, if we saw wooden floors somewhere, we could "sink" on them, and we wanted to make them ourselves, but the truth of life is that it is very impractical here because of the high humidity, and we could hit hard with them, although this is not the worst thing. And also there are no window sills, they are external in order to reduce heat transfer between the street and the house in the summer heat (I hope, correctly formulated). Well, many other moments are unusual and not ideal for me. All this saddens me, but this is a reality, with which there is little point in fighting. You can even build your house from scratch according to your own project, but in the end it may not meet local requirements dictated by the climate and the peculiarities of communications.
Fourthly, the procedure for buying a house was not very difficult for us, thanks to our excellent realtor, through whom almost all houses in our village are sold. He spoke English, and I was able to conduct all the negotiations myself, without an interpreter. But if you do not know the language, I think that a translator will really do the trick for you - when signing, and even for a preliminary translation of the contract. Most likely, first you will sign a pre-contract and deposit some kind of security, which will burn if you change your mind. And do not forget to take into account all the costs of taxes, notary, etc., etc., which in total will amount to more than 10% of the value of the property. If you are interested in a mortgage, then its conditions will depend on the region where you buy real estate, on the willingness of local banks to work with Russians, their familiarity with Russian “papers” (I can’t even imagine how now with this). In our village, it turned into such an epic that we abandoned this idea, even despite the favorable conditions.
-
Aren't you alone?
This is one of the most important questions. In general, no. I am an introvert, I feel good alone with myself, my husband is my best friend, and we understand each other well on most fundamental issues, and we also respect each other's right to personal time. I need him. To be honest, in a huge amount. It is quite difficult for me to be surrounded by people for a long time. Social isolation is our deliberate choice. Of course, from time to time I need communication, I love my family and friends, I miss them, I like meeting new people, and I lack quality communication and shared leisure. Of course, in an ideal world, all my loved ones would be next to me (and not me with them). But this bothers me less than the need to constantly be among people, which is in Moscow. In the end, you can always buy a plane ticket and fly to Russia or go somewhere on a trip with a friend - everything is surmountable.
UPD: Over time, I began to miss more regular communication with loved ones, but also easier to relate to new contacts. Everything flows, everything changes.
-
DO YOU KNOW THE LANGUAGE? HOW DOES SOCIALIZATION GO?
More on the issue of socialization. No, I hardly know the language. I am ashamed. All these years I am ashamed to answer this question, I myself am horrified by it. But the truth is, I don't really need it yet. I do not strive for socialization and almost never happen in situations where I need to communicate, and not just ask how much oranges cost (I can do that). In general, I have no motivation yet. I think that as soon as it appears, the issue will magically be resolved - I am not bad with languages, and I think that everything will be fine :)
I don’t use local services, I don’t go to any hobby clubs, circles, etc. I have nowhere to communicate and meet people. I'm not eager to make local friends yet, I think this will change over time. But now I don’t need it, and I don’t have an urgent need to apply for any services either. I am not a frequent client of all these magical places in Russia. Therefore, I cannot compare either the health care system or the bureaucracy (oh, it is here, it is called in one word mañana, that is, tomorrow, and tomorrow is not the next day after today, it is some uncertain day in the future).
Have I already warned that I am probably the worst person in the world with whom to discuss emigration? :) Now believe me?
-
WHAT DO YOU LIKE AND DO NOT LIKE IN SPAIN? WHAT IS DIFFERENT FROM RUSSIA?
I have already written a lot about what I like. This is the climate (although humid, even, I would say, the wet local winter tends to be exhausting), this incredible variety of nature (the Spaniards don't really travel around the world, but why? There is everything!), This is the simplicity of life, it is fresh food and clean air. This is a measured life and just a different level of basic comfort and tranquility, at least as I understand them.
In many moments I cannot talk about Spain in general, how difficult it is to talk about Russia in general, for example. It is all the more strange to compare the capital of Russia and the Spanish countryside. And in general, "notes of an emigrant" and all these observations and comparisons are not my path. I know what I know, but I don't know much. Where I live, I greatly miss the cultural life. We live in an agricultural resort area, and although 150 km to Seville, for example, is not such a distance, it is not the same as taking a taxi or metro. And Sevilla, dearly loved by me, is not Moscow. I really, really miss cute places with an idea - the Spaniards are very undemanding to the surroundings, most of the establishments are traditionally decorated and cannot boast of the originality of the menu. And I just miss something within walking distance, although I have an ocean within walking distance, which is cooler.
There are not enough interesting projects, courses or master classes (so that there is a reason to learn the language, in particular). There is ashtanga yoga, horse riding, surfing, languages or guitar and flamenco classes, from all this magical list, perhaps horses attract me, but I'm still a little scared and ripening for now.
It can also be difficult to buy something - it is almost impossible to find relatively non-standard furniture, clothes, cosmetics and much more in our area, you need to order delivery or go somewhere far away. With the delivery, our relationship is tense, I love to feel everything, so I suffer a little about this too.
I also hate Spanish food. Well, yes, many write that they like her, but usually with further questioning it all comes down to jamon and gazpacho. I can't eat in local restaurants, and every time I have a tasty meal in Spain, it becomes a solemn date on the calendar (there are only a couple of them there so far). I cook at home 3 times a day, and outside the house we eat only when necessary. It's hard sometimes. But even the pizza out of the box, which I occasionally fall for from laziness, is better for me than local food. May all connoisseurs and amateurs forgive me, even if I do not know how to choose and I have bad taste. Well, this is my blog and my experience :)
But the indisputable advantage of local (and any European, in my opinion) catering over Moscow is an adequate extra charge for drinks, and it will not be easy to drink a fortune in bars here :) By the way, here you can also get behind the wheel after a glass of beer or a glass of wine, here. Not very relevant for me, because I don't drink much and don't drive a car, but it's a fact!
I am missing, of course, many of the products that I am used to. But I've almost rebuilt. Everyone suffers from a very standard set of kefir, Borodino bread, buckwheat and borscht :) In general, I have something like that, only I don't like borscht, but my bourgeois soul yearns for red caviar. It is also difficult here with good tea, as well as with the culture of tea drinking in general. So I always need good green tea and you can always give it to me, send it and all that. But the abundance of fresh seasonal fruits grown somewhere 30 kilometers from the store, fresh fish and seafood - all this is very to my liking. Well, and good coffee from every iron for connoisseurs.
I suffer especially badly from the lack of central heating and the inability to heat the house with appliances (it's not that expensive, it's really not particularly possible, since the heat easily goes away - this is how these houses are designed, counting on a hot summer). Also, the sun in the house is always not enough for me, even in summer, well, this is how you turn the house, ours was clearly built by connoisseurs of coolness :) In other areas, in apartment buildings, in new buildings, the situation may be slightly different, but electricity will always be expensive, and always heat will not be budgetary. If someone has never come across a fireplace in reality and believes that it is possible to heat it with it, then I will upset you - this is more about the entourage and about warming up by the fire.
UPD: We recently installed a cast-iron fireplace, it changed the situation somewhat, it became warmer, and we adapted a little, +17 in the room is quite comfortable for us. When I come to Moscow, I am exhausted from the dryness and heat in the premises.
The Spaniards are incredibly noisy. I think everyone who has been to Spain knows this. Sometimes you hear - a swarm of bees is buzzing, take a closer look - 2-3 people say, but they literally create a noise curtain. This, of course, has its own charm, but in general, I love the silence :) And I am glad that we live in a quiet corner of the village. On the other hand, benevolence and willingness to help or to enter into a non-binding dialogue and constant smiles are very pleasant in contrast to Moscow. Well, no matter what they say about the southern slowness, and I have not seen sleepy clugs at the checkout counters or "chёnado" leaks in the windows, they work fast enough and always kindly. There is another problem - you can always be distracted by chatting or having fun with someone else's child, and everyone is extremely loyal to this. The queue will never be nervous and rushed because of this, but rather join the conversation. The feeling of time and its value is different between us and the Spaniards, so I learn to breathe out and not rush at such moments.
You also know about siesta. Well, lunch nap from 2 to 5. I used to happily poke fun at lazy Spaniards. But the reality is that in the summer during the day it is really so hot that it is impossible to do anything. And sleeping under the air conditioner is the only sure way to get through this time and continue your activity in the evening and at night, when the heat subsides. Business hours here start early, often on a short Friday before lunchtime. Nothing is open on Sunday except restaurants. You also need to get used to this. The need to plan all purchases and trips somewhere in advance is not a proven skill in Moscow, because everything is available there 24/7. But now I have almost rebuilt and just live like that.
I would like to say more about the Spaniards, but ... well, you remember :)
-
In general, you probably understand that living in about the same way, only with snow and Russian cheese, is theoretically possible in the Moscow region or somewhere deeper. The main thing is not to turn on the TV, just as we don't turn it on here either. But for some reason I like it more here - with the ocean and Manchego cheese. And the point, of course, is not only about the cheese, but also, for example, the reasons why this cheese is not on the shelves of supermarkets. I - never about politics and not about patriotism and I will not support these discussions if they suddenly arise. I respect any of your choices and I ask you to respect the ones I made. I am sure that everyone has their own place on Earth, it does not have to coincide with the place of birth in the passport. And it seems to me that everyone has the right and should strive to feel harmony in their lives. Here I feel it, despite all the "but". And I wish you the same with all my heart.
I probably didn't say anything about something, because I already stopped noticing it as something special. If you have any questions, write, and I will, if possible, answer them here, and at the same time add the post. Thanks to all those who mastered, who is with me and who supports me when that very loneliness rolls over (extremely rare, but it happens to me as well). This blog is one of the most powerful things that support me and open a “window to the world”, motivating me to work on myself and my life. You are my great inspiration and incentive, and I am grateful for every letter and comment with kind words, for all the warmth that you give me, and for the changes that you make in your life, maybe with the very least bit of my participation!
PS: The first photo was taken by my dear Marina Muravnik, and I ineptly edited, and the rest are from my archive.