Spain, the land of sun, sea, and sangria. A favourite destination for package holidaymakers. The country that conjures iconic images of bull fighting, flamenco, and castanets, and yet there is so much more to this magical country.

Spain is divided into 17 regions, it has 4964 km off coastline, a population of over 40 million, and there are 4 native languages spoken in the country. Spain's history and culture is so rich, its landscape and climate is so diverse, and yet three costal resorts are all that most British holidaymakers know about Spain.

The Costa del Sol, the Costa Brava, and the Costa Blanca have been the favoured holiday destinations for the British since the 1950/60's. The economy of each coast is built on the back of the tourist's pound. However, if you travel just a couple of miles inland, you will find that the local business's are lucky to even see a tourist, let alone have them spend any money on their premises. This is such a shame when you consider the regions in which these resorts are located.

Andalucia is a spectacularly beautiful part of Spain. The mountains of the Sierra Nevada are dotted with the famous white washed villages, where you will be able to sample the local cuisine. A couple of the dishes that I would recommend trying are, urta al la rotena (a sumptuous fish stew) and of course the world renowned Serrano ham.

After lunch, why not go along to one of the numerous stables, and watch the training of Andalucia's famous white horses, a site that has to be seen, to be believed.

Catalonia is a region on the northeast coast of Spain. It extends southwards from the dramatic, snow covered Pyrenees, towards Valencia, and is one of my favourite regions of Spain. This is a region of contrasts; from the mountains in the north, to the orange-grove filled valleys, to the rugged cliffs and sandy beaches, Catalonia has something for everyone.

If you are looking for pretty towns and villages, again you are spoilt for choice. A short drive from Estartit is the medieval town of Pals. Take a walk through its narrow streets and before long you will be able to picture yourself back in time.

Would you love to visit a traditional Spanish village? Then go to Calella Palafrugell. Calella Palafrugell is a stunningly beautiful, whitewashed village, set in spectacular landscape. (see picture above)

There are so many places of interest in Catalonia, a few of my favourites are; the Dali museum in the town of Figueres, the Roman ruins at Tarragona, and the monastery of Montserrat.

Valencia is a place I always associate with scents as much as sights. The whole region seems to be filled with; olive, palm, almond, orange, lemon, and lime groves, which just makes the air smell so fragrant.

If I tell you that paella originated in Valencia, you will probably be able to guess what my other favourite thing about this region is. The food here is just stunning. The quality of the produce from this region is so fresh, that after eating it for a couple of weeks everything back in England tastes stale. If you don't believe me, when was the last time you ate a tomato that actually tasted like a tomato? The fish, the oranges, I could go on and on about the food in Valencia all day, in fact I might make another hub just about it.