There are said to be about 1,800 rivers in Spain, though many are dry for much of the year. When the river beds do fill with water they quickly turn into raging and destructive torrents.

Following the same general direction as the major mountain systems, there are five major rivers, four of which -the Duero, Tagus, Guadiana and Guadalquivir— flow into the Atlantic and one –the Ebro— into the Mediterranean.

At some point, they are all dammed –as are many of their numerous tributaries— and the reservoirs provide much of the water and electrical power for the country.

The Ebro, over 900 kilometres (560 miles) long, rises in the Cantabrian Mountains and empties via a large delta into the Mediterranean at the southern edge of Catalonia. Fed by several tributaries from the Pyrenees to the north and the Sistema Ibérico to the south, the Ebro is Spain’s largest river in volume. On its way it touches Castilla-León and the Basque country before crossing La Rioja, Navarra, Aragón and Catalonia.

Given the volume of the river, plans were approved by the government in 2001 to redirect some of the Ebro’s water to the parched communities of Valencia, Murcia and Almería in the south.

Opposition was fierce because of the ecological damage to the Ebro delta and to the land crossed by the pipeline, and because a lot of the water would be used for more urbanization as well as golf courses and swimming pools. The plan was abandoned by the government in 2004, but the issue is still very much alive.

The largest city on the Ebro is Zaragoza (Saragossa). Towards the end of the Civil War (1938), the lower Ebro was the scene of one of the fiercest battles between the Franco Nationalists and the Republicans, raging for four months.

The Duero starts not far from the Ebro, but takes the opposite direction, crossing Castilla-León then turning south to form the boundary with Portugal. After about 100 kilometers it passes into Portugal (where it is called the Douro), and flows through some narrow gorges before entering the Atlantic at Oporto.

The Duero is not a particularly deep river, but much of its northern bank is steep and forms a modest barrier in the flat Meseta.

The Tagus (Tajo in Spanish, Tejo in Portuguese) is the Iberian Peninsula’s longest river, rising in the wilds of the Serranía de Albarracín only some 90 miles from the Mediterranean. It loops sharply westward through Castilla-La Mancha and Extremadura and then heads in a south western direction through Portugal before emptying into the Atlantic at Lisbon.

There are several large dams on the Tagus creating huge lakes that are a vital source of agricultural irrigation, as well as drinking water for Madrid and Toledo. A significant amount is also siphoned off from dams on the upper Tagus to the Segura river basin to water the south east.

Despite the length of the Tagus, Toledo is the only sizeable town that stands on it in Spain (in Portugal, it passes through Lisbon), primarily because for much of its course it has very steep banks and runs through arid, difficult land.

The source of the Guadiana is generally given as the Lakes of Ruidera, a series of interconnected lagoons and waterfalls in the hills of Montiel (Castilla-La Mancha). However, shortly after leaving its source, the river disappears underground before reemerging about 40 kilometres (24 miles) west at the wetland reserve of the Tablas de Daimiel. Not everyone agrees that the river runs underground. Two tributaries, the Zancara and the Cigüela (both rising in the Sierra de Cuenca) combine just before reaching the Tablas de Daimiel and one of them might reasonably be considered to form the upper reaches of the Guadiana.

From the Tablas de Daimiel the Guadiana moves sluggishly westward through Castilla-La Mancha and Extremadura. At Badajoz it turns south, forms part of the border with Portugal, then moves entirely into Portugal only to return as a border line before entering the Atlantic at the town of Ayamonte.

A major series of dams about half way along the route of the Guadiana have created large man-made lakes, essential for the irrigation of this largely arid landscape. Inaugurated by General Franco in 1952, they were completed in 1960.

The Guadalquivir (Arabic Guad al-Quivir: “the Great River, B(a)etis to the Romans) rises in the Sierra de Cazorla, heads north, loops sharply to the west and then, running parallel to the southern slopes of the Sierra Morena, crosses the middle of Andalusia before entering the Atlantic just north of Cádiz.

The Guadalquivir valley is probably the most fertile agricultural area in Spain, producing cereals, cotton, citrus fruits, vineyards and rice. After descending from the mountains and the undulating, olive-tree covered hills of Jaén province, the Guadalquivir opens broadly towards the Atlantic. After passing through Seville, it feeds an expansive wetland wilderness, the Coto Doñana National Park, one of Europe’s greatest wildlife parks and a major migratory stop for birds.

Córdoba and Seville are the two major towns on the Guadalquivir. Seville is situated some 85 kilometres (52 miles) from the Atlantic, but it is a sizeable inland port capable of taking ocean going vessels. Still, there is a perennial battle with silting and larger ships normally dock at Cádiz.

River Ebro at Zaragoza: By Владимир Шеляпин - Own work, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14631431

Viking River cruises in Europe provide outstanding opportunities for exploring the continent’s scenic waterways

The most distinctive geographical features of Spain are its mountains. They are so widespread that Richard Ford, the famous 19th-century English traveler called Spain’s topography “almost one mountain.”

After Switzerland, Spain is the most mountainous country in Europe. Numerous mountain chains cross the landscape like protruding ribs, mostly in an east west direction.

In the north, the Pyrenees form a natural border with France, with several peaks rising over 3.000 metres (9.842 feet). To the west of the Pyrenees, and running parallel with the north coast, the Cordillera Cantábrica is home to some of Spain’s most endangered wildlife. Two mountain ranges, the Sierra de Guadarrama and the Sierra de Gredos, cut across the centre of the peninsula, just north of Madrid.

Towards the south, the Sierra Morena forms a natural barrier between Castilla-La Mancha and Andalusia. Finally, along the south coast, the Sierra Nevada (which provides some of the best skiing in Spain) includes the highest mountain in the peninsula (Mulhacen 3.479 metres: 11.414 feet). The highest mountain in Spain is actually Teide in the Canary Islands, 3718 metres: 12.198 feet.

There are countless smaller ranges often linked to each other in systems. For example, the Sistema Ibérico follows the River Ebro south of Zaragoza from the Cordillera Cantábrica almost to the Mediterranean. It includes the Sierras de Moncayo, de la Virgen, de Algairén, de Cucalón and others. In the south, the Sistema Penibético contains the Serranía de Ronda, the Sierra Nevada, the Sierras de Segura, de Alcaraz and several more.

The mountains are one reason why there are probably more “wild” places in Spain than in any other country of Europe. Mountains restrict surface communication and urban development, and in the case of Spain easy passage through the ranges is very limited. Isolated valleys and steep gorges make for a rugged landscape which protects flora and fauna. The northern ranges –the Cantabrian and Pyrenees— are particularly rich in large mammals, including wolves, foxes, wild boars and the Iberian brown bear as well as eagles, vultures and the rare capercaillie (a kind of large grouse). Also rare is the lammergeyer (bearded vulture) whose Spanish name, quebrantahuesos (literally “bonebreaker”), alludes to its habit of dropping bones from a height onto rocks in order to extract the marrow. Thanks to a captive breeding programme in the Sierras de Cazorla and Segura, the lammergeyer is making a slow recovery. Ibex, deer and lynx can also be found in these sierras, and a few wolf families remain in the Sierra Morena .

The mountains of the north, especially the Cordillera Cantábrica, historically had a special function in defining Spanish society. The traditional title of the heir to the Spanish throne, the Prince of Asturias, is a reminder of the role played by that region. In the 16th century in particular it became a point of pride for a man to proclaim “I am from the mountains” (soy de las montañas).

The reason goes back centuries. When the Moors invaded the peninsula in 711 many Christians fled to the mountainous northern fringe of the country, which became their centre of resistance. Therefore, the understanding was that the inhabitants of the mountains were Christians with pure, uncontaminated blood. The 16th century was obsessed with pure blood because it was a distinguishing feature between “old” Christians and “new” Christians, that is, Muslim and especially Jewish converts to Christianity. To claim to be “from the mountains” was understood to be noble and racially pure.

www.iberianature.com is an excellent website on a wide variety of topics related to Spanish geography and nature.
Maps: www.commons.org/wiki/Atlas_of_Spain

The Costa Verde reaches along the north coast into Galicia more or less as far as the headland, Estaca de Bares. Here the coast starts its zig zag passage southwards first through the Rías Altas and then the Rías Baixas (Upper and Lower Rías) to Portugal. In some areas, this lengthy stretch of coast is known as La Costa del Marisco (Shellfish Coast) owing to the abundance of all kinds of shellfish. In general, however, the name does not appear to have caught on beyond Galicia.

The two Rías —Altas and Baixas— make up the wildest stretch of coast in Spain, with sweeping windswept bays, hidden coves and a spectacular, jagged shoreline whose granite cliffs are lashed by the Atlantic. The ancients believed that its westernmost point, Cabo Finisterre (Cabo Fisterra in Galician) was the end of the world, and it might well seem so not only because of its geographical location but also because of its brooding wildness. Add to this the frequent drizzle and the wail of the gaitas (native Galician bagpipes) and you have the makings of the melancholy so often attributed to the Galicians.

The coast from La Coruña (A Coruña) to Finisterre is known among locals as La Costa de la Muerte (A Costa da Morte: The Coast of Death), a reflection on its inhospitable nature with numerous ships having run aground or been shipwrecked. It frequently brings death, too, to a special breed of fisherman, the gooseneck barnacle hunter. The barnacles (percebes in Spanish), once a local delicacy, have now been “discovered” and bring high prices in restaurants throughout Spain, especially at Christmas.

The choicest barnacles (they are actually very small crabs that cling to the rocks) are found where the coast is at its wildest and the waves at their highest, and to add to the difficulty harvesting is done during the winter months. A few perceiberos go out in boats, but the majority are lowered down the cliff faces by a rope tied around their waists, while watchers on cliff tops keep an eye on the waves.

The barnacles can be collected only at low tide but since they are extremely difficult to prise free from the cliffs and the best are found deep in crevices or under rocky outcrops, even the best fishermen sometimes get careless and end up being battered against the razor sharp rocks by incoming waves. As a result most accidents are fatal. (For an interesting article on collecting barnacles in Galicia, see http://www.ottopohl.com/Stories/2001_Stories/NYTbarnacles.htm)

The rías are the most characteristic feature of this coastline. They are fjord-like estuaries formed from half submerged valleys and are rich in crabs, lobsters, oysters, mussels, cockles and scallops. A number of factors have also made the rías ideal for large scale shellfish farming, especially of oysters and mussels: they are shallow, warm up easily and receive a constant supply of fresh, mineral rich Atlantic water.

The scallop has as special place in Galician lore. Medieval pilgrims, on reaching Santiago de Compostela, could buy a scallop shell and fasten it to their hats as proof that they had completed the journey. By the 12th century the natural shell could be replaced by a jade or metal copy. An alternative was to continue to Finisterre and pick a scallop from the shore.

The popular French dish Coquille St Jacques –scallops au gratin— is an adaptation of a Galician delicacy. Nowadays Coquille St Jacques is sometimes prepared with potato which, being a New World vegetable, would not have been used before the 16th century.

The population of Galicia is largely concentrated along the coast, and the wealth of the province has depended mainly on the sea. The Galician fishing fleet is the largest in Spain, and the Spanish fleet the biggest in Europe. The two largest ports, Vigo and La Coruña (A Coruña) are located respectively in the lower and upper rías. With a population of 295,000, Vigo is Galicia’s largest city and Spain’s most important fishing port. La Coruña is a close second. Spaniards are amongst the world’s biggest consumers of fish, and both ports are connected to major Spanish cities, especially Madrid and Barcelona, by rapid, modern transport systems.

The very size of the Galician fleet and the depletion of fish stocks in large parts of the world’s seas means that Galician boats now operate almost world wide. This, however, has brought its own problems: increased competition from other fishing nations, accusations of trawling in other countries’ territorial waters, alleged breaking of quotas etc. In 1977 the creation of a common European fishing policy and the extension of territorial waters to 200 nautical miles (370 kilometres) hit the Galician fleet hard. Spain’s entry into the European Union (EU) in 1986 did not really improve matters, and there have been numerous skirmishes with French, English and Irish fishermen. Still, with an estimated 400,000 people in Galicia dependent on fishing and its spin-offs –boat building, canning, food processing— the stakes are high. There is some recognition that with diminishing stocks and fierce competition everywhere, the future is uncertain and the fleet will have to be reduced. With little other alternative and few prospects of other work in Galicia, young Galicians (Gallegos) are doing what Galicians have traditionally done in hard times: they are emigrating, mostly to South America.
A very interesting and informative article on Galicia may be found in http://www.departures.com/luxury-vacations/galicia-discovered

When you reach the Costa Verde (Green Coast) you pass into Asturias, a region whose pedigree is as ancient as neighbouring Cantabria’s is new.

The Costa Vasca is pure delight for anyone who likes sandy bays, steep cliffs, and picturesque fishing villages with brightly coloured wooden boats.

Never far from the sea are the lush, green hills all dotted with caseríos (farmhouses) whose ground floors house the livestock; the owners of the farmhouses live on the first floor.

The capital of the Basque Country (Euskadi) is the inland city of Vitoria (Gasteiz), but the two largest cities are the coastal towns of San Sebastián (Donostia) and Bilbao (Bilbo). Built around its superb shell-shaped bay, La Concha, San Sebastián has been a favorite summer resort of the Spanish aristocracy and the wealthy since the 19th century.

Some of the aristocratic glitz has now gone, but San Sebastián is nonetheless a lively and cultured city. It hosts a jazz festival in July, a classical musical festival in late August and an international film festival in September. In addition, local Basque culture is celebrated in August during a week of festivities known as the Semana Grande (Big Week).

The Basques are well known for their cuisine, and you can enjoy superb food in San Sebastián, especially in the Old Town (known as Parte Vieja) nestled under Monte Urgull, the eastern promontory. There are also men only gastronomic clubs where members gather to cook, eat, drink, talk and sing; only on the eve of St Sebastián (January 20) are women invited.

The distinctive Basque language has long underpinned the region’s sense of identity. Central to that identity is the small town of Guernica (Gernika in Basque) just north of the highway leading to Bilbao. It was under a sacred oak tree in Guernica that the Basque Parliament used to meet and it was here that kings would swear to respect the fueros (local rights) of the Basques. The tree may have changed over time, but the tradition was long lasting and its nationalistic significance considerable. The Basque parliament now has a building in Guernica whose large stain glass window portrays at the top a wide oak tree beneath which are gathered representatives of the people.

Guernica sprang into international prominence in April 1937, when German planes in the service of the Franco Nationalists conducted the first blitzkrieg on a civilian target. The bombers struck on market day when the square was filled with people, mostly women, children and older men (the young men were caught up in the Civil War). Over 1500 defenceless citizens died. The atrocity was immortalized by Picasso in his large canvas “Guernica” first shown at the Paris International Exposition 1937. It was then sent to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and only returned to Spain after the death of Franco. It can now be seen in the Museo Reina Sofia, Madrid.

Bilbao, Spain’s fourth largest city, is a major financial and industrial centre. Banking and steel mills were its backbone from the mid 19th century and its skyline was dominated by smokestacks spewing pollutants from smelters and furnaces. The late 20th century saw numerous changes and with heavy industry closing down, the smelters and furnaces were demolished to be replaced by lighter technology.

Image of Mount Txindoki: By an13sa - Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4957526
Image of San Sebastián: User:mikelo - Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org
/w/index.php?curid=4594501
Image of Guggenheim Museum: By Gobierno Vasco - Irekia, CC BY 3.0 es, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=37679735

From Gibraltar to Ayamonte on the Portuguese border (just over 300 kilometres), the coast is relatively unspoilt, with Cádiz and Huelva (both with a population of about 140.000) being the only significant urban areas. There are lots of magnificent beaches of white sand on the Costa de la Luz, as this coast is called, and large scale tourism hasn’t yet scarred its beauty. But with over development having spoiled much of the Mediterranean coast, the next logical area for growth is precisely the Costa de la Luz.

From Algeciras to Cádiz.
The stretch between the port of Algeciras and Cádiz is notorious for the strong easterly winds (the Levante) that blow through the strait of Gibraltar, and quite possibly account for the relatively little tourism in the area (another reason is that the Spanish army owns a large chunk of the land between Tarifa and Barbate). The Levante can reach gale force in the spring and fall, whipping up the sand and making beach life impossible. In the summer (June to September) the winds are more like moderate breezes, but even so they can blow endlessly for spells up to 15 days. As a major route for birds migrating between Africa and Europe, this is a must place in Spain for bird lovers in spring and fall.

Locals have taken advantage of the windy conditions to make Tarifa, the southernmost town in Spain, into a mecca for board and kite surfing. An historic port with daily ferry service to Tangiers, it has something of the air of a Moroccan town. In fact, it was not long ago that some of the older women of Tarifa still wore veils to cover their faces. Today Tarifa retains its historic air at the same time as converting itself into something of a chic town for young surfers.

Not surprisingly, the winds have also attracted the attention of alternative energy enthusiasts and the hills behind Tarifa are dotted with hundreds of windmills.

For an update on mass migrant movement from Morocco to Spain, with photos and map, in August 2014, see http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28770346.

For a further update in 2018, up to end of May, see https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/may/27/spain-struggling-to-deal-with-escalating-migration-crisis

Beyond Tarifa, the mountains -a continuous inland presence down the Mediterranean coast- recede and give way to undulating hills. Here you pass large, sprawling cattle ranches some of which breed many of the toros bravos that end up in bullrings throughout the country. Watch for the white egrets calmly pecking around the cattle or storks lazily flapping by. In the spring, these fields are full of wild flowers, justifying for some people the breeding of fighting bulls because it has prevented the fields going under the plough.

The coast in this part is well known for its blue fin tuna fishing, with a history going back to pre-Roman days. The system of fishing practiced by the fishermen of Barbate and Zahara de los Atunes (mentioned by Cervantes in one of his short stories) is the traditional almadraba whereby the tuna are herded through corridors of nets to a central pool. Once the fish have reached the pool, the entrances are closed and the fishermen –encircling in their boats—gradually reduce the area until the tuna are bunched together and are easily killed. Most of the tuna are then taken to Barbate which has large canning facilities. The major customers are the Japanese, and the increasing popularity of sushi has seen Japanese boats head for Europe in large numbers; it isn’t unusual to see them lined up off Barbate in season. Unfortunately, the demand has caused massive over fishing by large factory ships in the Mediterranean, so much so that in September 2007 the European Union was forced to ban blue fin tuna fishing for the rest of the year.

Between Tarifa and Zahara de los Atunes are the Roman ruins of Baelo Claudia (Bolonia). In its time Bolonia was an important provider of garum a pungent delicacy much sought after in Rome. The large stone vats in which garum was prepared can still be seen on the beach, some distance away from the town, and with a reason. Garum was a seasoning concoction made of the entrails, heads, roe and blood of fish (tuna, mackerel, anchovies) left to ferment for weeks in salt until it had all decomposed. The stench was appalling, but the Romans were passionate about it and willing to pay exorbitant prices.

The road continues, bypassing one of the prettiest towns in Andalucía, Vejer de la Frontera. Isolated atop a steep hill, Vejer is worth a detour. Many visitors have fallen for this classic Moorish town with its whitewashed houses and cobbled, labyrinthine alleys. The de la Frontera here alludes to the time when Vejer (and several other nearby towns similarly identified) marked the frontier between Christian Spain and what was left of al-Andalus, Moorish Spain. But Moorish Spain did not disappear when Vejer fell to the Christians in the 13th century; in the local museum, you can see a black gown (cobija) that covered all but the eyes, of the kind worn by the women of Vejer until the 1950s.

The views from Vejer are stunning. Inland you look across rolling hills towards Medina Sidonia; on the sea side, you gaze down at Barbate and Cape Trafalgar, scene of the famous naval battle where Royal Navy ships under Admiral Nelson defeated the combined fleets of France and Spain in 1805.

At Chiclana you cross large salt beds and fish farms before turning left towards the narrow peninsula that leads to Cádiz. The old city of Cádiz (it claims to be the oldest continuously inhabited city in Europe) is worth a visit, but you have to pass through a heavy industrial zone followed by uninspiring high rises before getting to old Cádiz.

From Cádiz to Ayamonte.
The road to Huelva and the Portuguese border follows inland 95 kilometres to Seville; there is no other way to cross the Guadalquivir and its tributaries which meet to create a great expanse of wetlands. These, together with pine forests and wild sand dunes, make up the Coto Doñana, Spain’s biggest National Park and wildlife reserve. The park is a major rest stop for birds migrating between Africa and Europe, and is home to several animal species (Iberian lynx, wild boar, deer etc.).

From the Coto Doñana to Huelva the coast is flat with long, sandy beaches edged by pines. Just before reaching Huelva, in the estuary of the Río Tinto, a small, undistinguished looking village once played host to a very distinguished visitor, Christopher Columbus. This is Palos de la Frontera, the former port (now silted) from which Columbus set sail for Asia but found America. Although Columbus’s contribution is recognised, it is the native sons, the brothers Pinzón, both captains, who are more celebrated in the village. Locals feel that the Pinzóns’ role in the first voyage has been much underestimated.

Nearby is La Rábida, a 14th-century Franciscan monastery where Columbus stayed in 1485 on his way from Portugal to Andalusia in the hope of arranging a meeting with Ferdinand and Isabel, the famous Catholic Monarchs. It was a fortuitous choice because in 1491 a depressed Columbus returned to La Rábida after having failed in his quest for support from the monarchs. It so happens that the abbot of La Rábida at that time was one Fray Juan Pérez, a former confessor of Isabel. Pérez wrote a letter to the queen strongly supporting Columbus. The rest, as they say, is history.

Huelva has a struggle to attract tourists. Most of the old town was destroyed in the Lisbon earthquake of 1755, and sprawling industrial growth in the suburbs prejudices visitors before they get to the centre. Petrochemical refineries, cement factories and fish canneries don’t do anything for the tourist dollar. Huelva is also an important fishing port, and exporter of metals from the Río Tinto mines inland.

From the Coto Doñana to Ayamonte on the Portuguese border, extensive strawberry fields have converted one of the poorest areas of Andalusia into one of the most prosperous. As early as February, trucks loaded with strawberries head north for European markets. The town of Lepe epitomises the change. Once the butt of jokes throughout Spain, the Leperos now have the last laugh as they head for the bank.

However, there is a dark cloud regarding the fate of the Coto Doñana in the face of the extent of strawberry cultivation. Strawberries require a lot of water and much of it is drained from the aquifer feeding the Coto. For an excellent summary of the problem, see http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/jun/28/strawberry-spain-donana-wildlife-iberian-lynx

Like its neighbouring costas (La Costa Vasca and La Costa Verde), the Costa Cantábrica is a wonderful mix of wild beaches, sandy coves, picturesque fishing villages and colourful ports. Running like a prehistoric spine parallel with the coast are the Cantabrian mountains, home of numerous unspoiled villages, and a refuge for several kinds of wildlife (e.g. bears, wolves).

The one large city on the coast is Santander (pop. 185,000), capital of the recently formed autonomous region of Cantabria. It was for a long time a modestly successful trading port, but became fashionable with Castilians at the beginning of the 20th century when the King, Alfonso XIII, visited it to “take the baths.” A major fire destroyed much of the old city in 1941, which explains why it seems a largely modern town. It has several fine beaches and now boasts a prestigious international summer school and a fine summer music and dance festival. It has also become a major passenger port for ferries from Britain.

Not far to the west of Santander is one of the most striking villages of Spain. Santillana del Mar is an ancient gem which has managed to maintain its charm despite the hordes of summer visitors.

Large stone houses bearing seigniorial coats of arms line the cobbled streets that lead to the beautiful Romanesque church, the Colegiata of Santa Juliana.

Spain hangs on the south western end of Europe like an inverted flag. It is the 3rd largest country in Europe, and shares the Iberian Peninsula with Portugal, Andorra and Gibraltar. Its own national territory extends also to the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean, the Canary Islands in the Atlantic, and three enclaves –Ceuta and Melilla on the north coast of Morocco, and Llivia on the French side of the Pyrenees. France is its northern neighbor; across the Straits of Gibraltar in the south, the coast of Morocco –only 13 kilometers/8miles away- is easily visible, making Spain a bridge between two continents.

General Map of Spain: Autonomous Communities and Provinces.

Source: http//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Maps_of_Spain

Source of map below: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:SpainOMC.png

The Iberian Peninsula is almost entirely surrounded by water, with the Pyrenees providing the only land link with the rest of Europe. But the Pyrenees are a formidable barrier and passes are generally high. At the Catalan end the Coll del Portus (290 metres) gives best access; on the Basque side a narrow coastal strip allows easier passage between Hendaye in France and Fuenterrabía (Basque Hondarribia). The relative isolation of the peninsula from the rest of Europe made it easy for the Spanish Tourist Board to make the most of the slogan “Spain is different” in the1960s, but they were not the first to make the point. Travelers have long held such views, with the pithy French claim that “Africa begins at the Pyrenees” being the most colourful.

The coastal regions are by definition more open, more likely to have contact with other cultures, either through native sailors bringing back news from elsewhere, or through the arrival of visitors from abroad. Cities and towns on the Mediterranean coast have always been open to the cultures of that sea in a give and take process. Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans all plied their trade, with the Romans taking control of virtually the whole peninsula once they had demolished the Carthaginians in the 3rd century BC. In the 13th and 14th centuries, Catalan merchants rivaled those of Genoa and Venice, and the Catalan language was heard throughout the Mediterranean. Even nowadays Catalonia looks out more to France and Italy, and Barcelona seems to have more in common with Marseille than with Madrid.

The Atlantic coast of the south also attracted the Mediterranean powers in the early days, with Cádiz –founded by the Phoenicians— claiming to be the oldest continuously inhabited city of Europe. In the 16th century, these shores became the gateway to the Americas, and Cádiz and Seville the major hubs. The Mediterranean ports were excluded from trade with the Americas until the 18th century.

The North Atlantic coast, from the Pyrenees to northern Portugal looked to northern Europe for its contacts. During the later Middle Ages wool, wine and iron were exported from Cantabrian and Basque ports to England, Flanders and northern France. The pilgrimage Road to Santiago was another link with the north. Some pilgrims arrived by sea, but most followed the famous Camino (Road) that stretched from beyond the Pyrenees to Santiago. And Basque, Cantabrian and Galician sailors were much involved in whaling and deep sea fishing in the Atlantic in the Middle Ages. The tradition of deep sea fishing continues to this day, and Spanish fishing boats have long been familiar sights in ports as far away as Newfoundland, Canada.

It is not by coincidence, then, that it is in the outward looking coastal regions that we find the greatest tendency towards separation. A trip around the shores of the peninsula reveals 5 different languages: Catalan, Castilian, Portuguese, Galician and Basque, all with the exception of Basque, offspring of Latin. (Some might want to include Valencian, but it is generally considered a variant of Catalan.) Portugal, of course, has long been independent. Many Catalans and Basques have aspirations of independence while Galicians, although not forceful in terms of separation, do have a deep attachment to their land and language. Anyone traveling in Catalonia, Galicia or the Basque lands will notice that road signs are bilingual: Castilian and the local language. However, it is quite common to see the Castilian version defaced or deleted as a demonstration of national sentiment.

Ley de Costas (Coastal Law)
Since the 1960s, the Mediterranean coastline from the Pyrenees to Gibraltar has been a major driver in the economic progress of Spain. However, there have been costs in terms of lax planning and over development. Already in 1969 the Franco government introduced a Ley de Costas -Coastal Law- recognizing the coast as public property, but the law did little to stop the roller coaster speed of development and privatization. A new Ley de Costas introduced in 1988 reaffirmed the public nature of all beaches -effectively nationalizing all buildings within the beach line- and prohibited the construction of further residential zones within 100 metres of them. Unfortunately, officials at the local level often ignored the laws or took bribes and issued thousands of permits, especially in the 1990s when a property boom was fuelled by massive demand from northern European buyers. The most notorious scandal took place in Marbella on the Costa del Sol, where the former mayor, and the former head of planning and 26 others were arrested for alleged corruption and fraud worth £1.7 billion.

As it now stands, no house built before 1988 can be sold, although owners have been given a grace period of 60 years to continue in their houses if these had legal construction permit… a big if in many cases. The repercussions have been widespread. Thousands of homeowners are now faced with the real prospect of having their houses bulldozed, and potential purchasers have been discouraged from buying property on the Mediterranean coast.

February 2, 2009. The Spanish Government has introduced an amendment to the Ley de Costas following complaints from British and German embassies. Buildings constructed legally before 1988 can now be bought and sold or passed on as inheritance.

Map from http//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Atlas_of_Spain

Useful site for up-to-date news in English: www.typicallyspanish.com

For Spanish readers, there is a very useful article in the newspaper, El País, regarding the depressing state of the coasts of Spain: http://www.elpais.com/articulo/opinion/destruccion/playas/espanolas/elpepuopi/20100820elpepiopi_12/Tes