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The Provinces of Spain

Although hardly known to the tourist, GUADALAJARA is the northermost of the provinces of Castilla-La Mancha with various attractions and the climate in spring and autumn is reasonable. Aromatic plants go towards the creation of delicious Alcarria honey. For those who enjoy water sports, these will be found at Lagos, Entrepeñas and Buendia along with sports clubs. Next to the Henares River can be found the capital of the province which has a Renaissance air with the Palace of the Duques del Infantado and churches of San Ginés, Santiago, San Francisco and Santa Maria, sharing the same chapter and considered a cathedral. Some of the interesting places to be found in the province are, beautiful landscapes, picturesque towns, ancient homes of noble lineage, art works and fiestas from the past. Towns of interest include Sigüenza, Brihuega, Atienza, Cogolludo and many more. Natural beauty can be found in the valleys of Bornoba and Sorbe as well as Upper Tajo where hunting and fishing are also available. Bullfights and other activities are held during the capital's fiestas, including the Virgen de la Antigua on 8th September and in the autumn from 25th to 30th September. Castillian dishes include roast kid from Jadraque, garlic and soups, also rum baba which is very popular.

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GUIPUZCOA, lying on the shores of the Cantabrian sea and the border of France its neighbouring provinces are Navarre to the east, Alava to the south and Vizcaya to the west. This is a mountain province, the highest peaks being Aizgorri-Aketegui 1,544m. Aralar 1.427m. and Hernio 1,072m. Climate with mild winters and cool summers. Only one day would be needed to cover the small size of the province with intricate road and rail network. The airport is Hondarribia. Numerous mountain trails are ideal for trekking and any of these will take the visitor up to the hills to view the different Basque customs, festivals and sports events which take place every year, e.g. log chopping, stone lifting, stone pulling, local poetry recitals, etc.
Specialities in food are hake done in assorted sauces, roast sea bream, baby eel in pilpil,squid or king crab. The capital, San Sebastian is one of Spain's oldest resorts and only 20km from the French border surrounded by mountains and facing the Cantabrian sea. The old part of the city especially is of interest with its wide clean streets and the Bahia de la Concha. Among the important buildings are the Church of Santa Maria, Church of San Vicente, Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, San Telmo Museum and the Aquarium. By road the distances are, 115km to Bilbao and Vitoria, 87km to Pamplona, 468km to Madrid.

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In the southwestern corner of Spain bordering Portugal and facing the Atlantic Ocean lies HUELVA which covers an area of about 10,000sq.km. into four main area: mountains, mining, farmlands and coast. From the mountains can be seen beautiful landscapes such as Aracena with its Gruta de las Maravillas and Alajar and Jabugo famous for pork sausages. Tharsis, Rio Tinto and Nerva are wellknown for their mining wealth. Bollullos and La Oalma for their wines, Almonte for its famous pilgrimage of the Rocio a unique event in the world. The coastal area is made up of 120km of long beach divided in the centre by the estuary rivers Odiel and Tinto, the site of the provincial capital.
Inland, is the Doñana Nature Park containing animal species which are almost extinct and are often visited by scientists and researchers who specialise in Iberian fauna. Among the more popular tourist centres are Matalascañas, Mazagón, Palos Moguer, Punta Umbria and Ayamonte. The Huelvan coastline is a continuous series of beautiful beaches, and perhaps for this reason is called Costa de la Luz, meaning Coast of Light. Very outstanding is the Ayamonte Parador bordering on Portugal. A varied amount of food can be found in Huelva consisting of fish and shellfish dishes and pork sausages made in the mountains. Coastal climate is very mild throughout the year with an average temp. of around 18ºC.

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Mountains and lowlands make up the province of HUESCA and the highest peaks of the Pyrenees can be found in this province. Numerous skiing resorts can be found in Cerler, Panticosa, El Formigal, Candanchú and Astún, and summer tours can be made to the Ordesa National Park, the Ansó and Hechó Valleys and the Mascún cliff, which offer magnificent landscapes and a rich animal life. The chamois is hunted here and the rivers offer a plentiful supply of trout. Picturesque mountain towns are Ainsa, Jaca, Monzón, and many more. The Romanesque architecture to be found in Huesca is the oldest in Spain and the Cathedral in Jaca is an excellent example of this style and other interesting monuments can be found along the pilgrims' way in Santiago de Compostela.
Works of art from all over the province can be found in the Museum of Romanesque Painting. Not to be missed is San Juan de la Peña in the mountain range of the same name where the pantheon of the Kings of Aragón can be found. There is also Santa Cruz de la Serós and the Loarre Castle the foremost example of Spanish Romanesque, Santa Agüero castle of the Knights Templars called Monzón and all of Sabiñánigo.Special mention must be made to the typical houses built with tile roofing and with beautiful chimneys.
The architecture of Upper Aregón is perhaps represented by the Mallos de Riglos, south of which according to an old saying "care must be taken with Spaniards!" The lower land comprises the foothills of Huesca and Barbastro and the fertile banks of the Cinca, flanked on the south by the flat areas of Violada the Alcubierre and Monegros. The old quarter of Huesca has some interesting monuments including the Gothic Cathedral, Cathedral Museum and the old University, which houses an interesting Provincial Archaeological Museum. A visit to the cloisters of San Pedro el Viejo is also a must. The cuisine of Upper Aragón is based on a number of dishes containing lamb, such as roast lamb and lamb a la pastora, and although the ancient pastries here are disappearing, the delights produced by this kind of cooking can still be found in Jaca.

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JAEN is the gateway between Castile and Andalusia with approximately 600,000 inhabitants. The Guadalquivir River with its source in the Cazorla mountains, is its principal hydrographical system together with the Guadalimar and Guadiana Menor. The most important reservoirs are El Tranco de Beas, Rumblar among others. The landscape is marked by its large tracts of olive groves and craggy views of Sierra Morena, Sierra de Cazorla and Sierra Magina where the highest peak of the province reaches an altitude of 2,165.36m. Famous cities such as Beeza and Ubeda full of palaces and churches. mining towns of Linares and La Carolina and the agriculture and industrial centres of Andújar are interesting.
Main source of wealth in Jaen today are the mines and olive groves, and traditional ceramics and straw mats are characteristic of the crafts. Holy Week celebrations are famous in Jaén the capital, Baeza and Ubeda. During August, Linares, and in October Jaén celebrates fiestas with a varied selection of events. Cuisine of the province offers smoked ham, spinach, spicy minced pork meat and a cold vegetable soup made with apples and grapes. Among the famous sweets are the delicious egg yolks of Saint Ursula which have a lovely taste. In Andújar and Cazorla mountains, deer and wild boar are shot and in the latter mountain fishing for trout and pike. Renaissance Cathedral and other churches of interest can be found in Jaen, and on the top of a hill there is the silhouette of Saint Catherine Castle from which the whole city can be seen . Adjacent is the Parador which is known by the same name of Saint Catherine.

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