Open and passionate, and also deep and peaceful
Spain, occupying most of the Iberian Peninsula in the southwest of Europe, forever shines by the sunny seas. It is passionate and flamboyant, but also quiet and profound. From passionate dance to splendid culture, from the many beaches along the coastline to the charming towns scattered everywhere, from rich Mediterranean cuisine to the natural realm of health and healing, this is a country that deserves your time and heart.
Barcelona
With its excellent location next to the Mediterranean Sea, modern urban atmosphere, rich culture and stunning natural beauty, Barcelona draws people back time and time again.
Climb the 173-meter-high hill and stand on the Montjuic Castle for a panoramic view of Barcelona. There are several good viewpoints – the Mayor’s Viewpoint, which is like a sky balcony above the city and the port, with gardens and waterfall ponds; the Miramar Garden Viewpoint, which has an open-air bar next to it; and the Migdia Viewpoint, which is surrounded by a pine forest and its fragrance. At the foot of the hill is the Plaza de España, where several of the city’s main roads intersect, including the famous Parallel Street and Gran Via. The vibrant and colorful Gran Via extends more than one kilometer and is lined with stores and florists, as well as the Gran Teatre del Liceu Theatre. At the end of the avenue is the port, where the Columbus Monument is located. Nearby is Joan Miró Park, named after the famous Spanish surrealist painter and is known as one of the most beautiful gardens in Barcelona, where locals often go for a leisurely stroll and to admire one of Joan Miró’s most important works, “The Woman and the Bird Sculpture”. The area is also home to galleries of various styles, as well as the National Art Museum of Catalonia, which houses the works of a number of masters, including Picasso, Dali, Greco, Zurbaran and others.
In addition to the National Art Museum of Catalonia, numerous other museums with different themes are also crowded every day, including the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art, which presents the works of the main art schools of the second half of the 20th century; the Juan Miró Foundation, which has the largest collection of artworks by Juan Miró; as well as the Picasso Museum, the Catalan Architecture Museum, the Maritime Museum, the City History Museum, the Egyptian Museum, the Chocolate Museum, the Barcelona Museum of Science and Technology – CosmoCaixa, etc.
The Camp Nou, FC Barcelona’s legendary stadium, is located in the quiet and elegant Les Corts district. Fans can take a guided tour of the club’s museum, trophy showroom and green pitch. Afterwards, enjoy a drink at the open-air bar and feel like a local, or take a stroll through the rose-filled Cervantes Park, which turns into an olfactory feast in spring when the roses are in full bloom.
Barcelona is one of the few cities that has beaches in the center of the city. It doesn’t take long to stroll through the city and arrive at a pleasant beach. The popular Barceloneta Beach was formerly a fishing neighborhood and is now filled with delicious restaurants and bars. The beaches of Sant Miquel and Sant Sebastià, both with sports clubs, are popular with fitness enthusiasts, while Somorrostro beach has a beach volleyball court and children’s play area. Several beaches near the Olympic Port are relatively quiet and suitable for families, while the Fórum swimming area offers a saltwater swimming pool for a refreshing dip in the sea.
Barcelona’s many classic restaurants and unique bistros serve traditional Catalan cuisine, a representative of Mediterranean cuisine. Wherever you dine, there’s always the simple but delicious paamb tomàquet, a toasted bread topped with fresh tomatoes and served with salt and olive oil. If you visit between November and April, don’t miss the calçots (roasted shallots), freshly cooked over a charcoal fire and served with a red pepper almond sauce. Enjoy it together with a little Catalan wine, or the region’s most famous sparkling wine – cava. The most classic local dessert is crema catalana (a type of crème brûlée). It is important to mention that there are many Michelin-starred restaurants, serving not only regional cuisine, but also creative dishes and global fusion dishes created by the chefs.
Out of the city center, there are many more options for outdoor activities. The High Pyrenees Nature Reserve in Lérida offers amazing high mountain skiing; the El Quinto Lago route takes in breathtaking natural beauty; and head to the Pallars Sobirà region to enjoy a variety of water and mountain adventure sports. In addition, Barcelona is surrounded by many nature reserves that are suitable for year-round visits. At Aiguastortas y Lago de San Mauricio National Park in Lérida, you will encounter beautiful lakes, streams, waterfalls, pristine peaks and dense forests. The Cadí-Moixeró Nature Reserve, which spans the provinces of Barcelona, Girona and Lérida, is perfect for hiking, horseback riding and cycling. La Garrotxa Volcanic Area Nature Reserve in the province of Girona features one of the most beautiful volcanic landscapes in Spain.
Back in Barcelona, the four columns of the ancient Roman temple still stand on Calle Paradís in the Gothic Quarter, and the Roman Baths of Sant Boi are still well preserved. In Barcelona, one can easily get lost in the time tunnel.
Charming towns
Spain prides itself on its picturesque and classically charming towns dotted throughout the country, each with its own character. You can go deep into the mountains to discover the beauty of tradition, go to the beach to enjoy the sun, or stroll through historical sites and feel time standing still.
White Villages
The Andalusia region in southern Spain is home to a number of charming white towns, surrounded by mountains and olive groves, named for their white lime stucco facades, and the colorful flowers and plants on their balconies that create a lovely blend with the nature around them. People come here to hike, ride, enjoy wine, cheese and the olive oil named after its origin, or take a driving tour of the white villages.
The White Villages route will take you through 19 cities in the northeast of Cádiz district. The first stop is Arcos de la Frontera, an ancient town perched high on the hills above the Guadalete River, known as one of the most beautiful towns in Spain. Stroll through the streets of the old town and let the many relics turn back the clock. On the outskirts of the city is the beautiful Lake Arcos, where people come for fishing, walking and boating. Driving into the mountains, the residents of the small traditional town of Algodonales still make guitars by hand. Arrive in Setenil de las Bodegas, and find a group of houses built under huge rocks, highlighting the beautiful and original architecture structure. In the heart of the mountains, the picturesque town of Ubrique is famous for its leather goods, while the town of Grazalema features a clever blend of modern architecture and rich historical sites. Finally, don’t forget to stop at Vejer de la Frontera to admire its magnificent ancient walls towering above the hills.
Fishing Villages
The regions of Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria and Basque in northern Spain are known as “Green Spain” for their beautiful mountainous and idyllic landscapes. They also boast wonderful seaside scenes. Each region is unique in its own way, but the common ground is a cuisine based on seafood and quality meats – pulpo á feira (spicy octopus) in Galicia, fabada (white bean stew) in Asturias, beef in Cantabria and pintxos (traditional aperitifs) in the Basque Country, all of which deserve to be discovered at your leisure.
Combarro, at the mouth of the Baixas River in the Galicia region, is a charming small fishing village where you will encounter traditional fishing houses, fishermen, and stone granaries for storing food. From the observation deck, you can enjoy beautiful views of the Pontevedra Estuary and stunning sunsets. Cudillero is known as the most beautiful village in Asturias, with brightly colored houses dotting the hills and rivers leading down to the sea, where fishermen sail their boats to catch fish daily. Take a boat trip to Santoña in Cantabria, try the famous anchovies and walk through the natural park and golden beaches. Pasaia, in the Basque Country, also features a wonderful seaside character and is noteworthy for its unique architecture, with many houses that seem to be suspended directly over the Pasaia River and strange passageways built underneath them.
Towns in the Pyrenees
The Pyrenees straddle the regions of Navarre, Aragon and Catalonia. Wood, stones and slate dominate the rural landscape of this area, with beautiful towns nestled between large mountains, lakes and glaciers, and many nature reserves, valleys, rivers and cliffs nearby that offer great opportunities for outdoor adventure and hiking. Among them are the Selva de Irati rainforest, the Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park, and the Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park.
The towering mountains, lush beech forests and rushing rivers make up the beautiful scenery of Ochagavía. Walk the stone-paved streets and savor the charm of this charming town in the Pyrenees. Then head east through Isaba, Ronca and Burgui and stop to try their excellent cheeses. Aínsa in Aragon retains the charm of a medieval town, with its castles, arched squares and stone coats of arms on the facades of houses. Candanchú and Formigal attract travellers with their incredible skiing conditions, while one can also try mountain biking, hiking and climbing in spring and summer. Don’t forget to try the Catalan black sausage, honey and dried herb pasta on your trip.
SPA in Spain
The wellness experience in Spain won’t disappoint you either. There is SHA, Europe’s best medical spa overlooking Spain’s magnificent south coast, offering a full range of wellness programs from weight management and detox to fitness, stress reduction and sleep optimization. For guests looking for a luxurious pampering experience, the Marbella Club and Finca Cortesin Resort combine five-star luxury services with innovative wellness programs. There are also more welcoming family-oriented wellness options. At Shanti Som, you will have access to a rich range of experiences that draw on Asian wellness traditions. If you are a yoga enthusiast, the YOGAROSA on Ibiza is your destination. Come to embark on a relaxing journey at one of the most famous yoga centers in Europe.
Whether you want to do a deep detox, improve your fitness, practice yoga, or give your body and mind a complete relaxation, a wellness holiday in Spain is ideal.
OCEANO Health Spa Hotel
On the well-known holiday island of Tenerife lies a health and wellness treasure – the OCEANO Health Spa Resort, perched on the northeast corner of the island with a panoramic view of the endless sea. The resort’s FX Mayr Centre was created by medical professionals Dr. Alfred Milz and K. Matthias Rolle. Mayr believes that a healthy gut is the cornerstone of overall physical and mental health. In addition to the intestine cleansing program, OCEANO offers a wide range of wellness activities and treatments, such as yoga, weight management packages, and thalassotherapy. The hotel also offers a sauna, a gym, tennis courts, as well as hiking and surfing activities.
Finca Cortesin
Finca Cortesin is an independently operated golf and spa resort nestled in the rolling hills between Marbella and Sotogrande, overlooking the Mediterranean coast.
Inspired by the classic Andalusian “finca” style, the resort’s 67 suites with 4-meter high ceilings are built around two huge courtyards. Wherever you are in the resort, you will enjoy a luxurious sense of space. The resort’s 2,200 square meter spa features an international team of therapists from Thailand, Bali, Sri Lanka and Spain. In addition to the treatment rooms, the center has several heated bathrooms, a gym with private trainers, a heated saltwater pool, three thermal experience areas, a hammam, a relaxation area, and the first “snow cave” in Spain. The hotel’s ARANI Yoga & Meditation Center offers diverse yoga classes, such as traditional Hatha Yoga, Flow Yoga, Ashtanga, Yin Yoga, Kundalini, as well as meditation and Pilates classes. For sport lovers, there are tennis courts and an 18-hole championship golf course where you can show off your skills.
SHA Wellness Clinic
SHA Wellness Clinic is the first choice for healing holidays. Established more than a decade ago, SHA is quietly perched in the mountains of southern Spain, with a full view of the beautiful coastline, offering a 360-degree wellness program and experience combining the latest achievements in naturopathy, nutrition and Western medicine.
In a chic, minimalist design ambience, guests can choose from an extremely rigorous and extensive array of medical programs and diagnostics, from sleep quality restoration, weight management, and detoxification to smoking cessation and stress reduction, to cater for all types of health enhancement needs. SHA is home to a wide range of experts from different fields, such as medical professionals, naturopaths, nutritionists, yoga instructors, acupuncturists, and chefs.
SHA also offers fitness classes, outdoor hiking and climbing activities. SHA’s desire is to establish the right healthy habits and lifestyle for the guests so that they can continue on the right path after they return home.
Marbella Club Spain
The Marbella Club has undergone several renovations since its opening in the 1940s, and has grown from a modest club with merely 20 rooms and a restaurant to the world-renowned spa resort it is today. Set in flowery gardens facing the clear blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea, the hotel combines classic elegance with a contemporary feel. Highlights of the hotel’s wellness programs include: healthy eating, outdoor activities, spa treatments, thalassotherapy, and multi-day wellness packages.
Luxury and premium skincare
Spanish skincare brands have a long history, dedicated to bringing people with high-quality products.
Natura Bissé
Natura Bissé was founded in 1979 by Mr. Ricardo Fisas Mulleras in Barcelona, Spain. Originated from Barcelona, the home of art and culture, high-end skin care brand Natura Bissé embodies the splendor and purity of its birthplace. For over 40 years, Natura Bissé has been dedicated to the research and development of high-quality, high-concentration and high-activity ingredients with the brand’s comprehensive anti-aging philosophy.
Today, you can find Natura Bisse’s products and spa treatments in selected retailers, beauty centers and luxury hotels in 36 countries worldwide. Also Natura Bissé Diamond Extreme has helped many celebrities prepare their skin in the exclusive Red Carpet Ready facials for more than 12 years.
The Diamond Extreme Cream is Natura Bissé´s most prized jewel, which revolutionized the skincare industry 20 years ago, and still features the most empowering formula. It is a comprehensive luxurious anti-aging cream that stimulates skin’s own natural defense mechanisms in order to strengthen it, repair it, and minimize multiple signs of aging.
The cream’s main ingredients include Artemia Salina Extract which generates the energy necessary to stimulate cellular metabolism; Epidermal Lipid Supplement which is extracted from amaranth oil along with wild mango and shea butter to reinforce the skin barrier and prevent water loss; and Epidermal Self-modulator (phytosphingosine) which allows skin to be self-sufficient as it reinforces the skin barrier.
Diamond Extreme is used in the most luxurious treatment of Natura Bissé – DIAMOND LIFE INFUSION. Imagine gold, diamonds and pearls pampering your skin. A breath-taking treatment that infuses you with energy, leaving you sparkling, youthful and ravishingly beautiful.
eberlin
“Realizing beauty with purity” is the slogan of eberlin, a skincare brand originating from Madrid, Spain that was founded in 1985. For 36 years, it has selected high quality botanical ingredients, combined with advanced technology, to develop personalized skincare products for customers. In Spain, it is the product of choice for professional skin clinics and hospitals, and has now been brought to China.
The Founder of eberlin has been dedicated to the study and research of herbs all his life. He discovered ancient Egyptian texts in the library of the University of Leipzig, Germany which documented the function of plants in medicine and skin care. Inspired and guided by it, he founded eberlin. eberlin’s products are rich in pure plant extracts, enzymes, vitamins, minerals, amino acids and micronutrients.
The brand has developed a 3+1 anti-aging skin therapy. It’s a personalized concept to provide treatments to each individual according to their age and skin conditions based on molecular biology. The therapy consists of three phases: epidermal layer conditioning for young skin, dermal layer repairing for skin with preliminary aging signs and cellular gene repair to the aging skin.
eberlin features a wide range of product lines with comprehensive functions such as skin rebalancing, vitamin supplementation and antioxidation, anti-aging and rejuvenation, deep purification, sun protection, anti-pollution, brightening, mesotherapy and more. One of the most popular lines – Epigenetics DNA line is based on epigenetics-based revolutionary technology and nano-carrier principles, and combined with growth factors, gene expression regulation, to achieve the effects of skin restructuring, reorganizing and remodeling.
ALQVIMIA
ALQVIMIA, founded in 1984 in Barcelona (Spain), has now nearly 40 years of experience in the development of professional aromatherapy products. Inspired by ancient European alchemical formulas and a belief in natural, holistic wellness, ALQVIMIA believes that beauty is a combination of health, happiness, balance, harmony and spirituality. As the inheritor of the Mediterranean aromatherapy culture, the founder: Mr. Idilio Lizcano, was influenced by both his immersion in the world of French perfumery during his youth and his later research and reconstruction of lost alchemical formulae. ALQVIMIA product ranges are unique, artful and 100% natural. The products are distributed in 24 countries around the world and are loved and recommended by many celebrities, royalty and industry professionals.
The star product ALQVIMIA Egyptian Queen Body Oil has been inspired by the skin care formula used by Egyptian Queen Cleopatra dated back to 320 BCE. It is carefully formulated at the ALQVIMIA laboratory in Spain with almond oil as the base oil, integrated further with two precious essential oils of frankincense and myrrh, continuing the ancient Egyptian secret recipe and extraction technology for enteral youth. Its rich and elegant fragrance relaxes the body and mind, repairs and nourishes the skin, restores skin elasticity and smoothens fine wrinkles. This luxurious body oil is best applied after bathing and will make you feel like a majestic queen.
This body oil can also be used in spa treatments. It is first mixed with pure natural sea salt for exfoliation, followed by a full body massage. After the treatment, the skin will become smoother, firmer and more elastic.
Ross
Ross is a Spanish company that develops, manufactures and sells advanced technology equipment that covers beauty, rehabilitation and medical care to rejuvenate the body and skin.
At the age of 19, the first expression lines appear on your face. At the age of 25, your whole body functions start to decline, and at the age of 35, you start to face sub-health problems due to cellular aging and damage. Cellular aging will trigger a gradual decline in the body’s resistance, immunity and metabolism, and is the root cause of a series of sub-health conditions.
The Binary Premium Cloud Therapy Management System from Ross provides a comprehensive treatment for common sub-health problems, starting from the cells, to achieve the multi-dimensional effects of tissue regeneration, muscle reshaping, body shaping and health management. The system features a combination of diathermy, muscle remodeling treatment, and bracelets fever therapy to help users restore a healthy body, beautiful body shape, and youthful skin conditions.
From the stunning scenery to the ultimate wellness experience, Spain is truly a place of healing for the body and soul.
