Regions of Spain

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Spain is made up of 17 autonomous regions known in Spain as Comunidades Autnomas . B
esides these communities the country is further divided into 50 provinces ( provinci
as ). In the following summary of each comunidad we ve listed which province belongs t
o which community. However, there are seven Comunidades Autnomas which we ve referred
to as single province regions which means that they are considered to be both an
autonomous region AND a province.

Andalucia
Whilst Andalucia is home to the mass tourism developments of the Costa del Sol i
t is also the land which most typifies Spain to the foreign visitor due largely
to the regions love of flamenco and bullfighting. Escape the costas and you ll disco
ver a historic land with great Moorish cities such as Seville, Granada and Cordo
ba. And no matter where you visit in this fascinating region you ll never be far a
way from a fiesta.
Provinces: Cdiz, Cordoba, Granada, Malaga, Sevilla, Huelva, Jan, Almeria.
Aragon
Aragon is a fascinating region in northern Spain which is often overlooked by vi
sitors. Whilst the region s capital, Zaragoza, is well worth a visit it s the stunni
ng natural beauty of the Aragonese Pyrenees and its historic villages which shou
ldn t be missed. The Ordesa National Park is one of the most stunning destinations
you ll ever see.
Provinces: Zaragoza, Huesca, Teruel.
Asturias
Asturias is possibly the most beautiful of all of Spain s 17 autonomous communitie
s. It lies on the north coast of Spain with Galicia to the west and Cantabria to
the east. It is blessed with a rugged coastline along the Bay of Biscay where t
here are many beautiful beaches. Its interior is even more spectacular thanks to
the stunning Picos de Europa mountains. The price to pay for the lush, green la
ndscape is high annual rainfall figures but if you enjoy touring areas of natura
l beauty and aren t too concerned about the weather then you simply have to visit.
Provinces: Single Province Region.
Balearic Islands
Whilst the Balearic Islands of Majorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera are well e
stablished on the tourism map they don t get the praise they deserve for their nat
ural beauty. There are some great holiday resorts in the Balearics but the islan
ds have so much more to offer beyond their tourist developments. Rent a car and
head a few kilometres inland and you ll be pleasantly surprised at some of the loc
al villages you ll discover.
Provinces: Single Province Region.
Basque Country
The Basque Country is different. Located on the Bay of Biscay and bordering Fran
ce this fiercely independent region is has so much to offer the visitor. The cit
ies of Bilbao and San Sebastian are fabulous places to spend a few days whilst t
he interior presents a beautiful, almost Alpine, landscape.
Provinces: Vizcaya, lava, Guipzcua.
Canary Islands

Lying off the northwest coast of Africa the Canary Islands are one of Europe s top
destinations for beach holidays. Year round sunshine attracts over 12 million v
isitors to the islands. The top tourist destinations are Tenerife, Gran Canaria,
Lanzarote and Fuerteventura whilst the smaller islands of El Hierro, La Palma a
nd La Gomera offer a quieter experience.
Provinces: Las Palmas, Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
Cantabria
The cave paintings at Altamira confirm that people were living in modern day Can
tabria 15,000 years ago. The region is centred on the lovely city of Santander w
here many ferries arrive from the UK. Located on the Bay of Biscay this small re
gion is home to many lovely villages both along its coast and inland.
Provinces: Single Province Region.
Castilla La Mancha
Castilla La Mancha is an arid and sparsely populated land which lies between Mad
rid and Andalucia. Apart from being home to the Imperial city of Toledo it is be
st known for its Don Quijote windmills at Consuegra and for its excellent cheese
s.
Provinces: Guadalajara, Toledo, Cuenca, Ciudad Real, Albacete.
Castilla y Lon
Historic Castilla y Len is the largest of Spain s autonomous communities with borde
rs to ten of the other regions as well as to Portugal. The Roman city of Segovia
is one of its many highlights along with the university city of Salamanca. It i
s home to some of the country s finest Cathedrals in Segovia, Burgos and Len and is
the birthplace of Saint Teresa de Avila.
Provinces: Lon, Palencia, Burgos, Zamora, Valladolid, Segovia, Soria, Salamanca,
Avila.
Catalonia
Catalonia is best known for its amazing capital city, Barcelona, which is home t
o the stunning architecture of Antoni Gaud and one of the world s greatest football
teams in FC Barcelona. But there s a lot more to Catalonia than its capital. Tarr
agona and Girona are two historic cities that are well worth visiting whilst the
coast of the Costa Brava offers many beauty spots. The Catalan Pyrenees are an
area of outstanding beauty for nature lovers.
Provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, Tarragona.
Extremadura
Extremadura borders Portugal in the west of Spain. It is probably the country s be
st kept secret as far as tourism is concerned. The Roman city of Merida is one o
f the region s highlights along with the Moorish city of Caceres. The historic tow
ns of Trujillo and Guadalupe together with the national park of Monfrague are ju
st a few more attractions that this fascinating comunidad has to offer.
Provinces: Caceres, Badajoz.
Galicia
For the best of Spain s wonderful seafood head to Galicia, a Celtic land in the ve
ry northwest of the country where you ll receive a warm welcome and discover a bea
utiful and historic land. Santiago de Compostela is the highlight of the region
for most visitors but make sure you head inland to visit the hidden valleys and
take a trip along the wild coast to Cabo Finisterre.
Provinces: A Corua, Pontevedra, Lugo, Orense.
La Rioja
There are more than 500 wine bodegas in the region of La Rioja many of which off
er guided tours and tastings. If you re planning on staying in the region head for
the lovely town of Haro which is well geared up for wine tourism. Logroo is the
only town of any size which has one of the country s best tapas crawls . Elsewhere the

region is well geared up for rural tourism with some excellent walking opportun
ities.
Provinces: Single Province Region.
Madrid
As well as being the capital of Spain, Madrid is also one of the nation s autonomo
us regions. The beautiful Sierra de Guadarrama mountains with its many secluded
villages take up much of the northern part of the region. The main destinations
of interest to visitors outside the capital include El Escorial, Alcala de Henar
es and Aranjuez.
Provinces: Single Province Region.
Murcia
The Costa Calida coast of Murcia in southeast Spain attracts many loyal sun wors
hipers to its shores all year round whilst La Manga maintains its reputation as
the region s flagship tourist destination. There are some world class golf courses
in the area and excellent opportunities for scuba diving. Inland, the Parque Na
tural de Sierra Espua is growing in popularity for walking holidays.
Provinces: Single Province Region.
Navarra
Pamplona is the only well known destination in the region of Navarra and is a ci
ty that s well worth a visit even when there aren t bulls running down the street. E
lsewhere you can drive around the countless villages that make up this rural lan
d and find out the true meaning of the Green Spain that so many visitors come to f
ind. Outdoor activities abound as you head into the mountains of the Navarran Py
renees.
Provinces: Single Province Region.
Valencia
As well as being Spain s 3rd city, Valencia is also capital of its own comunidad whi
ch stretches along the Mediterranean coast from Catalonia to Murcia. The newly r
edeveloped city itself is well worth a visit even if it s only to see the incredib
le City of Arts and Sciences. Whilst recent years have seen Americas Cup sailing
and Formula One Grand Prix in Valencia, the vast majority of visitors to the re
gion rarely get beyond the popular holiday resorts of the Costa Blanca to the so
uth.
Provinces: Valencia, Castellon, Alicante.