Like any nation of Europe, Spain is a country of contrasts, a land whose diverse topography ranges from the mountain peaks of the Pyrenees, Picos and Sierra Nevada and the high plateaux of the Meseta Central to the lowland plains of Andalucia and the extraordinary beauty of the Balearic Islands - Mallorca, Ibiza and Menorca.
The Spain of today is a country indelibly influenced by its long history in which Moorish invasion, Reconquista and Inquisition, Imperial dominance during the Golden Age of the 16th and 17th centuries and Civil War have all played a protagonist's role. As rich in gastronomy as it is in art and architecture, culture, folklore and heritage, a nation where fiery passions, proud traditions and distinct regional identities reign supreme, a journey through Spain will not fail to stir the soul.
