Focus your visit to Spain around the Barcelona, and a stay at one of the the Paradores South of Barcelona.

Visit Barcelona, always on the biting edge of fashion, architecture, food, style, music and good times. Barcelona is one of the most dynamic and exciting cities on the western Mediterranean seaboard. Walk its narrow streets and wonderful plazas and discover its magic: stalls full of books, birds and flowers. Explore its new modern squares, designed by leading artists such as Miró and Barceló and every visitor will understand how Barcelona has been transformed into one of the most moderns and active cities in Europe.

The South of Barcelona offers 3 Paradors, each offering a very different experience.

ALCANIZ

With a fascinating historic-artistic heritage: in Plaza de España, a beautiful collection of medieval buildings where you will find the Exchange and the city hall, a masterpiece of Renaissance architecture; the neighboring former collegiate church of Santa María la Mayor, begun in 1736, is a large temple which combines baroque features and Mudejar influences.
ALCANIZ - 3 stars
Castle of the order of Calatrava, built on the la Cumbre Cerro Pui Pinos hill top, the 12th-13th Century castle-convent was converted to the seat of the Order of Calatrava in 1179. The Parador, which dominates the Maestrazgo landscape, has preserved the Tower of Homage, the belfry-sacristy, and the section converted into an Aragonese Palace in the 18th Century.
146 miles from Barcelona

BENICARLO

An important fishing port and tourist centre in Costa del Azahar, has a long beach, and a historic quarter filled with remarkable examples of stately architecture. Benicarló's origins go back to the Middle Ages, when it was a little Arab town. Its original urban layout has reached our days intact, with many of its houses exhibiting their coats of arms.
BENICARLO - 4 stars
Modern Hotel for a taste of the Mediterranean. The magnificent Costa del Azahar compliments the hotel's splendid gardens, situated 30 meters from the sea.
137 miles from Barcelona

TORTOSA

Preserves significant examples of medieval, Renaissance, baroque and modernist architecture. It has been declared to be Historic-Artistic Heritage. Of importance are the 14th-century Gothic Cathedral; the 14th century Episcopal Palace, with a chapel from 1316, the Gothic cloister of the convent of Santa Clara (14th century); The Royal Colleges of Tortosa, founded by Carlos V in 1564 for the education of subject Muslims; the modernist market with its metal structure; the Exchange (14th century) and the Remolins neighborhood, with the old Jewish quarter and the palace of the Despuig family.
TORTOSA - 4 stars
10th Century Castle In the center of the fertile Ebro valley and sheltered by the Beceite mountains, which provide a stunning view from the pool and balconies, the Hotel stands in the higher part of this town which adds its own beauty to the attractions of the different types of natural settings around it.
113 miles from Barcelona

The South Mediterranean Coast - There are many reasons for visiting the coast: its weather, its beaches, its food, the nature of its people ? and its golf. 4 different paradors are located here.

EL SALER

Is a beach with a few natural dunes that lies within the Albufera Nature Reserve. Good for sports. You will experience a unique feeling while you play the course at El Saler in Valencia, which has some fantastic views of the Mediterranean. The Parador offers guests what can rightfully be called one of the best golf courses in the entire world. During the 1970s, Javier Arana, ?the master? of golf course designers, was passing through El Saler when his expert intuition led him to imagine, dream up and then carry out its design. His work is founded in a desire to respect every detail of the setting, the original landscape and native plant species.
EL SALER - 4 stars
A Golf Course between the lagoon and the sea. A must for golf lovers thanks to the 18-hole golf course, the Hotel is seen as one of the best in the world. The large comfortable rooms - some with sea views - are an invite to relaxation. Located on the coast, there is also a fantastic SPA to relax, an outdoor pool and a grass football pitch. The completely renovated and new plan building strictly respects the natural setting with its grand glass-dominated structure bringing guests closer to La Albufera Nature Reserve from all indoor spaces.
228 miles from Madrid

JAVEA

From Cape Nao to Granadella Cove, Jávea offers visitors twenty kilometers of beaches and coves, ideal to enjoy the sun, the sea and water sports. This town on the Alicante Costa Blanca shows its more tourist-related side around the area of the harbor. In addition to a wide range of accommodation, restaurants and recreational activities, in the harbor visitors can enjoy all types of water activities, such as sailing and windsurfing or a boat trip to Denia. The beach of El Arenal is one of the most emblematic on the coast of Jávea. In this place, next to the Fontana Canal, sits the Parador de Turismo ?Costa Blanca? (Inn), at a privileged location only a few meters away from the beach.
JAVEA - 4 stars
A garden beside the Mediterranean. The Hotel is situated in the beautiful city of Jávea to the north of the Costa Blanca and is bathed by the waters of the Mediterranean. It provides the ideal location for water sports and is surrounded by a vast sea that rivals the beauty of the hotel garden filled with palm trees, bougainvilleas and other tropical plants surrounding the magnificent swimming pool.
282 from Madrid

MOJACAR

It is one of the most charming towns in Almería's share of the coast of Levante. Popular architecture, mainly white houses, fine beaches and the beautiful natural surroundings are its most inviting attractions. Mojácar stretches along a hill in the spurs of Sierra Cabrera. A legacy from the Arabs, the city centre still has a peculiar layout of narrow streets, secluded corners, and terraces that were dug on the side of the hill as if they were steps. The Renaissance church of Santa María, form the 16th-19th centuries, is part of a rich artistic legacy, as well as the castle of Mojácar, from the 15th century, and the only remains of the ancient wall: Puerta de la Ciudad (gates of the City) and a large tower. Below the town, there are more than five kilometers of magnificent beaches.
MOJACAR - 4 stars
Modern building - Open to the Mediterranean. On the Mojácar coast, with the best micro-climate in Spain, the Hotel offers gorgeous views of the blue Mediterranean. The ideal spot to enjoy these quiet beaches or to let sport bring you into contact with nature.
182 miles from Malaga

PUERTO LUMBRERAS

Halfway between the east coast and Andalusia, an exceptional place from which to approach the region. Close by, Declared to be a Historic-Artistic site in 1964, Lorca is known as the ?baroque city? because of the significant architectural legacy of this style standing in its historic centre. From the Paleolithic period until Roman times, a wide variety of cultures and settlers converged in the town of Lorca and testimony to this are the great many archaeological sites, the Milaria Column from the Roman age, the Tower of Espolón or the Alfonsina Tower, among others. Also worth mentioning are the San Antonio Porch, a gate from the old walled enclosure which guarded the city, from the 10th century; the churches and convents of different ages and styles; and the palaces and baroque stately homes, such as the palace of Guevara, the palace of the Counts of San Julián or the Mula ancestral home. As for military architecture, outstanding is the fortress, which transformed the medieval citadel into an impregnable enclosure, and as regards popular architecture, we must mention the structures standing on the cobbled streets which flank Plaza de España, such as Zapatería and Cava. PUERTO LUMBRERAS - 4 stars
Mediterranean style building. Sited at a key point between the Levante region and Andalucía, the Parador de Puerto Lumbreras is the ideal spot to explore the beauty of the Murcia region or inland Andalucía. The hotel is perfect for relaxation.
199 miles from Malaga

And End in Madrid, Madrid, Capital of Spain since 1562, Madrid's museums host, among others, Dalís, Mirós and Picasso's Guernica. Madrid is a city of great contrasts: the Old City, the Madrid of the Hapsburgs, the Royal Palace, the Puerta de Alcala, the Retiro Park. At night, the city changes gears with its famous Madrid nightlife. The city's endless energy is hard to resist, and its sociable style invites you to jump right in.