STREETWISE® Spain Map 2007 - Street Map of Spain

Laminated Country Road Map of Spain - Folding pocket size travel map

Revised 12/2007

Spain is a concurrence of fast and slow, Muslim and Catholic, exhilaration and complete relaxation. The proximity to North Africa and prominence in the Mediterranean has guaranteed that Spain would be ruled by several different cultures, eventually becoming distilled into the jewel of southern Europe that you see today.

Muslim rule, starting in the 8th century and particularly strong in the area known as Al Andalus (now known as Andalucia), lasted nearly 700 years. As their power waned, the monarchy of Isabelle and Ferdinand directed their efforts at re-Christianizing Spain, known as the Reconquista, resulting in the Spanish Inquisition. The best example of the combination of these two dominant forces in Spanish culture can be seen in the Mezquita in Córdoba. Built in the 10th century, this is considered to be one of the finest Mosques existing. The irony is that later in the 16th century a Renaissance cathedral was constructed inside in the middle of the mosque. It’s this juxtaposition that characterizes Spain. Córdoba was the Moorish capital and was the richest and most sophisticated city of its day. Today its white houses are adorned with overflowing baskets of flowers and its tiny alleys are filled with tourists coming to see the Mezquita and to taste the delicious Salamorejo, a thick cold soup that the city is known for.

Think of Spain and you think of bullfighting, a controversial subject. Most people still see the national pastime as an art and not as a sport, but it has been criticized as barbaric. Barcelona has banned all bullfighting and declared itself a bull free city, but that may be more about the quest for Catalan independence, and less about feelings for the bull. The bulls are bred for ferocity for in this dance with death the bullfighter prizes a spirited partner. The season runs from March to October. In September a weeklong bullfighting festival is held in Rhonda, one of the oldest rings in Spain and one of the most beautiful of the white towns, white villages precariously perched on the peaks of the hills of Andalusia.

For the week of July 7th, the bulls have a chance to even the odds. This is when the running of the bulls takes place in Pamplona, located in the Navarre region bordering the Pyrenees. The week of the San Fermin Festival is a giant party at night and a test of courage during the day. At 8:00 each morning the bulls are released from a holding pen and thunder half a mile thru the streets towards the bullring with brave runners (or foolish depending on how you look at it) trying to be just a slight bit faster than the bulls. There have been several deaths and numerous injuries over the years, but that doesn’t dampen the spirit of those who are eager to test their fortitude in front of half-ton charging megaliths with horns.

A less dangerous, but much messier time can be had at La Tomatina – the annual tomato throwing festival in Buñol. Located outside of Valencia, famous for oranges and paella, the action starts at 11:00am on the last Wednesday of August. Huge cartloads of tomatoes are brought into the town square and the action begins. Everyone pelts and gets pelted with tomatoes until juice runs everywhere and the town square becomes coated with squished tomato pulp. Within half an hour it’s all over and all of the participants are dripping with tomato guts and laughing hysterically at the absurdity of it all.

On a more serious note is the Festival of Samana Santa, the Easter processional in Seville. Processionals of brotherhoods dressed in robes and hooded with tall conical hats march penitently through the narrow streets towards the Cathedral. Two weeks later is the Feria de Seville, a weeklong flamenco extravaganza. Women of all ages deck themselves in flouncy spotted flamenco dresses whether they are dancers or not. Flamenco, based on song, dance and guitar, is best experienced in a small intimate setting where you become part of the dance and music by being in such close proximity to the swirling and stomping. Tents are set up to create a multitude of small environments so that all the masses who come to Seville for the festival can participate in this intimate art form.

Experience all of this and more, such as the scenic routes of the Costa Brava and the Costa Verde or the medieval villages of Cáceres and Ávila with the STREETWISE^® map of Spain. Our STREETWISE^® Spain Map includes a mileage chart for twenty cities and shows portions of France, Andorra, all of Portugal and the Balearic islands of Ibiza, Mallorca and Menorca. Motorways, divided highways, primary, secondary and minor roads are clearly depicted. Fully indexed with cities, towns and villages, this map of Spain also features scenic routes, towns of special interest, national parks and points of interest.

STREETWISE^® Maps makes the best laminated street maps available for purchase on the market today. Easy to read and accordion fold for effortless use, all of our detailed travel maps are pocket size for discretion so you don't stick out like a tourist. Browse the boxes below to see other STREETWISE^® laminated maps related to our Spain Map.

STREETWISE^® Spain Map 2007

Map Scales
Main Spain Map 1:2,500,000
Balearic Islands Map 1:2,500,000