Cheap Spain Holidays

There’s nothing better than the smell or taste of great food to bring back memories of a holiday and what better way to remember your favourite destinations than by learning to cook some of the local cuisine?

Spanish holidays wouldn’t be complete without sampling the local paella. Originating in Valencia on the east coast of Spain, the rice dish is considered by tourists as Spain’s national dish although really it is a regional dish of Valencia. The three most common varieties of paella are Valencia paella, (white rice, green vegetables, meat (rabbit, chicken, duck), snails, beans and seasoning) seafood paella (meat is replaced by seafood and there are no vegetables) and mixed paella (a free-style combination of all the above).

Mixed paella is one of the most versatile dishes in the world because you can throw in anything you fancy. It’s best to stick to a recipe the first few times you make it and when you’ve built up your confidence, get creative! Key ingredients include salt, saffron, garlic, Calasparra or Bomba paella rice, olive oil, seafood (clams, mussels, shrimp etc), vegetables (peppers, tomatoes, peas) and meat (chicken breast, boneless pork, chorizo) but there are thousands of paella recipes to choose from and you can adapt them to your taste. Vegetarians can make a tasty paella with artichokes, mushrooms and peppers instead of meat. For tasty paella recipes, check out www.spain-recipes.com/paellarecipes.

Traditionally, paella is cooked in a ‘paellera’ which is a round, flat pan with two handles and you can get your own from Lakeland Plastics (www.lakeland.co.uk) for just £9.99 or view the range of paella pans at www.gardengiftshop.co.uk.

Tenerife is a wise choice for a golfing holiday. With its warm climate and the close proximity of the golf courses to the major resorts, you can spend more time actually playing golf and less time worrying about transport and the weather. Read this guide for a list of the best golf clubs around Costa Adeje!

Golf Costa Adeje – You might be able to tell by its name that this golf course is at the heart of Costa Adeje; making it number one on our list. This great 27 hole course is one of the most popular on the island, not least of all because of its spectacular views of the island of La Gomera and the Adeje mountains. You won’t be disappointed.

Golf de las Americas – Located in the tourist centre of Playa de Las Americas, this 18 hole golf course is renowned for its excellent maintenance. It stretches for over 6,039 metres and the club house offers many services, including a bar, buggy and cart hire and lessons.

Golf Las Palos – Although this is one of the shorter courses with a par 27 nine hole course, don’t dismiss it straight away; it offers a nice challenge. Most of the holes require great accuracy and over half are near water. This is a great little course to spend an hour or two on if you’re looking for a shorter game of golf on your Costa Adeje holiday.

Golf Abama – The name of this golf club should ring a few bells because it was awarded the Rheingolf Golf award! This par 72 course is one of the best in Spain and contains an amazing assortment of trees, shrub displays and lakes; although this experience does come at a price it’s definitely worth it if you want to experience some amazing golf on your Costa Adeje holiday!

Amarilla Golf and Country Club – This 18 hole course in the South of Tenerife is a must-see for its jaw-dropping scenery. Most of the holes have ocean views, but one literally goes a step further into the actual sea, which has to be crossed! Coupled with its extensive facilities, which include a Pitch and Putt course, this Tenerife golf club shouldn’t be missed!

Book your cheap holidays in Costa Adeje today and enjoy some of these amazing golf courses!

How to beat the Germans to the sunbeds

So, you’ve arrived at the hotel and it’s fabulous. The welcome drinks were wonderful, the staff friendly and attentive and the sun is beating down on the glorious scenery.  After all your hard work and excellent organising, it’s finally time to relax on your annual holiday.

However, one tiny detail has slipped your mind; the holiday ritual that is fondly known as ‘The Sunbed Olympics’. Fresh from victory against England in the World Cup, the Germans have been practising their techniques since January and have honed their skills to perfection. The towels are clean and fluffy and the running spikes are polished and gleaming; they’re ready to go!

So, what can we do to give us even a vague hope of grabbing a lounger within sight of the water? Preparation is the key. Alarm clocks are essential and we recommend at least two, just in case you are persuaded to roll over and not bother. Set them for early o’clock; this means you can grab the prerequisite number of sunbeds, set down your towels (the bigger, the better) and lay horizontally across them, guarding them until the rest of the family arrive. It’s always useful to take a nap whilst waiting as loud snoring and dribbling can also act as a deterrent to sunbed rustlers.

If you manage to consider this dilemma before your holidays, then a few printed leaflets may help, advertising events such as ‘Free Bratwurst’ or ‘Free James Last Concert’ at neighbouring hotels. However, you must use these with caution, as they can soon get wise to such ploys.

It’s also an idea to group together with other families to draw up a ‘reserving rota’ so you can take it in turns and have the occasional lie-in.

They may have won the football, but they will not win the Sunbed Wars!!

Book your cheap holidays to Spain and win the sunbed war!

Who said that you had to be on a guestlist to get into an Ibiza club for free? We have a few ideas you can use to wiggle your way into Pacha, Space or Amnesia every night of the week and save your pennies for more drinks inside. Knock back a few drinks for Dutch courage before you go out on your Ibiza holiday – you’ll need it for some of the ideas we’ve come up with.

Pretending to be something you’re not may seem like a difficult task but if you really go for it, it’s hard to say no to. For example, pretend to be a famous celebrity from a little known country. Dress the part, get your mates to be your bodyguards and entourage, place friends in the queue to gasp in awe and recognition as you walk past and then use the immortal line ‘don’t you know I am?’ and see where it gets you. You could also tell the bouncers you’re a journalist or photographer as they often get in for free in exchange for writing something good about the club. Remember to take a pen and paper or a camera for this to work!

If you prefer something a little less hard work on your Ibiza holiday then grab some balloons and birthday badges and pretend it’s your birthday. This is perfect because club owners want to make you feel like a princess on your special birthday so you’ll come back the following nights to spend more money. It’s easy to mimic so don’t be surprised if ten other groups of party blaggers are trying it. If you’re travelling alone or as a couple and don’t have loads of friends to help blag you into a club for free then why not just join someone else’s birthday party instead? There are so many ways to get into Ibiza’s clubs for free!

A sure-fire way to guarantee free club entry on your Ibiza holiday is to pull some strings with someone who works there. If you don’t already know someone who works at the club, make friends with the club owner, bouncers or bar staff using any method possible. Yes, even try pulling a staff member if you’re that desperate to save 30 Euros – although if you’re travelling with your partner check with them first. Being a woman really helps when you’re trying to get into a club for free as it’s undeniable that club owners want plenty of hot, barely dressed women in their club to attract more customers and therefore bouncers are much more likely to give free entry to good-looking, well-dressed women. It might seem demeaning but it depends how much you want that free ticket – get out your low cut tops – or don’t wear a top at all(!) – and tanned, toned body parts and flirt for all you’ve got. Everyone knows flattery gets you everywhere (and anywhere).

Book your Ibiza holidays today!

There are lots of places to explore other than then beach and the nearest bar on your Lanzarote holiday so why not find out more about the Canary Island’s culture and past so you can really get to know this fantastic holiday destination?

The island was officially named in the 1300s after the Genoese navigator Lancelotto Malocello who ‘discovered’ it but the native name for the island is Titerrogatra which refers to the island’s stunning mountain ranges. Before the Phoenicians settled, Lanzarote was inhabited by the Guanches; a stoneage-like people who worked the land and mostly lived in caves. After the Punic wars, the Romans traded with the Canary Islands but after the fall of the Roman Empire they were abandoned until the Moors invaded and settled for nearly 400 years. Malocello arrived in 1336 followed by Jean de Bethencourt in 1402 who introduced slavery and new raw materials to the island. Your cultural Lanzarote holiday wouldn’t be complete without a trip to the Ethnographic Museum in Arrecife where you can see archaeological finds from the island’s past such as skeletons, fossils and ancient pottery and jewellery. The Museum El Tanit which houses a huge collection of unusual and fascinating everyday items from island life over the last 200 years is also a good place to go for an afternoon out.

In the 18^th century, Lanzarote was hit by a series of volcanic eruptions. Lava covered a quarter of the island’s surface which devastated the area at the time but now attracts tourists from around the world to visit the ‘lunar’ landscapes of the lava plains. You can explore this volcanic landscape on your Lanzarote holiday by visiting the Atlantida Tunnel, the longest volcanic tunnel in the world at over 7 kilometres long. La Cueva de los Verdes offers a night to remember in the amazing underground concert hall and Jameos del Agua, a  series of volcanic passages and underground grottoes is not only naturally stunning but also has a large swimming pool, a dance floor, two bars and a concert cave. If you want to find out more about the volcanic eruptions and their effect on island life, head to the Emigration Museum in Teguise which is housed in the island’s oldest castle; a beautiful spot for a day trip!

Lanzarote’s history may be turbulent, from conquest to natural disaster, but the scars it has left are interesting, exciting and often beautiful so it’s definitely worth getting off your sun-lounger for the day and exploring the island!

Book your Lanzarote holidays today!

Benidorm wasn’t always the thriving holiday hotspot that it is today. Before the 1960s in was a sleepy village, nestled under the massive Puig Campana Mountain. So what changed this little community into the capital of beach holidays?

The Package Holiday Explosion

Before the sixties air travel was a luxury. The idea of families enjoying a quick hop across to Spain was unthinkable outside of the rich set. But with the advent of wider-bodied airliners it soon became possible for more and more people to become part of the jet age.

Just being able to get there doesn’t make holidaying easy though. Families wanted the sun and sand, but not the complications of interacting in foreign languages, finding hotels, and haggling. That was where package holiday operators came in. With a package holiday, one trip to a travel agent sorted out everything you needed. This was nothing new, but it now came at a much lower price.

Why Benidorm?

Benidorm was only a small village, and even while Spain was under the Fascist rule of General Franco it retained its easy-going character. Perhaps that’s why, when high-rise projects were flowering across the Spain, this town took the promise of more building space and used it to appeal to tourists.

From there it didn’t take long for the word to get out. And with more and more Northern Europeans, especially the British, hitting Benidorm’s beaches, it was only a matter of time before people settled there too, and started their own tourist-friendly enterprises.

Benidorm Today

So that’s why if you go to Benidorm today you can immediately find that friendly atmosphere. There are now more trendy bars and clubs, but it’s still that same quality that people go for: all of the sun and holiday fun with none of the fuss. Book your Benidorm holidays today!

Anybody taking the option of one day car hire in Gran Canaria will want to see as many sights in 24 hours as is physically possible. You will have no problem navigating the south of the island by bus or taxi on a Gran Canaria holiday, so here we highlight a fantastic northern driving route.

The first destination you should visit is Las Palmas, the capital city of Gran Canaria; if it’s a warm day you might be tempted to take a swim in the warm waters off Playa de las Canteras beach. After drying yourself down, hop back in the car and head to Arucas, home of an intriguing rum factory. Many people come here in order to explore the Church of San Juan Bautista, where there are some splendid stained glass windows painted by the famous Cristobal Hernandez de Quintana. From Arucas you should set off for Santa Maria de Guia, where you will be able to taste some of the delicious local cheeses. As you will discover, the gastronomical delights in this area are just as good as the renowned Cuisine of Fuerteventura.

Next stop on your travels around Gran Canaria should be Puerto de las Nieves, home to a variety of restaurants which serve delicious locally caught fish. After a spot of light lunch it’s onwards to Aldea de San Nicolas, where you may want to stop and take some pictures of the stunning surrounding scenery. The final destination that deserves a place on your Gran Canaria holiday itinerary is Santa Brigada; from here you can take a leisurely stroll to the awe inspiring Caldera de Bandama. This crater contains volcanic ash of an array of vibrant colours and is home to a variety of fascinating botanic species. After taking some photos of the Caldera you should head along to the wine museum, where you can sample and perhaps even purchase some of the lovely local Gran Canaria wines.

Book your holidays in Gran Canaria today!

Puerto Mogan on the South coast of Gran Canaria not only has more than 300 days of sunshine a year; it’s also got loads of attractions to keep sun seekers of all ages happy for days.

Top of the Puerto Mogan attractions list is the port itself with boat trips, fishing and plenty of yachts to ogle at. You can enjoy a glass bottomed boat trip along the Mogan coast and see some amazing underwater sea life. Why not take dolphin spotting or whale watching boat trip on your holiday in Puerto Mogan, and relax in the sunshine with a little sea breeze to cool you down. There are sea cruises over to Puerto Rico and Arguineguin so you can make the most of your time on your Gran Canaria holiday and explore the area. The port also offers great opportunities for fishing enthusiasts. www.bluemarlin3.com run fishing trips on their two boats, where you have your own fishing line and the chance of catching Thornback, Sting rays, Moray eels, Bream, Snappers and even Tuna fish. You can choose to go with other tourists or to hire the whole boat for yourself.

If you fancy a bit more action than sitting on a boat, why not hire a jet ski, go parasailing or grab a seat on a submarine trip? There’s all of this and more in Puerto Mogan and most of it is reasonably priced. Another great thing to do on a Puerto Mogan holiday is to head to the local open-air market (open on Fridays) and experience the sights, smells and prices of this fantastic bazaar! Stalls stock everything from shoes and handmade jewellery to books, glass sculptures and vegetables so there’s plenty to keep you busy looking all morning.

To explore more of the island you can hire a car from one of the many car hire companies in Puerto Mogan or you can hire bikes, mopeds and scooters for a more fun way to get around.

The resort of Palma Nova is situated near Magaluf on the South West coast of Majorca in Spain. It is a highly popular destination for tourists of all ages and there are plenty of reasons why! Here are our top ten things to do in Palma Nova.

1. Hire a sun lounger and soak up the Mediterranean climate on one of the three beaches; Es Carregador, Playa de Palmanova or Son Maties. If you’re looking for a more secluded beach, away from the crowds there’s always the stunning rocky cove of Son Caliu, which is near the port

2. Enjoy the many water sports on offer, including windsurfing and jet skiing on a holiday in Palma Nova

3. Explore the beautiful countryside surrounding Palma Nova; this can be done on foot or by bike

4. Take in the great Palma Nova nightlife; offering a more sedate atmosphere than party-central Magaluf, this is a great place to come for a more relaxed night out. Palma Nova holidays are also great if you’re looking to explore some of the best international cuisine, including Chinese or Italian, as well as tasty traditional tapas or fresh seafood. There’s also karaoke and live entertainment, perfect for those on a family holiday in Majorca

5. Explore further afield on your holiday in Palma Nova; discover the stunning cathedral and inspiring old streets of Palma, the Caves of Drach (Cuevas del Drach) and the old towns of Calvia and Andratx

6. Visit the Marineland aquatic show and aquarium, where you can see dolphins, sea lions, sharks, tropical fishes, exotic birds and penguins

7. Visit a water park on a group or family holiday to Palma Nova. Top picks are the Wild West themed Western Water Park, as well as the huge Aqualand Magaluf, with its many rides and slides, both of which are near Palma Nova

8. Try your hand at crazy golf at the hugely popular Golf Fantasia on your holiday in Palma Nova

9. Go shopping; you only need to hop on a bus to reach the Majorcan capital city of Palma from Palma Nova, where you can browse the many international high street stores and grab some great bargain souvenirs

10. Be entertained at the theatrical Pirate Adventure Show on your holiday in Palma Nova

Experience the best Palma Nova activities with cheap flights and hotels in Palma Nova.

Ibiza is the queen of gay holiday destinations with plenty of sun, sand and buzzing nightclubs to keep even the liveliest of party animals happy. Here’s a guide to the best gay nightspots to be seen at on your Ibiza holiday.

There’s really only one street you’ll need in Ibiza when looking for its huge gay scene and that’s the Calle de la Virgen. Found in Ibiza Old Town, this long street of gay bars, discos and clubs is the centre of the gay scene on the island and you are sure to feel welcome and at home among laid back tourists from all over the world.

It’s usual to start the night at the far end of the Calle de la Virgen and lead a bar crawl all the way along, ending in the exclusively gay nightclub Anfora. This 7 day disco is the only exclusively gay nightclub on the island and costs just 12 Euros before 2am which is quite cheap as Ibiza club prices go. The club has lots of nooks and crannies as well as a Moroccan lounge, a ‘dark room’ and porn and pop videos on large screens. There are themed nights such as the 70s themed ‘Disco Inferno’ on Thursdays and ‘Blackout Night’ on Mondays where the dress code is either a uniform or leather. Overall Anfora is one of the best gay clubs in Ibiza; friendly and fun and not very expensive it makes for a great night out with some of the best gay anthems blaring out all night long.

If you want to explore other nightspots on your Ibiza holiday, head to Pacha, Space and Privilege which hold weekly gay party nights; La Troya at Amnesia every Wednesday is also a popular night to head to if you’re looking for the best gay clubs in Ibiza. Popular gay bars on the Ibiza strip include Teatro, Samsara, The Back Bar, Incognito and Angelos. The main gay nudist beach at Es Cavallet is just a short bus ride out of Ibiza Town and has its own rainbow flag-topped beach bar and restaurant called Chiringay if you fancy a quieter night out with beautiful views.

Book your cheap Ibiza holidays today!