Notes from Spain by Ben Curtis

First and foremost, many thanks to all who sent in the 100 entries to our 500 things to do in Spain before you die competition, all of which will end up in the charity book (see below). The quality was excellent, and picking a winner was extremely difficult. But, a winner there must be, and so… the prize goes to…

Rod Brookes! Rod, who blogs at Rods Spanish Stuff wins with this entry:

“Walk through the pine forests of the Parque Natural de la Breña (a few kilometres south of Vejer de la Frontera and west of Barbate on the Costa de la Luz) on a sunny Autumn day, through the distinctive trees that form a bizarrely shaped continuous parasol formed by exposure to the savage wind here. Pass the Torre del Tajo to the mirador which overlooks the sheer cliffs and gives you such a magnificent view, on your left down the coast to Tarifa (and even Morocco on a clear day), and on the right over the Cape Trafalgar lighthouse to where the battle was fought about 200 years ago. At the end of the day, drive down to Trafalgar in the orange light of sunset, walking past the kitesurfers and windsurfers packing up, up to the memorial, around the lighthouse and onto the almost certainly deserted beach.”

Why did this entry win? Firstly, it brings to light a little-traveled corner of Andalusia, a stretch of one of the last unspoilt areas of the coasts of Southern Spain. It’s an area I know fairly well, and one that is exceptional in terms of its wild nature and fascinating landscapes (those wind-blown parasol trees…) Secondly, it was one of several high quality entries sent in by Rod, all of which will go towards helping to make the forthcoming book a resounding success…

What next? The book

We now have a book to put together! The original idea of the competition was to gather entries for a guidebook that will then be sold for charity, with all proceeds going to the Spanish Red Cross. The competition netted around 100 entries, a fantastic level of participation, but that still leaves some work ahead if we are to reach the 500 target. The first job will be for us to organise the entries into categories, to edit and spell check everything, add more information where necessary, and then to start filling in the gaps. We’ll be asking for your help again over the coming weeks. For now, many thanks again to all who sent in entries, and watch this space for details of the book!

Photo above by Rod Brookes

Two days left until we announce the winner of our “500 things to do in Spain before you die competition“, so get those final entries in fast! Remember, you have a chance to win an iPod Shuffle and all entries will end up in a book designed to raise money for charity.

To inspire you I’ve included a few great examples below, the first two on Barcelona from our man in the Catalan Capital, Dave Hall:

“Play Russian Roulette with the Piminientos de Padrón (some are hot, some are not!) along with other truly great quality tapas at the Ciutat Comtal restaurant on La Rambla de Catalunya. It’s always busy so you might struggle to get in, but the food, service, and atmosphere are all definitely well worth it.”

“Go and see the Magic Fountains located between the twin towers of Plaza España and the grand entrance to Montjuic. Aside from the Olympic stadium of course, the fountains were the centrepiece for the 1992 Games and the nightly shows are amazing, combining huge amounts of water and light to make a dazzling effect, and many shows are also set to music. Check the timetables on the internet before you go, for more details, as there’s a reduced program during the winter.”

Katie, who writes at the excellent España Profunda blog sent in this entry on a very appealing hotel near the lost city of Teruel:

“Hang out with trout in the heart of El Maestrazgo. Deep in a valley in the middle of nowhere Teruel, Aragón, you’ll find a lovely hotel surrounded by some of the most spectacular scenery in all of Spain. The Hostal de la Trucha is styled tastefully like an old hunting lodge and sits on the Rí­o Pitarque next to a small fish farm that provides the hotel with trout every morning for the day’s meals. To top it off, there are plenty of well-marked hiking trails in the area.”

Send in your entries (by email only please) while there is still time!