The Rough Guide to Spain

by Rough Guides, John Fisher, Mark Ellingham

This update looks at what's new in this thrilling land, including the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao and all the latest hotspots in metropolitan Madrid and Barcelona. No corner of Spain is unexplored -- from beaches to mountains to the Balearic islands -- each with detailed, critical reviews to make the most of your trip.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Spain, Reference, Canon

Paperback

First published January 1, 1983

About the author

Founded in 1982, Rough Guides Ltd is a British publisher of print and digital guide book, phrasebooks and inspirational travel reference books, and a provider of personalised trips. Since November 2017, Rough Guides has been owned by APA Publications UK Ltd, the parent company of Insight Guides.
With the company's personalised trip service encompassing over eighty destinations, and 200 guidebooks covering 180 destinations, Rough Guides is a multi-faceted travel platform, with global sales of 100 million guidebooks since their inception.

Reviews

[Amanda up North · Rating 4 out of 5]

Each one of these guidebooks (Fodor's Travel, Rick Steves, Rough Guides) has something good to offer a trveler/ visitor / learner that the other doesn't. This one offers quite a lot that others don't.

This one has more Spanish language translations than any other I've read, as well as sections of Catalan, Basque, and Galician translations. (So many Spains. So many languages.)

It offers the most extensive list of books - a reading list on Spain and matters Spanish.

It also has an informative section on wildlife. Habitat, flora, mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians.
This is the 2012 edition, so orcas sinking watercraft in the waters off Spain in the Strait of Gibraltar aren't yet mentioned.
One of my questions about almost any place is: Do they have snakes?
This is the guide that answers that.
(Yes, snakes are common. Note to self: check out amphisbaenian and horseshoe whip snake.)
Some other guide books I've read haven't mentioned a hiking trail, let alone extensive info on wildlife and natural areas.

While restaurant and lodging options, fares and admission fees are not likely up to date, the information most useful to me doesn't quickly expire. Villages and architecture thousands of years old, culture, history, and more history. Spain is layers of history.

Like every other guidebook I've read, this one is not exhaustive. There are points of interest I wished to read about that weren't included. But this is a more thorough resource in several ways mentioned - mainly for acknowledging Spain has so much more to offer than what's in its larger cities and museums.

Fun facts:

"If any county in Europe qualified as a paradise for birdwatching, then it must surely be Spain."
Over half of all European bird species have been recorded in Doñana National Park.

Spain is the second most mountainous country in Europe after Switzerland.

Spain is home to the largest roadless area in Western Europe.

Spain has 43 sites on UNESCO's World Heritage list - more than twice as many as the USA. (And its only twice the size of Oregon.)

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book reminds me why, if there's a Rough Guide available for where I want to go, then I look no further. It's been criticised for getting some prices and times of admission incorrect, but how can any guide avoid this? Surely they're all at least a little 'out-of-date' even before they goes to the printers and such details should be treated as indications, not concrete fact. The range of information packed into a single volume is amazing.

[Tiarnán · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant index and reference work for both Hispanophiles and casual visitors.

[Peggy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rough Guides are THE best guide books, hands down, and this one is no exception. Readable, informative, accurate, and appropriately opinionated.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent resource.

[JanaT · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are several editions. One tries to imitate fiction, so it takes time to sort it out. I would advise to check which is which.

[Jeffrey Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

History, what to see and do, and so much more. What's not to like? (wish there were more pictures or a companion website of pictures and stuff).

[Jack Hrkach · Rating 4 out of 5]

While more people read Lonely Planet and Rick Steves (and don't get me wrong, I like both of them very much), I find that for books packed with info about the history, laen with caustic humor, and in general very trustworthy, the Rough Guide series is tops - the guide to Spain is no exception. I feel very prepared for my late September visit there. I focused on my major destinations (Madrid and Barcelona, with day trips from the former to Segovia, Avila and Toledo) and as I have been for decades was very satisfied with what I learned.

[torque · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just spent a month in Spain, traveling all over the country in a rental car. I found the maps pretty useless for my purpose, ended up using a regular map of Spain for most of the driving and either google maps on my phone or local maps in the cities. The little history/background lessons for the areas were useful. To find accommodation, restaurants I also ended up using other sources for information. So mostly, I just ended up dragging this book with me in case it would prove useful, which it rarely did, for me.

[Jim Bowen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a pretty thorough book that gives you ideas about what to do in Spain. It is much better than the Rough Guide on the same subject. I would recommend as instead of focusing on the major cities, it seems to focus on a greater variety of areas.

[Alex]

The Rough Guide to Spain (10th Edition) by Mark Ellingham (2002)

[Ietrio · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was really surprised to find in a tourist guide the pages near the end with the list of books about Spain or from Spain.

[David Bisset · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Rough Guides have there on characteristics, but they combine culture with the pleasure of travel. This volume is generally very good!

[Jmolentin]

Using it to prepare for upcoming trip to spain. Can't go anywhere without a rough guide