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There’s a Spanish concept known as duende. Most frequently relating to flamenco, it describes the transcendent, spiritual essence of this most enigmatic of European countries.

“She has duende,” aficionados will say of a singer in a bar in Jerez. “It has duende,” hikers might say of a whitewashed hamlet in the Sierra Nevada. “Did you feel the duende?” your Spanish friend will ask as you stumble happily from a village fiesta at sunrise. “Duende”, Goethe wrote, “is a mysterious force everyone feels and no philosopher has explained.”

It runs from the wave-cut rias of Galicia, the oak forests of Cantabria and secret valleys of the Basque Country through the scorched desert lands of Aragon and the medieval villages of Teruel to the fishing villages turned glitzy resorts of the Costas. It lurks in the alleyways of Zaragoza, lives in the markets of Madrid, radiates through every stone in Seville and lies knee-deep in Cadiz. And when you find it, you will fall in love.

Main image: the Alhambra Palace, Granada (Alamy)

The Spanish trinity comprises the three Cs of ciudad, campo and costa — city, country and coast — and combining these offers the most rewarding way to explore this huge and diverse land. Take the cities of Seville, Madrid and Barcelona as gateways around which to build your trip and you’ll discover extraordinary history, tear-inducing beauty and fabulous regional cuisine.

From sultry Seville, the capital of Andalusia in southern Spain, you have the hugely popular destinations of Granada, Cordoba, Cadiz and the art powerhouse of Malaga within reach. You can also take a day trip to the beaches of the Costa del Sol or the wilder Costa de la Luz. Farther afield, Ibiza, Mallorca and Menorca each offer something different, from family-friendly hotels to wild nights out.

Start in Madrid, the home of the Prado and Reina Sofia art museums, and you could tour eastwards across Spain’s cinematic central plateau via the world heritage cities of Avila and Salamanca, through the winelands of the Tierra de Leon and follow the Camino Frances in Santiago de Compostela.

From sultry Seville, you have Granada, Cordoba, Cadiz and the art powerhouse of Malaga within reach

Beginning in Barcelona, you could head east, circling through Zaragoza, Aragon and Teruel, cutting through the hilltop castles of El Cid to Valencia. Or go north, either to Basque country and San Sebastian or via the pretty riverside city of Girona, to the Alt Emporda, with its hidden coves, village beaches and fabulous walking along the most beautiful stretch of the Costa Brava. Follow the coast road south from here and you’ll see the costas Dorada, del Azahar, Blanca and Calida before you reach Andalusia. Whatever route you take, choose the slow roads because the real Spain lies far from the motorway, and if you’re more the fly-and-flop type, try the Canary Islands or the Balearics for all-inclusive beach hotels.

As the home of tourism, Spain has all accommodation options covered. There are nearly 10,000 hotels in the country, ranging from international luxury brands and the spectacular Paradores de Turismo (state-owned hotels set in historic buildings) to one-star properties that are often the more charming option. Remember too that if a hotel has at least one star, the bathroom will be en suite. That’s often not the case with albergues, which offer rooms or dormitories for less than €20 a night. These are not to be confused with hostales or indeed pensiones, which are typically small, family-run boarding houses that offer bed and board but have insufficient services to be classified as a hotel. They are usually comfortable, cheap and offer a more personal experience than hotels.

In the countryside you’ll encounter casas rurales and hoteles rusticos. Many look as though they’ve been accommodating travellers since Don Quixote’s time but few date back further than the 1970s, when Spanish tourists accepted the government’s invitation to swap the beach for the country. The best are truly superb, combining magnificent settings with hyper-local cuisine and world-class boutique-hotel comforts.

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Spain is defined by its people, so make an effort to meet them as well as seeing the sights. The archetypal expression of Spanish passion, piety and love of a party is the fiesta — try the wickedly comic Carnaval de Cadiz; the spectacular fire rituals of Valencia’s Las Fallas; the dizzying human towers at the Castells de Tarragona; the Semaña Santa Easter celebrations in Malaga; or the witch-defying bonfires of San Juan on midsummer’s night in A Coruña. Remember too that every town and village will have a fiesta dedicated to its patron saint: find out who the biggest church is dedicated to, look up the saint’s day, and that’s when the party will be.

Try the wickedly comic Carnaval de Cadiz or the spectacular fire rituals of Valencia’s Las Fallas

For flamenco — the purest expression of duende — avoid tourist shows anywhere but Madrid, which has a real roots scene, and head south. The Bienals de Flamenco taking place every other year in Malaga and Seville and the annual Cordoba Guitar Festival are always wonderful, but the Jerez Flamenco Festival is the best of all, taking place every February. And don’t miss Spain’s cornucopia of gourmet delights: the jamon de pata negra of the Sierra de Aracena; the percebes of Asturias; the salmorejo from Cordoba; Segovia’s exquisite roast suckling pig; the game-changing haut cuisine of Catalunya. Remember too that there are 65 wine regions in Spain.

Spain may be best known for its summers but really it depends on what you want to do. The busy months of July and August are best avoided if you can’t stand the crowd and the heat, and the beaches will be particularly busy. But head inland and you’ll find some fabulous rural festivals. Spring and autumn are much more gentle temperature-wise, particularly if you want to spend plenty of time sightseeing in cities. As for winter, the country’s coastlines and the Canary Islands are always favourites for winter sun.

• Best time to visit Spain

What time is the siesta in Spain?
Lunch is still the biggest meal of the day in most parts of Spain and postprandial drowsiness in the heat of the day is best dealt with by taking a short nap in a dark room. Hence businesses and shops will often close between 2pm and 4pm as their owners take a siesta. You should too.

When is the cheapest month to fly to Spain?
February, when flight prices to all destinations in Spain are lowest, save for the Canary Islands, to which flights are usually cheapest in January.

Is it expensive to eat out in Spain?
Dining out in Spain is remarkably good value, with even Michelin-starred places offering menus at much lower prices than similarly rated restaurants in other countries. The secret is to avoid tourist traps — easily identified by the lack of locals, the multilingual menus and the stickers on the doors from online review sites. For value and authenticity, step a few blocks back from the crowds and eat where the workers eat. In cities such as Granada and Santiago de Compostela you can even eat for no extra charge, with substantial tapas served alongside drinks.

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