You slip on your bathing suit, wrap yourself in sunblock, grab your coolest shades and towel and step through the open door, through the fragrant bougainvillea climbing the wall and into the morning heat.
The scent of salt still hangs in the last of the dawn air; the hushed waves lap the wet sand. All is calm, all is quiet. The only sound is your bare feet squishing against your flip flops as you clip clap across the cobbles and the cool morning sand to your sun lounger. No more worries. That tan you’ve hankered for is hours away.
Now close your eyes, feel that sun, feel that warmth and relax … drift away to the rhythm of the waves and the call of the birds.
Refreshed, you blink your eyes open, stretch, breathe and feel utterly restored. A sip on fresh-squeezed orange juice and bite into the fluffy sweetness of your breakfast ensaïmada enlivens you. The water calls.
On the shoreline, rushing sand bubbles around your toes, cooling your ankles as the heat around you rises. One step, two steps, three steps, you lower into the waves. They push you, pull you, play with you, tinkling your skin, gently rolling you, weightless, floating, your arms spread wide to embrace the moment. Complete serenity settles over your mind and body.
Revived, rebalanced, you stride from the waves, resisting their urge to hold on to you. The sun warms you and the distant melody of guitar floats through the air strains, drawing you to it.
Listen to relaxing Spanish guitar here
Rippling aromas of hot wood, smoked fish and orange blossom lure you from the beach, past the palm trees, over the cobbles, down honey coloured streets to the market. A magical haven for your tastebuds. Bustling stalls heave with fresh seafood, a rainbow of farm-grown produce, tiny plates of sizzling tapas.
To your left in an enormous pan, gigantic spoons push through mounds of saffron yellow rice, fresh-caught prawns and mussels and succulent chunks of chorizo, steam wafting under the yellow awning.
Watch paella being cooked here
Gracias, you say to the paella maestro as the weight of your lunch sits in your hands, the fork piercing the rice. You spot a bench shaded by a lush orange tree, just set back from the busy-ness, but the perfect people-watching position. And you settle in, indulging in the taste of Spain and the world goes on around you.
Well, since you’re here in Spain and you want an escape to the cool while the sun is at its height, adventure into its extraordinary museums and cathedrals.
Sagrada Família
Walk through Gaudí ecclesiastical behemoth, the Sagrada Família, in Barcelona. Scale its spire to look out across the city or finally understand the meaning of breath-taking when you stand in the nave and look up.
National Archaeological Museum
Escape to the National Archaeological Museum in Madrid, one of the world’s most important collections. On thematic tours, explore the cultures that shape Spain, or wander freely to discover what is around that next corner.
Dalí Museum
In a collision of the conscious and unconscious minds, the Dalí Museum is a celebration of surrealism. Home to optical illusions, holography and geometry, it is the world’s largest surrealist structure and a mind-bending place to explore.
Walk the ocean’s depths at the largest aquarium in Europe, an extraordinary architectural delight. It re-creates the homes of exotic fish, turtles and flamingos and reveals the mysteries of shark, whales and crocodiles. It’s an explorer’s delight.
Cook up your own Spanish feast
Really bring your Spanish experience to life and cook up your own paella or authentic Spanish omelette. And, of course, you could pull together your own best homemade sangria, too. Add some Iberian flavour to your Spanish evening with some flamenco to entertain you. To top it off, search Accor’s hotels in Spain and book in that holiday you’re craving.
