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The Rough Guide to Spain
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.
944 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1983
94 people are currently reading
91 people want to read
About the author
Mark Ellingham
50 books3 followersMark Ellingham was born in Wiltshire, UK, in 1959. After leaving Bristol University in 1981, he was unable to find an interesting job and decided to create his own, writing the first Rough Guide (to Greece). He secured a publishing contract – Routledge paying an advance of £900 ($1800) – midway through writing it. The book was an immediate success and Mark and various friends set to work turning the Rough Guides into a series, producing a dozen further titles over the next five years.
In 1985, Mark and a group of Rough Guide writers and editors, including current travel publisher Martin Dunford, bought the series from Routledge and became independent publishers. They developed more than 200 titles, covering travel and reference subjects as diverse as world music and pregnancy, before selling the company to Penguin Books, in 2002.
Mark (and Martin) continued to run Rough Guides’ publishing at Penguin, 25 years on from that first title, and created a new one-off “ultimate travel experience” series – 25s – to mark the anniversary.
Mark is also a contributing editor for the world music magazine, Songlines, a director of the travel magazine, Wanderlust, and co-publisher of Sort Of Books, which have published bestselling books by Chris Stewart and Tove Jansson, among others. He lives in North London with his wife, Natania Jansz, who co-wrote the first Greece book and now runs Sort Of Books, and their son, Miles. Mark says his interests and passions are charted by the titles on the Rough Guide list, ranging through music, film, football, literature and science. He is currently involved in campaigns to raise awareness of the impact of aviation on Climate Change.
Mark left Rough Guides in 2007 but continues to work as a co-editor on the encyclopedic Rough Guide to World Music. He is also a contributing editor at Songlines World Music magazine, and runs a green and ethical publishing list for Profile Books.
In 1985, Mark and a group of Rough Guide writers and editors, including current travel publisher Martin Dunford, bought the series from Routledge and became independent publishers. They developed more than 200 titles, covering travel and reference subjects as diverse as world music and pregnancy, before selling the company to Penguin Books, in 2002.
Mark (and Martin) continued to run Rough Guides’ publishing at Penguin, 25 years on from that first title, and created a new one-off “ultimate travel experience” series – 25s – to mark the anniversary.
Mark is also a contributing editor for the world music magazine, Songlines, a director of the travel magazine, Wanderlust, and co-publisher of Sort Of Books, which have published bestselling books by Chris Stewart and Tove Jansson, among others. He lives in North London with his wife, Natania Jansz, who co-wrote the first Greece book and now runs Sort Of Books, and their son, Miles. Mark says his interests and passions are charted by the titles on the Rough Guide list, ranging through music, film, football, literature and science. He is currently involved in campaigns to raise awareness of the impact of aviation on Climate Change.
Mark left Rough Guides in 2007 but continues to work as a co-editor on the encyclopedic Rough Guide to World Music. He is also a contributing editor at Songlines World Music magazine, and runs a green and ethical publishing list for Profile Books.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
April 20, 2024
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.)
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.)
November 10, 2023
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.
July 5, 2025
Brilliant index and reference work for both Hispanophiles and casual visitors.
February 22, 2010
Rough Guides are THE best guide books, hands down, and this one is no exception. Readable, informative, accurate, and appropriately opinionated.
April 16, 2018
Excellent resource.
August 1, 2021
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.
September 20, 2022
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).
August 3, 2013
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.
June 11, 2014
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.
May 4, 2025
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.
Read
February 21, 2010The Rough Guide to Spain (10th Edition) by Mark Ellingham (2002)
November 30, 2016
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.
March 18, 2019
The Rough Guides have there on characteristics, but they combine culture with the pleasure of travel. This volume is generally very good!
Read
October 27, 2014Using it to prepare for upcoming trip to spain. Can't go anywhere without a rough guide
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews