Spain Things to Do

If you were to put a pin right in the middle of a map of Spain you’d pretty well hit Toledo. 45 miles (70km) south of Madrid. It makes an easy day-trip and is well worth the effort. Toledo sits on a hilltop with fabulous views – once a necessity for seeing the approach of all those invading armies – above a bend in the River Tagus, the Iberian Peninsula’s longest river, which travels through Portugal to reach the sea at Lisbon.

The run-down 1950′s Hotel Espléndido on Puerto de Sóller has been turned once again into a grand princess, with old school glamour, Swedish charm and incredible views over the horseshoe harbour of Mallorca’s most scenic town. Decaying for a generation, the imposing building was taken over by Swedish couple Mikael and Johanna Landstrom, who have applied their talents once again to creating a hip and funky take on this lady of the sea.