2008 News Archive - Holidays - Spain isn't all sun and surf

21 03 2007

As a rather substantial cold snap hits Spain, it is a good reminder that the popular holiday destination isn't only about sun-gilded beaches and golf courses.

Currently, even the mountains of Tenerife are lying under several inches of snow and northern Spain is experiencing blizzard-like conditions.

All this serves to highlight the fact that during winter Spain is a primary destination for some of the best skiing in Europe.

The mountains of the Sierra Nevada provide some of the most flawless slopes on the continent.

Spain and the Spaniards aren't particularly known for the their skiing - with the exception of Paco Ochoa, who won the gold medal in the slalom at the 1972 Winter Games in Japan.

But every winter the north of the country is usually hit by heavy snowfall and skiing and other mountain-based holidays are becoming increasingly popular.

Matthew Flint, the director of directline-holidays.co.uk said: "We have always experienced demand for activity holidays like skiing and mountain biking holidays, but in recent years our call centre handles an increasing number of requests where the sport available is at least as important as the dining options or the quality of the beach."