It can be easy on all inclusive holidays to Costa Dorada to not step out of a resort, choosing to spend a week in the sunshine with all the comforts of a package holiday. However, there is much more to Spain than sun, sea and sand: there is a wealth of age-old traditions and charming customs waiting to be discovered.
Translating to mean 'The Golden Coast', the Costa Dorada matches its name, sparkling with colour along its shoreline. Fisherman sail from small harbours to make their daily catch, and ancient village life bursting with history is maintained by tourists making the most of regular cheap holidays and constant Spain holiday deals.
In true Spanish style, there are town fiestas along the Costa Dorada every month - the perfect occasion to discover a little more of the regions customs. Visit during January, for example, and enjoy the Tres Toms, a traditional procession of horse drawn carriages to celebrate the Feast of St Anthony. Alternatively, January also hosts the Festa de la Calcotada which focuses around the eating of roasted spring onions - only in Spain!
Those managing to Spain holiday deals in April must not miss Holy Week celebrations, which characterise the Catholic beliefs of the country. Actors perform the Passion of Christ before chocolate-filled Easter celebrations. The National Day of Catalonia, celebrated on 11 September, is a further cementing of Catalonian culture, celebrating the independence of the region with grape picking fiestas and wine-making - September is also the perfect time for securing cheap holidays.
Another huge element of Spanish tradition is the food and drink: Spain is an extremely sociable country, with Spaniards generally going out to eat late, and enjoying long, lazy meals - it is not uncommon to sit down for dinner after 10pm, so relax into the routine and live like a local.
Tapas is well known as the finest Spanish food, though what many people do not realise is that 'tapas' is not a type of food, it is a way of eating food. The Spanish hop from tapas bar to tapas bar, ordering a couple of dishes at each stop, perfect for sampling a range of local restaurants at once.
With late nights and early mornings, another often perplexing Spanish custom is that of the siesta. Guests will often find that shops are shut in the afternoon, with shopkeepers shutting their doors to catch 40 winks out of the sunshine. Holidaymakers should do the same, and unwind into a routine of afternoon napping that epitomise the easy going, relaxed attitude.
Spanish nightlife is often a big pull of cheap holidays. Much like evening meals, the Spanish go out late and stay out late: a good night out will not get started until midnight or later - earlier, bars and clubs will be quiet and with less atmosphere, so wait a little longer and the night will come alive.
Spain has a lot to offer its visitors, and the welcoming Spanish attitude means that customs and traditions are there to be shared - the option is there to make the most of being in Spain, and discovering a little of a fascinating nation.
Jacob Reeves is a travel writer and cheap holidays expert. He has written for many years on the subject of all inclusive holidays to Costa Dorada and Spain holiday deals.
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