A few years ago, my wife and I enjoyed a fantastic holiday in Spain taking in a frenetic city break and a relaxing and sun soaked beach holiday. We really got the best of both worlds with Barcelona being our choice of city break and Ibiza our beach destination.

We opted for Barcelona as we had already visited previously back in the nineties and had thoroughly enjoyed the city. Our own personal highlights back in the day were climbing to the top of the Sagrada Familia, visiting the Olympic site at Montjuic, strolling down La Ramblas and venturing out of town to the other worldly mountains and monastery at Montserrat.

On our second visit, Barcelona didn’t disappoint. Gaudi’s outrageous architecture was still as mesmerising and The Ramblas just as busy and full of life. Although it must be said, the thoroughfare if full of pickpockets and general petty thieves. Travellers must beware and keep their wits about them when on the street at night. Generally speaking, keep your wallet or purse in a hip pocket as opposed to a back pocket and don;t have any flashy cameras or valuables on show.

We stayed in a spacious block at the foot of The Ramblas and it was extremely convenient for all manner of things. A personal favourite was Los Caracoles (The Snails in English) restaurant in the heart of the old town. The restaurant was actually featured in an episode of Keith Floyd’s cookery programme.

And so on to Ibiza, the party capital of Europe. We spent a happy week here idling on the beaches and frequenting the bars. We watched the sunset at Cafe Del Mar and ate at Cafe Mambo. People say Ibiza has a special atmosphere, and it’s true. The island really does have something special that I can’ t quite put my finger on. Maybe it’s something to do with the history of the island and it’s legendary stories of parties and good times.

So if you’re looking for a fantastic holiday that’s maybe not too far from home, then Spain has it all. A Spanish holiday cannot fail to disappoint.