 Blame it on the torrid climate, the Latino temperament or those sultry nights simmering under a Moorish moon, there’s no denying that Spain has always been rich in magic and romance.
As another dismal, northern February shivers its way through you could be forgiven for feeling less than enthusiastic about the usual frantic lunchtime rush to the high-street Hallmark, or the hurried acquisition of another set of ready-packaged racy underwear.
Forget it! Or, better still, stick them in the case, grab your other half and, just this once, head off on a flight of Spanish passion.
In less chilly climes you will conjure images of dark-eyed señoritas, swarthy gypsies, lithesome flamenco dancers, handsome caballeros…enough romantic images to fuel your amorous escapade and, who knows, maybe inspire many more!
Lyrical Madrid
Where better for a romantic escapade than the city that is the last resting place of Saint Valentine?
Up the hill from Parque del Buen Retiro – the park where Madrid’s lovers have played out their flings and flirting games for generations – is Barrio de las Musas (The Muses Quarter). Dotted with atmospheric cafes and antique shops this quarter has long been the home of writers, poets and artists. Calle Huertas is a great place for local enlightenment: between forays into some of the dozens of historic bars you can read, engraved all along the pavement, the poetry and prose of resident scribes.
The Patron Saint of Lovers himself lies in a dim, forgotten church in a labyrinth of narrow streets, where ancient taverns slouch against decadent old townhouses. Father Villan, the saint’s earthly protector, is always happy to welcome devoted lovers. Not far down the road the unique Museum to Romance occupies an appropriately coquettish 19th century palace. It is a charming place filled with memorabilia and trophies to love: there are ‘lover’s chairs’ (with the obligatory third seat for a chaperone), portraits of ladies in impossibly tight corsets, a sonnet written on a fan (and in which the poet planted coded messages for a secret encounter with the fan’s owner).
It is clear that romance is not going out of fashion in the Spanish capital; an increasing number of deliciously mischievous aphrodisiac restaurants have become just the thing for ‘food lovers’!
Northern Indulgences
 From Mount Jaizkibel or Higuer lighthouse, there is a gentle panorama that sweeps around Txingudi Bay to the French coastline. The blue peaks of the Pyrenees rise far above the misty Bidasoa Valley, and the view is completed by the wonderful silhouettes of the old castle and Gothic church.
You stroll hand-in-hand along the briny cobblestones of Fuenterrabia’s harbour as a crisp Biscayan breeze blows up and the brightly coloured boats shoulder one other in the swell. In Barrio de la Marina the stucco houses are fronted with heavy timber balconies – in blue, red and green – all loaded with flowers. The scent and warmth of a log fire beckons through an open tavern door. Here cider from the local orchards is poured directly from large wooden barrels and – just a prologue to further indulgences –an incredible assortment of pintxos (the local name for tapas) are laid out on the bar. Main course leads you any of several legendary neighbourhood restaurants that specialise in the original, fresh and delicious ‘New Basque Cuisine.’
Later, you drift back through the steep streets and quaint plazas of the old quarter. A suave rain rinses the coats-of-arms on the mansions and drips off their ornate eaves. The thought of a warm bed lures you onward.
Wild Mediterranean
The Catalonian region of Ampurdán will at times remind you of the softness of Provence and at times of the wilder side of the Camargue. You wander across a hillside of venerable, raggedy Spanish oaks and gaze across fields trimmed with cypresses and undulating vineyards. Scattered in the fields are masias, old Catalonian farmhouses complete with wells, figs and lemon trees. Honey-coloured medieval towns doze behind their fortified walls. Castles, ramparts and church towers provide nesting places for the newly arrived storks.
In timeless Peratallada’s main plaza you lazily sip expressos and need do little else besides bask under the clear Mediterranean skies and listen to the sound of footsteps echoing up the cobbled alleyways.
Across fragrant pinewoods and dunes buffeted by the Tramontana (the wild wind that is said to stir deep emotions) the coast is jagged and craggy. Rosemary and thyme cling to the cliffs and deep ravines are filled with cactuses. The tranquil viewpoints at Torroella, Tamaríu or El ´Startit, hovering over sparkling azure coves, might have been created specifically for a February picnic.
In the waterfront cafes Habaneras – nostalgic Cuban songs brought here by immigrants and sailors – evoke other seas and other loves, and carry wistful, lingering echoes. And once back in your masia farmhouse, cava and glazed figs provide the finishing touches to a taste of Mediterranean dolce vita.
Moorish Encounters
The Moors wept to leave Granada and it is easy to appreciate their infatuation as the sun sinks and the mighty walls of the Alhambra change from gold to blood red against the peach-tinted snows of the Sierra. The Moorish palaces of Alhambra and Generalife intoxicate you with their exotic beauty: their lavish rooms open into secret passages, marble patios and gardens lined with orange trees and perfumed by myrtles.
The spirits of warrior-poet caliphs and their muslin-trousered maidens follow you as you saunter through El Albayzín, the town’s old medina. Here the walls occasionally allow glimpses into secret cármenes – Granada’s walled gardens, shaded with palm-trees and draped with bougainvillea and jasmine. A seemingly endless web of narrow alleyways leads through cool plazas and past candle-lit altars dedicated to the Virgins. After dusk, the old gypsy quarter of Sacromonte (Sacred Hill) fills with the sound of guitars. They will reach a crescendo in the early hours in the fiery Peñas Flamencas (local flamenco joints), in the company of sleek dancers, raucous cantaores,scented wines…and yet another nocturnal bout of Spanish passion.
La Isla Bonita
 From the plane you spot sugarcane fields and vineyards, banana plantations on the dark, steep slopes of old craters and small bays of glistening black sand. Landing on the western Canary Island of La Palma – assailed by the scent of sweet tropical grapes and tobacco leaves drying in the sun – you struggle to convince yourself you have not been transported to a remote tropical paradise.
Officially listed as the ‘world’s tallest island’ La Palma was moulded by the volcanoes that still smoulder along its southern ridge. From the dense northern forests to these wild southern wastelands it is a fairytale land. Waterfalls cascade through emerald forests and mysterious tribal hieroglyphs adorn the rocks of the bare mineral badlands. Clouds cling to the lips of moonlike craters and wind-crippled juniper trees lean over the cliffs as if trying to peer into the sparkling sea.
Santa Cruz, once one of the greatest ports in the Spanish empire, was the major supply depot on route to the Indies. Even without the swashbuckling conquistadors, merchants and pirates of old, this colonial town still seduces with its Caribbean-style treasure trove of pastel-coloured houses, precious churches and palm-shaded plazas.
Bathed in salsa-rhythms and tropical moods, you can spend days wandering the balconied alleyways of ‘Little Havana’…or much, much longer exploring the landscapes of the island that even other Canarios call ‘the beautiful island.’
FACT FILE
Madrid
Eating and Drinking:
Restaurante La Gamella, Calle Alfonso XII 4. Tel. 91 5324509. Romantic and intimate, with views across Buen Retiro park and imaginative cuisine.
For wicked dinners with an erotic, fun twist:
Almeja Picante, Calle Ventura de la Vega 11. Tel. 91 3691816
Afrodita, Calle Orense 8. Tel. 91 6051736
La Mirada, Calle San Marcos 18. Tel. 91 5233489
Others:
St Valentine’s Shrine: Iglesia de San Antón, Calle Hortaleza 63-65
Museo Romántico: Calle San Mateo, 13 (open Tuesday-Saturday)
Original Gifts: New and antique embroidered silk mantilla shawls from any of the lovely haberdashers in Calle Pontejos (behind Sol).
More info: Guia del Ocio is a useful guide and event listing.
Fuenterrabia (Guipúzcoa, Euskadi)
How to Get There:
One hour drive from Bilbao airport.
Where to Stay:
Hotel La Casa del Obispo, Plaza del Obispo 1. Tel. 943 645400. www.hotelobispo.com. Cosy, stylish rooms in a medieval Bishop’s mansion, overlooking the valley. €112 double room.
Eating and Drinking:
There are plenty of rustic taverns in Santiago and San Pedro streets, in the Barrio de la Marina.
For a special treat:
Restaurante Arzak: Avda. Alcalde Jose Elosegui 273, San Sebastian. Tel. 943 278465 www.arzak.es.
Restaurante Martin Berasategui: Calle Loidi 4, Lasarte-Oria. Tel. 943 366471. www.relaischateaux.com
Others: For especially unforgettable views take a drive up the GI-3440 towards Lezo through the pass of Jaizkibel.
Ampurdán (Girona, Catalonia)
How to Get There:
About 2 hours from Barcelona airport.
Where to Stay:
Hotel El Pati, Calle Hospital 13, Peratallada. Tel. 972 634069. (www.innsofspain.com). This ancient house has been given new life as a country inn with beautiful décor and antique furniture. The first-rate restaurant is set in a charming garden, bordered by the walls of the castle. Double room from €110.
Eating and Drinking:
Taberna La Bella Lola in Calella. Tel. 972 615279. Savory snacks and evocative Habanera ballads.
Others:
Original gifts: The pottery of La Bisbal, superb fig confiture in Fontanilles or search the bric-a-brac shops of Sant Feliu de Boada, Pals or Girona.
Granada
How to Get There:
1½ hour drive from Malaga airport.
Where to Stay:
Hotel La Casa Morisca (see www.innsofspain.com)
A 15th century Moorish house, charmingly restored in the Albayzín’s heart. It has a pretty breakfast room and a patio with a magnificent view of the Alhambra. Doubles start at €112.
Eating and Drinking:
Restaurante Las Tomasas. Carril de San Agustín, 4 (Albayzín). Tel. 958 224108
A carmen in a dream location across from the Alhambra, with an outstanding menu and wine-list.
Others:
Original Gifts: Browse El Zocotín (the old souks) for leather babouches and silver trinkets.
Note: Buy entrance tickets to the Alhambra in advance (+34 915 379178) with a credit card, as visitor numbers are limited.
La Palma (Canary Islands)
How to Get There: From Tenerife Norte airport Binter Canarias (www.bintercanarias.es) has six daily flights (30 minutes) to La Palma.
Where to Stay: A Casa Rural (rustic cottage or farmhouse) is the best option for an intimate stay, immersed in the beautiful landscapes of La Palma. Make your reservations through Asociación de Turismo Rural Isla Bonita (www.infolapalma.com/islabonita/ Tel: 922 430625). Casa El Colmenero and Casa El Topo, near Garafía, boast particularly lovely settings. Weekend from €200.
Eating and Drinking: Do not miss the archetypical mojo picón, a fiery peppery sauce served as a tapa or accompanying papas arrugás (literally ‘wrinkled potatoes’). Smoked goat cheese, almond-based deserts and the Malvasía wine that inspired Shakespeare are other renowned Palmeran delicacies.
Bodegón de Tamanca is a great dining venue, situated in a volcanic cave in Barrio de las Manchas, between Fuencaliente and Los Llanos de Aridane. Tel. 922 462155.
Restaurante Chipi-Chipi: Velhoco, Santa Cruz de La Palma. Tel. 922 411024.
Other Attractions: Absolute musts are the Caldera de Taburiente crater, ancient forest of Los Tilos, Roque de los Muchachos (highpoint of the island) and the ‘path of the volcanoes’ in the south. Get a good map of the island and rent a car to make the most of it. Autos Magui, Perez de Brito 79, La Palma Tel. 922 412883.
Original Gifts: Caribbean flavoured presents such as handmade cigars (said to rival those of that other Havana), pure sugarcane rum and artisan silk are the most original buys.
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