All of Spain is not the same. Like many countries, there are regional differences as far as food, customs, language, tourism and industry are concerned. Some folks prefer the easy going south, while others tend to favor the more industrial and commercially minded north. Let’s take a look, using broad strokes, at some of the differences between the different parts of Spain.
The south is a heck of a lot hotter than the north, and is famed for its Mediterranean beaches, dry weather, tapas, and flamenco. When you get up into the north, and some of the more mountainous areas of Spain, you’ll come across a wilder beauty, colder weather, and a lot more rain. Here you have the Death Coast (Costa da Morte) on the Atlantic Ocean, which can be battered by some pretty fierce storms, hence the scary name. The south has its storms too, but a lot more sun and heat.
The south has much more tourism than the north. People from all over Europe come here to buy houses and apartments, holiday homes, or to retire. They want to take full advantage of the sun in places like Costa del Sol. The north has pristine beaches as well, and in some ways they are more untouched that in the south, but they don’t get nearly as much light, and for this reason, most of Spain’s foreign guests flock to the south.
Since the south gobbles up most of the tourist trade, the north relies on other industries, like mining, ship building and manufacturing. As far as cuisine goes, the north tends to have heartier food than the south, where seafood reigns supreme. Some people believe southerners are a bit friendlier than the northerners. Perhaps it’s because southerners get a lot more sun. Regardless, every part of Spain has something unique to offer, from great food and wonderful wines, to local traditions, dances and architectural monuments. At least now you know a little more about some or the general differences between the north and the south of Spain. Hopefully, you’ll get to see it all.
