Maybe it’s because they are walled in by mountains. Or because of their odd location that makes them neither from Galicia, Asturias or León – although they share traits with people from all three regions.

It’s barely midday, and already the thermometer is reading meltdownºC. The sun is shining relentlessly, and even the mad dogs have called it a day. Well, okay, it’s not that bad, but Seville does get seriously hot in July and August, and even though you’re already wearing sunscreen and loose clothing and drinking lots of water you’re probably thinking this is a good time to be doing something that doesn’t involve walking around in the mid-afternoon sun. How right you are, and here are a few tips for things to do.

All countries have their own particular social customs and Spain is no exception. As a foreigner you will probably be excused if you accidentally insult your host, but you may not be invited again.

After my recent trip to Spain, many of you have written to me to ask questions like what’s the best time to visit the country, and whether it’s really possible for a vegetarian to survive without eating supermarket food. I’ve written travel tips for a first trip to Europe before, but I thought it would be a good idea to dig specifically into Spain this time. So here goes, ten travel tips to make your life travel planning to Spain simpler: