The innovative poster uses lenticular printing to display two messages simultaneously

Spain can be a brilliantly inventive country at times. Despite its image as a laid-back country steeped in tradition and cloaked in centuries-old practice, it has a streak of modernity running right through its heart.

From its high-speed rail network and stunningly swift toll roads to its sleek architecture, Spain is often at the forefront of innovation…

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The stunning wind farms around Tarifa form a spectacular backdrop

Statistics from Red Electrica de Espana (REE) – Spain’s grid operator – have revealed that 54 per cent of the country’s power requirements were met by renewable energy for the month of April, breaking all previous records.

In March, renewable power accounted for 51.8 per cent of all energy production – itself a record at the time…

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Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher in a typical Jerez establishment

Hollywood’s hottest couple – Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher – were recently snapped enjoying traditional sherry and the hot Spanish sun in Andalucía’s Jerez de la Frontera.

The stars are currently in Europe while Kunis, 29, films in London. But while the British capital may provide Blockbusting backdrops and A-list comfort, the weather just isn’t reliable enough for this naturalised Californian…

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The gorgeous towns of southern Spain have enjoyed a more stable property market since the downturn

Predicting which way the Spanish property market is going to go is an often foolhardy errand.

While prices have scraped along the bottom for the past two years, some figures have shown that prices in certain parts of the country are on their way up once more.

But then other sources predict that prices still have a little way to fall before they can fall no more. The whole market is pockmarked with phrases calling out ‘gaining momentum’ or ‘further slumps’ or ‘protracted correction’…

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The staff at El Celler de Can Roca have created the world's finest dining experience

Copenhagen’s acclaimed Noma has been ousted from its position as the world’s best restaurant by Catalonia’s El Celler de Can Roca, which is located a mere 50km from El Bulli.

Ferran Adrià’s famous Catalan restaurant was rated as Restaurant magazine’s best restaurant four years running between 2006-2009, after which point the accolade headed north to Denmark’s Noma, where it has remained ever since…

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Happy, content and secure: the majority of British expats in Spain feel financially stable

If newspapers and popular media are to be believed (pinches of salt all round, we say), then the image of the traditional British expat can usually be divided into two distinct and conflicting camps.

They are either fabulously wealthy and able to swan around in yachts, supercars and cavernous villas with nary a care in the world, or they are close to destitution, and forced to sell their possessions in order to raise the air fare back home…

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Spanish olive oil is one of the country's most important export products

Spain’s economy recently had reason to cheer after the country’s secretary of state for trade, Jaime García-Legaz, announced that Spanish exports are set to head the European Union league table for 2013.

After years playing second fiddle to the construction industry, Spain’s exports now account for 33 per cent of the country’s GDP – a figure that is set to grow over the next few years. García-Legaz’s comments were echoed by the executive director of Spain’s Business Council for Competitiveness (CEC)…

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Spain's stunning diet and lifestyle is a key ally in the country's charm offensive

It’s been a chastening few days for Spain. Unemployment has hit a record high of six million (or 27.2 per cent), the country’s population has started to shrink for the first time since the 1940s, and even its two leading football clubs – FC Barcelona and Real Madrid – have been given unprecedented 4-0 and 4-1 drubbings by that most ominous of rising powers, Germany.

Yep, Spaniards have probably had enough. But hold on a second. While jobs, security and football are massively important, Spaniards can still hold their heads high in many other respects; and here are three ideas that could help them – and others – remember exactly why Spain is such a wonderful country…

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Ian Taylor of Cocinas Plus

Originally a Yorkshire lad – his father wanted him to play county cricket – Ian Taylor of Cocinas Plus never imagined that he would one day be running a successful kitchen showroom on the Costa del Sol.

Always something of a wanderer, Ian started out on his career in kitchens, not by selling them, but by working in them as a chef! He worked for a time in Switzerland, before leaving the heady heights of Swiss cuisine to sell fire extinguishers to farmers in Scotland! After which he had a spell running his own hotel, before deciding to make the move to Spain in 2001, where he settled in Valtocado, near Mijas Pueblo, and still resides today.

Ian talks to us about how he got into the kitchen business and his exciting plans for 2013… Continue Reading

Spain offers the complete - and affordable - package for holidaymakers

We have suspected it for years but now the hard facts have finally arrived: Britons’ love affair with France is over. Sort of.

The UK’s Office for National Statistics (ONS) has revealed that British visitor numbers to France have fallen by a fifth over the past four years. During that same period, Spain has snaffled top spot in Brits’ affections – in 2012, a whopping 2.3 million more Britons visited Spain than France…

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