Summer in Spain.

A kind of a centrifugal effect hits Spain in the summer, with all of the inhabitants of the central cities gravitating towards the coast.

This is because Spain's internal cities get unbearably hot in the summer (in particularMadrid and Seville), with temperatures regularly reaching 45ºC (113ºF). With the Spanish away, the tourists come and play, but with few locals around (especially in August) a lot of places will be closed. Don't worry, the really touristy places will be open (museums, art galleries, etc) but that café your guide raves about will no doubt be closed for the summer. (A bar that is closed for the summer and not just for a siesta will say 'Cerrado por vacaciones' - keep a look out for that sign so you don't waste your time checking back again and again!).

Spain's coasts are the most popular places in the summer. Touristy areas such as the Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca will be full of northern Europeans while some of the more out-of-the-way beaches in Galicia, Oviedo and parts of the Costa Blanca will be full of Spaniards (those Madrileños and Sevillanos who are escaping the heat of their own cities!). That´s the summer in spain.