Spain is a country which is ideal for any sporting activity which you can think of due to the great diversity of its landscape. From beaches to arid plains to towering mountains, Spain has it all.
Some of the sporting and leisure activities in which you can indulge yourself are listed below.
Golf
With the number of high quality golf courses being constructed in Spain, it’s no wonder that the game is becoming more and more popular among the Spanish people. Many of the new property developments are designed to take advantage of the popularity of golf and are built around the courses themselves. The Costa Blanca and Costa del Sol are typical examples of this. Golf is in such high demand in Spain, due to the climate, the quality of the courses and the cheaper green fees that players travel to the golfing areas all year round with many booking specific ‘golf holiday' packages.
Fishing
Fishing is an extremely popular sport in Spain although it doesn’t have the same high profile marketing as golf. Both private waters and lakes / rivers which are open to the public offer freshwater fishing particularly in the Pyrenees and Picos de Europa regions where the rivers flowing from the mountains contain fish such as Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Barbel, Perch and Tench. Permits, as in many countries, are required and these are easily obtained from the local wildlife authority.
Water sports
It has to be expected that, with over 4000km of beautiful coastline, that the water sports industry in Spain is well catered for. Activities such as water skiing, kite surfing, windsurfing,
snorkelling and scuba diving can all be found and are popular pastimes for many locals and tourists alike. White-water rafting and canoeing can also be found in the mountainous regions in the north of the country.
Skiing
 Although it is hard to believe, Spain has an average altitude of 600m. This provides ample opportunities for winter sports such as skiing or snowboarding. The Pyrenees to the North and the Sierra Nevada in the South are two of the best and most catered for destinations. All levels of skier can find their ideal slope (both on and off piste) as the variety rivals the resorts of the alpine regions of Austria. Where else could you ski in the morning and relax in the sunshine on the beach in the afternoon of the same day?
Hunting
Another well loved sporting activity in Spain is hunting. Game such as deer, barbary sheep, chamois and wild boar are just some of the quarry hunted during the season which runs from October to February. Regular bird shoots in many regions are also held for partridge, woodpigeon and turtle-dove.
Bullfighting
Although not a mass participant sport like golf or fishing, bullfighting is probably the biggest spectator sport in Spain and also the most controversial. It holds an important place in the history and culture of Spain and all major towns, many of the minor ones and even some of the villages have a bullring. As the bullfights generally begin in the early afternoon, it is common to find seats in the bullring at different prices depending whether upon they are in the sun or not.
It is a colourful spectacle, with the matador being dressed in satin ‘traje de luces’ (suit of lights) normally decorated with gold material with his assistants being in silver. As toreros (killer of bulls) are a very superstitious bunch, the colour yellow is never worn, even by the audience, as it is considered to be unlucky so suits in colours such as red, green and blue are worn instead.
Horse Riding
There are many opportunities in Spain to indulge in horse riding, and ranches across the country are available for beginners and experts alike to explore the ‘real Spain’, which is often unseen (and unspoiled) by the hordes of tourists flooding to the Costas.
Walking
For a slower and more sedate pace at which to enjoy the ‘hidden Spain’ then on foot is the way to go. The varied landscape and beautiful scenery offers something for everyone from hikers to ramblers with plenty of stop-off points - to sample wine straight from the vineyard for example.
Other Outdoor Sports
Sports such as mountain biking, rock climbing and trekking are other leisure activities which attract people to the mountainous regions of Spain, whilst the forests are
a Mecca for campers and budget backpackers who hope to spot wildlife such as deer, boars or the occasional brown bear.
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