Soccer, the great popular sport
Throughout Spain, soccer is the most popular sport and everyone rushes to their television sets when La Roja, the national team, is out. After many years of inactivity, they are now considered one of the best teams in the world. By practicing its famous "tiki-taka", a flamboyant game made of short passes, it has notably experienced a golden period by winning successively the Euro 2008 and 2012 and the World Cup in 2010. An unprecedented treble in the history of soccer. But the country also shines at the international level thanks to its two giants: Real Madrid and FC Barcelona.
FC Barcelona. " Més que un club " (" More than a club "), the motto of the mythical FC Barcelona sums up what the Barça institution is in the history of the Catalan city. It is written in yellow letters on a whole floor of the Lateral of the Camp Nou, the stand that faces the boxes and the benches. The club is truly the showcase of Catalonia to the four corners of the world. The Blaugrana (blue and garnet) are an integral part of the city's history and a symbol of regional pride. It is even a symbol of independence. Because the Camp Nou has always been able to transmit its political messages, which have had an immediate resonance all over the world. With more than 120,000 members (supporters and shareholders of the club), although the stadium has "only" 98,000 seats, the institution is the object of a real cult throughout Catalonia
Real Madrid and Atlético de Madrid. It is not the current affairs of La Roja, the national team, that preoccupy the Madrilenians the most. The capital is divided into two big clubs: Real Madrid, known worldwide, and Atlético de Madrid, more local. The word "divide" is not insignificant, because talking about the two clubs also means talking about two opposing realities of Madrid. Real is traditionally the club of the rich. Its name indicates it, the word real means "royal" in Spanish and the mythical Santiago Bernabéu stadium is located in the posh districts. Atlético historically brings together the lower social classes at the Vicente Calderon and then at the Wanda Metropolitano since 2017. Although it is enough to rub shoulders with some bars of enthusiasts to realize that this division is ultimately more geographical than social.
In Andalusia, the Sevillian fratricidal duel between Sevilla FC and Betis is just as contested. Or even more so! It is without doubt the most passionate and hotly contested derby in the country. All year long, the city is divided between the Green and White of Betis and the Red and White of Sevilla FC. Two century-old teams and two stadiums only 4 km apart that unleash Andalusian passions. In the office, in the restaurant or at the stadium, everyone takes sides between the two. The week leading up to the derby is not like any other and the city lives by the rhythm of the game.
In cycling, basketball and tennis, great victories
Cycling, which has long been considered a hobby in Spain, became popular in the 1980s with the television broadcasts of the Tour de France and the Italian Tour, the Giro. In Spain, the Vuelta (Tour of Spain) has been held since 1935 and is usually held in September. Spanish cyclists usually rank high in the world rankings. Miguel Indurain, a native of Navarra, is considered the legend of Spanish cycling. His historic achievements - he won the Tour de France five times in a row in the 1990s - have contributed to this general craze for cycling.
Iberian basketball has also had its moments of glory in recent years (European champions in 2009, 2011 and 2015; world champions in 2019 and silver medallists in the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games behind the untouchable Americans), thanks in particular to the armada led by the Gasol brothers
Spanish tennis is known for its clay court players and their numerous triumphs, especially in our beloved French Open. If the Parisian clay court has seen the triumphs of Sergi Brugera, Carlos Moya or Juan Carlos Ferrero, it was only an appetizer before the era of Rafael Nadal, the Bull of Manacor in reference to his birthplace on the island of Majorca in the Balearic Islands. Winner of the biggest French tournament in 2020... for the 13th time! And if he has already marked the history of Roland Garros for eternity, the series is still ongoing!
Traditional sports in the Basque Country
Basque pelota. This traditional sport practiced in the Basque Country, Navarra, La Rioja, but also in the southwest of France remains one of the specificities of the local culture. There are various specialties of Basque pelota, depending on the equipment and the terrain. One can play in a fronton, a jaï-alaï (covered fronton reserved for cesta punta) or a trinquet (closed room with four walls). A true institution in the Basque region, this sport uses a vocabulary that deserves some clarification: the chistera is a kind of wicker glove used to play cesta punta; the pala is the name given to the rigid wooden racket used to play paleta or pala; and finally, the game "barehanded" is still in use, especially for veterans who continue to believe that it remains the purest form of this sport.
Games of strength. If the Basque pelota is the most famous of the traditional sports, the games of force are also one of the images of Epinal of the region and are an integral part of the culture. They enliven village festivals by pitting several teams against each other in a series of events. These games, which consist of a total of 16 disciplines, are often inherited from the old agricultural works, such as the lasto altxari, which consists of hoisting a 45 kg bale of straw at the end of a rope and repeating this movement as many times as possible; the aizkolariak, where the participant has to cut thick trunks with an axe as quickly as possible; or the lokotxa, a competition for picking up corn cobs. But among these different events, the Harri altxatzea (stone lifting) is undoubtedly the most spectacular. Each participant has to hoist a stone weighing between 250 and 300 kg on his shoulder. Finally, the soka tira is the famous tug-of-war between two teams of eight men.
All along the coastline, water sports in a mess
Water sports. Hundreds of kilometers of coastline, a climate and mild temperatures - between 23°C and 30°C on average in summer - make this an ideal spot to practice many water sports. In the sea, sailing, kayaking and paddle surfing allow for beautiful strolls while speed lovers will opt for jet-skiing, water skiing or wakeboarding. In the windy spots of the Costa Brava and Andalusia (in the province of Cadiz, towards Tarifa), windsurfing and kitesurfing are also popular
Scuba diving. The Mediterranean coast is an ideal place to practice scuba diving. At depths of up to 15 meters and with good exposure, you will be able to admire many species of fauna and flora, such as sea urchins, anemones, mullets, groupers, sponges or scorpion fish. Among the corals, exotic fish species and algae, divers have protected natural sites where they can practice their sport and discover the many treasures hidden in the depths of the Mediterranean, full of caves, corridors and tunnels.
Surfing. The beaches of the Basque coast are popular with surfers, as they offer excellent conditions for the practice of this sport. Among the best spots are Zurriola beach in San Sebastian and the famous waves of Sopelana, Zarautz and Mundaka.
Inland, hiking and mountain biking
Beyond the Pyrenees, the coastal mountain ranges and the different natural parks have numerous paths and marked trails to allow you to enjoy superb walks in well-preserved sites. As the starting point of the famous Camino Francés to Santiago de Compostela, Navarra attracts thousands of pilgrims every year who walk along its 170 km of trails. The "greenways" of Navarra, built on the route of old railway lines, also allow you to discover by foot or by bike sumptuous landscapes, such as the Lumbier Gorge, the banks of the Bidasoa River or the valleys of Queiles and Leitzaran. But now, throughout the country, many regions have opened greenways that allow you to discover them, as in Andalusia for unforgettable treks in the Sierra Nevada in May-June or in September-October avoiding the heat peaks of summer.
To the assault of the mountains!
The Catalan Pyrenees have a number of winter sports resorts, mainly for downhill skiing. Due to the rugged terrain, it is more difficult to practice cross-country skiing. The resorts are mainly concentrated in the Val d'Aran, at the foot of Andorra, and in Cerdanya and Ripollès, further east. The practice of this sport being recent in Spain, the resorts have the advantage of offering equipment in excellent condition. For thrill-seekers and lovers of wide open spaces, the Pyrenees offer an ideal setting, as soon as the snow melts, to try climbing, canoeing, canyoning or even rafting. In Andalusia, the ski resorts of the Sierra Nevada, which are located above Granada in particular, also offer good runs. As soon as the first snow falls, you can ski on its 62 km of marked trails for powder sports. The rest of the year, the Granada mountain range also attracts many climbing enthusiasts
