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Inland Spain The vast area known as Inland Spain covers seven autonomous regions - regions that do not touch the Atlantic or Mediterranean coasts. The regions are Madrid, Aragon, La Rioja, Navarra, Castilla y Leon, Extremadura and Castilla-La Mancha. Inland Spain covers almost half the landmass of the country. However, the regions within it have remarkable similarities in climate, language and geography. The northeastern city of Zaragoza, for example, may be said to have more in common with the city of Badajoz, 440 miles southwest, than it has with Barcelona, 180 miles to the east. Madrid has been an important national capital for four and a half centuries. It is at the geographical hear of Spain and the Iberian Peninsula. Its Old Quarter is a bustle of narrow lanes opening to plazas with cafes and street life. Sightseeing at one of Europe's top five museums (the Prado), hundreds of rooms at the Royal Palace, the shopping in the stores off the Puerta del Sol, sampling at tapas (an appetizer) bars, or day trips to heritage cities that ring the city may take their toll, but if you have any energy left, Madrid will find an outlet for it. From the 12th to the 15th centuries, Aragon was a world power, a kingdom that included Cataluna and ruled much of the Mediterranean. The marriage of Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile set the stage for the unification of Spain, the discovery of the New World, and the final expulsion of the Moors. La Rioja is a small, neat region in northern Spain, some 180 miles northeast of Madrid. Outside of its worldwide reputation for wine-making, it enjoys scant recognition among world travel destinations, which, in its way, is good news for tourists looking for those elusive "off the beaten track" travel experiences. La Rioja has them in abundance. In keeping with its history and former status as an independent kingdom in the Middle Ages, Navarra has the status of an autonomous region today. Its single province extends from the northern Pyrenees Mountains and its long border with France, far south to the drier plains of central Spain, encompassing all types of terrain. Castilla y Leon is "Old Castile," incorporating the former kingdoms of Leon and Castile, which were first united almost 1,000 years ago. Castles are so numerous that the land was named after the Spanish word for "castle" - castillo. If Asturias was the birthplace of modern Spain, then Castilla y Leon was the infant that grew to adulthood and became master of the entire peninsula. For almost 400 years, its might grew until final victory united Spain under the Catholic monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella. Extremadura got its name from the Spanish word extremo, meaning "extreme" or "farthest out." It was an indication of its location on the frontier lands during the eight centuries when Spain was under Islamic rule. But, today, rather than being "far out," Extremadura is an "in" place to vacation. It is a splendid, diverse region that opens a window to natural and manmade beauty that is unsurpassed. Castilla-La Mancha The name Castilla comes from the Spanish word for castle, because of the abundance of castles in this region. This enticing area-the very heart of Spain-has a rich history dating back to pre-Roman times, three of the most important nature reserves on the Iberian Peninsula, and fabled architectural treasures. It offers a wealth of touring experiences in both city and country settings.
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