If you want to experience authentic Spain then attend one of the many evening bullfights. Pamplona is the most famous city for bullfighting and each year it holds a summer festival featuring The Running of the Bulls. The evening bullfights take place at the Plaza del Toros and there is quite an atmosphere with the bullfighter or toreador hurling his red blanket at the charging bull. Bullfighting takes place between April and September, although during the hottest summer months there are not as many. Seville and Madrid are also excellent places to watch a bullfight, although most large cities tend to hold them.

Seville has some fantastic nightlife on offer. Apart from being home to Flamenco Dancing, there are more bars here per resident than in any other European city. Some like Isla Cartuja do not close until 7am and there are lots of open-air discotheques. Flamenco is staged in many venues, but not all of them have true Seville Flamenco and you need to choose your venue carefully; El Arenal, in Calle Ximénez de Enciso and The Cultural Centre both offer very good performances from 9pm. Admission generally costs around 22 EUR.

The Balearic Island of Ibiza is famous for its huge nightclubs and consequently attracts hordes of young people from all over the world as well as top international DJ’s. Some of the best known are Eden, Privilege, Pacha, Space, Amnesia and El Divino. Entrance fees are steep and the drinks are also expensive; expect to pay around 30-50 euro to enter and around 10 euro per drink.  Bars start to liven up in San Antonio or Ibiza town from 7pm and during the summer season most bars offer drink specials, which are advertised by pretty girls hanging around outside the bar. Bars close at around 4am. Another of Spain’s Balearic Islands, Mallorca is a great place for lovers of classical music. During the summer season, there is a host of free classical concerts held in the open air. They usually take place every Saturday evening at the Bendinat Golf Course.