There's no beach in Zaragoza, but 'Las Playas'!

Zaragoza is a lovely city, even during the summer. The best and worst of it is the incredible heat, which sometimes is too much to endure. There can be strong winds during the winter, but this is virtually non-existent during the summer and if it does make an appearance, it consists of very hot air that makes you feel like you're suffering. The wind can literally burn. This hot air feels like it's burning your entire body and face. There's no need to spend a lot of time in the sun because you immediately start getting a tan, and this is coming from me and I already have slightly darker skin.

Fortunately there are lots of municipal pools in Zaragoza, and of course there is 'Las Playas' of Zaragoza. 'Las Playas' is an artificial beach. To get in you have to pay an entry of 4 euros and 4. 50 at the weekend. On 'Las Playas' there are a few bars to get a drink and something to eat, you're not allowed to bring your own food and drink but the prices at the bars and restaurants are reasonable. You can also play volleyball and there's music. It really is a lovely place to go with friends and family to enjoy the water and escape the heat. The water isn't the same as what you find in swimming pools but is natural water. I don't know exactly what kind of water they use but it isn't sea water. Anyway it's lots of fun there. 'Las Playas' is near the Delicias de Zaragoza station and near the EXPO or the water tower. Some weekends there are parties at 'Las Playas' with music, drinking and dancing.

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For those who want to go to a real beach, there's the Salou beach which is pretty and very famous, the Pineda beach or Zaragoza beach. These are about 2 or 3 hours from Zaragoza by car. There are lots of tourists around these areas.

In general Zaragoza is a bit empty once term ends and all the students, Erasmus students and families go to smaller towns for their holidays. It's really noticeable that from July the city is empty and that their are fewer parties and fewer people, particularly young people.

More about the swimming pools. My favourite is the swimming pool in Parque Grande, which in my opinion is the cleanest and nicest and best value. With a loyalty card the entrance is 2. 50 euros and without a card it's one euro more. This isn't even expensive, because by paying this you can stay there all day. Anyway, there are lots and lots of swimming pools in Zaragoza and also lots of houses that have swimming pools on patios.

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For those that want to travel a bit during summer without spending too much money, there are towns and cities near Zaragoza, which you can get to quickly and cheaply, since the buses and trains aren't expensive. These include Tudela, Huesca, Pamplona, etc.

The Monasterio de la Piedra is somewhere definitely worth visiting. The buses leave directly from the Delicias de Zaragoza station and takes about an hour, maybe a little more, to get there. I promise you won't regret visiting this place, it's really lovely. It is a natural park and one of the nicest I have been to to date. You can walk through the park and simply enjoy the beauty of nature and spend the day there. You have to see it and you'll love it.

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During the summer there are also lots of festivals around Zaragoza. For example there are the festivals in Teruel, which are really fun and have a great atmosphere and vibe. What's more, there are the parties in Zaragoza, which are called 'San Fermines' and are quite famous. People come to the event from all over Spain. The party goes on without stopping, there are so many people and lots of sangria. At the festivals people usually dress in white with red handkerchiefs. The special bit about these festivals is the 'running'. Everyone stands behind fencing and can watch the bulls run. There are a few crazy people who run in front of the bulls, but this is pure madness. I think it's really dangerous since with so many people and the bulls themselves, someone can fall over and hurt themselves, so be careful and think about it carefully if you want to run with the bulls.

Apart from this, there are the festivals in Tudelas, which I told you about in another blog entry, and also the festivals in Huesca. At the festivals of Huesca, which take place in August, people usually dress in white and green. Lots of people usually go there from all over Spain to have fun and celebrate. People usually take part in the 'kicking', when they throw wine at each other and end up with clothes drenched in wine. It is really fun and you have to try it out.

Anyway there are lots of festivals, but these are the ones that I know. I love them and it's great to have seen them at least once...

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