Editing Tourism in Spain (section)

== Summer resorts and beaches ==
{{See also|List of beaches in Spain}}
{{Location map many | Spain
| relief   = 
| width    = 300
| caption  = Summer resorts and beaches
| lat1_deg = 42.27
| lon1_deg = 3.01
| label1   = Costa Brava
| lat2_deg = 38.50
| lon2_deg = -0.26
| label2   = Costa Blanca
| lat3_deg = 37.58
| lon3_deg = -1.40
| label3   = Costa Calida
| lat4_deg = 36.89
| lon4_deg = -2.22
| label4   = Costa Almeria
| lat5_deg = 39.35
| lon5_deg = 2.73
| label5   = Balearic Islands
| lat6_deg=36.72
| lon6_deg=-4.42
| label6=Costa <br />del Sol
}}

[[File:Caldera de las Cañadas 02(js).jpg|thumb|200px|The [[Teide National Park]], on the island of [[Tenerife]] is the most visited national park in Spain.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.webtenerife.com/PortalTenerife/Home/Disfruta+vacaciones+activas/Ocio/Durante+el+dia/Excursiones/EL+TEIDE.htm?Lang=es|title=Turismo Tenerife: Alojamiento, Carnaval, Actividades... – Tenerife|access-date=9 June 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100116025912/http://www.webtenerife.com/PortalTenerife/Home/Disfruta%2Bvacaciones%2Bactivas/Ocio/Durante%2Bel%2Bdia/Excursiones/EL%2BTEIDE.htm?Lang=es|archive-date=16 January 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.webtenerifeuk.co.uk/NR/rdonlyres/D21ACE4F-27FF-4E73-B7E5-912FABDAA8EF/5769/1DossierPNTeide.pdf|title=Tenerife|access-date=9 June 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120223005458/http://www.webtenerifeuk.co.uk/NR/rdonlyres/D21ACE4F-27FF-4E73-B7E5-912FABDAA8EF/5769/1DossierPNTeide.pdf|archive-date=23 February 2012}}</ref>]]
This type of tourism was the first to be developed in Spain, and today, generates the most income for the Spanish economy.
The mild climate during the whole year and the extensive sandy beaches of the Mediterranean and Atlantic Ocean as well as of its two archipelagoes (the [[Balearic Islands]] and the [[Canary Islands]] respectively) have been attracting tourists from Northern Europe for decades. The leading source markets of Spanish beach tourism are the UK (around 24% of the total arrivals in Spain in recent years), Germany and France (around 15-16% each), followed by Scandinavia and Italy (around 7% each) and the Netherlands (around 5%).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://atlas.marcasrenombradas.com/analisis/spain-as-an-international-tourist-destination/?lang=en|title=Spain as an international tourist destination|work=Atlas de marcas|access-date=9 June 2015}}</ref><ref>[http://socialnewsroom.spain.info/download/august2013-spainrecordshighestevervisitornumbers.pdf SPANISH TOURIST OFFICE NEWS UPDATE – NOVEMBER 2012]</ref>

The most popular Spanish mainland coasts are on its Mediterranean side, and include, from north to south clockwise:

*The [[Costa Brava]], the [[Costa Daurada]] and the [[Costa del Maresme]], in the [[Autonomous Community]] of [[Catalonia]], very popular with visitors from France as well as inland Spain, with notable resorts like [[Salou]] and the city of [[Barcelona]].
*The [[Costa Blanca]], (one of the most developed coastal areas of Spain, extremely popular for tourists from the United Kingdom and Germany, with [[Benidorm]] as the leading summer city of Spain) and the [[Costa del Azahar]] are both in the [[Valencian Community]].
*The [[Costa Cálida]] in the [[Region of Murcia]] and the [[Mar Menor]], a [[lagoon#coastal lagoons|lagoon]] by the Mediterranean sea.
*The [[Costa de Almería]], the [[Costa Tropical]], the [[Costa del Sol]] and the [[Costa de la Luz]], all in the community of [[Andalusia]]. Some of the summer destinations here are renowned worldwide, such as [[Marbella]] in [[Málaga Province]] or [[Sotogrande]] in [[Cádiz province]], both destinations for tourists and summer residents with big purchasing power. The city of [[Málaga]] is a notable Costa del Sol destination and also one of the largest harbours in Spain and frequented by cruise ships.
[[File:Puerto Banús Marbella.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Puerto Banús]], [[Marbella]], [[Málaga Province|Málaga]], [[Costa del Sol]].]]

Spain's two archipelagoes, the [[Balearic Islands]] off the mainland coast in the Mediterranean and the volcanic [[Canary Islands]] in the Atlantic, are also both very popular destinations with Spaniards and Europeans.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Regions!! 2016 (Jan to Aug)<br /> millions of visitors<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hyland|first1=Pat|title=Foreign Tourists Coming to Spain in Greater Numbers {{!}} .TR |url=https://www.tourism-review.com/foreign-tourists-flood-spain-news5143 |language=en}}</ref>
|-
| Catalonia<br /> inc. Costa Brava, Costa Daurada || 12.58
|-
| Balearic Islands<br /> inc. Majorca, Menorca, Ibiza || 9.65
|-
| Canary Islands<br /> inc. Tenerife, Lanzarote || 8.62
|-
| Andalusia<br /> inc. Costa Almeria, Costa del Sol, Marbella, Malaga || 7.39
|-
| Valencia<br /> inc. Costa Blanca || 5.56
|}
In addition to the summer tourism, other modalities like cultural and monumental tourism congresses, sport or fun tourism have been developed in these areas, including such famous cities as [[Barcelona]] and [[Valencia]], the biggest harbours of the Spanish Mediterranean coast.

Many coastal or island places also have great ecological and natural importance. [[Theme Parks]] like [[Terra Mítica]], [[Tibidabo Amusement Park]], [[Tivoli World]] and the resort [[PortAventura World]] or diverse water-fun parks are also popular.

In 2014 Spain broke its own record of [[blue flag beach]]es, achieving 681 flags and becoming the leader in the [[Northern Hemisphere]].<ref name="sociedad.elpais.com">{{cite news|url=http://sociedad.elpais.com/sociedad/2014/05/14/actualidad/1400069099_279268.html|title=España logra 681 banderas azules en su costa, 23 más que el año pasado|author=Ediciones El País|work=EL PAÍS|access-date=9 June 2015|date=14 May 2014}}</ref> Spain is also the leader in blue flags for [[marina]]s.<ref name="sociedad.elpais.com"/>