See (just picked at random) http://www.la-sirena.net/islas-medas-es/...
http://www.google.es/search?q=islas+Meda...
There is a Spanish story about a whale in the Manzanares but it is just a story. There in nowhere near Madrid.
well, im not sure about scuba diving but i lived in spain last summer and i can tell you some of my favorite places if you like.
my favorite place right around madrid that you HAVE to see if you are going to spain and are near it is toledo. it used to be the capital of spain and its what you think of when you think of spain. its beautiful. there is a high speed train that runs i think hourly every day to toledo its like 30 euros. do it! a day trip! you wont regret it! buy a piece of pottery there to remember it!
another place in madrid that is AWESOME when youre tired and hot is el parque del retiro. go there and go to the middle of the park and sit under the shade of some trees. watch people and watch the boats in the lake in the middle. beautiful. you wont forget it.
definitely take the tour of el palacio real (the royal palace) its spectacular. but make sure you know that you can go into the royal gardens with the ticket you buy. i didnt and i had to go in the back way which is free but a long walk!!! long long walk. you wont want to miss the gardens either.
go to la plaza mayor which is relatively close to the palace. you could walk or take the metro. while youre there grab some ice cream from the ice cream place. its so good. plaza mayor is pretty touristy but its something you have to see while youre there. its kinda an icon.
then while youre right next to la plaza mayor go to get tapas at el mercado san miguel! you WONT WANT to miss this! its a MUST see and experience! the food is pricy but pretty good! sit and relax here. its beautiful. la plaza mayor and the market can be kinda hard to find. but ask someone and they can help you.
dont waste your time on the cathedral next to the palace. its a waste except a pretty view.
in barcelona. you have to go to the las ramblas market! its very pretty and very different from the one in spain! this is a site to see!!! its awesome!
other day trips from madrid are the cities of el escorial and segovia. segovia has the oldest most well preserved roman aqueduct in the world.
el escorial is home to a giant monastery! its very pretty! look it up! i would go to el escorial over segovia! but dont miss toledo
also some cool places are el templo de debod (egyptian ruins in madrid) and la gran villa. gran villa is a definite. its beautiful.
Near Barcelona you have several scuba diving spots. Mostly up north of Barcelona (Costa Brava area)
Madrid is 300 miles away from the nearest sea shore... (extremely wrong place to go in summer...too hot, boring, and beach-less...)
In Barcelona itself and nearby there is not much great diving. But 2-3 hours away to the north you can find great diving on the Costa Brava. For day trips from Barcelona you could catch a bus from Barcelona's bus station Estacio Nord to Tossa de Mar and then spend a day up there and see Tossa de Mar and do some diving.
Bus station with bus connections to Costa Brava
http://www.barcelonayellow.com/bcn/trans...
ever heard of swimming with the bulls?
Basically, all I want to know right now is if I should pack my snorkel gear and underwater camera in my suitcase. I rarely get a chance to use this stuff, I will be staying in Barcelona and Madrid if anyone knows some good scuba or snorkel spots.
I am about to go on a family vacation to Spain and don't have that many ideas of what to do there besides the typical tourist stuff. One thing I always enjoy is scuba diving, or maybe just swimming in the ocean/snorkeling.
