Spectacular Spain with Alex Polizzi

Alex Polizzi explores the history, culture and cuisine of the regions of Spain, meeting local people and seeking out some of its best-kept secrets. In the north east, she visits a hotel designed by the architect of the Bilbao Guggenheim, the Pamplona bull run, Gaudi's extraordinary, unfinished basilica in Barcelona and takes part in a human tower nine storeys high.

On the Costa Blanca, Alex admires the architecture of Valencia, visits the cathedral and learns how to make a traditional paella. In Benidorm, she learns the town's history and meets some expats. On the tiny, unspoilt island of Tabarca, she meets a local artist and feasts on the local fish stew.

Alex Polizzi arrives in the popular holiday region of Andalucia, visiting the scene of countless spaghetti westerns in the Tabernas desert, the spa town of Lanjaron in La Alpujarra in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, and the ancient city of Granada with its splendid Alhambra palace.

In Western Andalucia, Alex stays at the glamorous Beach Club at Marbella and meets the man who has played host to A-list jetsetters for decades. In Jerez, she learns about sherry and admires the local dancing horses. In ancient Cadiz, she takes a peek through the camera obscura in the Torre Tavira, before ending her journey with a bicycle tour of Seville and admires the creations of Spanish designer Victorio y Lucchino.

Alex explores inland Spain, enjoying the history, art and culture of Madrid, visiting the picturesque town whose windmills inspired some of the anecdotes in Don Quixote, meeting a former monk who built a huge cathedral by himself, and ending up in the beautiful old university town of Salamanca, a Unesco World Heritage site.