WHAT better way to spend the holiday season than in Spain. Remember, Spain is not just composed of the contiguous territories in the Iberian Peninsula; it is also composed of two archipelagoes – the Balearic archipelago and the Canary archipelagos off the coast of Africa.

As Halloween fades away, the locals in Spain are now excitedly looking forward for the winter and Christmas season for a variety of reasons. Others view it as something religious what with the commemoration of the birthday of their Messiah, Spain being a predominantly Roman Catholic country. On the other hand, some look forward for a jolly good time in a not-so-cold environment.

At least, Spain is not as cold as Iceland. The most coldness you can get in that country is at -3 degrees Celsius at the peak of winter but that’s not the temperature obviously in Madrid or in Costa Blanca or even in Ibiza. That’s the coldness you can get if you are outdoors skiing in the Pyrenees. Speaking of the Pyrenees, it’s really a cool place to spend the holidays there skiing and other variety of activities as mountaineering, mountain hiking, downhill mountain biking, off-roading and horseback riding, among others.

But there are lots of things that you must watch out for. First, bring extra layers of clothing with you. Do not don on cottony fiber because fiber tends to absorb moisture. When engaged in highly physical activities, always make sure that you have the proper gear with you. Make sure to have a first-aid kit which of course has bandages, a flashlight, some essential tablets, some blood clotting medicine, your own water canteen or even morphine. Bringing a radio, a satellite phone or anything which can signal GPS to the outside world wouldn’t hurt either. Now, that’s not sounding grim but chance surely favors the prepared mind, right?

In the Pyrenees, there are lots of villas there for rent especially now that winter season is on its way. But you must reserve in advance because these are fully booked especially during the weeks which include Christmas and New Year Days. And hey, didn’t I forget to tell you that during these days they also do some fireworks right there in the mountains. The view may not be as spectacular when you do your fireworks over the Mediterranean but hey, doing fireworks in the middle of a snowfall is something fantastic to look at, right? Who knows, it may be your experience of a lifetime. So come on and hop aboard Spain.

Too much excitement may be regrettable though so again, let us emphasize here more on preparedness. When renting a villa, make sure that everything checks out. Make sure you know where the emergency exit is in case of any contingency like a snow avalanche perhaps. A villa that has its own panic room or basement is so much the better. And because a villa is surely located in a remote spot, make sure that its security alarm system is excellent and all sensors are strategically placed.