Spain's worst wave of wildfires on record spread to the southern slopes of the Picos de Europa mountains on Monday and prompted authorities to close part of the popular Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route.

Southern Europe is experiencing one of its worst wildfire seasons in two decades, with Spain among the hardest-hit countries.

Spain is deploying 500 more soldiers to help battle wildfires that have ravaged parched woodlands during a prolonged heat wave, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said.

Colleen Crowley and her family wanted more than their “sheltered” life in Montecito could offer. They packed everything into 10 suitcases, moved to Spain and have never looked back.

By Nacho Doce and David Latona SANT ANTONI DE PORTMANY, Spain (Reuters) -It's another night, another party at a hotel in Ibiza. The international clientele dances to the house beat while laser lights reflect on the curvy swimming pool and on a sea of sunglasses worn after dark at the open-air venue.

The tradition of the siesta is no accident. Spain has been living with extreme heat for centuries, and its people have ways of coping.

UK tourists in Spain have been warned over breaking a crucial rule which could set you back nearly £2,000. Smoking regulations differ from country to country, with Spain now making its own changes in regards to smoking in the country.

The key to preventing forest fires is creating a rural economy based on the use of forests. While this would generate much-needed employment in “la España vaciada” – “hollowed-out Spain”, the name given to the country’s depopulated rural areas – it also costs money. It is therefore essential to invest in forests.