January is drawing to a close, so it's time to look forward to February.

February in Spain is dominated by the carnival, which is popular in much of Spain, but particularly in these Carnival Cities in Spain.

The other big event in February in Spain is the flamenco festival in Jerez. And with Cadiz, one of the top carnival cities, a little over half an hour away from Jerez,  wouldn't it be great to stay somewhere between the two and experience these two festivals back to back? But where should you stay?

Then there's Tenerife, host to the second biggest carnival in the world (after Rio). Also, considering how the Canary Islands are closer to Africa than Europe, the weather should be great. What an excellent place to visit in Spain this February! But what about accommodation?

Of course, you can find the answers right here!

Check out my new Where to Stay in Spain in February, which will, well, help you with exactly what it sounds like it will help you with! Choose where to visit in Spain this February to get the best out of the weather and/or festivals going on. Add to that the new Google Calendar of events I am working on and you now have no excuse not to know exactly what is going on in Spain this month and how to see it. February's is here: February Events in Spain as a Google Calendar.

See also:

• March Events in Spain as a Google Calendar

Spanish airline Spanair has ceased operations with immediate effect. All flights have been canceled.

The airline had been losing money for several years, with the Catalonia government in Barcelona propping up the company until the current economic crisis forced it to withdraw the money.

Currently 23,000 passengers are stranded at airports around Spain, with more in other countries. Spanair put up an information page last night but the site seems to be down at present. The gist of the message was as follows:

• If you bought your flight with a credit card, through a travel agency or you had travel insurance, contact the relevant company for a refund.
• Flights bought through Spanair for other airlines are unaffected.
• Passengers due to fly in the next few days can book reduced price flights from Iberia or Air Europa. Flights cost from 60€ to 100€.
• Other passengers should contact the airline for a refund (I will post the contact details when I find them).

If you need to get home from Spain, you may want to try these links:

• Bus and Train Travel in Spain
• Compare Prices on Flights to and from Spain

Last week I posted about the Madrid Card, a discount card which gets you into a lot of Madrid's sights for free.

Despite its recent reduction in price, the card is still expensive in its 24-hour form, but with the five-day card it is possible that you could save money.

But how should you spend five-days in Madrid? I've put together a suggested itinerary that will give some ideas for what to do in the Spanish capital. Though it is written with Madrid Card owners in mind, it works for any visitor to the city: I wouldn't have written it any differently if the Madrid Card hadn't existed.

Read it here: Suggested Itinerary for Five Days in Madrid

See also: 100 Things to Do in Madrid

Many visitors to Spain, myself included, have found themselves disappointed (myself more than once), to find a popular museum to be closed on Mondays. Yes, the country with the worst unemployment in Europe hasn't seen fit to put on more staff and open its top tourist attractions seven days a week.

But finally, Spain's most popular museum, the Prado, is to open its doors seven days a week (from tomorrow, January 16, 2012). Now visitors can see art by the likes of Goya, Velazquez and El Greco any day they like.

Plus, as has been the case since 2007, the museum is open every evening for free. Which means that now, no-one has any excuse not to visit the Prado!

Normal entry prices have risen a little to 10€, but now temporary exhibitions have been included in the standard ticket.

Now, will the Reina Sofia follow suit? Spain's premier modern art gallery, home to Picasso's Guernica, closes on Tuesdays, less frustrating for those on a Weekend Break to Spain, but still baffling considering the win-win situation that seven-day opening would provide to visitors and the country.

See more: When is the Prado Free?

Both the Prado and the Reina Sofia feature in my list of the Top 100 Things to Do in Madrid