Two weeks sitting on the beach or two days whizzing round the sights on a city break. These are the alternatives that normally spring to mind when contemplating a short trip to Spain.

It is easy to find an activity that allows you to delve deeply into Spain without having to take more than two weeks off work. The country is not only steeped in tradition and culture, but also has a dynamic, modern outlook.

Some activity breaks in Spain offer the same adrenalin rush as the whirlwind pace of 48 hours in a city, rushing round a museum, the cathedral and the market, then, of course, winding up in the park or a tapas bar. Others will leave you more relaxed than a fortnight on the beach.

responsibletravel.com has a three day activity break near Alicante "to maximise your time and get the blood pumping".

Activities include mountain biking, sea-kayaking and mountain walking. Accommodation is at a locally owned farm, where much of the food is home produced and the swimming pool is fed by a natural spring.

Another energetic option is to join the Earthwatch research mission to help find evidence of early man in Spain. In the Gaudix-Baza basin of Andalucia, palaeontologists are finding evidence of the first Europeans and how they lived. So far, excavators have discovered stone flakes, fragmentary human remains and parts of elephants and hippos.

You can work with the researchers for two weeks, attend lectures and visit Granada. Accommodation is in a cave, which apparently has all the comforts of a simple hotel.

Sunseed Desert Technology aims to develop accessible, low-tech methods of living sustainably in a semi-arid environment. The project, which is based in Almeria, uses low-tech methods that have the least detrimental environmental impact. You can join the project for two weeks, working a minimum of four hours a day.

Limited resources, the near-desert environment and the need to find sustainable solutions determine living conditions. Electricity is generated by solar panels and used sparingly in winter when there is less daylight. Water is pumped up from the local river and most of the rubbish is recycled. Organic waste goes back into the ground as compost or into composting toilets.

If you prefer to put your legs in motion, Great Walks of the World organises a trek to ascend the three highest peaks in the Pyrenees – Aneto, Posets and Monte Perdido.

The company grades the two week trek, which begins in France, as 'tough'. Though, it says the walking is not technical, just constantly exhilarating and rewarding.

Pura Aventura runs 'luxurious but active small group holiday walks' in Spain's Picos de Europa mountains. It also has adventure holidays in the Pyrenees, where you can enjoy horse riding and white-water rafting as well as mountain walks.

A language course can be a good way of getting to know one particular city or area, particularly if the school can accommodate you with a local host family.

Though - in physical terms - attending language classes is perhaps a more relaxing way of getting to know Spain, for some people it may prove just as tough and exhilarating as a trek to the highest peaks in the Pyrenees.

Don Quijote has a two week intensive Spanish course in Granada, where you can stay in a student flat or with a local family. According to the school, 'you will take an active part in the everyday life of the country, close to the people, immersing yourself in their culture'. It says 'you will discover a rich culture of fiestas, relaxed conversations in tapas bars and cafes, leisurely strolls and exciting street life'.

Vintage Spain has a three day tour 'for people who want to experience Spanish wine and Spanish culture'.

The visit includes wine tasting in Ribera de Duero and concentrates on Spanish history and art. Highlights are the Roman Aqueduct in Segovia, the Cathedral in Burgos and other sites of historical interest.

To ' unwind, relax and have a real experience of Spain', a yoga holiday, combined with walking and sight-seeing' is just the ticket, says spainyoga.com, which offers exactly that at Cortijo de Santa Cruz, a restored Spanish farmhouse in Andalucia.