Barcelona
Capital of Catalan modernism, Barcelona fascinates with Gaudí's Sagrada Família, Park Güell, urban beaches and Europe's liveliest nightlife.
Highlights : Sagrada Família, Park Güell, La Boqueria — Ramblas market, Gothic Quarter.
Check the weather city by city, starting with Madrid.
Spain charms with its diversity: Barcelona and Gaudí, Madrid and its world-class museums, flamenco in Andalusia, the beaches of the Costa del Sol, tapas and sangria, and the moon-like landscapes around Granada and Seville.
Capital of Catalan modernism, Barcelona fascinates with Gaudí's Sagrada Família, Park Güell, urban beaches and Europe's liveliest nightlife.
Highlights : Sagrada Família, Park Güell, La Boqueria — Ramblas market, Gothic Quarter.
Capital of art with the Prado (Velázquez, Goya), the Reina Sofía museum (Picasso's Guernica) and the Thyssen-Bornemisza. Tapas, flamenco and intense nightlife.
Highlights : Prado Museum, Reina Sofía Museum — Guernica, Royal Palace, Puerta del Sol & Retiro Park.
Capital of flamenco and bullfighting, with the Moorish Alcázar, the world's largest Gothic cathedral and the lively Triana district.
Highlights : Alcázar of Seville, Seville Cathedral & La Giralda, Santa Cruz district, Plaza de España.
The Alhambra, a Nasrid palace-fortress with paradisiacal gardens, is one of the most visited monuments in Spain. The Albaicín district preserves Moorish architecture.
Highlights : Alhambra & Generalife, Albaicín district, San Nicolás viewpoint, Cathedral and Royal Chapel.
Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera — four Mediterranean islands with turquoise waters, dream beaches and a very different culture depending on the island.
Highlights : Palma de Mallorca, Formentera — paradisiacal beaches, Ibiza — sunsets at Café del Mar, Menorca — Menorca Biosphere Reserve.
Southeastern Spain hides desert landscapes unique in Europe, from the Tabernas Desert, a classic western movie set, to the eroded rock formations of Bardenas Reales. Between cinema, protected nature and Moorish architecture, the region offers total escapism. The wild coastline of Cabo de Gata completes this arid picture.
Highlights : Tabernas Desert, Cabo de Gata Natural Park, Bardenas Reales, Almería Alcazaba, Mini Hollywood.
Bilbao underwent a spectacular transformation thanks to Frank Gehry's Guggenheim Museum, now a global icon of contemporary architecture. The Spanish Basque Country is also renowned for its exceptional cuisine — more Michelin-starred pintxos bars per capita than anywhere else in the world. The wild Cantabrian coast and the beaches of Zarautz and San Sebastián round out the region.
Highlights : Guggenheim Museum Bilbao — Frank Gehry's architectural masterpiece, Pintxos in the Casco Viejo — Basque bar-hopping, San Sebastián (Donostia) — La Concha beach and starred cuisine, Cantabrian coast & Gaztelugatxe cliffs.
A volcanic archipelago off the African coast, the Canaries offer an eternal spring all year round (20–25 °C in winter). Tenerife hides Teide, the world's 3rd largest volcano; Lanzarote showcases its black moon-like landscapes; Gran Canaria mixes beaches, dunes and a world-famous carnival. Europeans' number one winter sun destination.
Highlights : Teide — 3,718 m volcano, Spain's highest peak (Tenerife), Timanfaya National Park — volcanic moon-like landscape (Lanzarote), Maspalomas & Dunes (Gran Canaria) — a sea of sand by the Atlantic, Los Gigantes — dizzying cliffs plunging into the Atlantic (Tenerife).
Spain is one of the most affordable countries in Western Europe. Tapas (often free in Granada!), the 10–12 € menu del día, and competitive accommodation make it excellent value.