Extremadura
The Plaza Grande and the adjoining Plaza Chica are both beautifully arcaded and ideal for soaking up Zafra life. The southwestern end of Plaza Grande,…
Must-see attractions in Spain
Madrid
Hidden among the trees south of Parque del Buen Retiro's lake is the Palacio de Cristal. Built in 1887, it's a magnificent metal-and-glass structure and…
Getaria
This cobblestone village on the coast has much to recommend it, including excellent seafood restaurants, narrow atmospheric lanes sprinkled with shops and…
Castilla y León
Watching over the entrance to the town and visible on the approach, Medinaceli's 1st-century-CE Arco Romano (Roman triumphal arch) is one of the best…
Spain
The Royal Palace started as one of Felipe II’s modest summer palaces but took on a life of its own as a succession of royals, inspired by the palace at…
Palma de Mallorca
One of Palma’s oldest churches, the Franciscan Basílica de Sant Francesc was begun in 1281 in Gothic style, while the baroque facade, with its carved…
Madrid
The area that unfurls down the hill east of Plaza de Santa Ana is referred to as the Barrio de las Letras because of the writers who lived here during…
Málaga Province
Twenty kilometres southwest of Ronda la Vieja are some of Andalucía’s most ancient and fascinating caves. Torchlit guided tours into the dark belly of the…
Bilbao
One of Spain's best museums devoted to Basque culture takes visitors on a journey from Palaeolithic days to the 21st century, giving an overview of life…
Madrid
Of all the grand roundabouts that punctuate the Paseo del Prado, Plaza de la Cibeles most evokes the splendour of imperial Madrid. The jewel in the crown…
Abadía de Santo Domingo de Silos
Castilla y León
The cloister and museum of this revered monastery is a two-storey treasure chest of some of Spain's most imaginative Romanesque art. The overall effect is…
Catalonia
Hidden along the western fringes of Catalonia, the spectacular river gorge of Mont-rebei offers a dazzling vision of Catalan wilderness. Carved by the…
Castilla-La Mancha
Opening onto the plaza is the oldest theatre in Spain. The 17th-century Corral de Comedias is an evocative tribute to the golden age of Spanish theatre,…
Ronda
In existence for more than 200 years, this is one of Spain's oldest bullrings and the site of some of the most important events in bullfighting history. A…
The Catalan Pyrenees
Some 6km northeast of Olot, Sant Joan les Fonts has some lovely forest just beyond the village centre. From the Oficina de Turisme, you can pick up…
Tenerife
Calling this mountain ‘Old Peak’ is something of a slight misnomer considering it was actually the last of Tenerife’s volcanoes to have erupted on a grand…
Palma de Mallorca
One of Palma's most emblematic buildings, the permanent exhibition, entitled La Casa Posible, re-creates rooms of this former noble house from 1600–1951…
Málaga
Fashion and old cars might seem like weird bedfellows, but they’re an inspired combo when viewed through the prism of this slightly out-of-the-box museum…
Andalucía
Of the several Unesco-protected cave-painting locations in the area, this Stone Age ceremonial site is the star. The reddish drawings, made before 5500 BC…
Castilla y León
This palace was originally built for the Bourbon King Felipe V, who chose this site in the foothills of the Sierra de Guadarrama to recreate his own…
Basque Country
At the summit of the old town and dominating its skyline is the Catedral de Santa María. Built between the 13th and 14th centuries in the Gothic style,…
Pollença
This museum's star feature is the 17th-century baroque cloister of the Convent de Sant Domingo – a picture of tranquillity and poise – in which the museum…
Museo de Bordados del Paso Azul
Murcia Province
Attached to the San Francisco monastery, this is the modern museum of the Azul (Blue) Holy Week brotherhood, and gives an excellent idea of what Semana…
Museo de la Industria Chacinera
Castilla y León
Despite the rather functional name, this interactive museum is dedicated to jamón and nothing but. In the first room, videos demonstrate the production of…
Castilla-La Mancha
Consuegra’s atmospheric castle was once the stomping ground for the Order of St John of Jerusalem, sometimes known as the Knights Hospitaller, a famous…
Ávila
Built in 1636 around the room where Santa Teresa was born in 1515, this is the epicentre of the cult surrounding the saint. There are three attractions in…
Málaga
Spread out over two floors in Málaga’s neoclassical Palacio de Aduana, this vast, newly renovated museum houses art and archaeological collections. The…
Parc Nacional Marítim-Terrestre de l'Arxipèlag de Cabrera
Southern Mallorca
Nineteen uninhabited islands and islets make up this national park, unique in the Balearic Islands. The archipelago comprises dry, hilly islands known for…
Basque Country
Situated 10km south of Oñati, the Santuario de Arantzazu is a busy Christian pilgrimage site that's a fabulous conflation of piety and avant-garde art…
Castilla-La Mancha
Castilla-La Mancha's best-preserved Roman ruins may date as far back as the 5th century BCE. The highlights are a Roman theatre and amphitheatre on the…
Western Mallorca
The uninhabited 4km-long Illa de Sa Dragonera is a ripple of an island that stretches out like a slumbering dragon to the west of Sant Elm. Constituted as…
Basque Country
For over 7000 years, 'white gold' has been produced at this site, where over 4km of wooden aqueducts transport high-saline spring water from 200-million…
Western Mallorca
What a difference a bay makes. Located 2km south of Port d'Andratx, beautiful Cala Llamp is where locals gravitate for silence and sparkling, bottle-green…
Mallorca
One of Mallorca's biggest names in wine, having used the area's 300 annual days of sun to produce great grapes since 1858, Bodegas Macià Batle is based…
San Sebastián
Sun-drenched cultural space Tabakalera occupies a beautifully reconfigured tobacco factory dating from 1913. It's a hub for the arts and design, as well…
San Sebastián
A symbol of the city, the Peine del Viento (Wind Comb) sculpture, which lies at the far western end of the Bahía de la Concha, below Monte Igueldo, is the…
Basque Country
Ringing the city is the Anillo Verde (Green Belt), a series of interconnecting parks, ponds and marshes linked to one another by 31km of cycling paths,…
Hondarribia
Hondarribia's walled historic centre, much of which dates to the 15th and 16th centuries, is an atmospheric grid of graceful plazas, cobbled lanes, and…
Valldemossa
At Son Marroig, ask permission to wander down to this strange hole-in-the-wall rock formation by the water, which resembles an elephant from afar. It's a…
Alcázar de la Puerta de Sevilla
Sevilla Province
Carmona's signature fortress is a formidable sight. Set atop the Puerta de Sevilla, the imposing main gate of the old town, it had already been standing…
