Madrid
On the southern end of the estanque (lake) in the Parque del Buen Retiro, the odd structure decorated with sphinxes is the Fuente Egipcia: legend has it…
Madrid
On the southern end of the estanque (lake) in the Parque del Buen Retiro, the odd structure decorated with sphinxes is the Fuente Egipcia: legend has it…
Iglesia de Jesús de Medinaceli
Madrid
Up to 100,000 people crowd Iglesia de Jesús de Medinaceli on the first Friday of Lent to kiss the right foot of a wooden sculpture of Christ (besapié;…
Southeast Cádiz Province & the Costa de la Luz
Zahara's compact old core is centred on the ruined Castillo de las Almadrabas, where Atlantic bluefin tuna caught through the Phoenician-origin almadraba…
A Coruña
A Coruña's city beach is a glorious, 1.4km-long protected sweep of sand, often with decent surfing waves. Named Playa del Orzán at its east end and Playa…
Mérida
Outside the main gate to the Roman theatre, the Casa del Anfiteatro, a 3rd-century mansion, has some reasonable floor mosaics but was closed for…
Galicia
The large, chiefly 15th-century castle of the Counts of Ribadavia is one of Galicia’s biggest castles and contains a medieval necropolis within its bare…
Córdoba
At the south end of the Puente Romano stands this squat tower, erected under Islamic rule. It now houses the Museo Vivo de Al-Andalus, a museum…
Iglesia de Santa María del Mercado
León
Down the hill, the careworn, stone Romanesque Iglesia de Santa María del Mercado looks out over a delightful square that feels like a cobblestone…
Galicia
The capitals of the 63 arches of the lovely 14th-century Claustro de San Francisco are carved with a fascinating collection of people, animals, imaginary…
Museo de la Ciencia y del Agua
Murcia
Near the river, this former water deposit is one for the children. Although everything’s in Spanish, this small hands-on science museum has plenty of…
El Hierro
The town's central, multilevel plaza hosts a couple of bars and restaurants, along with the graceful town hall (built in typical Canarian style) and the…
Cartagena
Without too many whimsical flourishes, this Modernista town hall, set back from the waterfront, imposes itself on the heart of town. Drop into the…
Galicia
The Colexio dos Escolapios, a large and austere Renaissance monastery with a 100m-long facade, now functions as a school. You can take a guided tour to…
Cantabria
Built in 1885, this cavernous 220m tunnel at the eastern end of town leads under La Atalaya hill to a rugged seafront lookout point. It was originally…
Mérida
This garden-fringed Roman funeral site contains two well-preserved 4th-century crypts and is decently documented (in Spanish) and illustrated. A footpath…
Castilla-La Mancha
This small family-friendly museum in the tourist office displays local artisan products, models of windmills and clever art – often Don Quijote–themed –…
Ibiza Town
Southwest of Dalt Vila, the slender bay of the Figueretes neighbourhood is the closest patch of sand to Ibiza Town, with a palm-lined promenade and…
Oviedo
Near Oviedo's covered food market, this attractive arcaded plaza is home to a couple of sidrerías, and a mercadillo (street market) fills the surrounding…
Aragón
The 12th-century keep and some of the walls are all that remain of the castle that once guarded the frontier between the two Christian kingdoms of Aragón…
Basílica de Santa María a Maior
Pontevedra
Pontevedra's most impressive church is a beautiful, mainly late-Gothic affair, built by Pontevedra’s sailors’ guild in the 16th century. Busts of Columbus…
Sevilla Province
The main feature of the 18th-century Palacio de Govantes y Herdara is its wooden portal framed by bizarrely twisted pillars encrusted with grapes and vine…
Santa Cruz de la Palma
Wander north along Calle O’Daly and you’ll come to the irregularly shaped, palm-shaded Plaza de España, to the south of which sits the grand and imposing…
Asturias
Run by the Fundación Oso Pardo, this exhibition is a good place to brush up on facts about northern Spain’s brown bears, with informative displays and…
Vigo
The Castro de Vigo, a pre-Roman settlement of circular, thatch-roofed dwellings, dates back to the 3rd century BCE and has been partly reconstructed…
Castilla y León
Remnants of a villa that once belonged to a wealthy Roman family survive under glass just down the hill from the Plaza de San Bartolomé. The highlight is…
Valencia
Not by any means a football club, this offbeat gallery space is run by a cooperative not-for-profit arts organisation. Its exhibitions are often worth a…
Asturias
Strewn alongside the far end of Llanes’ pier like a set of children’s toy blocks are the rainbow-coloured Cubes of Memory, Basque painter Agustín Ibarrola…
Ibiza Town
This statue depicts the Ibizan general Joachim Vara de Rey, who died in the 1898 Battle of El Caney, fought between Spain and the USA over Cuba. It's on…
Las Alpujarras
Opposite Pampaneira village, 2km up the western side of the Poqueira gorge, you can just make out the stupa of the small stone Buddhist monastery,…
Valladolid
Check out the lovely colonnaded patio and chapel (replete with a super-realistic Cristo de la Luz sculpture). Off the ground floor of the patio is…
Barcelona
The city’s authorities extended the world-famous La Rambla thoroughfare out into the sea in the early 2000s, connecting the city with the reclaimed port…
Andalucía
The Río Borosa begins life here, welling out from under a rock. It's the usual end point for the Río Borosa walk and there's a perfect picnic spot beneath…
Iglesia de las Santas Justa y Rufina
Alicante Province
Worth admiring is this church's Renaissance facade and its Gothic bell tower graced with gargoyles. The single-naved interior also preserves architecture…
El Hierro
Dating to the 17th century, this whitewashed roadside church with a stone-adorned tower and a Mudéjar-style artesonado (ceiling of interlaced beams with…
Gijón
About 1.5km west from the Cimadevilla area, Gijón’s singular aquarium houses around 4000 specimens, from otters and penguins to sharks and starfish, in 12…
Extremadura
For a partial view of the Puente Romano from above, walk 100m west from the Iglesia de Santa María de Almocóvar down Calle de Carnicería, then continue…
Valencia Province
In the old town, Museo del Vino, within the handsome, sturdy 15th-century Palacio del Cid, is a venue for wine lovers. A range of presses and other…
Granada
Joe Strummer of The Clash was a regular visitor to Granada in the 1980s and '90s. He's commemorated in this small, dusty square, Placeta Joe Strummer,…
Los Cristianos, Playa de las Américas & Costa Adeje
This sublime 1.5km-long beach has fine golden sand (imported from the Sahara Desert!) and links Los Cristianos with Playa de las Américas. The beach is…
The Catalan Pyrenees
Up in Taüll's old centre, at the northwestern end of town, the 12th-century Romanesque Santa Maria church is crowned by a five-storey tower. As with many…