16 Fantastic Places to Visit in Spain - Local’s Guide
For a country the size of Spain, and as a place with such geographic, cultural, and historic diversity, there are literally hundreds of incredible destinations to visit.
In any given region, whether that’s sun-drenched Andalusia in the south, wild and green Galicia up north, or Madrid and the gorgeous medieval cities that surround it, you will never run out of places worth visiting.
Even so, most visitors don’t have a lifetime to spend exploring all of Spain, so I’ve done my best to put together a balanced list of the must-visit cities, towns, beaches, and natural areas, that capture the true essence of Spain.
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Spain is a big country and there are hundreds of places worth visiting. Any given region of the country could have its own list of 16 wonderful places to visit, so we certainly didn’t cover everywhere that you should consider visiting. But this is a realistic list of places that includes many of the “must-sees” as well as some lesser-known sites that are all good inclusions on any first visit.
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1. Madrid
The capital of Spain is as obvious a place as any to start your explorations. Art, culture, food, and nightlife here are all world-class. There’s a reason why this city regularly tops the lists of best places to visit in Europe.
This world-class city is home to famous sights such as the Royal Palace (Palacio Real), the leafy and lush Parque Retiro, and the impressive Plaza Espana. There’s an irresistible energy that thrums in the streets, with bars, cafés, restaurants overflowing with creatives, business-types, and everyone in between.
While in Madrid, there’s no missing out on the Prado Museum, one of the world’s greatest art museums with works by artists such as Goya, Rubens, El Greco, Raphael, Caravaggio, and many more. While in the capital you should also grab some tapas from the Mercado de San Miguel, check out the hipster and alternative neighborhood Lavapiés, and enjoy nightlife and food in the Malasaña area.
2. Toledo
Toledo is the capital of the autonomous community Castille La-Mancha, and one of Spain’s most wonderful cities. The dense historic core is once a place where Muslims, Jews, and Christians once lived together in harmony, and to visit Toledo today is to discover that blending of cultures.
Around every bend in the cobbled streets are synagogues, mosques, and above all, a towering Gothic cathedral.
It’s the most popular day trip from Madrid, but to better experience the city, it’s best to book an overnight stay. Come evening time, the crowds of day trippers mostly disappear, and you can really get a feel for this historic city as you wander between its famed Cathedral, Alcazar, and monastery.
3. Barcelona
The capital of Catalonia enjoys a pretty perch on the Mediterranean in Spain’s northeast corner. Known for its beautiful climate, zany Gaudi architecture, food and nightlife, this is a place where you’ll come for a good time and never want to leave.
Undoubtedly the most famous site in Barcelona, La Sagrada Familia Cathedral, built by Antoni Gaudi, was the artist’s most grand and ambitious work, and it’s still under construction almost 100 years after the architect’s death. The intricate exterior is like no other cathedral in the world, while inside, vaulted columns resemble vast tree trunks holding up the sky above. There’s a reason this is the most visited attraction in Spain.
Barcelona is filled with Gaudi creations, but after Sagrada Familia, the most famous is Casa Batlló. This residential house sits on the elegant shopping street Passeig de Gracia, with a swirling façade inspired by nature and dragons.
4. The Costa Brava
Northeast along the coast from Barcelona you’ll find the Costa Brava, one of the most beautiful stretches of coastline in Spain. Even though there’s a lot of tourism development here, it remains one of the more unspoiled corners of Spain with rocky headlands, secretive beach coves only accessed on foot, and charming towns and villages along the way.
The most beautiful include Palafrugell, Cadaques, Tossa de Mar, Llafranc, and the mountain-top village of Begur – any of which make for a good place to stay a night or two while exploring.
5. Seville
Seville is a charming city in Andalusia, and the main hub of travel in the region. From here, you can easily visit both Granada and Cordoba (listed below) and take in some of the biggest highlights of a trip to Andalusia.
Of course, some of those highlights lie within the city. There’s the Seville Cathedral, the largest Gothic cathedral in the world; the Real Alcázar, a stunning example of Mudéjar architecture; the Plaza de España, a monumental square with a canal and bridges; and the Santa Cruz Quarter, a charming neighborhood full of narrow streets and flower-filled balconies.
Other than its attractions, Seville is a major city with a seductive atmosphere. It’s here where you’ll hear flamenco guitar drifting from around street corners, where shady squares are lined with excellent tapas bars, and there’s nothing better than sitting in the sun with a drink and a bite to eat.
6. Granada
One of the most popular cities to visit in Andalusia is Granada. Located to the west of the impressive Sierra Nevada Mountains, the natural surroundings are spectacular, but it’s the city’s historic pedigree that makes it worth visiting. The Moors set up their major base in Granada, and there are hints of their time here around every corner.
But by far the most impressive piece of history left behind by the Moors is the stunning Alhambra Palace, a gorgeous hilltop stronghold looking over the entire city. Framed by the mountains in the background, this was the seat of Moorish Kings, built in the 13th and 14th centuries into what you see today.
Exploring the immaculate interiors of the fortified palace and wandering its tranquil gardens will be an experience you’ll never forget.
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7. Córdoba
Only an hour and a half from Granada on the train is Cordoba, another important part of Islamic Spain. Here, the star attraction is La Mezquita Grand Mosque, which is adored by thousands of visitors a day. Impeccably decorated inside with Islamic motifs and graceful vaulted arches, it alone makes the trip to Cordoba worth it.
Most travelers only give Cordoba a fleeting visit to stop by La Mezquita, but linger a few days and you’ll discover another beautiful place filled with Roman and Islamic heritage.
There are stone patios overflowing with potted plants and intricate tiles, narrow streets winding through white-washed homes and golden churches, elegant parks and hidden squares.
8. The White Villages of Andalusia
A huge attraction of visiting Andalusia is to see some of the pueblos blancos (white villages) that sit inland atop the rugged mountains. There’s something romantic about the scenery in this part of Spain, where you can get lost among the beautiful, cobbled streets and whitewashed homes.
A good place to start is at Ronda, famed for the jaw-dropping bridge spanning a massive gorge that cuts the town in two – the views are incredible.
From Ronda, take a day to drive to Cadiz through the Natural Park of Sierra de Grazalema, where you’ll find a lot of the most beautiful pueblos blancos. Favorites include gorgeous places such as Setenil de las Bodegas, Olvera, and Zahara de la Sierra, but there are plenty more to choose from as you plot your journey toward Cadiz on the western coast.
9. Bilbao
Bilbao is the capital of the Basque country, and largest city along the northern coast of Spain. Tucked away in the lush mountains that make up the coast of the Basque Country, Bilbao has transformed itself from an industrial darling into a hub of culture, art, and food.
A historic core at the heart of the city is just the beginning; everywhere you go you’ll find museums, sculptures,
If you make it to Bilbao, it would be sacrilege not to visit the iconic Guggenheim Museum, the city’s most famous landmark. This mind-bending modern-art museum is a twisting structure of titanium panels designed by the famed American architect Frank Gehry.
The architecture here is iconic, and the inception of the museum was the spark that pulled Bilbao out of its post-industrial slump and cemented the city as a hub of art and tourism.
10. Santiago de Compostela
The end point for thousands of Pilgrims undertaking one of the Camino de Santiago, the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela is an incredible sight – even if you didn’t walk here.
But aside from that, Santiago is one of Spain’s most beguiling destinations, a Baroque city filled with granite architecture that looks fantastic in the moody rain and mist that so often falls across this corner of Spain.
The feeling of walking the same streets as millions of others have done before you is almost overwhelming, but the sheer history of the place is offset by a large university that ensures bars and restaurants are buzzing year-round with a lively student population.
11. San Sebastián
On the coast of the Basque Country east of Bilbao near the French border sits San Sebastián, one of Spain’s most irresistible cities. With a pair of golden sand beaches, green hills on all sides, grand architecture and some of the finest food in the country, it’s an easy place to love.
Here, pintxos (small bites of food piled on top of bread and held together by a toothpick or skewer) are most famous, and some of the world’s best chefs ply their trade. Zurriola beach draws in surfers from across the globe, while La Plancha Beach is ideal for lazing on the sand, admiring the bay.
And venture into the nearby countryside to discover gorgeous Basque villages, world-class asador restaurants, and stunning mountain hikes.
12. Picos de Europa National Park
Bordering the autonomous regions of Cantabria, Asturias, and Castile y Leon, the Picos de Europa are Spain’s most beautiful mountains. When the snow melts, you’ll find endless opportunities for hiking, biking, paragliding, river rafting, and mountain climbing. Expect gorgeous mountain meadows, craggy limestone peaks, and powerful rivers rushing through twisting gorges.
A good base in the National Park is Potes, a graceful old village on the southeastern side of the mountains. From here you can take part in all activities, including visiting the nearby Teleférico de Fuente Dé, a cable car that whisks you up onto the mountains themselves where more hikes await.
Otherwise, approach from the south through Castilla y León toward the village Caín de Valdeón, from where you can tackle the stunning Ruta del Cares hike, which leads to the village Poncebos in Asturias through one of Spain’s most spectacular gorges.
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13. El Teide National Park, Tenerife
Another national park in Spain sits in the center of the island Tenerife, part of the Canary Islands archipelago off the coast of Africa. Here, the volcano Teide rises from the middle of the island, surrounded by a volcanic landscape that is one of Spain’s most exotic.
Visiting here is best done by catching the cable car to the top of El Teide, where the views stretch across the volcanic valley below all the way to some of the other islands in the archipelago (unless the peak is covered in cloud).
Alternatively, trekkers may choose to hike to the top and take the cable car down, but be warned that the weather here can turn quickly.
14. The Balearic Islands
The Balearic Islands are a group of four islands in the Mediterranean Sea, east of the mainland. They are widely known for their stunning natural landscapes, with clear and calm waters, and all four islands are home to many beaches and calas (small beach coves) surrounded by white sand and rocky cliffs.
Ibiza is the most popular island among tourists, famed for its nightlife and clubs where you’ll find the biggest DJs in the world playing every weekend. But there’s more to Ibiza than its parties, with a beautiful coastline, chilled-out beach historic beach towns, and an overall alternative and sustainable-minded atmosphere.
Mallorca is just as popular, with resorts ringing the coastline, while Menorca and Formentera avoid the major crowds of tourists and are more unspoiled and quieter.
15. La Costa da Morte
Spain leaves no coast unchristened, but La Costa da Muerte (the coast of death) in Galicia is a different kind of coast when compared to the Costa del Sol or Costa Brava.
Beginning west of A Coruña and stretching along the northwestern-most area of Spain, it is so named for its number of drownings and shipwrecks. This is a wild stretch of coast with romantic headlands, crashing waves, sea-battered cliffs, and long, pale beaches.
One of the best ways to experience this unbridled Spanish coastline in all its glory is to undertake the O Camiño dos Faros, a 200km-long hike that links Malpica with Finisterre, where just beyond lies the westernmost point of Spain.
16. Valencia
Spain’s third-largest city is enjoying some time in the sun after long being overlooked in favor of Madrid and Barcelona. Here, on the shores of the Mediterranean just over 4 hours by train from Barcelona, is one of the fastest growing cities in the country.
With the relaxed vibes of Barcelona without the thousands of tourists, a bent toward sustainable tourism and city-planning, wide sandy beaches and big green spaces, it’s an attractive place not just to visit, but to live as well.
The historic core is, as usual, the most atmospheric part of the city to explore, home to Roman and Moorish heritage, cobbled streets, and handsome arcades and squares.
Then there’s the famous attraction of the Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias (City of the Arts and Sciences), a futuristic building complex home to an opera house, science museum, an aquarium, and a large 3D cinema. Water features on the outside make the promenades an enjoyable place to take a stroll, perhaps wandering into the nearby Jardines de Turia, a 9km-long green park in the old Turia riverbed that stretches through the entire city.
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