Spain attractions

Lanzarote itself was formed from volcanic eruptions, and there’s no better place to get a sense of the island’s fiery geology than the Fire Mountains. These rust-colored beauties are scattered inside Timanfaya National Park, a landscape punctuated by craters, lava fields, and geysers. Travelers can hike around the mountains with a guide, and even visit a restaurant where meals are prepared using volcanic heat.

The horseshoe-shaped Playa de Sant Joan is renowned for its pristine beauty. It leads out onto calm, sheltered waters that glimmer aquamarine in the sun, and is ringed by green forests and rolling hills. As it only measures 650 feet (200 meters) across, it can get crowded, but that doesn’t detract from the beach’s natural charm.

Located in Busturia, the Ekoetxea Urdaibai Biodiversity Centre celebrates and educates visitors about the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve: a tract of land that has been protected by UNESCO since 1984. Comprised of sand dunes and marshes, floodplains and forests, this scenic estuary region is among the most biodiverse in the Basque Country.

Rising vertically from a rugged beach near Fuerteventura’s southern tip, the red-tinged beach of Roque del Moro takes its name from the monolithic rock that towers 165 feet (50 meters) over the sand. The sandy stretch is part of the Parque Natural de Jandía, which exemplifies the wild beauty of Fuerteventura’s volcanic landscapes.

Formed from the estuary at the mouth of the Basque Country's Oka River, the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve (Urdaibai Reserva de la Biosfera) is an important habitat for migratory and resident birds. Urdaibai also boasts some of the most popular beaches in the region, and several archeological sites—such as Cave Santimamiñe, with its ancient paintings—that are worth visiting.

Parque Colón de Granada is at the center of the city—both physically and culturally. On any given day, you’ll find the plaza bustling with vendors selling souvenirs, musicians playing marimba music, and families hanging out on shaded benches. It’s also where you’ll find the entrance to the bright yellow Granada Cathedral, one of the most photographed churches in Nicaragua.

One of Barcelona’s most fascinating museums, the Museum of Forbidden Art (Museu de l'Art Prohibit) is true to its name, exhibiting banned, censored, and controversial artworks. The collection spans pieces by Ai Weiwei, Andy Warhol, Banksy, and Robert Mapplethorpe, as well as Picasso etchings, a Klimt sketch, and Andres Serrano’s notorious Piss Christ.

Tucked down a side street in Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter, Els Quatre Gats (The Four Cats) is one of the city’s most famous restaurants and a memorable location for a cup of coffee or some Catalan cuisine. The tavern was fashioned after Le Chat Noir in Paris and quickly became a favorite haunt of Pablo Picasso and Antoni Gaudí.