Housed inside the Palau de Mar, the History Museum of Catalonia (Museu d’Història de Catalunya) opened in 1996 with the goal of focusing on the region’s cultural and political development from prehistory through to the present day. It’s a great place to learn how the Romans, Moors, and others each left their mark on Catalonia. The exhibits focused on the Spanish Civil War and Franco’s rule are particularly well done.
Centered around three main pathways bordering the Paseo del Parque, Málaga Park stretches along the city’s seafront, from Plaza del General Torrijos to the Plaza de la Marina. The park is a popular stop on Málaga cycling tours, and horse-and-carriage rides also pass by gardens filled with roses, orange and cypress trees, and exotic plants.
Inspired by the Paris Opera House and named after the "Mozart of Spain"—Juan Crisóstomo Arriaga—the 19th-century Arriaga Theater (Teatro Arriaga) is a lavish neo-baroque building. Here, catch a play, opera, or dance recital in the 1,200-seat theater, which is dominated by plush red velvet seating, elaborate crown molding, and gold detailing.
Rising from a pretty square in Palma Old Town, the Basilica de Sant Francesc is a vision in sandstone. Founded in 1281 as a monastery and boasting a Gothic cloister and 17th-century baroque facade, the church is one of Mallorca’s most beautiful and historically significant. It has been known as one of the most famous churches on Palma since the Middle Ages.
This series of underground caves on Mallorca’s east coast is the island’s most impressive, and together comprise one of Europe’s largest cave complexes. The different chambers of the Caves of Drach (Cuevas del Drach) are home to rock formations such as stalactites and stalagmites—illuminated for striking effects—as well as the massive underwater Martel Lake, where classical music recitals take place.
Though visitors find a numerous gardens and parks in Madrid, the Royal Botanic Garden (Real Jardín Botánico) is a standout horticultural achievement. The garden features 6,000 diverse plant species, and covers about 20 acres (8.1 hectares). Conveniently-located near the Prado Museum, the garden is a perfect stop after a day in the galleries.
Suspected to be the one-time residence of King Abomelic, the last Moorish ruler of Ronda, Mondragón Palace is an example of traditional Mudéjar architecture found throughout Andalusia. Perched atop El Tajo Gorge, the palace has been renovated many times over the centuries and today features a mishmash of architectural styles.
Pablo Picasso’s life in Spain spanned nearly all of the country’s corners, but his former family home in the heart of Malaga’s old town is where you’ll find the Pablo Picasso Birthplace Museum (Museo Casa Natal de Picasso). It houses over 4,000 pieces by some 200 artists, including Picasso, and artifacts from his early life.
Cactuses become art in this César Manrique–designed garden on Lanzarote, whose whimsical landscape is filled with desert plants from around the globe. In addition to thousands of cactus plants, the Jardín de Cactus has a historic windmill, art installations, and a café with an inviting patio.
Part cosmopolitan seaside resort, part laid-back surf town, Biarritz has been one of Europe’s top summertime destinations for centuries. With pristine sandy beaches, luxurious villas, a trendy French-Basque food scene, and some of the best surf in Europe, Biarritz is a true gem on the Atlantic Coast.
Claiming a spot on UNESCO’s World Heritage list, this craggy mountain range rising sharply from Mallorca’s northwest coast is prized for both its striking landscapes and cultural history. Alpine roads wind through pine forests and boast oceans views at every hairpin turn, while traditional villages provide a link to the island’s long Christian and Muslim heritage.
With its beautiful white sand beaches framed in picturesque rocky points, Puerto Pollensa (Port de Pollença) on majestic Formentor peninsula has become a magnet for holiday goers with a taste for the finer things in life. Everyone from families to water sports enthusiasts come for the cafe-lined promenade, marina, and the Bay of Pollensa.
Situated southwest of Barcelona along the Costa Dorada, Sitges is one of the most popular LGBTQ+ beach resorts in southern Europe. Travelers flock to this destination for its sizzling nightlife, annual festivals, and 18 beaches, which range from family-friendly to clothing-optional stretches of white sand. Sitges isn’t just about seaside and sunshine—a hub of the 19th- and 20th-century modernism movement, its bohemian old town is filled with characteristic Catalan architecture and art museums.
Impossible to miss in the heart of Palma’s Old Town, Plaza Mayor is the Mallorcan capital’s largest square and a lively meeting place at any time of day. Constructed in the 19th century on a storied piece of land, today the sprawling rectangular plaza serves as a shopping and dining hotspot for locals and visitors alike.
Albufera, south of Valencia, is home to Spain’s largest lake and some of the country’s most scenic wetlands and lagoons. The park’s natural biodiversity features hundreds of native plants and 340 bird species, including rare and endangered ones. Locally grown rice is featured in many regional dishes, such as paella.
Plaza de la Marina, also known as Marina Square, is in the historic heart of Málaga. Right in front of the port, the square was built in the late 19th century when the southern city walls were demolished. It’s the first thing you’ll see if you’re approaching the Port of Málaga.
Of the two headlands that bookend San Sebastian’s La Concha Bay, Monte Urgull to the east was an especially important defensive site, starting in the 12th century. Today, Monte Urgull draws visitors for its views of the city and bay, La Concha and Ondarreta beaches, Santa Clara Island, and Monte Igueldo, the western headland.
Basílica de la Macarena, a neobaroque church in Seville, is best known for its 17th-century wooden sculpture of La Macarena, or the Virgin of Hope. The statue’s glass tears are meant to convey Christ’s mother in mourning. La Macarena is the patron saint of bullfighters, friend to gypsies, and star of the Easter Holy Week parade in Seville.
The best views in Las Palmas lie at the south end of the Gran Canarian capital, where you can hike into the heart of a gigantic ancient crater more than 5,000 years old. The Bandama Caldera is an impressive sight, stretching the width of 10 football fields and framed against a backdrop of the city skyline and the ocean.
Home to the Segovia School of Art, this 16th-century building is one of the city’s most distinctive landmarks. Its façade is studded with more than 600 pyramid-shaped reliefs, lending the one-time noble house its name (“Pico” loosely translates to a sharp point in Spanish.) Whether this feature was added in the name of defense or merely decoration, no one really knows.
Spanish architect Joaquín Rucoba built Málaga’s neo-Mudéjar bullring in 1874. Entrepreneur and former president of Málaga Football Club, Fernando Puche Dona, owns it today. The arcaded stadium has capacity for 14,000 spectators, with stables and training grounds for the horses, corrals for the bulls, and a mini-hospital.
This magnificent work of Spanish Mudejar and Italian Renaissance architecture, inspired by Pontius Pilot’s estate, was built in the early 16th century by the dukes of Tarifa. Today, it remains one of the city’s grandest mansions. The palace, often referred to as a mini Alcázar, serves as the permanent residence of the Dukes of Medinaceli.
This sleepy fishing village on the northwest coast of Fuerteventura is best known for its extensive stretch of sandy beach (Playa del Castillo that attracts surfers and windsurfers to its consistent waves. The town itself features a small harbor lined with cafes, tapas bars, and restaurants, all with excellent sea views.
With a grand facade on Plaça de Sant Jaume and an impressive interior, the Barcelona City Hall (Casa de la Ciutat) is more than a local government headquarters—it’s a 14th-century landmark that’s an architectural highlight of the surrounding Gothic Quarter. Past the neoclassical facade lie original, Gothic-style spaces like the medieval Saló de Cent reception chamber, as well as the Saló de Cròniques adorned with murals by Josep Maria Sert.
Wrapping around Santa María Square, La Viña is a neighborhood of whitewashed homes and narrow lanes. Once a working-class bastion, the neighborhood now hosts a selection of tapas bars that are among the best in the city. The heart of the action is pretty Calle de la Palma, a cobblestone street lined with café tables, palm trees, and socializing crowds.
Sitting pretty on a hilltop in Ibiza Town (Eivissa), the fortified area of Dalt Vila has been occupied since Phoenician times. Behind its chunky defensive walls and 16th-century bastions lies a maze of cobbled streets that slope up to the cathedral at the summit, where views of the glistening coast await.
Seville’s second largest church, the Church of the Divine Savior sits on the site of what was once the city’s largest mosque. Come here to see layers of history, which range from the ruins of the old mosque in the orange tree-filled courtyard to the Baroque architecture of the 17th-century church.
Mundaka may look like a quiet fishing village at first, but this Basque destination has an outsized reputation. That’s thanks to its world-class, left-hand barreling wave, considered one of the best in Europe, which has made the town a major international surfing destination. Other attractions include its beaches and old port.
A former royal residence and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Royal Palace of Aranjuez (Palacio Real de Aranjuez) is one of the grandest palaces in the Madrid region. With origins dating to the 16th century, the palace housed generations of the Spanish monarchy. Today, its opulent looks and grounds make it a popular tourist destination.
Burrowed into Mallorca’s northern coastline, Coll Baix Beach (Platja des Coll Baix) is one of its few undeveloped beaches. Cradled by cliffs and turquoise waters and only easily accessible by boat—the secret to its seclusion—the cove is a gorgeous bolthole far from the madding crowds.
