The 20 best places to visit in Spain

Elegant, magnificent, glorious Madrid ticks every box you could want of a capital city. From the Prado to the Debod Egyptian temple, the Spanish capital is absolutely teeming with elite museums, classic attractions, continent-leading restaurants, blissful green spaces and much more. Whether you’re a seasoned Madrid veteran or first-timer, this city has enough stuff to see and do to fill several lifetimes. 

Discover Madrid:

📍 The best things to do in Madrid
😋 The best restaurants in Madrid
🍹 The best bars in Madrid

At least once in their lives, everyone – yes, everyone – should visit Barcelona. The capital of the northwest autonomous region of Catalonia, this city is a cultural behemoth with museums, restaurants and nightlife options galore. It ain’t one of the most popular destinations on the planet for nothing, y’know.

Discover Barcelona:

📍 The best things to do in Barcelona
🌳 The best secret Barcelona parks and gardens
🎨 The best museums in Barcelona
🛏 The best hotels in Barcelona

Over the past few decades Bilbao has transformed from being the industrial powerhouse of the Basque region into a dazzling cultural hub. The swish and flashy Guggenheim might get the most attention, but this northern city’s old town, markets, Nirvión estuary and delicious pintxos also ensure it’s one of Spain’s most distinctive and exciting destinations.

Discover Bilbao:

📍 The best things to do in Bilbao

Centred around the majestic Alhambra palace – a massive fortress which sits high up on a hill mightily overlooking the city – Granada sees medieval and modern Spain clash in a very gritty, down-to-earth sort of way. Medieval Moorish architecture and ancient cave dwellings rub shoulders with buzzy student communities and rowdy tapas bars – it’s a captivating mix.

Discover Granada:

📍 The best things to do in Granada

If you’re going to Asturias, set aside at least one day to visit the Picos de Europa mountain range. Impossibly shaped mountains, rocks, rivers, meadows, and wildlife: it’s got it all. There’s a lot to see, but make sure to visit the Lakes of Covadonga, the charming and picturesque village of Bulnes, which can be reached on foot or by funicular, and take the Fuente Dé cable car (although you might want to avoid if you’re afraid of heights). 

Despite seeing an uptick in international visitors in recent years, the western coastal city of Valencia remains a criminally underrated Spanish destination. As renowned for its arts and sciences as it is for its foodie history and gastronomic innovation, Valencia is as exciting as contemporary Spain gets. And it’s all within reach of some of the country’s finest beaches! Dreamy.

Discover Valencia:

📍 The best things to do in Valencia
🏄‍♀️ The best beaches in Valencia

Sitting sun-scorched pretty much year-round, the southern city of Seville is a laidback, romantic sort of place. Boasting stately palaces, intimate courtyards, characterful bars and plenty of tasty (and cheap) tapas restaurants, Spain’s fourth-largest city enchants on several levels. Just remember your sunscreen.

Discover Seville:

📍 The best things to do in Seville

Yes, Ibiza’s known for its legendary parties – but there’s much more to this Mediterranean isle than its world-class clubs. Delightful beaches, lip-smackingly good seafood and over 100 rugged hiking trails mean that Ibiza is far, far from a one-trick pony.  

Discover Ibiza:

📍 The best things to do in Ibiza

Pretty much every corner of the Basque Country is beautiful. There’s an almost supernatural power that’s reflected in the lush green vegetation, the strength of the sea, the bold gastronomy, and the equally bold people. It’s also full of historical sites with an almost mythical power, such as San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, a small islet around 35km from Bilbao which is connected to the mainland by a zigzagging path of 241 steps, crowned by an eleventh-century stone castle (the name ‘Gaztelugatxe’ literally translates to ‘castle of rock’). And we’re not the only ones who noticed: San Juan de Gaztelugatxe was the filming location for Dragonstone in the seventh season of Game of Thrones.

The Canaries have been a well-established holiday destination for decades – so there’s a chance you might have dismissed them as package holiday fodder. But you couldn’t be more wrong. From Gran Canaria’s dazzling archaeological sites and Fuerteventura’s aloe vera estates to Tenerife’s stargazing and Lanzarote’s marvels of modernist architecture, these islands are packed full of surprises.

Discover the Canary Islands:

🌱 The best things to do in Fuerteventura
🎨 The best things to do in Lanzarote
🔭 The best things to do in Tenerife