Top 10 things to do in Spain

So if you’re planning a holiday in Spain, these are some of the best things to have on your wishlist.

This ornate Moorish palace is among the most beautiful in the world, elegant rooms filled with decorative tiles and sculptures and surrounded by shady gardens. Built during the 13th and 14th centuries, when this corner of Spain was part of the Emirate of Granada, the country’s last Muslim kingdom, the Alhambra was later occupied by the Spanish monarchs.

Court of the Lions, the Alhambra, Granada

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, you can still explore the Alcazaba, the site’s original fortress, as well as the Nasrid Palaces, home to the lion courtyard and Chamber of the Ambassadors with its intricate ceiling, plus the Generalife gardens with their pools and fountains.

One of the iconic sights of Barcelona, La Sagrada Familia – or the Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família to give it its full name – is one of Antoni Gaudi’s most spectacular works. Started in 1882, it’s still not completely finished, with work expected to be complete in 2026, bringing Gaudi’s full vision to life.

Sagrada Familia, Barcelona

This architectural masterpiece is simply awe-inspiring, with depictions of nature, biblical allegories, ornate decorations and stained glass transforming every surface. Originally intended to be a simple Catholic church, it was declared a basilica in 2010, with its 172.5-metre central tower making La Sagrada Familia the tallest building in the city.

The Museo Guggenheim Bilbao is as famous for its architecture as the artwork contained inside, with the shimmering curves of Frank Gehry’s building helping to transform the city’s regeneration. Set on a former industrial wasteland by the river, Bilbao’s shipbuilding and fishing industries inspired Gehry, right down to the titanium tiles reminiscent of fish scales.

Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao

Inside, the atrium soars more than 45m high, with both permanent and temporary exhibitions of modern and contemporary art to discover, along with installations and sculptures around the museum exterior too.

Art-lovers can easily spend a day – or longer – in The Prado in Madrid, one of the world’s most impressive art museums. The huge collection of European artworks date from medieval pieces through to early modern collections, including a string of big names such as Rubens, Raphael, Rembrandt, El Greco and Caravaggio, as well as Velazquez and Goya, to name just a few.

Part of Madrid’s Golden Triangle of Art, set on the Paseo del Prado which gives the museum its name, don’t miss the 3m-wide Las Meninas by Velazquez, Goya’s Black Paintings and Bosch’s triptych The Garden of the Earthly Delights Triptych.

Few foods are more firmly associated with Spain than tapas, originating in Andalucia in the country’s south. With the word tapa meaning lid or cover, there’s a string of theories behind it, some suggesting it was a way to keep flies out of drinks, while another suggests it’s down to King Alfonso X who decreed wine should always be served with a small snack to help with digestion.

Tapas

Andalucia is still one of the best places to try tapas, including in Granada and Seville, where you can sample classics such as croquettas, jamon and patatas bravas alongside inventive creations which make a perfect mouthful to accompany a glass of Spanish wine or sherry.

Spain’s Costa de la Luz is often overlooked compared to the better-known beach resorts, but this part of the country is home to one of its best natural reserves, the Donana National Park. A UNESCO-listed site and Biosphere reserve, the wetlands are a haven for birdlife including rare marbled teal, as well as ibis, spoonbills, egrets, grebes and even flamingos.

Egret in Doñana National Park

During autumn and winter, more than 400,000 birds arrive on the migration to the warmer south, while spring sees migrating species heading back north from Africa. Look out too for the protected marismeño horses, which can be seen galloping through the water.

The volcanic peaks which make up Spain’s Canary Islands are home to some of the country’s most dramatic scenery, including the towering peak of Mount Teide, at the heart of Teide National Park in Tenerife. The highest point in Spain, Teide is also one of the best stargazing destinations, with an observatory far from light pollution on the volcano.

Teide National Park, Tenerife

The national park itself is the biggest and oldest in the Canary Islands, and the most visited in Spain, with 168 plant species thriving in the mineral-rich volcanic soil alongside 10 bird species and three types of endemic lizard. Don’t be surprised to find snow at the peak, even as the coast is bathed in winter sun.

Spain isn’t short of magnificent beaches, with wonderful stretches of sand around the country. But Playa de las Catedrales, also known as Praia As Catedrais, is easily one of the most spectacular, with its soaring cliffs and rock formations, including arches, towers and caves.

Part of the dramatic scenery along Spain’s green coast, near Ribadeo in Galicia, it’s just over an hour north of the famous Camino de Santiago. The best time to visit is at low tide for fantastic views of the striking rocks carved out by the tide over the centuries, with pinnacles hidden inside sea caves and other stone shapes stretching as much as 30m into the air.

One of the world’s largest churches, Seville Cathedral is genuinely awe-inspiring. Built on the site of the Almohad Mosque and containing 80 separate side chapels, this vast building also contains the tomb of Christopher Columbus, a monumental creation held off the ground by four figures representing the four historical kingdoms of Spain; Castile, Aragon, Navarre, and León.

Seville Cathedral

Don’t miss the richly ornate altar in the Capilla Mayor, as well as the Chapter House and the Sacristy of the Chalices. Save time to climb the bell-tower, La Giralda, for some of the best views out over Seville too; instead of endless stairs, 34 sloping ramps lead up, designed to allow a horse to be ridden to the top. Then relax in the shade of the Courtyard of the Oranges, which dates back to Moorish times.

This sprawling private park is another of the best sites to see in Barcelona with links to Gaudi. UNESCO-listed, the gardens are filled with quirky sculptures, mosaics made from eye-catching broken tiles, alongside modernist buildings – a visit is easily one of the most unusual things to do in Spain.

Park Guell, Barcelona

It’s somewhere to soak up views out over the city, as well as some of the highlights of the park itself, including the colourful Salamander staircase and fairytale gatehouse, as you wander along the paths and under the trees.

The most visited tourist attraction in Spain is La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, with visitors enjoying the rare chance to see a church being built, as well as discovering the latest additions to Gaudi’s unique vision. The Alhambra in Granada also vies for the title of number one attraction in Spain, receiving around 2.7 million visitors each year, drawn by its beauty and history.

With so much to see in Spain, it can be hard to decide where to go first. But with some great connections across the country, including high-speed rail links, it’s often possible to see several key places in one trip such as on a touring holiday in Spain.

Our tours include a great introduction to the historic sites and cities of Andalusia, as well as some of the other jewels of Spain, and two of Spain’s biggest cities. Further afield, you could island hop through the Canary Islands to see some of the highlights. Or choose a single city as your base to explore more deeply, from Barcelona to Bilbao.

Explore the cities, beaches and attractions of Spain for yourself on an escorted tour or hotel stay