Extremadura
About 25km west of Hervás, the ghost village of Granadilla is a beguiling reminder of how Extremadura's villages must have looked before modernisation…
Must-see attractions in Spain
Palacio de Santa María del Naranco
Oviedo
On the slopes of Monte Naranco, 3.5km northwest of central Oviedo, this tall, narrow palace – built by Ramiro I (842–50), Alfonso II’s successor…
Mérida
Mérida's most spectacular Roman monument, and the only one to once again fulfil its original function – by hosting performances during the Festival…
Cantabria
The museum’s highlight is the Neocueva, a dazzling, full-sized re-creation of the real Cueva de Altamira’s most interesting chamber, the Sala de…
Extremadura
Trujillo's main square is one of Spain's most spectacular plazas, surrounded by baroque and Renaissance stone buildings sporting intricately carved…
Málaga
Málaga’s elaborate cathedral was started in the 16th century on the site of the former mosque. Of the mosque, only the Patio de los Naranjos survives, a…
Catalonia
Visible long before entering Cardona, this hilltop fortress broods above the modern town. From this strategic position, centuries of noblemen have kept a…
Madrid
Plaza de Santa Ana is a delightful confluence of elegant architecture and irresistible energy. It presides over the upper reaches of the Barrio de las…
Andalucía
This famous chapel, built between 1536 and 1559, is the flagship of Úbeda Renaissance architecture. Commissioned by Francisco de los Cobos y Molina as his…
Bilbao
On the waterfront, this interactive maritime museum brings the watery depths of Bilbao and Basque maritime history to life. Start with a 10-minute video…
Ribera del Duero
Perched dramatically over Peñafiel, this castle houses the state-of-the-art Museo Provincial del Vino. A comprehensive story of the region's wines, this…
Costa Brava
The allure of the Illes Medes, seven islets off L'Estartit beach, lies in their range of depths (down to 50m), kaleidoscopic marine life, and underwater…
Barcelona
The city's maritime museum occupies the mighty Gothic Reials Drassanes (Royal Shipyards) – a remarkable relic from Barcelona's days as the seat of a…
Santuario de la Virgen de las Nieves
Santa Cruz de la Palma
For splendid views down the valley to Santa Cruz, put aside time to tackle the 4km uphill hike north of town to La Palma’s main object of pilgrimage, the…
Segovia
Rapunzel towers, turrets topped with slate witches' hats and a deep moat at its base make the Alcázar a prototypical fairy-tale castle – so much so that…
Valencia
Recently reopened to the public after a magnificent restoration, this single-naved church down a passageway is a striking sight. Over the original Gothic…
Navarra
Carlos III is to thank for the exceptional Palacio Real, which towers over the village. Back in Carlos’ day (early 15th century), the castle's inhabitants…
Montserrat
Catalonia's most renowned monastery was established in 1025 to commemorate local shepherds' visions of the Virgin Mary, accompanied by celestial light and…
Serra de Tramuntana
Casa Robert Graves is a fascinating tribute to the British writer and poet who moved to Deià in 1929 and had his house built here three years later. It's…
West Ibiza
Occupying a low-lying headland, this dreamy cluster of three blonde-sand coves enjoys shallow, fabulously clear aquamarine waters. The beaches face…
Northern Mallorca
It's a fantastic ramble to Platja des Coll Baix – and what a bay! Snug below sheer, wooded cliffs, this shimmering crescent of pale pebbles and…
Bilbao
The Museo de Bellas Artes houses a compelling collection that includes everything from Gothic sculptures to 20th-century pop art. There are three main…
Castilla y León
Villa Romana La Olmeda contains some of the most beautiful remnants of a Roman villa anywhere on the Iberian Peninsula. The villa was built around the 1st…
Ermita de San Antonio de la Florida
Madrid
The frescoed ceilings of the restored Ermita de San Antonio de la Florida are one of Madrid's most surprising secrets. The southern of the two small…
Monasterio de San Juan de la Peña
Aragón
The road from Santa Cruz winds 7km up to the 10th-century Monasterio Viejo, tucked protectively under an overhanging lip of rock. A fire in 1675 led the…
Comillas
With this marvellous 1888 building, the Marqués de Comillas’ summer palace, Modernista architect Joan Martorell truly managed to out-Gothic real Gothic…
Ribadeo
This spectacular 1.5km sandy stretch is strung with awesome Gothic-looking rock towers, arches and chambers, sculpted by aeons of sea-water action. Avoid…
Galicia
The path running right round the top of the World Heritage–listed Roman walls is to Lugo what a maritime promenade is to a seaside resort: a place to jog,…
Rías Baixas
From the hamlet of Donón, 4km west of Hío, the windswept, rocky cape Cabo de Home stretches 2.5km south. It's strung with walking trails and a few…
Rías Altas
Four kilometres north of the workaday fishing town of Cariño looms the mother of Spanish capes, Cabo Ortegal, where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Bay of…
Castilla y León
The ancient Roman goldmines at Las Médulas, about 20km southwest of Ponferrada, once served as the main source of gold for the entire Roman Empire – the…
Málaga
No time to visit Granada’s Alhambra? Then Málaga’s Alcazaba can provide a taster. The entrance is beside the Roman theatre, from where a meandering path…
Monestir de Sant Pere de Rodes
Costa Brava
Views of distant Pyrenean peaks and the deep-blue Mediterranean combine with a spectacular piece of Romanesque architecture at this hillside monastery,…
Toledo
This magnificent synagogue was built in 1355 by special permission from Pedro I. The synagogue now houses the Museo Sefardí, which provides a glimpse into…
Cofete
This is the main beach in far-flung Cofete, near the southern tip of the island and the main draw on the island for many. It's huge, quite beautiful and…
Alcúdia
Ranging over a sizeable (but walkable) area, the fascinating ruins of the Roman town of Pol·lèntia lie just outside Alcúdia's walls. Founded around 70 BCE…
Valencia
This seminary was founded in the late 16th century by San Juan de Ribera, a towering Counter-Reformation figure who wielded enormous spiritual and…
Granada
Built between 1737 and 1759, this spectacular basilica unveils a blinding display of opulent baroque decor. Barely an inch of its interior lacks…
The Catalan Pyrenees
Consecrated in CE 888, Ripoll's monastery was Catalonia’s spiritual and cultural heart from the mid-10th to mid-11th century. The five-naved basilica was…
Tarragona
Crowning the town, Tarragona’s cathedral incorporates both Romanesque and Gothic features, as typified by the main facade. The flower-filled cloister has…
