26 Places to visit in Spain

Hello, fellow travelers! Spain is such a beautiful country to visit, and it’s the very first country I ever visited in Europe. There are 10 places I think everyone who visits Spain should see, especially if it’s their first time visiting.

About Spain

Capital: Madrid

Currency: Euro

Languages: English, Spanish, Catalan (in Catalonia and Valencia)

Government: Constitutional Monarchy (Felipe VI and Queen Letizia). Spain’s Prime Minister is Pedro Sanchez.

Places to Visit

Madrid

Madrid is the capital of Spain, and the highest elevation capital in all of Europe. Madrid is such a beautiful city, and here are some top spots to visit.

Palacio Real (Royal Palace of Madrid)

The Royal Palace of Madrid (Palacio Real) is the residence of the royal family of Spain. It is the largest palace in Western Europe, and one of the largest palaces in the world. You can tour the inside of the palace for 12 euros for adults and 6 euros for children aged 5-16 and university students under 25. The outside of the palace is just as impressive. The Royal Palace is also used to hold meetings with Spain’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez.

The gardens of the Royal Palace are equally as impressive. Since we went in October of 2022, sadly, there was nothing in bloom. However, it was still really nice to visit the Royal Palace.

Plaza de Espana (Madrid)

Madrid’s Plaza de Espana is located a mere block from the hotel we stayed at (Hotel Riu Plaza Espana). It is located on the western end of La Gran Via, Madrid’s biggest shopping street. The plaza features a monument dedicated to Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, and is located adjacent to two of Madrid’s most prominent skyscrapers (Edificio Espana, where the Hotel Riu Plaza Espana is located, and Torre de Madrid, which is now another hotel). The Palacio Real is a short walk away from the plaza as well. When we went to Madrid and visited the square, there was a festival celebrating the South American countries that speak Spanish (Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Paraguay, Argentina, and Chile). There are always events happening at the Plaza de Espana, and it’s a very popular tourist destination as well.

Hotel Riu Plaza Espana- 27th Floor

Hotel Riu Plaza Espana has a nice outdoor bar on its 27th floor, which provides a beautiful view of the Madrid skyline. It’s even more beautiful at night, but be careful of windy nights. A lot of influencers and content creators come just to take a photo of the beautiful skyline.

Parque de la Montana

The Parque de la Montana is a park that contains the Templo de Debod, an Egyptian-style temple. The park also offers a beautiful view of the southern part of Madrid. You can see the Royal Palace from the park, alongside the Cathedral of Saint Mary the Royal. I loved exploring the park.

Museo del Prado

The Museo del Prado (Museo Nacional del Prado) is Spain’s national art museum. There is no photography or videography allowed in the museum, but it’s very well worth it to go. The museum contains thousands of artworks from Spanish artists such as Goya and El Greco. The art collection also features non-Spanish artists such as Peter Paul Rubens, a Flemish artist, and Titian, an Italian artist. The Museo del Prado, along with the Museo Reina Sofía and Thyssen form Madrid’s Golden Art Triangle.

Plaza Mayor (Madrid)

Madrid’s Plaza Mayor used to be the center of Old Madrid. It is a few blocks away from the Puerta del Sol, another famous plaza. It is home to the Casa de la Panaderia, a cultural and municipal building. The plaza is located a few blocks away from the oldest restaurant in the world, Restaurante Botin.

Toledo

Toledo is technically not in Madrid, but is an hour away. It is the seat of government of the autonomous region of Castilla-La Mancha, located just southeast of the Community of Madrid. Toledo is a beautiful walled city filled with historical architecture. Despite its small size, Toledo has a handful of historically important points of interest.

Toledo Cathedral

The Toledo Cathedral (Primatial Cathedral of Saint Mary of Toledo) is the seat of the Archdioceses of Toledo and is one of the most beautiful cathedrals I have ever seen. Inside are various paintings done by El Greco, Goya, and more. There are also artifacts of religious importance.

El Transparente is a Baroque piece of artwork that cuts across the ambulatory behind the high altar. The ceiling fresco in the cathedral was done by artist Luca Giordano, an Italian artist.

The Disrobing of Christ by El Greco. This painting represents Jesus Christ being unclothed before being placed on the cross.

The Retable of the Cathedral.

Sculpture of the Virgin Mary

St Christopher carrying the child of Christ

One of the magnificent stained glass windows inside the cathedral

The Cathedral Tower

Iglesia de Santo Tome

The Iglesia de Santo Tomé (Church of Santo Tome) is a small church located in Toledo, and is the home of The Burial of the Count of Orgaz, a painting by El Greco.

Alongside the Toledo Cathedral and the Church of Santo Tome, there are some small shops that sell steel, as Toledo is famous for its steel. There are also small shops selling marzipan candies and souvenirs.

Cordoba

Cordoba is a city located in the autonomous region of Andalusia, Spain’s largest autonomous region. The city is located on the right bank of the Guadalquivir River, Spain’s second longest river. Cordoba has a lot of religious history, having once been the home of 3 major religions (Islam, Judaism, and Christianity). Cordoba is the 3rd largest city in all of Andalusia.

La Mezquita

The Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba (Cathedral of our Lady of Assumption) is a mosque that was converted into a cathedral. The mosque was converted when Cordoba was captured by the Christian forces of Castille during the Reconquista. The Reconquista was a war following the Muslim conquest of the Iberian peninsula by European Christian kingdoms.

La Mezquita has a lot of unique architecture, as it has Moorish and Gothic backgrounds from its history as a mosque and later being converted.

The workers who worked on La Mezquita would carve their names into the pillars of the mosque, as an eternal memory of their hard labor.

The mihrab of La Mezquita

Where Moorish and Baroque architecture meet in La Mezquita

The Baroque style ceiling in La Mezquita

The tabernacle of the cathedral

Another painting of Saint Christopher carrying the child of Christ

The bell tower

The graves of the archbishops and cardinals of the cathedral

Juderia de Cordoba

La Juderia de Cordoba (the Jewish quarter of Cordoba) is the area of Cordoba where Jewish people lived between the 10th and 15th centuries. The Cordoba Synagogue is located here. After the expulsion of all Jewish people from the city in 1492, the synagogue was converted into a hospital. Although it is no longer an active place of worship, the synagogue is still open to the public.

Roman Bridge

The Roman Bridge of Cordoba connects the old part of the city to the new part. It stretches across the Guadalquivir River and has been reconstructed numerous times.

Seville

Seville is the capital and largest city of Andalusia. The city is situated on the lower reaches of the Guadalquivir River. Seville is the fourth largest city in Spain (after Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia) and the 25th most populated municipality in the European Union. Seville is home to the Seville Harbour, the only river port in Spain. Seville is also the assumed birthplace of the flamenco dance.

One important safety tip to learn in Seville is keep your bag close to you. The is because the city has a decent amount of pickpockets, much like La Rambla in Barcelona.

Plaza de Espana-Seville

The Plaza de Espana in Seville is a plaza located in the Parque de Maria Luisa. It is a prime example of Regionalism architecture, mixing Moorish, Renaissance, and Baroque styles. The plaza has beautiful tiles of all the Spanish autonomous regions. One tip I would suggest to people who are planning on going to the Plaza de Espana in Seville- don’t take anything that is shoved in front of you. That is because it is a ruse by the Romani people to make money off unsuspecting tourists.

Some of the beautiful regional tiles in the plaza.

Seville oranges

Seville is famous for its bitter oranges. The oranges, while edible, are mainly used for making marmalade in the United Kingdom. Most people do not normally eat Seville oranges because of how bitter they are.

A momument dedicated to the Jewish people who were forced to vacate Seville in the 1400s.

Seville Cathedral

The Seville Cathedral (Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See) is a Catholic cathedral and former mosque. The cathedral is one of the largest churches in the world. The cathedral, alongside its neighboring attractions, the Alcazar and the General Archives of the Indies, make up the 3 UNESCO Heritage Sites in Seville. The cathedral is home to the grave of Christopher Columbus.

One of the altarpieces in the cathedral

The tomb of Christopher Columbus

A statue of the Virgin Mary

Beautiful stained-glass window

Grave of a cardinal.

Grave of a bishop

Another stained glass window from the cathedral

Grave of a religious figure in the cathedral

Alligator tied onto the roof, an example of gifts bought by explorers to the King.

The choir of the cathedral

The beautiful pipe organ

Seville’s most famous bullfighter

Granada

Granada is the capital of the province of Granada, also located in Andalusia. The city lies at the foot of the Spanish Sierra Nevada mountains and sits at the confluence of four rivers (Darro, Genil, Monachil, and Beiro). Granada is also famous for its Moorish roots, and is the home of the Alhambra fortress. The symbol for Granada is the pomegranate, after which the city was named. Granada province was also the last Muslim state of Al-Andalus, a period of time where almost all of Spain was under Muslim control.

Alhambra

The Alhambra is a fortress and palace located in the city. It is one of the most famous examples of Islamic architecture. It is also one of the best preserved palaces of the historic Islamic world. The Albaicin is a neighborhood of Granada, and is considered an extension of the Alhambra.

The front of the fortress

One of the walls of the Alhambra and neighboring Albaicin

More views of Albaicin

Cannons at the front of the fortress

Alhambra also is home to a few stray cats

One defining feature of Moorish architecture is symmetry.

View of the whole fortress

Fountain with lions

Some more examples of Moorish architecture

Granada Cathedral

The Granada Cathedral (Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica of the Incarnation) is the seat of the Archdiocese of Granada. Like many cathedrals in Andalusia, it was originally a mosque that was converted after the reconquest of Granada.

We didn’t get a chance to go in, as we were only in Granada overnight, but I bet the interior looked just as beautiful.

Monument I took a photo of while walking around the city.

Municipal building

Valencia

Valencia is the capital and government seat of the Valencian Community. It is Spain’s 3rd biggest city, falling behind Madrid and Barcelona. Valencia is special in the sense that it is the home of Albufera, a freshwater lagoon which is now a national park. Valencia is also where paella was created. The province is special as it is one of the two autonomous regions in Spain which speaks Catalan (the other being Catalonia). The city used to lie on the banks of the river Turia. After a catastrophic flood in 1957, the Turia was drained and rerouted. The old riverbank was later converted into a sunken park.

Valencia is special in the way that it is divided into two sections. The “new” section of the city contains attractions such as a movie theater, botanical garden, and small museums. The old part of the city is protected by a wall and contains a lot of historical architecture and history.

City of Arts and Sciences

The City of Arts and Sciences (Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències in Valencian, Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias in Spanish) is the “new” part of Valencia. It is one of the 12 Treasures of Spain, and is a popular tourist attraction.

We arrived at the City of Arts and Sciences before it opened, so unfortunately, we didn’t get to see much of anything, but seeing the modern architecture was very cool.

Torres de Serranos

The Torres de Serranos (Serranos Towers) is one of the twelve gates that formed part of the ancient city wall of Valencia, and represents the “old” part of the city.

Valencia Cathedral

The Valencia Cathedral (Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lady of Valencia), like many cathedrals in Spain, was a former mosque that was converted into a cathedral. This cathedral is famous because a holy chalice hidden within one of the chapels in the cathedral is rumored to be the true Holy Grail.

The Plaza de la Virgen, in which the Fuente de Turia (Turia Fountain) is. The plaza is located adjacent to the cathedral.

The Doors of the Irons of the Valencia Cathedral

One of the most beautiful murals I’ve ever seen.

A plaque I found on a nearby building

Mercat Central de Valencia

The Mercat Central de Valencia (Mercado Central) is a public market located across from two other points of interest in Valencia: the Llotja de la Seda and the Church of Santos Juanes. In addition to the interior, there are also vendors selling wares outside the market as well.

The interior contains mostly produce, meats, and groceries. The outside is where you’ll find trinkets, dishes, and clothes.

The Church of Santos Juanes (Sant Joan del Mercat)

Albufera

Albufera is a freshwater lagoon that is now a national park. Located just 11 kilometers (6.8 miles) outside the city, it is such a beautiful national park. It’s a popular day trip for many schools in the area and contains some historical fishermen’s homes. Most of Spain’s rice is grown in Albufera.

An example of a Valencia orange. These are much sweeter than their Seville counterparts.

Paella is a rice dish that originally comes from the Valencian Community. The dish is traditionally made with rabbit, but was made with chicken instead in this case. The paella ended up being very tasty.

Viewing Valencia from the lagoon

A prime example of the wildlife found in Albufera

Some of the historical fishermen’s houses.

Barcelona

Barcelona is probably one of the most popular tourists flock to when visiting Spain, and for good reason. It is considered Spain’s economic capital and is the second largest city in the country, falling just behind Madrid. Barcelona has been the location of many protests, especially among people who think Catalonia should separate from the rest of Spain. Recently, there have been protests in the city calling to ban tourists. Despite this, Barcelona is a beautiful city that people who can afford to should visit while they still can.

One safety tip about Barcelona is to always keep your personal belongings close to you due to pickpockets, especially on La Rambla. I would recommend a crossbody bag, or wear your backpack at the front instead of the back.

Barcelona Cathedral

Barcelona Cathedral (Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia) is the seat of the Archbishop of Barcelona. Although not as impressive as the nearby Sagrada Familia, the Barcelona Cathedral is still beautiful.

La Boqueria

La Boqueria (Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria) is a public market located in the Ciutat Vella district. It has an entrance from La Rambla, Barcelona’s shopping street. It has a diverse selection of goods, even more than the Mercat Central in Valencia.

So many goods! I ended up getting some candy, a piece of salmon and tuna toast, and some other fruits and food.

Port Vell

Port Vell is a waterfront harbor at the Port of Barcelona. It is home to the Rambla Del Mar, a wooden walkway which connects La Rambla to Port Vell. Port Vell is a tourist attraction which features many things, such as the Christopher Columbus Monument, historical builds, and similar things. It contains a swing bridge to allow boats to travel in and out of the harbor.

One of the statues on the port

Gamba, a statue of a prawn

The Christopher Columbus Monument. Pity that he’s pointing the wrong way!

The old port building

We got stuck on the Rambla Del Mar for 15 minutes as there was an international boating competition going on at the time, but there are these unique floating statues in the harbor.

The old Customs House in the harbor

The Arc de Triomf. It faces the Passeig de Sant Joan and leads to the Ciutadella Park.

La Sagrada Familia

The Sagrada Familia (Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família) is perhaps one of the most famous cathedrals in the world. It is the largest unfinished Catholic cathedral, with construction being rumored to finish in the 2030s. The cathedral is extremely breathtaking, with intricate carvings on the front depicting the birth of Christ, and with the carvings at the back of the church representing the crucification of Christ.

Some of the carvings on the exterior of the cathedral

We got a chance to explore the inside of the cathedral, and the inside is just as beautiful, with stained glass windows turning the sunlight into beautiful rainbows.

The ceiling of the cathedral. Notice the perfect symmetry.

Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya

The Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC) is a museum full of Catalan visual art. The museum also offers a stunning view of Barcelona, as it’s located on Montjuïc, a hill located in the city.