Southern Europe
Spain
The world's most exciting food destination — from San Sebastián's Michelin temples and Barcelona's Gaudí to the Alhambra and the beaches of the Balearics.
18+
TastesOf Reviews
Apr–Oct
Best Season
Europe
Region
At a Glance
The Essentials
What to Do
Defining Experiences
San Sebastián — The World's Greatest Food City
No city on earth has more Michelin stars per capita than San Sebastián. The pintxos bars of the Parte Vieja — where the counter is piled high with extraordinary small bites — are one of the world's great culinary experiences. Arzak, Mugaritz, Akelarre, and Martín Berasategui have collectively defined modern Spanish cuisine. The Basque Country is the reason Spain is the world's most exciting food destination.
Barcelona — Gaudí, Beaches & Catalan Cuisine
The Sagrada Família — Gaudí's extraordinary basilica, under construction since 1882 and still unfinished — is the most visited monument in Spain and one of the most astonishing buildings on earth. The Gothic Quarter, the Boqueria market, the Barceloneta beach, and the restaurants of the Eixample make Barcelona one of Europe's most complete cities. The Catalan table — pa amb tomàquet, fideuà, crema catalana — is one of Europe's great regional cuisines.
Madrid — The Prado, Tapas & Nightlife
The Prado — with Velázquez's Las Meninas, Goya's Black Paintings, and the finest collection of Spanish masters in the world — is one of the great art museums. The tapas culture of La Latina and Malasaña, the Mercado de San Miguel, and the legendary nightlife (dinner at 10pm, clubs until 6am) make Madrid one of Europe's most alive cities. The Reina Sofía, home to Picasso's Guernica, is unmissable.
Andalucía — Seville, Granada & the Alhambra
The Alhambra — the Nasrid palace complex above Granada, with its extraordinary geometric tilework, muqarnas ceilings, and the Generalife gardens — is the finest example of Moorish architecture in the world. Seville's cathedral (the largest Gothic church on earth), the Alcázar, and the flamenco tablaos of the Triana district are equally extraordinary. The white villages of the Sierra Nevada and the sherry bodegas of Jerez complete the picture.
The Balearic Islands — Mallorca, Ibiza & Menorca
Mallorca's Serra de Tramuntana — a UNESCO World Heritage mountain range with medieval villages, olive groves, and clifftop monasteries — is the finest landscape in the western Mediterranean. Ibiza's legendary nightlife and the unspoiled coves of Menorca (the quietest and most beautiful of the three) offer entirely different experiences on the same archipelago.
The Camino de Santiago
The ancient pilgrimage route to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela — walked by hundreds of thousands of people each year — is one of the world's great journeys. The Camino Francés (the French Way), crossing the Pyrenees and traversing the meseta of Castile, takes 30–35 days on foot. The arrival in Santiago's Plaza del Obradoiro, after weeks of walking, is one of the most moving experiences in travel.
Where to Stay
Recommended Properties
Hotel Arts Barcelona
Luxury HotelA 44-storey tower on the Barceloneta waterfront — with the finest views in Barcelona, a Frank Gehry fish sculpture at its feet, and the Ritz-Carlton service standard. The rooftop pool and the Enoteca restaurant (two Michelin stars) make it the most complete luxury hotel in the city.
Parador de Granada
Historic ParadorA 15th-century convent within the walls of the Alhambra — the only hotel inside the complex. Waking up inside the Alhambra, walking to the Nasrid Palaces before the crowds arrive, is an experience available nowhere else in Spain. Book months in advance.
Akelarre Hotel, San Sebastián
Design HotelPedro Subijana's three-Michelin-star restaurant on Monte Igueldo, with a boutique hotel attached. Rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows over the Bay of Biscay, and the finest tasting menu in the Basque Country — the most complete luxury experience in San Sebastián.
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