Spain holidays

One of the most popular things to do in Spain is to hike the Camino de Santiago. This ancient pilgrimage route runs across Spain’s northern coast, from the Pyrenees to the capital of Galicia, Santiago de Compostela. You can walk the whole thing or skip right to the end and visit the Romanesque cathedral where Saint James the Great is said to be buried.

Iberian architects have been going wild since Roman times. In the northeast, marvel at Antoni Gaudí’s psychedelic Catalan modernism in Barcelona and Santiago Calatrava’s futuristic City of Arts and Sciences building in Valencia. In the south, you’ll find sights like Cordoba’s ‘Mezquita-Catedral’ (mosque-cathedral), next to a 2,000-year-old Roman aqueduct, and Granada’s medieval Alhambra, with its exquisite mosaics and gardens.

Consistently ranked among the best museums in the world, the Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid is definitely worth a visit, or several — the collection is huge! In Barcelona, marvel at Antoni Gaudí’s wild Sagrada Familia basilica, its construction nearly finished after 100 years. And Granada’s hilltop Alhambra is majestic, especially if you arrive in time to watch the sunrise over the city.

Some of the most beautiful beaches in Spain are found in the Balearic Islands, where the vibe ranges from the quiet luxury of Formentera to the unsubtle hedonism of Ibiza. On the mainland, expats and holidaymakers flock to the various Mediterranean Costas — del Sol, Daurada, Blanca or Brava — while surfers prefer the rugged shores of the northern coast.

Ski the snowy peaks of the Sierra Nevada, home to one of Spain’s highest mountains, or bring your binoculars to Doñana National Park to spot Iberian imperial eagles, flamingos and other majestic birds. For a truly out-there experience, catch a flight to Lanzarote in the Canary Islands. The volcanic landscape is so alien-looking that astronauts use it as a training ground for missions to the moon and Mars.

The museums in Spain contain some of the most important artwork in the world. See Picasso’s ‘Guernica’ at the Reina Sofia in Madrid. Just down the block is Velázquez’s ‘Las Meninas’, one of more than 8,500 pieces in the Museo Nacional del Prado’s collection. Up north, don’t miss the Guggenheim in Bilbao and the bizarre theatre-museum of the Surrealist painter Salvador Dalí in Figueres.

Restaurants in Spain range from humble tapas bars to Michelin-starred fine dining. Typical dishes vary by region — octopus in Galicia, white anchovies in Cantabria and fried eggplant with honey in Andalusia. You can find ‘tortilla de patata’ (potato omelette) pretty much everywhere. And don’t miss the ‘jamón’, Spain’s famous acorn-fed ham — the best stuff comes from Extremadura.