Spain

Madrid

Barcelona

Barcelona — splendid, magnificent, magnetic — is a city worth an endless number of beautiful epithets. Barcelona is included in the top-20 most popular tourist destinations in the world. Start your exploration of the city with the charming Gothic Quarter with its temples, museums, and palaces. If you want to see the iconic creation of Gaudi — La Sagrada Familia — head to the western part of Barcelona. Other works of this author arouse the admiration of tourists: Casa Batlló, Casa Milà, the Palau Güell and Park Güell, Casa Vicens. All these masterpieces are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. You can admire the beauty of the capital of Catalonia from the top of Montjuïc Hill. You can find the Montjuïc Communications Tower, the Magic Fountain, the fortress, the architectural museum in the open air, and the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya are located in the same area. 

Valencia

Valencia is the third in the number of population city in Spain. That’s the place where you can successfully combine a beach and cultural holiday. Gorgeous beaches of the Mediterranean Sea, architectural monuments, and contemporary buildings, — the city impresses with its exceptional atmosphere. Start your tour with the Plaza del Ayuntamiento, and then head to the Catedral de Santa María de Valencia that was built in the XV century. After that, explore the Church of San Nicolás which is often called the Spanish Sistine Chapel. You can continue your cultural trip and go to the Museum of Fine Arts of Valencia or Museo Fallero devoted to the festival called Las Fallas. You can’t miss the City of Arts and Sciences. It’s a modern architectural complex that comprises a scientific museum, open-air oceanographic park, opera house, gallery, planetarium, and an IMAX cinema. 

Seville

Seville is a beautiful southern city, a large tourist and economic center of Andalusia. This place has a feel of bonhomie and liberty. Tourists come here to feast their eyes upon the famous Royal Alcázars of Seville. It’s a royal palace that was built in the XIV century in the Moorish architectural style. Travelers want to enjoy the beauty of the baroque churches, walk in the shade of the Parque de María Luisa, admire the majesty and beauty of the largest in Europe Gothic Cathedral de Santa María de la Sede. Travelers with children will be delighted to visit the Isla Magica themed park. In Seville, you can just wander around its beautiful streets all day long and enjoy the moment. 

Granada

Surrounded by the Sierra Nevada mountain range in Andalusia, hides the city of Granada. It’s one of the most picturesque cities not only in Spain but in Europe as well. The city is famous for the extant architectural monuments of the Moorish epoch. The Alhambra is one of the brightest examples. This magnificent and vast architectural complex surrounded by valla, with towers, palaces, columns, fountains, irrigation canals, and splendid gardens is the crowning achievement of the Moorish art in Western Europe. It’s included in the list of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Visit the Cathedral that was built in the XVI century and explore the roofed Alcaicería market where you can purchase some great souvenirs. Moreover, Granada has a fascinating interactive museum, Science Park where tourists can learn about the development of various sciences. It’s an interesting place for both children and adults.

Opportunities for active pastime in Spain

If you dream of surfing in Spain, head to the northern part of the country. Mundaka beach located in the region of Basque Country is the perfect choice for this activity. Here you can catch the tubular waves that are 400 m in length and 2 m in height. Beaches of Cantabria, Asturias, Galicia, and the Canary Islands also offer excellent surfing conditions. 

The Canary Islands are located in the Atlantic Ocean and are the autonomous community of Spain. They are of volcanic origin and every island strikingly differs from another one in its landscape. If you are still looking for a place on Earth with a perfect climate, then the Canary Islands are just for you. Pay special attention to Tenerife that is also called “the island of eternal spring”. 

Travelers who are looking for parties and vivid holidays should consider visiting the Balearic Islands: Ibiza, Mallorca, Menorca. In high seasons, the mind-blowing nightlife won’t let you sleep! Moreover, you can easily recover after a loud party at one of the gorgeous beaches. There are hundreds of them here and every 7th is labeled with a Blue Flag. 

Spain can offer you not only beaches and sightseeing but also skiing resorts. The most popular destinations for skiers and snowboarders are located in the Pyrenees: the Catalan Mediterranean System and Aragon Mountains. They will amaze you with their incredible landscapes with mountain lakes and rivers. The most famous resorts include Port del Comte, La Molina, Baqueira/Beret (that’s the place where the president of Spain and members of the royal family prefer to ski). The mountains in Aragon are famous for the national parks and plenty of thermal springs. Boi Taull, Astun, and Candanchú are the most popular resorts in this region. The Sierra Nevada is considered to be the highest skiing resort in Spain, located in the south of the country. 

The Iberian System is located in the province of Сараго́са. Here you can find the largest resort in the country called Formigal. There are also skiing resorts in the suburbs of Barcelona (Espot Esquí) and Madrid (Valdesquí, La Pinilla, Navacerrada). Although the season here is short, there are plenty of entertainments.

• The Spaniards are hot-tempered and hazardous. You can observe this in their love for football, corrida, gambling, and dancing flamenco.
• Citizens of the Iberian Peninsula cherish comfort and satisfaction above everything. If any action doesn’t bring them joy, it’s meaningless. Therefore, the Spaniards assign all resources to find some fun. As far as work is concerned, no one is in a hurry here. Siesta and lunch are sacred rituals.
• As you might have already guessed, it’s hard to label Spaniards as workaholics. They do not aspire to earn all the money in the world. They simply work to have enough for the essentials. 
• The Spaniards adore jokes about Catalans who in return joke about Aragonese citizens. Laughter and jokes are often connected here with disregard to danger. Frequently, you can hear stories that someone has almost died but everything turned out all right. The story is always accompanied by bright, slightly exaggerated details. 
• Spain is a country of fabulous festivals and carnivals. Las Fallas festival (the holiday of fire) is the most fascinating one. It is held annually in March, on Saint Joseph's Day in the Valencian Community. For several days, people walk down the streets in carnival costumes, blow firecrackers and fireworks.