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🇪🇸Things to Do in Spain
From Gaudi's Barcelona to the Moorish palaces of Andalusia - the essential sights, and how to keep your own record of them.
Travel guide - last updated September 2026
Spain reads differently depending on which region you land in. Barcelona is Gaudi's unfinished cathedral and Mediterranean beaches within city limits; Madrid is the Prado and late-night tapas culture; Andalusia in the south holds nearly a thousand years of Moorish architecture. Few countries in Europe pack this much regional contrast into one border. Here are 10 places worth building a trip around.
Top attractions
The sights most first-time visitors build an itinerary around.
Sagrada Familia, Barcelona
Antoni Gaudi's basilica, under construction since 1882 and still not finished. Book a timed-entry ticket online well ahead - it's Spain's most-visited monument and walk-up tickets are rarely available.
📍 Barcelona
🚉 Nearest station: Sagrada Familia on Metro L2 and L5, which surfaces directly opposite the Nativity facade.
Park Guell, Barcelona
Gaudi's mosaic-tiled park above the city, built as a failed housing development and reopened as public parkland. The famous mosaic terrace sits in a paid, timed-entry zone - the rest of the park is free to wander.
📍 Barcelona
🚉 Nearest station: Lesseps or Vallcarca on Metro L3, both about a 15-minute uphill walk (Vallcarca has outdoor escalators); bus 24 stops at the Carretera del Carmel gate.
Alhambra, Granada
A Moorish palace and fortress complex overlooking Granada, widely considered the finest surviving example of Islamic architecture in Europe. Tickets are capped daily and often sell out weeks in advance - book as early as you can.
📍 Granada
🚉 Granada's main railway station is a 30-minute walk away, so most visitors take the C30 or C32 Alhambra minibus from Plaza Isabel la Catolica, which climbs to the ticket pavilion.
Flamenco & the Real Alcazar, Seville
Seville is flamenco's spiritual home - a tablao show in one of the old-town venues is worth an evening. By day, the Real Alcazar's Mudejar palace and gardens (parts of which appeared in Game of Thrones) are the city's other must-see.
📍 Seville
🚉 Nearest station: Archivo de Indias on tram T1, two minutes from the palace gate; Puerta de Jerez on Metro L1 is a five-minute walk.
Prado Museum, Madrid
Spain's national gallery, anchored by Velazquez's Las Meninas and a vast Goya collection. Entry is free the last two hours before closing most days, which is enough time for a focused visit to the highlights.
📍 Madrid
🚉 Nearest station: Estacion del Arte on Metro L1, or Banco de Espana on L2; Atocha, Madrid's main rail terminus, is a 10-minute walk down the boulevard.
Ibiza & the Balearic Islands
Ibiza's nightlife gets the headlines, but Mallorca and Menorca in the same island chain offer quieter beaches and hiking. Ferries connect all three from Barcelona and Valencia if you want to combine an island stop with the mainland.
📍 Balearic Islands
🚉 There is no railway on Ibiza: arrive by ferry from Barcelona, Valencia or Denia, or fly in and take the L10 airport bus into Ibiza Town, where island buses fan out to the beaches.
San Fermin, Pamplona
The nine-day festival built around the Running of the Bulls, held every July. Even outside festival week, Pamplona's old town and city walls are worth a stop on a broader trip through northern Spain.
📍 Pamplona
🚉 Pamplona's railway station is about 25 minutes' walk from the bull run route, or a short ride on city bus 9; long-distance coaches use the underground station at Yanguas y Miranda.
Costa Brava
A rugged Mediterranean coastline north of Barcelona, with coves and cliffside towns like Cadaques - Salvador Dali's longtime home - that are far less developed than the Costa del Sol further south.
📍 Costa Brava, Catalonia
🚉 Girona is the railhead, with high-speed trains from Barcelona and Madrid, and Sarfa/Moventis coaches out to Tossa de Mar, Begur and Cadaques; Renfe's R1 line reaches Blanes at the southern end.
La Rioja Wine Country
Spain's best-known wine region, a couple of hours south of Bilbao. Many bodegas (wine cellars), including some designed by star architects, run tastings and tours without needing a reservation weeks out.
📍 La Rioja
🚉 Logrono station has direct trains from Madrid, Zaragoza and Bilbao, but the wineries themselves are spread across the countryside, so plan on a hire car, a taxi or a booked tour from the city.
Toledo
A walled medieval city 30 minutes from Madrid by high-speed train, where Christian, Muslim and Jewish architecture sit within the same old town. Easily done as a day trip, though staying the night after the tour buses leave shows a quieter side.
📍 Toledo
🚉 Nearest station: Toledo, 33 minutes from Madrid-Atocha on the Avant high-speed service, then bus 5 up to Plaza de Zocodover or a steep 20-minute walk.
Mark Spain, get the stamp
In MyPassportStory, every country you mark - visited, lived in, or still on the list - becomes a stamp like these in your own travel passport. Add the cities you stopped in, draw the route between them, and turn the whole trip into a shareable passport-style image.
Open MyPassportStoryPlanning questions
How many days do you need in Spain?
A week suits one region - Barcelona plus the Costa Brava, or Madrid plus a couple of Andalusian cities. Two weeks lets you connect Madrid, Seville and Granada by train and still have a few beach days.
What's the best time to visit Spain?
April-June and September-October have the most comfortable weather, especially in the south where summer heat is intense. Coastal areas stay busy and warm well into October; ski season in the Pyrenees runs December through March.
Is Spain good for a first-time visit?
Yes - the AVE high-speed rail network connects Madrid, Barcelona, Seville and Granada quickly, and Spanish meal times (late lunch, late dinner) are the main adjustment most first-time visitors need to plan around.
Do I need a visa to visit Spain?
Spain is part of the Schengen Area, so citizens of the US, UK, Canada, Australia and many other countries can visit visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period; other nationalities need a Schengen visa arranged in advance. Check the official visa information for your nationality: exteriores.gob.es.
What are some things to do in Spain on a tight budget?
The Prado is free for the last two hours before closing most days, city beaches cost nothing, and a tapas crawl is generally cheaper than a sit-down restaurant meal for the same amount of food.
Can I rent a car in Spain, and what licence do I need?
Yes, and it is the only sensible way to reach the Rioja wineries or the Costa Brava coves. An EU or EEA licence is valid as it is. Non-EU visitors should carry an International Driving Permit alongside the home licence - Spanish law requires one for licences not issued in the EU, and rental desks ask for it. The minimum age is usually 21 with a surcharge under 25, and the main driver needs a credit card in their own name. Official rules on foreign licences are published by the DGT at dgt.es; for cars, the international networks Europcar and Hertz sit alongside cheaper Spanish operators like Centauro.