ISLANDS OF SPAIN

COMING SOON

What to do in Spain:

1. Go on a tapas crawl through Madrid

While in Spain you’re going to want to eat as many tapas—bite-sized samples of Spanish cuisine—as humanly possible. You'll find tapas throughout the country, but Madrid is one of the best places to fill up! Locals note that it’s hard to find a more Spanish experience than going out for tapas. You can bar hop from place to place, snacking on delicious bites that are served with each beverage you order, and enjoy swigs of sangria until the sun comes up. If Madrid is not on your itinerary, try Bilbao and San Sebastian where tapas are known as pintxos and are impossible to avoid and easy to fall in love with. Local tip: Plaza Mayor, Madrid’s main square, is surrounded by some of the best bars in Madrid (as is the entire Sol neighborhood). 

2. Catch a Flamenco show in Seville

For a lively night that you’ll never forget, catch a Flamenco show in Seville. The capital of Spain’s Andalusia region, Seville is the place to enjoy this dynamic art form. Featuring song, dance, and guitar, Flamenco developed over the centuries from the songs of Roma immigrants who made their way to Spain from northwest India. You’ll find tons of places in Seville with awesome, authentic flamenco, like the oh-so-cool Casa del Flamenco. If you want to fit in with the locals, don’t forget to yell “ole!” at the end of each set. You can also catch an amazing Flamenco show at Corral de la Moreria in Madrid.

3. Marvel at the fantasy of Gaudí's Park Güell

Barcelona’s Parque Güell, designed by iconic architect Antoni Gaudi, is packed with amazing gardens, vividly colorful buildings, and giant lizards guarding brilliant fountains. This 100-year-old UNESCO World Heritage Site is a local favorite and a totally unique attraction not only for Spain but for the entire world. The park is big and to see it all you’ll find yourself walking a fair bit. It’s a good idea to get an early start to beat the crowds and the heat as well as to make sure you’re not rushed for time. Wear comfy shoes, bring water, and enjoy! Local tip: When you buy a ticket for Park Güell, you get an admission time. If you miss that time by more than 30 minutes, you will not be allowed entry.

4. See the amazing Moorish arches in Córdoba's ancient mosque

One of the most fascinating pieces of architecture in Spain’s southern region of Andalusia is the 10th-century Mezquita de Córdoba: aka the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba. Originally built as the city’s main mosque under Moorish rule, this UNESCO World Heritage Site became a cathedral after the Catholic Reconquista. Its 850 Moorish pillars—topped with candy-cane-striped double arches and later Gothic additions—will make you feel like you're wandering in a stunning forest with layers of history. This symbol of the Islamic grandeur of Al-Andalus is beautiful and a total delight to explore. While you’ll need a ticket to visit as a group no matter what, if you’re an individual you can actually enter on your own for free from 8:30-9:30 AM every morning. Local tip: If you climb to the top of the bell tower, you’ll get a fabulous view of the city of Córdoba.

 

 

 

5. Party at an amazing Spanish festival

Spain has a tradition of unique, exciting festivals, and you’ll find them all over the country year-round. Locals say that these are a few of the best and liveliest festivals held each year:

  • La Ruta de la Tapas in Frigiliana. The town of Frigiliana throws a huge party at the end of August to celebrate its diversity through food, music, and art. The highlight of the festival is Ruta de la Tapas (Route of Tapas) where for only €2 each, you can take a tapas crawl through the town, sampling fare from local restaurants.
  • La Tomatina in Buñol. Buñol hosts an epic food fight in August in which thousands flock to the tiny town for the Tomatina Tomato Fight. The actual tomato fight starts early in the morning, but arrive the night before and party in the streets with all of the locals in preparation for the big day.
  • La Batalla de Vino in Haro. The Batalla de Vino (Battle of Wine) is a wild and crazy festival that takes place at the end of June in the village of Haro. Hordes of people flock to the wine-producing town to wage war—with wine! Spanish red wine from the famed Rioja region is squirted from sprayers and dumped by the bucketful onto the crowd. It’s also customary for party-goers to gather the night before the festival to celebrate in Haro’s alleyways.

About Spain

Spain, officially the Kingdom of Spain (Spanish: Reino de España), is a country in southwestern Europe with 50,015,792 (2020) inhabitants, an area of ​​505,992 km² and with capital Madrid. The country covers roughly 80% of the Iberian Peninsula. In addition to that, the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea, the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean and the Spanish exclaves in North Africa also belong to the country. In the northeast, Spain borders France and Andorra, along the entire length of the Pyrenees, in the west with Portugal, in the south with the British colony of Gibraltar and through the exclaves of Melilla and Ceuta with Morocco. The capital of Spain is Madrid, a city with more than 3 million inhabitants located in the center of the country. The territory of Iberians, Celts, Phoenicians, Basques and other peoples was conquered by the Romans around 200 AD and baptized Hispania. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the Great Migration, this area was conquered by the Visigoths before the Muslim Moors invaded the Visigothic Empire in the 8th century. Their rule, which extended over almost all of Spain, only came to an end with the completion of the Reconquista in 1492. Subsequently, a vast world empire arose at a hasty pace and in imitation of Portugal. Despite great wealth, mainly from Latin America, Spain fell further and further back from the 17th century due to many European wars. The 19th century was marked by internal conflicts that ravaged Spain, and after the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939), the country became a fascist dictatorship under Francisco Franco. After Franco's death in 1975, constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy were restored. Spain joined NATO in 1982 and has been a member of the European Union since 1986. Spain is a diverse country with different cultures, languages, eating habits and climates. The country ranges from the fishing villages of Galicia to the nightlife of Madrid, from the touristic shores of the Mediterranean to the flamenco dancing of Andalusia, and from traditional bullfighting to modern Barcelona in Catalonia. Besides Spanish (Castillian), Catalan, Basque and Galician are so-called 'co-official' languages ​​of the country. The euro has been the Spanish currency since 2002, succeeding the peseta.