Sun, art, tapas and Moorish palaces
Spain is one of the world's most visited countries, loved for its food, late nights, beaches and deep layers of history. Madrid and Barcelona are big, stylish cities, while Andalusia holds Moorish wonders like the Alhambra and the Mezquita. The north is green and foodie, and the islands range from party Ibiza to volcanic Tenerife. It suits almost everyone, from art lovers to beach seekers and walkers on the Camino.
Tap a card or a pin. Add a place to a day of your trip, or look for tours.
Antoni Gaudi's vast basilica, under construction since 1882, with forest-like columns and coloured light. It is the most visited monument in Spain.
A hilltop complex of Nasrid palaces, fortress and gardens, the finest Moorish site in Europe. The Generalife gardens and Albaicin quarter complete the visit.
One of the world's great art museums, with Velazquez, Goya, El Greco and Bosch. It sits on the UNESCO-listed Paseo del Prado.
A royal palace still in use, with Mudejar courts, tiles and sprawling gardens. It sits beside the huge Gothic cathedral and Giralda.
A great mosque from the Caliphate era with a forest of striped arches, with a cathedral built in its heart. It is unique in the world.
Gaudi's hillside park with mosaic terraces, the dragon fountain and views over the city. The monumental zone needs a ticket.
A hilltop city of churches, synagogues and mosques above a river gorge, once the heart of medieval Spain. El Greco lived and painted here.
Frank Gehry's titanium-clad museum of modern art that transformed Bilbao. The building itself is the star.
The cathedral city at the end of the Camino de Santiago pilgrim routes. Many walk the final 100 km to earn a certificate.
A town with a near-perfect Roman aqueduct, a Gothic cathedral and a storybook castle, the Alcazar. Roast suckling pig is the local dish.
Spain's highest peak rises from a moon-like volcanic crater on Tenerife. A cable car climbs most of the way up.
A white town split by a deep gorge and joined by the dramatic Puente Nuevo. It is one of the most scenic of the Andalusian white towns.
A jagged mountain with a Benedictine monastery and the Black Madonna, reached by rack railway or cable car. Hiking trails lead to high viewpoints.
A city beach on a shell-shaped bay, backed by a belle epoque old town full of pintxos bars. It is a top food destination.
Mountains along Mallorca's northwest coast with stone villages, terraces and coves. Valldemossa, Deia and Soller are highlights.
Everything above is open to read. A Hodolog account lets you build the trip around it: pick cities, add places to days, see the weather for your dates.
Each city with a guide opens its own page: map, where to stay, what to eat.
Art, food and late nights.
culture, food, nightlife · Open the city guideGaudi, beaches and food.
culture, beach · Open the city guideFlamenco, palaces and tapas.
culture · Open the city guideAlhambra and free tapas.
history · Open the city guideMezquita and patios.
history · Guide comingCosta del Sol and Picasso museum.
beach, culture · Open the city guidePaella, beaches and futuristic sights.
food, beach · Open the city guideGuggenheim and Basque food.
culture · Open the city guideBeach and pintxos.
food · Open the city guideIsland base.
beach · Open the city guideMedieval walled city close to Madrid.
history · Guide comingPilgrim city in green Galicia.
pilgrimage, food · Guide comingRoyal capital with walled towns nearby.
Prado, Toledo, Segovia
Barcelona and the Costa Brava.
Sagrada Familia, Park Guell, Montserrat
Moorish heritage and white towns.
Alhambra, Real Alcazar, Mezquita
Basque Country, Asturias and Galicia.
Guggenheim Bilbao, San Sebastian, Santiago de Compostela
Balearic and Canary Islands.
Mallorca, Ibiza, Teide
High plains with fortified cities and royal heritage.
Madrid, Toledo, Segovia
Choose how long you have, then add the whole route to a trip as places and nights.
Best: April to June and September to October. Warm, sunny days without the extreme heat and crowds of midsummer.
Andalusia and Madrid can be very hot in July and August, while the north coast stays mild and rainy; the Canaries are warm all year.
January. Quiet season. Lower prices, fewer crowds.
47°F daily high, 39°F average, 1.5 in
Average of past years from NASA POWER, worked out at each city's position. A place far from these cities can be quite different.
The US State Department rates Spain Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution, due to terrorism and unrest; pickpocketing is the main day-to-day risk in big cities.
High-speed trains link the main cities quickly, and buses and cheap flights cover the rest.
Food, wine and transport are good value for western Europe.
Entry rules depend on your passport. Members see the rules for their own passport here.
Passport and visa rules change often and without notice. Always check the official pages before you book and again before you travel.
| Entry | Check entry rules, including the EU Entry/Exit System and ETIAS, on the EU's official travel-europe.europa.eu site before you travel. |
| Plugs | Type C, F; 230 V 50 Hz |
| Tap water | safe |
| Tipping | Tipping is modest; rounding up or 5 to 10 percent for good service. |
| Payments | Cards and contactless work almost everywhere. |
| Emergency | 112 |
| Etiquette | Meals are late, with lunch around 2 pm and dinner after 9 pm. Greet with two kisses among friends. Respect regional identities in Catalonia and the Basque Country. |
| What to wear | Cover shoulders and knees in churches and cathedrals. |
| Driving | On the right |
| Between cities | AVE and other high-speed trains connect Madrid with Barcelona, Seville, Malaga and Valencia. Buses reach smaller towns, and cheap flights and ferries serve the islands. Cars are useful for white towns and the north. |
| Main airports | MAD, BCN, AGP, PMI, ALC |
| Ride apps | Uber, Cabify, Bolt |
Romans ruled Hispania for centuries, and their bridges, theatres and aqueducts still stand. From 711 much of the peninsula was under Muslim rule, leaving Cordoba, Granada and Seville's great monuments, until the Christian kingdoms completed their conquest in 1492. Spain then built a vast empire in the Americas. After a civil war in the 1930s and the Franco dictatorship, it became a democracy in the late 1970s and joined the European Union in 1986.
Researched 2026-10-13. Check official sources and recent changes before you go.