1027 Best Sights in Spain

Inside the Romanesque Benedictine monastery is this museum, which contains interesting exhibits about the town's cork and fishing trades, and displays local archaeological finds.

Bonfire festivities are popular in this part of Spain, and the ninots, or effigies, can be elaborate and funny, including satirized political figures and celebrities. Every year the best effigies are saved from the flames and placed in this museum, which also has an audiovisual presentation of the festivities, scale models, photos, and costumes.

The world's first museum dedicated to works of art that have been in some ways censored, attacked, or removed from exhibition, the Forbidden Art Museum caused quite a stir when it opened in 2023, and continues to push the boundaries of what is considered acceptable, appropriate or palatable in the art world. Displaying work by artists ranging from from Francisco de Goya, Gustav Klimt and Pablo Picasso, to modern-day provocateurs like Robert Mapplethorpe, Keith Haring and Banksy, the exhibits found on display in this exquisite historic Moderniste building from 1904-turned-contemporary art museum will not leave anyone unaffected. But be warned: some of the content is not for the faint of heart. The general admission ticket includes a free interactive digital guide, while guided visits are available in English, bookable via the website, and priced at €14.

Across from the Mare de Déu dels Àngels church, this ancient pharmacy, housed within the Museo Municipal, was founded in 1415 and is certifiably the oldest working pharmacy in Europe.

The elaborate, painstakingly detailed chocolate sculptures, which have included everything from La Sagrada Família to Don Quixote's windmills, delight both youthful and adult visitors to this museum, set in an imposing 18th-century former monastery and developed by the Barcelona Provincial Confectionery Guild. Other exhibits here touch on Barcelona's centuries-old love affair with chocolate, the introduction of chocolate to Europe by Spanish explorers from the Maya and Aztec cultures in the New World, and both vintage and current machinery and tools used to create this sweet delicacy.

"Taste: Journey through the 4 continents of chocolate" is an hour-long experience that delves into the geography and history of where cocoa is grown, bringing us closer to the different types of cocoa in the world. You can buy the finished products, including boxes and bars of chocolate, in the museum shop. The beautiful café offers rich hot and cold chocolate drinks and house-made cakes and pastries. Tasting sessions and classes on making chocolate are offered, too.

American industrialist Charles Deering’s magnificent early 20th-century palace, perched on a cliff overlooking the Mediterranean, is home to this eclectic collection that spans 10 centuries. It includes Romanesque and Gothic altarpieces, paintings from the Neoclassic period, and Modernisme works by artists linked to Sitges. It’s worth a visit if only to see the dedicated sculpture room, with noucentista sculptures by Joan Rebull framed by enormous windows offering jaw-dropping views of crashing waves below.

An interesting collection of artifacts and movie-related paraphernalia traces the evolution of movies, starting with Chinese shadow puppetry, through the first rudimentary moving pictures, to the Lumière brothers. The Cine Nic toy filmmaking machines, originally developed in 1931 by the Nicolau brothers of Barcelona and now being relaunched commercially, allow even novices to put together their own movies.

Hundreds of antique dolls and toys are on display here—including collections owned by, among others, Salvador Dalí, Federico García Lorca, and Joan Miró. The museum also hosts Catalonia's only caganer exhibit. These playful little figures, which pose answering nature's call, have long had a special spot in the Catalan pessebre (Nativity scene). Farmers are the most traditional figures, squatting discreetly behind the animals, but these days you'll find Barça soccer players and politicians, too.

Presumably you came to Barcelona to learn about Catalonia, not ancient Egypt, but you might be making a mistake by skipping this major collection of art and artifacts. This museum takes advantage of state-of-the-art curatorial techniques, with exhibitions showcasing everything from mummies to what the ancient Egyptians had for dinner. The museum offers free guided tours, but only in Catalan or Spanish.

Founded by sculptor Frederic Marès (1893--1991), the museum featured collections from Marès himself along with thousands of other objects that reflect past customs and traditions: think fans, watches, photographs, pipes, toys, and more.

Here, in a building off the left side (north) of the cathedral, you can browse for hours among the miscellany assembled by the early-20th-century sculptor-collector Frederic Marès. Highlights of his charmingly disparate collection of paintings and polychrome wood carvings include Juan de Juni's 1537 masterful Pietà and the Master of Cabestany's late-12th-century Apparition of Christ to His Disciples at Sea. The second and third floors house a sensory overload of historical objets, mainly from 19th-century everyday life: fans, pipes and walking sticks, clocks, toys, daguerreotypes and posters, 13th- to 19th-century wrought iron, and more. The courtyard of this former Royal Palace of the Counts of Barcelona is lovely—the café-terrace in back is a perfect place for a break.

A few steps from the north archway of the Plaça Major is the Museu Fundación Juan March. This delicate little museum was established to display a private collection of modern Spanish art. The building itself was a sumptuous private home built in the 18th century. The second and third floors were redesigned to accommodate a series of small galleries, with one or two works at most—by Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró, Juan Gris, Salvador Dalí, Antoni Tàpies, and Miquel Barceló, among others—on each wall.

Reopened in 2022, this city museum recounts Ciutadella's past via prehistoric, Roman, and medieval artifacts, including records of land grants made by Alfons III to the local nobility after defeating the Moors. Formerly located in an ancient defense tower, Bastió de Sa Font (Bastion of the Fountain), it now occupies roomier surroundings in the noble house of Can Saura.

A 1960s neoclassical building contains this museum housing the most significant collection of Roman artifacts in Catalonia. Among the items are Roman statuary and domestic fittings such as keys, bells, and belt buckles. The beautiful mosaics include a head of Medusa, famous for its piercing stare. Don't miss the video on Tarragona's history.

Just uphill from the fish market are this early Christian necropolis and museum. In 1923, the remains of a burial ground were discovered during the construction of a tobacco factory. The excavations on display—more than 2,000 tombs, sarcophagi, and funeral objects—allow visitors a fascinating insight into Roman funeral practices and rituals.

The family house of renowned cellist Pau (Pablo) Casals (1876–1973) is on the beach at Sant Salvador, just east of the town of El Vendrell. Casals, who left Spain in self-imposed exile after Franco seized power in 1939, left a museum of his possessions here, including several of his cellos, original music manuscripts, paintings, and sculptures. Other exhibits describe the Casals campaign for world peace ("Pau," in Catalan, means both Paul and peace), his speech at the United Nations in 1971 (at the age of 95), and his haunting interpretation of El Cant dels Ocells (The Song of the Birds), his homage to his native Catalonia. Across the street, the Auditori Pau Casals holds frequent concerts and, in July and August, a classical music festival. The museum is about 32 km (20 miles) south of Sitges, en route to Tarragona,

Catalonian priest and poet Jacint Verdaguer died in this house in 1902. Considered the national poet of Catalonia and the most revered and beloved voice of the Catalan "Renaixença" of the 19th century, Verdaguer succumbed to tuberculosis and a general mental collapse. In his most famous work, La Atlàntida (1877), which eventually became a Manuel de Falla opera-oratorio, he used the myth of Atlantis to prefigure the prehistoric origins of his native Catalonia.

Verdaguer's death provoked massive mourning. Indeed, his funeral was one of the most heavily attended events in Barcelona history, comparable only to Gaudí's in spontaneity and emotion. On display at Vil·la Joana is the book containing the signatures of the thousands who took part, among them, Pablo Picasso.

The museum, which is part of the MUHBA (Museu d'Història de Barcelona: Barcelona History Museum), is essentially an archival homage to Verdaguer's life and work. Unless you happen to be besotted with 19th-century Catalan poetry, this lovely Moderniste building, originally a masia (country house), is best appreciated from the outside, as you pass by.

Occupying the splendid 17th-century palace of an Italian merchant, the Museo de Historia y Antropología de Tenerife chronicles the island's sociocultural history from the 15th to the 20th century with documents, artifacts, and religious relics. Signage is in Spanish, but English descriptions are available via app (ask personnel for details). The elegant courtyard blends Italian Renaissance architecture, like white marble columns, with local materials such as hardy Canary Island pine.

Since it opened, the Galería N2 has established its position as a beacon at the crossroads of tradition and modernity, of high- and low-brow art. The experimental but careful selection of artists featured in several annual solo shows includes the street artist Sixeart and the Argentine surrealist Mauricio Vergara. Since N2 specializes in up-and-coming and mid-career artists, works are generally affordable yet safe to invest in, and browsing here makes for a lighthearted change from the Eixample's more serious art houses.

This town was the capital of Navarra and La Rioja until 1076, when the latter became part of Castile and the residence of the Castilian royal family. The monastery of Santa María la Real ( www.santamarialareal.net), the \"pantheon of kings,\" is distinguished by its 16th-century Claustro de los Caballeros (Cavaliers' Cloister), a flamboyant Gothic structure with 24 lacy plateresque Renaissance arches overlooking a grassy patio. The sculpted 12th-century tomb of Doña Blanca de Navarra is the monastery's best-known sarcophagus, while the 67 Gothic choir stalls dating from 1495 are among Spain's best.

This town, 14 km (9 miles) west of Logroño via the A12, has noble houses and the 16th-century Santa María de la Asunción church. The village is also famous for its painted ceramics; shop at any of the artisan shops in the town center.

The Romanesque portals of this 15th-century church are extremely striking.

Three lighthouses can be visited by car within an-hour-and-a half of driving along this landmark route. Expect extraordinary views of the vertiginous rocky cliffs and churning waters that earned this part of Galicia its nickname, Costa da Morte. Begin at Faro de Cabo Touriñán, which guards a narrow peninsula marking what was once believed to be the westernmost point of continental Europe. A 25-minute drive away is Faro da Punta da Barca, a stone lighthouse built in 1926 alongside the 16th-century Virxe da Barca sanctuary. Finish with Faro de Cabo Vilán, dramatically jutting above a red-rock promontory; it was the first in Spain to be powered by electricity. Alternatively, the 200-km (124-mile) route can be hiked on a well-marked trail that runs from Malpica to Finisterre.

The road west (NA140) to Ochagavía (Otsagabia in Basque) through the Portillo de Lazar (Lazar Pass) has views of the Anie and Orhi peaks, which tower over the French border. The village itself, with original cobblestone streets and riverside promenade, is a pleasant spot to stretch your legs.

An unforgettable glimpse into the Kingdom of Navarra of the Middle Ages is the reward for journeying to this town. The 11th-century church of San Pedro is revered for its finely worked Romanesque cloisters and portal, but it's the town's storybook castle—restored by Carlos III in the French style and brimming with ramparts, crenellated battlements, and watchtowers—that dazzles the imagination. You can walk the ramparts, and should you get tired or hungry, part of the castle has been converted into a parador, making a fine place to grab a snack or catch a few z's.

Here, 13 km (8 miles) north of Setenil, two imposing silhouettes dominate the crest of the hill: the 11th-century castle Vallehermoso, a legacy of the Moors; and the neoclassical Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación (Church of Our Lady of the Incarnation), reconstructed in the 19th century on the foundations of the old mosque.

A few blocks east of the Plaza de Mina, next door to the Iglesia del Rosario, this oval 18th-century chapel has three frescoes by Goya. On Good Friday, the Sermon of the Seven Words is read and Haydn's \"Seven Last Words\" played.

A walk up Calle San José from the Plaza de Mina will bring you to this church, where Spain's first liberal constitution (known affectionately as La Pepa) was declared in 1812. It was here, too, that the Cortes (Parliament) of Cádiz met when the rest of Spain was subjected to the rule of Napoléon's brother, Joseph Bonaparte (more popularly known as Pepe Botella, for his love of the bottle). On the main altar is an Immaculate Conception by Murillo, the great sevillano artist who fell to his death from a scaffold in 1682 while working on his Mystic Marriage of St. Catherine in Cádiz's Chapel of Santa Catalina. You can hear Mass in Latin on Sunday at noon.

A Coruña's Paseo Marítimo winds along two pleasant, well-maintained urban beaches, Playa del Orzán and Playa de Riazor. These long curves of fine golden sand tend to be busy in summer with chattering groups of local families and friends enjoying the milder climate. The area of Playa del Orzán in front of the hotel Meliá María Pita is popular with surfers. Cross the Paseo Marítimo for a choice of cafés and restaurants with animated terraces. Seafront kiosks sell ice cream and snacks. There is no natural shade, but you can rent sun loungers and umbrellas in summer. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; showers; toilets. Best for: surfing; swimming; walking.

Small-boat excursions leave several times daily from this fishing village—situated 9 km (5½ miles) north of Jameos del Agua—to the one-town islet of La Graciosa (population 700), which has plenty of quiet beaches.