1027 Best Sights in Spain

The Plaza del Triunfo forms the entrance to the Mudejar palace, the official local residence of the king and queen, built by Pedro I (1350–69) on the site of Seville's former Moorish alcázar. Built more than 100 years after the Reconquest of Seville, this isn't a genuine Moorish palace but it's authentic enough—parts of the palace and gardens were recreated as a Dornish palace for the final seasons of Game of Thrones, which filmed here in 2014 and 2018.

Entering the alcázar through the Puerta del León (Lion's Gate) and the high fortified walls, you'll first find yourself in the Patio del León (Courtyard of the Lion). Off to the left are the oldest parts of the building: the 14th-century Sala de Justicia (Hall of Justice) and, next to it, the intimate Patio del Yeso (Courtyard of Plaster), the only extant part of the original 12th-century Almohad alcázar. Cross the Patio de la Montería (Courtyard of the Hunt) to Pedro's Mudejar palace, arranged around the beautiful Patio de las Doncellas (Court of the Damsels), resplendent with delicately carved stucco. Opening off this patio, the Salón de Embajadores (Hall of the Ambassadors), with its cedar cupola of green, red, and gold, is the most sumptuous hall in the palace. Other royal rooms include the three baths of Pedro's powerful and influential mistress, María de Padilla. María's hold on her royal lover and his courtiers was so great that legend says they all lined up to drink her bathwater. The Patio de las Muñecas (Court of the Dolls) takes its name from two tiny faces carved on the inside of one of its arches.

The Renaissance Palacio de Carlos V is endowed with a rich collection of Flemish tapestries depicting Carlos's victories at Tunis. Upstairs, the Cuarto Real Alto (Royal Chambers, where the king and queen stay when they visit) is packed with antiques. In the gardens, inhale the fragrances of jasmine and myrtle, wander among terraces and baths, and peer into the well-stocked goldfish pond. From here, a passageway leads to the Patio de las Banderas (Court of the Flags), which has a classic view of La Giralda. Allow at least two hours for your visit.

Book your ticket online to avoid long lines and at least one month in advance to avoid disappointment. If you want to see the Cuarto Real Alto, reserve as far in advance as possible and plan to arrive at least 30 minutes before your allocated time slot.

This prestigious school operates on the grounds of the Recreo de las Cadenas, a 19th-century palace. The school was masterminded by Álvaro Domecq in the 1970s. At noon every Tuesday and Thursday (Thursday only in January and February), as well as each Friday August through October, the Cartujana horses—a cross between the native Andalusian workhorse and the Arabian—and skilled riders in 18th-century riding costume demonstrate intricate dressage techniques and jumping in the spectacular show Cómo Bailan los Caballos Andaluces (roughly, The Dancing Horses of Andalusia).  Reservations are essential.

The price of admission depends on how close to the arena you sit; the first two rows are the priciest. At certain other times you can visit the museum, stables, and tack room and watch the horses being schooled.

A UNESCO World Heritage site and one of Spain's most visited landmarks, the imposing El Escorial palace complex was commissioned by Felipe II after the death of his father in the 1500s and remains the most complete and impressive monument of the later Renaissance in Spain. The monastery was built as an eternal memorial for his relatives, and the crypt here is the resting place of the majority of Spain's kings, from Carlos V to Alfonso XIII. A fantasy land of gilded halls, hand-painted chambers, and manicured French gardens, the gargantuan royal residence also houses an important collection of paintings by Renaissance and baroque artists donated by the crown. The library alone is worth the entry fee—its vibrant frescoes and leather-bound tomes spur the imagination.

Looming over the Plaza Mayor is the imposing late-Gothic facade of Guadalupe's colossal monastery church, flanked by battlement towers. The mandatory guided tour (offered only in Spanish) begins in the Mudejar cloister and continues on to the chapter house, where visitors can view ancient hymnals, vestments, and an array of religious art, including a series of small panels by Zurbarán. The highlight is the ornate 17th-century sacristy, home to eight of Zurbarán's paintings created between 1638 and 1647. These austere representations of monks of the Hieronymite order and scenes from the life of St. Jerome are the artist's only significant paintings housed in the setting for which they were intended. The tour concludes in the garish late-baroque Camarín, the chapel where the famous Virgen Morena (Black Virgin) is housed. Each year on September 8, the statue is ceremoniously removed from the altarpiece and carried in procession around the cloister with pilgrims following on their knees in devotion. Beyond the church walls, the monastery's gardens have been restored to their original Moorish-inspired geometric design.

Almería, the last bastion of the Republican government during the Spanish Civil War, was hit by 754 bombs launched via air and sea by Nationalist forces. To protect civilians, 4½ km (2¾ miles) of tunnels were built under the city to provide shelter for more than 34,000 people. About 1 km (½ mile) can now be visited on a guided tour that covers the food stores, sleeping quarters, and an operating theater for the wounded, with its original medical equipment.

Mérida's Roman teatro (theater) and anfiteatro (amphitheater) are set in a verdant park, and the theater—the best preserved in Spain—seats 6,000 and is used for a classical drama festival each July. The amphitheater, which holds 15,000 spectators, opened in 8 BC for gladiatorial contests. Next to the entrance to the ruins is the main tourist office, where you can pick up maps and brochures. Park at the Hernán Cortés lot (Calle Cabo Verde 2) for easy access. 

This town, southeast of Santo Domingo de la Calzada, has two jaw-dropping monasteries on the UNESCO World Heritage sites list. There's Monasterio de Yuso, where a 10th-century manuscript on St. Augustine's Glosas Emilianenses contains handwritten notes in what is considered the earliest example of the Spanish language, the vernacular Latin dialect known as Roman Paladino. Then there's the Visigothic Monasterio de Suso, where Gonzalo de Berceo, recognized as the first Castilian poet, wrote and recited his 13th-century verse in the Castilian tongue, now the language of nearly 600 million people around the world.

At the edge of town, this exquisite three-nave Romanesque church was built in 1123. The six-story belfry has perfect proportions, with Pyrenean stone that changes hues with the light, and a sense of intimacy and balance. In 1922 Barcelona's Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya removed the murals for safekeeping, including the famous Pantocrator, the work of the "Master of Taüll." The murals presently in the church are reproductions.

The octagonal 14th-century bell tower makes this 12th-century church unmistakable. Walk through the 13th-century portico, adorned with 59 figurines, then meander toward the 15th-century Gothic altar. Beside it is one of the most important examples of Romanesque Catalan art, the 12th-century wood carving Crist de Mijaran. Uniquely expressive for its time, this bust of Christ is believed to be the sole remnant of a monumental ensemble depicting the Descent from the Cross that was likely destroyed (or stolen) by the French in the 15th century. The bust, which spent the civil war years stashed away in Switzerland, today sits under glass in a temperature-controlled case.

The monastery of Sant Pere de Rodes, 7 km (4½ miles) by car (plus a 20-minute walk) above the pretty fishing village of El Port de la Selva, is a spectacular site. Built in the 10th and 11th centuries by Benedictine monks—and sacked and plundered repeatedly since—this restored Romanesque monolith commands a breathtaking panorama of the Pyrenees, the Empordà plain, the sweeping curve of the Bay of Roses, and Cap de Creus. (Topping off the grand trek across the Pyrenees, Cap de Creus is a spectacular six-hour walk from here on the well-marked GR11 trail.) In July and August, the monastery is the setting for the annual Festival Sant Pere (www.festivalsantpere.com), drawing top-tier classical musicians from all over the world. Find event listings online; phone for reservations or to book a post-concert dinner in the monastery's refectory-style restaurant (972/194233).

Laguardia's architectural masterpiece is this church's Gothic polychrome portal—one of a kind in Spain. Protected by a posterior Renaissance facade, the door centers on a lovely, lifelike effigy of La Virgen de los Reyes (Virgin of the Kings), sculpted in the 14th century and painted in the 17th by Ribera. The colorful depictions of the life of Christ made the Bible stories accessible to what was historically a largely illiterate peasantry. Guided tours are available by prebooking only; email the Laguardia tourist office, and be sure to specify your language ( [email protected]).

These two churches—the first with superb views and its plainer sister 300 yards uphill—are the jewels of an early architectural style called Asturian pre-Romanesque, a more primitive, hulking, defensive line that preceded Romanesque architecture by nearly three centuries. Commissioned as part of a summer palace by King Ramiro I when Oviedo was the capital of Christian Spain, these masterpieces have survived for more than 1,000 years. Tickets for both sites are available in the church of Santa María del Naranco.

Temporarily closed for restoration at time of writing. 

Founded in 1203, Toledo's second synagogue—situated in the heart of the Jewish Quarter—is nearly two centuries older than the more elaborate Tránsito, just down the street. Santa María's white interior has a forest of columns supporting capitals with fine filigree work, a wonder of Mudéjar architecture. It was a center of study and prayer until the 1355 assault on the Jewish Quarter and subsequent pogroms in 1391.

This 13th-century treasure, believed to have been a Jewish synagogue, counts among Úbeda's most amazing discoveries. Entirely underground and known as the \"Water Synagogue\" for the wells and natural spring under the mikvah, it comprises seven areas open to visitors (guided tour only), including the main area of worship, mikvah, women's gallery, and rabbi's quarters. During the summer solstice the sun's rays illuminate the stairway, providing the only natural light in the synagogue.

This 14th-century synagogue's plain exterior belies sumptuous interior walls embellished with colorful Mudejar decoration. There are inscriptions in Hebrew and Arabic glorifying God, Peter the Cruel, and Samuel Levi (the original patron). It's a rare example of architecture reflecting Arabic as the lingua franca of medieval Spanish Jews. It's said that Levi imported cedars from Lebanon for the building's construction, echoing Solomon when he built the First Temple in Jerusalem. This is one of only three synagogues still fully standing in Spain (two in Toledo, one in Córdoba), from an era when there were hundreds—though more are in the process of being excavated. Adjoining the main hall is the Museo Sefardí, a small but informative museum of Jewish culture in Spain.

"Museum" was not a big enough word for Dalí, so he christened his monument a theater. In fact, the building was once the Força Vella theater, reduced to a ruin in the Spanish Civil War. Now topped with a glass geodesic dome and studded with Dalí's iconic egg shapes, the multilevel structure pays homage to his fertile imagination and artistic creativity. It includes gardens, ramps, and a spectacular drop cloth Dalí painted for Les Ballets de Monte Carlo. Don't look for his greatest paintings here, although there are some memorable images, including Gala Nude Looking at the Mediterranean Sea, which takes the body of Gala (Dalí's wife) and morphs it into the image of Abraham Lincoln once you look through coin-operated viewfinders.

The sideshow theme continues with other coin-operated pieces, including Taxi Plujós (Rainy Taxi), in which water gushes over the snail-covered occupants sitting in a Cadillac once owned by Al Capone, or Sala de Mae West, a trompe-l'oeil vision in which a pink sofa, two fireplaces, and two paintings morph into the face of the onetime Hollywood sex symbol. Fittingly, another "exhibit" on view is Dalí's own crypt.

Discovered in 1987, the Teatro Romano dates from the late 1st century BC. This impressive theater was built into the northern slopes of the Concepción Hill and could seat over 6,000 spectators. The museum displays the most important pieces found during the excavation.

This museum is the leader in contemporary art on the islands due to its sleek low-rise design and avant-garde exhibitions. Designed by the Swiss architects Herzog and de Meuron, it's next to the Museo de Naturaleza y Arqueología. Expect 20th- and 21st-century art with a political or sociological bent. TEA's crown jewel is the hall dedicated to tinerfeño surrealist artist Óscar Domínguez.

For an extraordinary Gaudí experience, visit this private residence. It was built between 1900 and 1909 over the ruins of the summer palace of the last of the sovereign count-kings of the Catalan-Aragonese realm, Martí I l'Humà (Martin I the Humane), whose reign ended in 1410. In homage to this medieval history, Gaudí endowed the house with a tower, gargoyles, and crenellated battlements. The rest—the catenary arches, the trencadís (pieces of polychromatic ceramic tile) in the facade, the stained-glass windows—is pure Art Nouveau.

Look for the red and gold Catalan senyera (banner) on the tower, topped by the four-armed Greek cross Gaudí often used. Over the front door is the inscription "Sens pecat fou concebuda" ("Without sin was she conceived"), referring to the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary. On either side of the front door are benches with trencadís of playful fish bearing the crimson quatre barres (four bars) of the Catalan flag as well as the Corona d'Aragó (Crown of Aragón).

Guided tours in English are available every day at 11 am and 1 pm. The visit includes access to the roof, which Gaudí designed to resemble a dragon, along with the gardens, patio, and stables.

Reservations are required for the highly recommended guided tour ([email protected]).

Much of A Coruña sits on a peninsula, on the tip of which sits this city landmark and UNESCO World Heritage site—the oldest still-functioning lighthouse in the world. First installed during the reign of Trajan, the Roman emperor born in Spain in AD 53, the lighthouse was rebuilt in the 18th century and looks strikingly modern; all that remains from Roman times are inscribed foundation stones. Scale the 245 steps for superb views of the city and coastline—if you're here on a summer weekend, the tower opens for views of city lights along the Atlantic. Lining the approach to the lighthouse are sculptures depicting figures from Galician and Celtic legends.

At 150 feet tall, this watchtower is the highest point in the old city. More than a hundred such structures were used by Cádiz ship owners to spot their arriving fleets. A camera obscura gives a good overview of the city and its monuments. The last show is held 30 minutes before closing time.

Listed as a national artistic-historic monument in 1931, Tossa de Mar's Vila Vella (Old Town) is the only remaining example of a fortified medieval coastal town in Catalonia. Set high above the town on a promontory, the Old Town is presided over by the ramparts and towers of the 13th-century Castillo de Tossa de Mar, and is a steep yet worthy climb up from the main town, accessed from the western side of Platja Gran (Playa Grande).

The cliff-top views, particularly at sunset, are remarkable, and the labyrinth of narrow, cobblestone lanes lined with ancient houses (some dating back to the 14th century) is a delight to explore at a leisurely pace.

This extraordinary 19th-century transporter bridge suspended by cables ferries cars and passengers across the Nervión, uniting the bourgeois Arenas and working-class Portugalete districts.  Portugalete is a 15-minute walk from Santurce, where the quayside Hogar del Pescador Mandanga serves simple fish specialties like besugo and grilled sardines.

Named for the arrastre (dragging) of animals in and out of the slaughterhouse that once stood here and, specifically, the rastro (blood trail) left behind, this site explodes into a rollicking flea market every Sunday 9–3 with dozens and dozens of street vendors with truly bizarre bric-a-brac ranging from costume earrings to mailed postcards and thrown-out love letters. There are also more formal shops, where it's easy to turn up treasures such as old iron grillwork, a marble tabletop, or a gilt picture frame. The shops (not the vendors) are open during the week, allowing for quieter and more serious bargaining. Even so, people-watching on Sunday is the best part.

The caverns on Sacromonte are thought to have sheltered early Christians. In the 15th century, treasure hunters found bones inside and assumed they belonged to San Cecilio, the city's patron saint. Thus, the hill was sanctified—sacro monte (holy mountain)—and this abbey was built on its summit. Audio guides are available in English.

This sleek winery overlooking Sanxenxo harbor produces a modern, fruit-forward style of Albariño harvested from old, ungrafted vines grown on granite slopes. Only natural yeasts are used in the fermentation. Tours, including nibbles and a wine tasting, cost approximately €12–€19.

Along Carrer Colom is the 17th-century ayuntamiento (town hall). Stop in to see the collection of gigantes, the vast painted and costumed mannequins paraded through the streets during festivals, displayed in the lobby. The olive tree on the right side of the square is one of Mallorca's so-called olivos militaries—purported to be more than 1,000 years old. The adjacent building is the Palau del Consell, the headquarters of the island's government, a late-19th-century building on the site of a medieval prison. The Palau (palace) has its collection of gigantes and an impressive stained-glass window over the ornate stone staircase; visits inside can be arranged by appointment ( [email protected]).

The 15th-century city hall on Plaça Sant Jaume faces the Palau de la Generalitat, with its mid-18th-century neoclassical facade, across the square once occupied by the Roman Forum. The Ajuntament is a rich repository of sculpture and painting by the great Catalan masters, from Marès to Gargallo to Clarà, from Subirachs to Miró and Llimona. Inside is the famous Saló de Cent, from which the Consell de Cent, Europe's oldest democratic parliament, governed Barcelona between 1373 and 1714. The Saló de les Croniques (Hall of Chronicles) is decorated with Josep Maria Sert's immense black-and-burnished-gold murals (1928) depicting the early-14th-century Catalan campaign in Byzantium and Greece under the command of Roger de Flor. The city hall is open to visitors on Sunday, with self-guided visits in English hosted at 10 am (reserve online). Virtual 360-degree tours are available at any time.

Beyond the bullring in El Mercadillo, you can relax in these shady gardens, one of the loveliest spots in Ronda. A balcony protrudes from the face of the cliff, offering a vertigo-inducing view of the valley below. Stroll along the cliff-top walk to the Reina Victoria hotel, built by British settlers from Gibraltar at the turn of the 20th century as a fashionable rest stop on the Algeciras–Bobadilla rail line.

Dominating the city is this fortress, built by Caliph Abd al-Rahman I and given a bell tower by Carlos III, restored in 2024. From here you have sweeping views of the port and city. Among the ruins of the fortress, which was damaged by earthquakes in 1522 and 1560, are landscaped gardens of rock flowers and cacti.