Spain

N o matter how much you read about it, you’ll never really comprehend the number and variety of attractions in Spain until you wander the country. It has, in fact, a greater diversity of landscapes than any other European nation.

The beautiful cities of Madrid and Barcelona – each distinctly different from the other – are centuries apart form Seville, Toledo and Bilbao, which themselves are centuries apart form the small villages that dot Andalucía and every other part of the country. And, of course, there are the beautiful Balearic Islands, lying pearl-like in the Mediterranean.

More than anything, Spain is a peninsula of experiences: historic castles (some, the state-run paradores, have been turned into luxury hotels), cities with world-class museums, fantastic food (from late night tapas-hopping in Madrid to Michelin-starred restaurants all over the country), windmills and mountains and desolate plains and beautiful beaches. It is, as they say, a country of superlatives.

Top Experiences

Madrid – world-class museums
Barcelona – one of the great cultural cities of Europe
Toledo – home of El Greco
Seville – heart of Andalucía
Bilbao – Basque culture and the Museo Guggenheim
Salamanca – Plateresque and Renaissance architecture
Granada – Moorish Spain

Good to Know

Madrid’s Paseo del Prado
In the center of Madrid is the Paseo del Prado, an elegant area that dates back to the 18th century.

 

Barcelona’s Golden Quarter
Barcelona’s Eixample district contains a large number of modern buildings from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a time when the city was the home of Modernisme.

 

The Alhambra
The best known of the Moorish structures, and the most spectacular, that survives today in Spain is the Alhambra in Granada.

 

Miró’s Majorca
Spend a little time in Majorca, says The New York Times, and you’ll see the casual placement of artwork reveals itself as part of a much larger story. (photo: Toni Rodrigo)

 

Seeing Barcelona through receipts
If a picture’s worth a thousand words, how much can a receipt say about a trip? In beautiful Barcelona, plenty. (photo: Kim Watkins)

 

A café connoisseur’s 5 favorite cafés in Madrid
Before moving to Madrid, says EuroCheapo’s Cynthia Kane , she dreamed about sitting in an outdoor café enjoying a café con leche, or finding the coziest corner inside to sip on a ColaCao. Now that she’s made the move she shares her favorite places.

Transportation

There are nonstop flights from the USA and Canada and many European cities into Madrid’s Barajas , Barcelona’s international airport and otjhers cities . There is also ferry service from the UK and the Balearic Islands. Rail travel is excellent and bus service very good. With its network of modern highways, seeing the country by car is easy although driving distances can be long.

Hotels

Accommodations in Spain run the gamut from budget to ultra-luxury. Try a night in a parador, one of the state-run hotels that is often in a royal palace or castle.

Food

There are top-quality restaurants all over the country catering to every taste and budget. The best places to eat – at least in terms of value, variety and speed of service – are tapas bars, where you eat appetizers while standing, although some do provide seating.

Quality of Medical Care (Good/Fair/Poor)

Good