Late dinners, Moorish palaces and beaches on two seas.
Spain is big and varied, with a strong regional identity in every corner. Madrid has the Prado and grand boulevards, Barcelona has Gaudí's Sagrada Família and a city beach, and Andalusia holds Seville's cathedral, Granada's Alhambra and Córdoba's Mezquita. Beyond the cities are the Picos de Europa mountains, the Basque food capital of San Sebastián, and the Balearic and Canary Islands.
Life runs late: lunch at two, dinner after nine, tapas bars busy until midnight. High-speed trains link the major cities quickly, and a car opens up the villages. Spring and autumn are ideal for cities and the south; July and August are very hot inland and crowded on the coast, while the Canary Islands stay mild all winter.
Best time to visit Spain
March, April, May, September, October.
Places to visit in Spain
Barcelona: Gaudí's modernist masterpieces, medieval lanes and late-night tapas, all on the Mediterranean.
Madrid: Spain's sociable capital, with three world-class art museums, grand plazas and a nightlife that starts after midnight.
Seville: Andalucía's capital of flamenco and orange-scented plazas, with a vast Gothic cathedral and the Royal Alcázar.
Granada: Home of the Alhambra, the last great palace of Moorish Spain, set beneath the snowy Sierra Nevada.
Mallorca: The largest Balearic island, with turquoise coves, the Serra de Tramuntana mountains and a handsome capital in Palma.
San Sebastián: A graceful Basque resort city famous for its crescent beach and some of the best eating in Europe.
Valencia: A sunny coastal city of medieval streets, futuristic architecture and the original paella.
Córdoba: Once the greatest city of Moorish Spain, famous for the Mezquita and flower-filled patios.
Toledo: A hilltop medieval city where Christian, Muslim and Jewish heritage meet, an easy day trip from Madrid.
Málaga: The sunny capital of the Costa del Sol, with a Moorish fortress, great museums and city beaches.
Tenerife: The largest Canary Island, dominated by the volcano Mount Teide and blessed with spring-like weather year-round.
Ibiza: A Balearic island famous for its clubs, but also for a UNESCO-listed old town and peaceful beaches.
Bilbao: A reinvented Basque industrial city, home to Frank Gehry's Guggenheim Museum and an excellent pintxos scene.
Santiago de Compostela: The finishing point of the Camino de Santiago, with a granite old town and a great Romanesque cathedral.
Ronda: A clifftop Andalusian town divided by a deep gorge and joined by an 18th-century bridge.
Segovia: A Castilian hill town with a monumental Roman aqueduct, a Gothic cathedral and a storybook castle.
Essentials
Currency: Euro (EUR)
Language: Spanish; Catalan, Basque and Galician in their regions
Plugs: Type C / F, 230 V
Driving: Right side
Time zone: UTC+0 to +1
Tipping: Not expected; round up or leave small change
Getting around: Fast AVE trains between cities; buses and hire cars for rural areas
Entry: Check the official rules for your passport before booking