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Passionate, sophisticated Spain is full of wild beauty, deep history and some of the best food you'll ever eat. Life is a fiesta, and everyone's invited.

Best Time to Visit

Best places to visit, leave the planning to a local expert.

Experience the real Spain. Let a local expert handle the planning for you.

Attractions

Must-see attractions.

La Sagrada Família

L'Eixample

The Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família (Expiatory Temple of the Holy Family) is considered to be the symbol of Barcelona by many residents, and the…

Museo del Prado

Welcome to one of the world's premier art galleries. More than 7000 paintings are held in the Museo del Prado’s collection (of which only around 1500 are…

Visitors and locals alike love Park Güell. The waving balcony and the colorful Guard’s House, with the imposing Barcelona skyline and sea in the…

Centro de Arte Reina Sofía

Home to Picasso’s Guernica, arguably Spain’s most famous artwork, the Centro de Arte Reina Sofía is Madrid’s premier collection of contemporary art.

Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza

The Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum is one of the three points composing Madrid’s Golden Triangle of Art along the Paseo del Prado (Art Walk), together with the…

Casa Batlló

One of Europe's strangest residential buildings, Casa Batlló (built 1904–6) is Gaudí at his fantastical best. From its playful facade and marine-world…

In the top tier of Gaudí's achievements, this madcap Unesco-listed masterpiece, with 33 balconies, was built in 1905–10 as a combined apartment and office…

Parque del Buen Retiro

Spend a day exploring the vast grounds of Madrid’s emblematic park.

Top picks from our travel experts

20 of the best things to do in spain.

Mercado Central

Valencia’s vast Modernista covered market, constructed in 1928, is a swirl of smells, movement and colour. Spectacular seafood counters display…

The Alhambra is Granada’s – and Europe’s – love letter to Moorish culture. Set against the brooding Sierra Nevada peaks, this fortified palace started…

Catedral & Giralda

Catedral & Barrio de Santa Cruz

Seville’s showpiece church is awe-inspiring in its scale and majesty. The world’s largest Gothic cathedral, it was built between 1434 and 1517 over the…

Casa Vicens

A Unesco-listed masterpiece, this angular, turreted 1885-completed private house was Gaudí’s inaugural commission, when the architect was aged just 30,…

Parque Natural de Cabo de Gata-Níjar

Costa de Almería

Boasting glorious beaches, vertiginous cliffs and a semi-desert hinterland, this 340-sq-km park occupies Andalucía’s southeastern corner. It’s a wild…

Real Alcázar

A magnificent marriage of Christian and Mudéjar architecture, Seville’s royal palace complex is a breathtaking spectacle. The site, which was originally…

Parque Nacional de los Picos de Europa

Picos de Europa

Founded in 1918 as one of Spain's first two national parks, the 646-square-kilometre Parque Nacional de los Picos de Europa encompasses some of Europe's…

Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias

L'Eixample & Southern Valencia

This aesthetically stunning complex occupies a massive 350,000-sq-metre swath of the old Turia riverbed. It’s occupied by a series of spectacular…

It’s impossible to overemphasise the beauty of Córdoba’s great mosque, with its remarkably serene (despite tourist crowds) and spacious interior. One of…

Planning Tools

Expert guidance to help you plan your trip.

Best Things to Do

There are so many incredible experiences awaiting you in Spain. Here are some of the very best.

Things to Know

From speaking Spanish to avoiding common tourist mistakes, this guide full of top tips can get you ready for a trip to Spain.

Transportation

Traveling around Spain is convenient, efficient and manageable — thanks to its advanced and accessible public transport infrastructure.

Visa Requirements

Don't let your visa application mess up your trip to Spain. Here's everything you need to know about whether you need one.

Money and Costs

Compared to the rest of Europe, Spain is easy on the eyes and even easier on the wallet. Here are the best ways to save money while you're there.

Traveling with Kids

Of all the places to travel with children, Spain is up there with the best of them. Here are some of the best things to do with kids in this dynamic country.

Best Road Trips

Set out for history, natural beauty and delicious flavors on these five road-trip itineraries, which will show you the best of Spain.

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Experience the real Spain

Let a local expert craft your dream trip.

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In Spain you will experience an exciting trip, full of unique experiences, places and flavours. With our digital brochures and guides, you can discover the best of our cities and destinations. Gastronomy, routes, culture, sports, festivals... You won’t miss out on anything, because Spain has got everything you’re looking for.

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• Best of Spain
• Cities & Villages
• Beach Destinations
• Top Attractions
• Map of Spain
• About España Guide

SPAIN The Definitive Travel Guide

• WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Why does everyone love Spain?

There’s 1,001 reasons to love Spain. You just have to visit to find yours.

You can explore trendy Barcelona and admire the organic modernist masterpieces from architect Antoni Gaudi. Head north to the Basque Country if you want to sample some of Spain’s best gastronomy. Or discover immaculate Islamic palaces in Seville and Granada .

Once you’ve taken in enough of Spain’s vast culture, venture to the Mediterranean coast and the islands (Balearic and Canary) where you can relax on some of Europe’s best beaches.

• Quick Facts About Spain
• Best Places in Spain
• See a Live Flamenco Show

Top Attractions in Spain

More of the best of spain.

• Hotels in Spain
• What languages are spoken in Spain?
• Business Hours
• Eating Times
• Bar Culture
• Coffee Culture
• Menu del Dia
• Driving in Spain
• Parking in Spain
• Avoid Speeding Tickets
• Highways in Spain

Weather in Spain

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Best Places to Visit in Spain

FLAMENCO IN SPAIN

Alhambra – granada, royal alcazar – seville, mosque – cordoba, cathedral – seville, 12 day trips from madrid, best cities in spain, spanish regions, best beaches in spain, the best hotels in spain.

Travel to Spain – What You Need to Know

What languages are spoken in spain.

The official and universal language in Spain is Spanish (español). However, in Spain, the language is most commonly called Castellano , referring to the region of Castile where it comes from.

The Basque language is known as euskara in Basque and vasco in Español. In addition to being spoken in the Basque Country, it can also be heard in northern Navarre and a small area in France just on the other side of the border.

Basque is the only surviving pre-indo-european language , which means that it isn’t related to Spanish at all – or any other known language in the world for that matter. To this day, no one is quite sure how Basque survived or where it comes from.

Catalan and Galician (gallego in Spanish) are both romance languages and much more similar to Spanish. The Catalan language encompasses several dialects that are spoken in Catalonia, Valencia and the Balearic Islands – basically the whole eastern Mediterranean coast of Spain. From an outside perspective, Catalan may seem like a mixture of Spanish and French.

Galician, on the other hand, is much more closely related to Portuguese. In fact, it is a Portuguese sister language with some Castellano influences. Galician is spoken in the northwestern corner of Spain in Galicia and to a lesser extent in western Asturias.

BUSINESS HOURS IN SPAIN

Spain has a schedule all of its own. From Monday to Friday, most businesses close between 2 and 5 pm, give or take. On Saturdays, they don’t reopen in the afternoon. And on Sundays, pretty much everything is closed.

There are also some exceptions to these strange business hours. Shopping malls don’t close in the middle of the day. Many chain stores don’t either. You really just have to check – but be aware.

In larger cities such as Barcelona and Madrid , some stores open on particular Sundays which are specially declared shopping days. This usually happens in December, just before Christmas.

Then there are the Chinese-run shops that can be found in even the most obscure locations in Spain. Los chinos, as they are referred to, have found a permanent place in Spanish society with stores selling just about everything imaginable – a little bit like a dollar store. The Chinese are open when no one else is, including Sundays.

EATING TIMES IN SPAIN

Spanish eating times are probably the hardest thing to adjust to when visiting Spain. Their time is off by several hours when compared with most of the world. Breakfast isn’t usually much of an issue. A typical Spanish breakfast is often not much more than a coffee and a small bite to eat, such as a muffin or a biscuit.

Lunch and dinner times are the tricky ones. A typical lunchtime in Spain is 1:30 to 2 pm during the week, and on the weekend, it is not uncommon to start lunch even after 3 pm.

Dinner is also a late affair. No Spaniard would ever eat dinner before 8 pm. And again, the weekend is even later. Friday and Saturday night restaurant reservations for 11 pm are very common.

Because of that, we recommend adapting as much as possible to the Spanish eating times when visiting. For example, if you are shopping and notice that stores are closing, that is your cue to get some food!

If you unfortunately miss lunchtime, you may be lucky and find a bar that is serving some small tapas or sandwiches (bocadillos).

BAR CULTURE IN SPAIN

Bar culture in Spain is unique compared to other parts of the world. It is an integral part of the social sphere and not just a place to get drunk. Although people of course do get drunk, it is not a common sight to see patrons getting wasted.

It’s totally normal to see families with young kids and grandparents all out together in the bar. That’s because the Spanish bar offers much more than just alcoholic drinks.

It’s a place to go for a coffee with friends or family. You can go for a mid-morning/afternoon snack (tapa) or have a sandwich (bocadillo) for lunch. It’s also where you meet up in the evening to have a drink and something small to eat with friends.

You can even make a tapas crawl out of it – going to one bar, having a drink with a tapa, and then moving on to the next.

COFFEE CULTURE IN SPAIN

Spaniards love their coffee. And when they want a coffee, they go to a bar, not a cafe. There are 3 typical ways coffee is served in Spain: 1.) solo - straight espresso, 2.) cortado - espresso with a dash of milk 3.) café con leche - espresso with milk. For those who like lattes or cappuccinos, a café con leche is the closest thing you will find.

There are international chains such as Starbucks starting to appear in big cities, particularly around tourist areas. But we recommend supporting the small family-owned bars which are an essential part of the local culture and in our opinion serve far superior coffee at a very low price.

MENÚ DEL DÍA

Lunch is the biggest and most important meal of the day in Spain. Restaurants will often have a set menu of the day. Look for menú del día being advertised on the boards outside and take note – this is the best way to eat like a king for a very reasonable price.

Normally, you can select between a few different options for each course. Wine (or water) is even thrown in and it’s all included in a set price.

On weekends, menú del día is typically a little bit more expensive with even better course options.

TIPPING IN SPAIN

Tipping in Spain isn’t such a big thing. Receiving a tip is not expected but definitely appreciated. As a general rule, you would only tip on meals in a restaurant where you were satisfied with the service.

Some Spaniards might leave some change – rounding up or leaving a euro here or there - all depending on how nice the restaurant is and of course how satisfied you were with the service. But something like a 15 - 20% tip would be far too much.

To get an idea, if a meal costs €30, then you could leave a euro or two if you were very satisfied. If you are in a fancier place and the meal was €90 then a €5 tip would be plenty.

A tip is pretty much never expected for something small like a coffee or drink. That also includes any light food that you would order at a bar. If your bill is €3.75 then you could round up to €4.

Tipping in taxis is also not very common. But again, if the driver is friendly and helpful, you can round up or give an extra euro or two.

In general, unless someone goes far out of their way for you or you are treated like royalty, then a tip is not needed. Use your intuition and remember that a tip is for excellent service and by no means ever expected.

How to get around Spain

Spain has a fairly extensive rail network and taking a train can be a great way to move around the country. RENFE , the Spanish rail company, has several high-speed train lines called AVE.

These lines are a fast way to move between some cities and can be quicker than traveling by plane. For example, you can go from Madrid to Malaga in 2 h 20 min or Madrid to Barcelona in just under 3 hours. If you were to go by car or bus, it would easily take double the time.

Ticket prices are comparable with those of other European countries but usually travel by bus is the cheapest option. Travel by train in Spain is quite reliable and comfortable.

Depending on your destination, traveling by train might be your best option, but that is not always the case. Check out our map of train routes . For more general Spain train information, check out this beginner's guide to train travel in Spain .

Travel by bus is very common in Spain, especially in regions where the train network is slow or not very complete. Bus fares are very cheap and departures are frequent.

The largest bus operator in Spain is Alsa , followed by Samr and Avanza. You can buy tickets directly through the operators' website or on a booking site such as Omio . It is also common to buy tickets at the bus station on the day of the trip.

There are plenty of large airports in Spain and cheap flights are easy to come by. Low-cost airlines such as Vueling, EasyJet and Ryanair offer the most flights between Spanish cities, followed by Spain’s national airline, Iberia.

In some instances if can even be cheaper to fly than to take the train. See our transportation map of Spain to find out where the busiest airports are located.

Renting a car is very affordable in Spain, especially compared to many other European countries. However, it is still probably not your cheapest transportation option.

If you only plan on visiting the larger cities such as Madrid and Barcelona, then a car would not be needed or recommended. But if you want to have extra convenience and get off the beaten path, then a rental car is a great option .

DRIVING IN SPAIN

Driving in Spain is pretty easy going for the most part. However, driving in Spanish cities can be very stressful. Besides heavy traffic, there are many one-way streets and finding parking is often complicated.

If you find on-street parking, then you will need to know the parking laws. Parking tickets are given out a lot in larger cities and they can be pricey.

We only recommend driving if you are traveling between cities, not in them. We like to look up a parking garage in a city on google maps and then head straight there. Once you are in the city you can explore it on foot or with public transportation.

AVOID SPEEDING TICKETS

In Spain, the speed limit is 50 km/h in towns and cities, 90 km/h on rural roads, 100 km/h on main roads and 120 km/h on highways. Speed cameras are pretty common and tickets aren’t cheap.

HIGHWAYS IN SPAIN

There are two types of highways in Spain called “autopistas” (“AP-” followed by a number) and “autovías” (“A-” followed by a number). Autopistas (AP) are usually toll roads, while autovías (A) are always free.

To get an idea of Spain’s weather, see the temperature chart of Barcelona below. It is a good example of what the weather is like in Spain.

WEATHER IN BARCELONA

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Digital brochures and guides

In Spain you will experience an exciting trip, full of unique experiences, places and flavours. With our digital brochures and guides, you can discover the best of our cities and destinations. Gastronomy, routes, culture, sports, festivals... You won’t miss out on anything, because Spain has got everything you’re looking for.

You are warned that as part of an international repository, these brochures target a global audience and therefore some of theirs contents might not be found appropriate by viewers in the GCC.

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About Spain

• Introduction to Spain
• Why Visit Spain?
• Spanish History
• Food & Drink
• Spain Photos
• Flags of Spain

Planning Your Trip

• Useful Travel Information
• Property and Real Estate
• Accommodation
• Study Spanish!
• Summer Language Camps
• Travel & Transportation
• Flights to Spain
• Visas & Embassies
• Safety & Emergencies

Spain by Region

• Madrid & Around
• Castilla y León
• Castilla la Mancha & Extremadura
• Cataluña
• País Vasco
• Aragón, Navarra & La Rioja
• Asturias & Cantabria
• Valencia & Murcia
• Andalucía
• Islas Baleares
• Islas Canarias

Culture & the Arts

• Architecture
• Music & Dance

Places to Visit

• World Heritage Cities
• Coasts & Beaches
• National Parks
• Castles & Palaces
• Rural Tourism

Spain Travel Guides

• Alicante Guide
• Cadiz Guide
• Cordoba Guide
• Granada Guide
• Ibiza Guide
• Madrid Guide
• Malaga Guide
• Marbella Guide
• Pamplona Guide
• Salamanca Guide
• San Sebastian Guide
• Sevilla Guide
• Tenerife Guide
• Valencia Guide
• Zaragoza Guide

Interactive

• About Spain Crossword

Introduction: Spain Travel Guide

It's impossible to visit Spain without submerging yourself in its lengthy, multicultural history . In the years between the early Iberian and Celtic tribes and today's modern democracy , Spain has passed through the hands of Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Carthaginians, Moors and Christians. Steeped in history and antiquity, Roman ruins effortlessly rub shoulders with sumptuous Islamic palaces , turreted medieval castles and jaw-dropping Gothic cathedrals- all of them left behind like cultural footprints in the Spanish sand.

Needless to say, Spain is much more than the common travel brochure clichés of Andalucía-born flamenco and bullfighting . While its regions are extraordinarily different on many levels, Spain as a whole boasts a multi-faceted cultural scene unlike any other. The splendor and incredible preservation of Spain's architecture is only one demonstration of Spain's heritage of artistic excellence, attention to detail, and creativity. In fact, the architecture gracing Spain's streets and squares have led to more UNESCO World Heritage Cities than in any other country!

It's no wonder that Spain bred geniuses like Diego de Velázquez, Francisco Goya, Pablo Picasso and Antoni Gaudí! Medieval religious pilgrimages, incredible museums , age old traditional music , delicious food and drink , competitive sports and historic theaters are also a huge presence on the cultural scene.

One facet of Spanish culture that has attracted tons of well-deserved acclaim from around the globe is Spain's festival calendar. From the religious sobriety of Semana Santa (Holy Week) to the pyrotechnic madness of Las Fallas , the clamoring of the Running of the Bulls, the gaudy costumes of Carnival and the annual tomato-flinging frenzy of La Tomatina , Spaniards have a one-of-a-kind talent for throwing an unforgettable party.

Even outside of festival time, you're guaranteed to notice that there is always something going on and people are always - and we mean always - on the move. Spaniards are welcoming, enthusiastic and social creatures, so it's only natural that the Spanish lifestyle boils down to being out and about in the streets, chatting over coffees, strolling arm-in-arm and making the most out of each day. For this very reason, the Spanish schedule seems so "off." Meal times are hours later and often last for much longer than in most countries; with dinner often lasting until well past midnight, Spain's nightlife scene doesn't kick into high gear until the wee hours of the morning and doesn't slow down until the sun comes up.

Have we grabbed your attention? Ready to learn more? It's impossible to know and understand this incredible country in one page- explore the rest of our Spain Guide to discover the history, the culture and the diverse beauty that is Spain.

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What Spain is part of our collection of our "What" travel guides to countries and / or cities of Spain and Latin America. We provide practical, tourist and cultural information, which allows you to organize your trip. Enjoy and come back up with lots of beautiful memories for life!

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• Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport
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• Barcelona Airport
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Ski Resorts

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• Caleta de Fuste Beach
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• Corralejo beaches
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Spain travel guide.

From riotous fiestas and sizzling cuisine to world-class museums and cutting-edge art galleries, there's a reason why Spain endures as one of the world's most popular destinations. Like the country's famous tapas, Spain itself is a tempting smorgasbord of bustling cities, scenic countryside and sunny islands, which visitors can nibble away at on repeat trips or consume in one giant feast. Either way, it is one appetising nation.

In spite of its myriad attractions, most come to Spain for sun, sand and self-indulgence, flocking to the likes of the Costa del Sol and Costa Brava, whiling away days on beaches and nights in clubs. An early pioneer of package holidays, Spain's leading resorts have long been geared up for the mass market – from the Balearics to the Canary Islands – but it's not all sprawling hotel complexes; quaint fishing villages, bijou retreats and secluded beaches abound if you’re looking to veer off the tourist trail.

Spain is much more than holidays in the sun, though. Away from the beach there's an extraordinary variety of things to do; from climbing snow-capped peaks in the Pyrénées to hiking the ancient pilgrimage route of St James's Way; from diving in the protected Medes Islands to stargazing in Tenerife. Alternatively, you could drop in on one of the country's many festivals (think Running of the Bulls, La Tomatina and the Baby Jumping Festival) which are madder than a box of frogs.

And then there are the cities; Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao, Seville, Valencia, the list goes on. Each one of these vibrant metropolises has their own distinct flavour; the Dali architecture and sweeping beaches of Barcelona seem a long way from the wide boulevards and soaring skyscrapers of Madrid (though the Catalans may wish it was further). 

But for all their disparities, these cities are bound by Spain's remarkable history and enviable cultural feats, which are proudly displayed in the country's museums, galleries and UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Suffice to say, its popularity shows no sign of waning.

505,990 sq km (195,363 sq miles). Includes Balearics, Canaries, Ceuta, and Melilla.

46,733,038 (UN estimate 2018).

92 per sq km.

Parliamentary monarchy.

King Felipe VI of Spain since 2014.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez since 2018.

Travel Advice

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) provides advice about risks of travel to help British nationals make informed decisions. Find out more about FCDO travel advice .

Before you travel

No travel can be guaranteed safe. Read all the advice in this guide and any specific travel advice that applies to you:

• women travellers
• disabled travellers
• LGBT+ travellers

Follow and contact FCDO travel on Twitter , Facebook and Instagram . You can also sign up to get email notifications when this advice is updated.

Travel insurance

If you choose to travel, research your destinations and get appropriate travel insurance . Insurance should cover your itinerary, planned activities and expenses in an emergency.

This advice reflects the UK government’s understanding of current rules for people travelling on a full ‘British citizen’ passport from the UK, for the most common types of travel.

The authorities in Spain set and enforce entry rules. If you’re not sure how these requirements apply to you, contact Spain’s embassy or consulates in the UK .

If you are planning to travel to Spain through France, check the latest FCDO travel advice for France before you start your journey.

If you are planning to travel to Spain through Gibraltar, check the latest FCDO travel advice for Gibraltar before you start your journey.

COVID-19 rules

There are no COVID-19 testing or vaccination requirements for travellers entering Spain.

Passport validity requirements

If you are planning to travel to an EU country (except Ireland), or Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino or Vatican City, you must follow the Schengen area passport requirements .

Your passport must be:

• issued less than 10 years before the date you enter the country (check the ‘date of issue’)
• valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave (check the ‘expiry date’)

Check your passport meets these requirements before you travel. If your passport was issued before 1 October 2018, extra months may have been added to its expiry date.

Contact Spain’s embassy or consulates in the UK if you think that your passport does not meet both these requirements. Renew your passport if you need to .

Visa requirements

You can travel to countries in the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa. This applies if you travel as a tourist, to visit family or friends, to attend business meetings, cultural or sports events, or for short-term studies or training.

If travelling to Spain and other Schengen countries without a visa, make sure your whole visit is within the 90-day limit. Visits to Schengen countries within the previous 180 days before you travel count towards your 90 days.

To stay longer, to work or study, for business travel or for other reasons, you need to meet the Spanish government’s entry requirements. Check with Spain’s embassy or consulates in the UK before you travel about what type of visa or work permit you may need.

If travelling to Spain for work , read the guidance on visas and permits.

If you cannot return to the UK before the expiry of your visa, permit or visa-free limit, contact the Spanish government’s national information service (In Spanish, English speaking operators are available). You can dial 060 from a Spanish phoneline.

If you are visiting Spain and need to extend your visa-free stay for exceptional reasons, such as a medical emergency, you must apply to the immigration authorities (‘Extranjería’) (in Spanish).

If you stay in Spain with a residence permit or long-stay visa, this does not count towards your 90-day visa-free limit.

Passport stamping

Check your passport is stamped as you enter or exit the Schengen area through Spain as a visitor.

Border guards check you’re complying with the 90-day visa-free limit for short stays in the Schengen area. If you do not have relevant entry or exit stamps in your passport, they will assume you have overstayed.

You can show evidence of when and where you entered or exited the Schengen area, and ask the border guards to add this date and location in your passport. Examples of acceptable evidence includes boarding passes and tickets.

Use the desks staffed by border officers. If you are aged 18 or over, and airport staff instruct you to, you may be able to use e-gates where they are in operation.

If you use an e-gate, make sure you get your passport stamped by a border officer.

Additional documents required by tourists

If you enter the Schengen area as a tourist, you may need to provide additional documents at the border. As well as a valid return or onward ticket, when travelling to Spain you could be asked to show:

• you have enough money for your stay
• a hotel booking confirmation
• proof of address if visiting your own property (such as second home)
• an invitation or proof of address if staying with a third party, friends or family, such as a ‘carta de invitation’ completed by your hosts.

You can visit the Spanish Ministry of Interior website for more information (only available in Spanish).

Residents of Spain

If you are resident in Spain your passport should not be stamped when entering or leaving Spain.

Actively show your proof of residence, such as the foreigner’s identity card (‘la tarjeta de identidad de extranjero’ or ‘TIE’), when presenting your passport at Spanish border control. For further information, read about living in Spain .

Travel between Spain and Gibraltar

Spanish border checks can cause delays when crossing between Spain and Gibraltar. If you are travelling to Spain through Gibraltar, check the travel advice for entry requirements for Gibraltar .

There is no charge to enter or leave Gibraltar. You should not hand over money to anybody claiming there is a charge.

Unaccompanied minors

Spanish law considers anyone under 18 to be a minor. If an unaccompanied minor comes to the attention of the Spanish authorities (particularly in connection with criminal incidents or when in hospital) they will be considered vulnerable and may be taken to a minors centre until a parent or guardian is found.

Vaccination requirements (other than COVID-19)

At least 8 weeks before your trip, check the vaccinations and certificates you need on TravelHealthPro .

Customs rules

There are strict rules about what goods can be taken into and out of Spain. You can find details on the National Tax Agency leaflet (in Spanish and English). Declare anything that may be prohibited or subject to tax or duty.

Taking food and drink into Spain

You cannot take meat, milk or products containing them into EU countries. There are some exceptions for medical reasons, for example certain amounts of powdered infant milk, infant food, or pet food required for medical reasons. Check the rules about taking food and drink into the EU on the European Commission website.

Taking money and goods into Spain

Check the National Airport Association website for guidance on taking money and goods into and out of Spain.

You should also read FCDO’s overall travel advice .

There is a high threat of terrorist attack globally affecting UK interests and British Nationals, including from groups and individuals who view the UK and British Nationals as targets. Stay aware of your surroundings at all times.

UK Counter Terrorism Policing has information and advice on staying safe abroad and what to do in the event of a terrorist attack. Find out how to reduce your risk from terrorism while abroad .

Terrorism in Spain

Terrorists are likely to try to carry out attacks in Spain.

Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreigners. Stay aware of your surroundings, keep up to date with local media reports and follow the advice of local authorities.

Recent terrorist attacks in Spain include:

• in January 2023, one person was killed and others injured in a machete attack at 2 churches in Cadiz
• in 2017, 14 people were killed and over 100 injured across 2 incidents where vehicles were driven into pedestrians in Barcelona and Cambrils

Political situation

Demonstrations, political gatherings or marches can take place with little or no warning, particularly in cities. Follow the advice of police and local authorities.

While most demonstrations are peaceful, there is a risk of unrest or violence. If you’re in and around areas where demonstrations are taking place, be aware of what is happening around you and move away if there are signs of disorder.

Protecting your belongings

Most visits to Spain are trouble-free, but be alert to street crime. Thieves use distraction techniques, and often work in teams. Take care of your passports, money and personal belongings, particularly when collecting or checking in luggage at the airport, and while arranging car hire.

Do not carry all your valuables in one place. Keep a photocopy or scanned copy of your passport somewhere safe.

Make sure your accommodation has adequate security. Lock all doors and windows at night, or when out. If concerned about the security of your accommodation, speak to your travel operator or the property owner.

Vehicle crime

‘Highway pirates’ target foreign-registered and hire cars, especially those towing caravans. They may (forcefully) try to make you stop, claiming there is something wrong with your car or that you have damaged theirs. If you decide to stop to check the condition of a vehicle, stop in a public area with lights, such as a service station. Be wary of anyone offering help.

When driving, be wary of approaches by people posing as police officers in plain clothes travelling in unmarked cars. In all traffic-related matters, police officers will usually be in uniform. All police officers, including those in plain clothes, carry official ID. Unmarked police vehicles have a flashing electronic sign on the rear window which reads Police (‘Policía’) or Civil Guard (‘Guardia Civil’), and may use blue flashing lights. Genuine police officers will only ask you to show them your documents and will not ask for your bag or wallet.

Attacks and sexual assault

In an emergency call 112.

Attacks, including sexual assaults, are rare but do occur. See  Get help if you are a victim of crime abroad.

Avoid splitting up from your friends, do not leave drinks unattended and do not go off with people you do not know. Save the location of your accommodation on your maps app, so it’s easy to find. See TravelAware ‘Stick with your mates’ for tips and advice.

British Consulates in Spain (+34 917 146 300 or +44 207 008 5000) can provide local information and support.

Drink and food spiking

Be alert to the possible use of ‘date rape’ and other drugs including GHB and liquid ecstasy.

Buy your own drinks and always keep them in sight to avoid them being spiked. Alcohol and drugs can reduce your vigilance, making you less in control. If you drink, know your limit. Drinks served in bars in Spain are often stronger than those in the UK.

Thieves posing as police officers may ask to see your wallet, claiming they need to see it for identification. Genuine police officers will ask to see ID, but will not ask for wallets or purses.

Timeshare and holiday clubs

Timeshare ownership is well established in Spain. There are respected companies, agents and resorts who operate legally and fairly. However, there are also unscrupulous companies who falsely claim to provide incentives.

Read timeshare fraud advice from Action Fraud , the UK’s national fraud reporting centre.

Laws and cultural differences

Personal id.

You must provide photo ID if requested by a police officer. This includes the Guardia Civil and national, regional and local police forces. The police have the right to hold you at a police station until they have confirmed your identity.

Ignoring direct requests of a police officer can be considered as ‘disobedience’, which is a criminal offence.

Hotels, tourist accommodation and car rental companies have a legal duty to register passport details of tourists when they check-in or collect a vehicle.

When checking-in to your accommodation, wait until hotel staff have registered your passport details, or taken a photocopy of your passport. Do not leave your passport at reception to collect later.

You may need to show ID when buying goods with credit or debit cards. Your driving licence or a photocopy of your passport may be accepted, but they may need you to show your original passport.

Alcohol laws and bans

You cannot drink alcohol in the street in some areas of Spain. You can be given an on-the-spot fine. There are strict controls on drinking and sexual activity in public places, including on beaches.

Alcohol laws in the Balearic Islands

Local laws limit the sale and availability of alcohol in areas of some resorts on the islands of:

Magaluf (Calvià)

Playa de Palma

San Antonio (San Antoni de Portmany)

This prohibits:

happy hours

• open bars (such as all you can drink in 1-hour offers)
• the sale of alcohol from vending machines
• self-service alcohol dispensers
• the organising of pub-crawls and party boat trips
• ‘off-licence’ sales between 9:30pm and 8am

Hotels and other establishments are obliged to evict customers who behave dangerously on balconies. Both the customer and the establishment can be fined for such behaviour.

Illegal drugs and prison sentences

Possession of even a small quantity of drugs can lead to arrest and detention. Possession of large quantities will usually result in prosecution and a prison sentence.

Illegal commercial parties in villas and private homes

There have been a number of serious accidents involving people attending illegal commercially promoted parties in villas and private homes on the islands of Ibiza and Mallorca.

Licensed clubs and bars are required to meet safety and security standards, including emergency exits and capacity limits, and to have trained, licensed security staff. Illegal commercial parties may not meet these standards. Take care of your belongings, make sure you know where emergency exits are and do not take unnecessary risks.

You may receive a fine for attending illegal commercially promoted parties.

In some parts of Spain it’s against the law to be in the street wearing only a bikini or swimming shorts. Being bare-chested is also illegal in some areas in Spain. You may be fined if you’re caught wearing swimwear on the seafront promenade or adjacent streets.

For security reasons, some public authorities in Spain do not allow the burka or niqab to be worn in their buildings. If you visit town council buildings wearing a burka or niqab, you may be asked to remove it while inside.

Changing money

When changing money, always use official money exchange offices or banks because unofficial money changers may give you counterfeit money. Possession or use of counterfeit money is considered a serious crime in Spain and may lead to prosecution.

Spain is a generally tolerant and progressive place for LGBT+ travellers. There are active LGBT+ communities and social venues, particularly in big cities. Same-sex marriage has been legal in Spain since 2005. Since 2007, transgender people are able to register under their preferred sex in public documents such as birth certificates, identity cards and passports without undergoing prior gender reassignment surgery. Spain does not recognise a third gender.

Read more advice for LGBT+ travellers .

Outdoor activities and adventure tourism

Falls from height.

There have been a number of very serious accidents (some fatal) as a result of falls from height, including balconies. Many accidents have involved British nationals, and have had a devastating impact on those involved and their loved ones.

Do not take unnecessary risks around balconies or other high places, particularly if you’re under the influence of drink or drugs. If you are staying in a room with a balcony, follow the safety advice and watch out for friends who may be at risk.

In some regions you may be fined or evicted from your hotel if you are found to be behaving irresponsibly around balconies. Your travel insurance may not cover you for incidents that take place on a balcony or if you were under the influence of drink or drugs when the incident happened.

Festivals, concerts and processions

Many large events and public processions are held in Spain each year. Follow the advice of police and local authorities when attending events.

Take care of your valuables if attending a festival or large concert. See the festival travel checklist for more advice.

Swimming and beaches

Every year, people drown in the sea and in swimming pools in Spain. Children should always be supervised, even if they can swim or there is a lifeguard present.

Take care when swimming in the sea. Some beaches, especially around Spanish islands, may have strong undercurrents.

Avoid swimming at beaches that are close to rivers. Do not dive into unknown water as hidden rocks or shallow depths can cause serious injury or death.

Many beaches have a flag system. Make sure you understand the system and follow any warnings (a red flag means you must not enter the water). Take extra care and seek local knowledge if there are no lifeguards, flags or signs.

If you are walking along unmanned beaches, be aware that waves can come in further than expected and have strong undertows.

Further tips can be found on ABTA’s swim safe pages and the Royal Life Saving Society’s ‘Water Safety on Holiday’ page.

Follow local advice if jellyfish are present.

Hill walking, skiing and mountain activities

Temperatures in some parts of Spain can change very quickly. Take extra care when planning a hike or walk. Check local weather reports for warnings of extreme heat or cold temperatures.

For advice on safety and weather conditions for skiing or other outdoor activities you can:

call the Spanish National Tourist Office in London on 020 7317 2028

see the European Avalanche Warning Services

If an accident occurs while mountaineering, canoeing, potholing or climbing, or if you become lost in the mountains and need mountain rescue, call:

• 112 for the emergency services
• 062 for the Civil Guard

The Catalonia region has started billing climbers, skiers and other adventurers whose negligent behaviour causes them to need to be rescued.

Altitude sickness may be a risk in some of the higher mountain ranges in Spain, particularly in the regions of Granada, Huesca and Tenerife. More information about altitude sickness is available from the TravelHealthPro website.

Transport risks

Check with your airline, tour operator or transport company whether there is any planned strike action which might disrupt your journey.

Only use official registered or licensed taxis, or reputable transport companies you recognise. Licensing regulations differ across Spain and in certain cities pre-booking is required.

Passengers caught using unlicensed taxi services are liable for fines of up to 600 Euros. Make sure you book your taxi or airport transfer through a licensed firm.

Road travel

If you are planning to drive in Spain, see information on driving abroad and read the RAC guide .

In 2021 there were 1,508 road deaths in Spain ( source: Department for Transport ). This equates to 32 road deaths per million population and compares to the UK average of 24 road deaths per million population in 2021.

Licences and permits

To drive a car or a motorcycle over 125cc in Spain you must be 18 years of age or above, and at least 16 years old to ride a motorcycle up to 125cc. You must carry a valid driving licence and ID at all times.

If visiting Spain, you can drive on your full UK driving licence. Provisional licences are not valid for driving in Spain.

If you’re living in Spain, check the Living in Guide for information on requirements for residents.

If you are using UK insurance, always carry your certificate with you in case you are stopped. Check that your UK insurance will cover you to drive in Spain, and for how long. This certificate is generally only valid for a stay of less than 3 months.

Driving a British car abroad

You may need a UK sticker to drive your car outside the UK. In 2021 UK stickers replaced GB stickers. Check the GOV.UK Displaying number plates website for more information on what to do if you are driving outside the UK.

Driving regulations

Motorists drive on the right-hand side of the road in Spain. Driving rules and customs are different from those in the UK.

You must carry 2 red warning triangles which, in the event of an accident or breakdown should be placed in front of and behind the vehicle. They should be at least 50 metres away from the vehicle in each direction. You must have a spare wheel and the tools to change it. If you get out of your vehicle during an accident or breakdown, or while waiting for the arrival of the emergency services, you must wear a reflective vest or you may face a fine.

Spain has strict drink driving laws. Police regularly carry out roadside checks for alcohol and drugs. Penalties include fines, loss of licence and imprisonment.

You can be given an on-the-spot fines from the police for a variety of driving offences including speeding. If you accept the fine and pay within 20 days, it will be reduced by 50%. More information on how to pay is available on the Spanish driving agency website.

Seat belts are compulsory for all passengers in the front and back seats. Children under the age of 12 or under 1.35m in height must use an approved child safety seat and be positioned in the back seat. Children are only permitted to travel in the front seat of the car if the rear seats are already occupied by other children or if the vehicle does not have rear seats. Car hire agencies can provide child seats, so let them know you need one when you reserve the car. Incorrect installation of a child seat or not wearing a seat belt can be considered a serious offence and met with fines.

Motorcyclists (including drivers of mopeds and quads) must wear an approved safety helmet and other protective clothing. Not wearing one is considered a serious offence and can result in a fine.

It is illegal to use a mobile phone when driving, even if you have pulled over to the side of the road. You must be completely away from the road. Using an earpiece is also illegal. Only completely hands-free units are allowed to be used.

Low emission zones

Some inner city areas in Spain have introduced permanent low emission zones (‘Zonas de bajas emisiones’ – ZBE) where only vehicles that meet specific exhaust emission standards and display an air pollution sticker can enter. While air pollution stickers cannot be issued to vehicles with foreign registration plates, some cities do require you to register your vehicle in advance of travel if you wish to enter a low emission zone (e.g. Barcelona). You should check with local authorities in advance of travel for information on local regulations and the requirements for vehicles registered outside of Spain.

The Spanish government’s general information helpline 060 (if calling in Spain) or +34 902 887 060 (if calling from UK) may be able to provide further information.

Some cities also operate emergency anti-pollution protocols to limit exhaust emissions when air pollution levels are high. When activated, vehicle access is restricted and speed limits are imposed. Follow the instructions of the local authorities.

Extreme weather and natural disasters

Extreme temperatures.

Extreme temperatures can affect many areas of Spain over the summer months. For severe weather warnings and updates, visit the Spanish Meteorological Office (AEMET) and European Meteorological Services website .

For information on how to take care in the heat visit the NHS website or the website of the Spanish Ministry of Health (only available in Spanish).

You should check with your travel provider before traveling and follow the advice of local authorities at all times.

Forest fires

Forest fires occur frequently in Spain (including in the Spanish islands) during the summer months, when temperatures regularly reach over 40ºC. Be aware of your environment when visiting or driving through woodland areas. For information on forest fire risk visit the Spanish Meteorological Office (AEMET).

Causing a forest fire is a criminal offence in Spain, even if unintentional. Make sure cigarette ends are properly extinguished, do not light barbecues and do not leave empty bottles behind. You can be heavily fined for not following the rules against lighting outdoor barbecues in forest areas. Make sure you know the rules if considering a barbeque.

For information on what to do in the event of a forest fire, visit the Civil Protection website (only available in Spanish). Immediately report any fire you see to the emergency services on 112. In the case of wildfires, the situation can change quickly, so you should stay up to date with official advice.

Flash flooding can occur, causing travel disruption and damage to property and infrastructure. Check weather warnings from Spain’s meteorological office (AEMET) before travel and follow the advice of the local authorities.

Before you travel check that:

• your destination can provide the healthcare you may need
• you have appropriate travel insurance for local treatment or unexpected medical evacuation

This is particularly important if you have a health condition or are pregnant.

Emergency medical number

Dial 112 and ask for an ambulance.

Contact your insurance or medical assistance company promptly if you’re referred to a medical facility for treatment.

For more information read guidance on healthcare when travelling in Europe .

Vaccinations and health risks

At least 8 weeks before your trip check:

• the latest information on vaccinations and health risks in TravelHealthPro’s Spain guide
• where to get vaccines and whether you have to pay on the NHS travel vaccinations page

The legal status and regulation of some medicines prescribed or bought in the UK may be different in Spain.

TravelHealthPro explains best practice when travelling with medicines .

The NHS has information on whether you can take your medicine abroad .

Health insurance cards

Apply for a free UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) or European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) before leaving the UK. If you already have an EHIC, it will still be valid as long as it remains in date.

The GHIC or EHIC entitles you to state-provided medical treatment necessary during your trip. Any treatment provided is on the same terms as Spanish nationals. If you do not have your EHIC with you or you’ve lost it, contact the NHS Overseas Healthcare Team .

It’s important to take out appropriate travel insurance for your needs. A GHIC or EHIC is not an alternative to travel insurance and you should have both before you travel. An EHIC or GHIC does not cover all health-related costs, for example, medical repatriation, ongoing medical treatment and non-urgent treatment. Read more about what your travel insurance should cover .

EHIC and GHIC cover state healthcare only, not private treatment. You will be responsible for the cost of any treatment provided by a private doctor or private clinic.

For information regarding access to healthcare in Spain see healthcare for UK nationals visiting Spain .

Healthcare facilities in Spain

You can view a list of English speaking doctors in Spain.

If you need hospital treatment in Spain you’re more likely to receive appropriate care in a public healthcare facility. However, in some tourist areas there may not be any public healthcare facilities nearby. Your insurance or medical assistance company will be able to provide further details. Some hotels may call private doctors or ambulances to take patients to private hospitals. The GHIC or EHIC will not be accepted there. For more information, visit Healthcare for UK nationals .

COVID-19 healthcare in Spain

Rapid lateral flow tests (‘pruebas de antígenos’) are widely available in pharmacies in Spain for a fee.

If you have symptoms or test positive for COVID-19 during your stay in Spain, you are not required to self-isolate.

Hotels and other accommodation providers may have their own COVID-19 protocols in place. Follow any safety measures put in place by your accommodation provider. Your accommodation provider may have a list of private doctors that they can call to assess your symptoms and conduct a COVID-19 test.

Follow the advice of the local authorities.

Use of face masks

Due to an increase in respiratory infections such as flu and COVID-19, you may be required to wear a face mask when using healthcare facilities such as doctors surgeries, hospitals or pharmacies. Specific rules on the use of face masks may vary by region. You should refer to the advice of local authorities in your destination and ensure you are aware of the specific measures in place on how best to protect yourself and others.

Travel and mental health

Read FCDO guidance on travel and mental health . There is also guidance on TravelHealthPro .

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) cannot provide tailored advice for individual trips. Read this travel advice and carry out your own research before deciding whether to travel.

Emergency services in Spain

112 (ambulance, fire, police)

Make sure you know the contact details of the local emergency services and the location of the nearest police station.

Reporting crime

To report a crime, including stolen property and lost or stolen passports, visit the nearest National Police (‘Policia Nacional’), regional police (‘Ertzaintza’ in the Basque Country, ‘Mossos d’Esquadra’ in Catalonia, and ‘Policia Foral’ in Navarre) or Civil Guard (‘Guardia Civil’) station to file a police report (‘denuncia’).

Some Spanish cities also offer a Foreign Tourist Assistance Service (‘Servicio de Atención al Turista Extranjero’ or ‘SATE’) run by the Town Hall and National Police where you will be able to report a crime in English.

Violent crime or sexual assault must be reported in person at the nearest police station. If you’ve had belongings stolen, you’ll need to keep the police report for insurance purposes.

While in Spain, you can file a police report online for minor offences such as bag or car theft.

If your passport is lost or stolen, you’ll need to apply for an emergency travel document from the nearest British Consulate and to apply for a replacement passport when you return to the UK.

Contact your travel provider and insurer

Contact your travel provider and your insurer if you are involved in a serious incident or emergency abroad. They will tell you if they can help and what you need to do.

Refunds and changes to travel

For refunds or changes to travel, contact your travel provider. You may also be able to make a claim through insurance. However, insurers usually require you to talk to your travel provider first.

Find out more about changing or cancelling travel plans, including:

where to get advice if you are in a dispute with a provider

how to access previous versions of travel advice to support a claim

Support from FCDO

FCDO has guidance on staying safe and what to do if you need help or support abroad, including:

finding English-speaking lawyers ,  funeral directors and  translators and interpreters  in Spain

dealing with a  death in Spain

being  arrested in Spain

getting help if you’re a victim of crime

what to do if you’re in hospital

if you are affected by a crisis , such as a terrorist attack

Contacting FCDO

Follow and contact FCDO travel on Twitter , Facebook and Instagram . You can also sign up to get email notifications when this travel advice is updated.

Help abroad in an emergency

If you are in Spain and you need emergency help from the UK government, contact the British Embassy in Madrid or your nearest consulate .

You can also contact FCDO online .

FCDO in London

You can call FCDO in London if you need urgent help because something has happened to a friend or relative abroad.

Telephone: 020 7008 5000 (24 hours)

Find out about call charges

Living in Spain

If you’re living in or moving to Spain, read the Living in Spain guide in addition to this travel advice.

Risk information for British companies

The  Overseas Business Risk service  offers information and advice for British companies operating overseas on how to manage political, economic, and business security-related risks.

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The Ultimate Spain Bucket List – 300+ Spanish Experiences

Let us take you on a journey through the heart of Spain with our Ultimate Spain Bucket List, a curated collection of 300+ epic experiences that capture the essence of this diverse and enchanting country.

From the vibrant streets of Madrid to the sun-kissed shores of Andalusia , each one encapsulates a unique facet of Spain's rich tapestry, be it cultural, culinary, or adventurous.

Dive into colourful traditional festivals , taste the nuances of regional cuisines , and traverse landscapes that range from historic cities to idyllic islands.

Whether you're a history buff, a culinary explorer, or an adrenaline seeker, this guide is your key to helping you unlock Spain's most epic places to see and things to do.

1. La Tomatina - Valencia

La Tomatina Festival, held annually in Bunol, Valencia, is the world's largest tomato fight, attracting thrill-seekers worldwide. No Spain bucket list would be complete without this fun and exciting festival. It takes place on the last Wednesday of August, where participants engage in an epic tomato battle, transforming the streets into a sea of red. The sheer exhilaration and camaraderie of La Tomatina Festival make for an unforgettable experience.

2. Hike The Caminito del Rey - Malaga

The Caminito del Rey is a breathtaking hiking trail suspended high above the gorge of El Chorro in Andalusia. Renowned for its awe-inspiring views and adrenaline-inducing walkways, it's a must-visit for thrill-seekers and nature enthusiasts. The recently renovated path offers a safe yet exhilarating adventure, allowing you to walk high above the stunning landscapes of Andalusia.

3. Visit Santiago de Compostela Cathedral

Embark on a spiritual pilgrimage in Spain with a visit to Santiago de Compostela Cathedral . This architectural marvel, nestled in the heart of Galicia, exudes centuries of history and religious significance. Marvel at the intricate façade, explore the sacred interiors and witness the renowned Botafumeiro swing. The cathedral's profound cultural and spiritual resonance makes it an unforgettable destination.

4. Experience the Prado Museum - Madrid

Inaugurated in 1819 by King Ferdinand VII and Queen Isabel, the Prado Museum now houses one of the most important art collections in the world. The museum is now home to almost 8.000 paintings by masters including Titian, Velazquez, Ribera, Murillo, Rubens, Goya, Hieronymus Bosch, El Greco, Jordaens, and hundreds of other well-known artists.

5. Spend a Day at the Impressive City of Arts & Science in Valencia

Discover the futuristic marvels of the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia on a captivating walking tour. Immerse yourself in cutting-edge architecture designed by Santiago Calatrava and Felix Candela as you explore the complex. Another must see attraction on any ultimate Spain bucket list, here, you can witness the awe-inspiring structures, including the Hemispheric, Science Museum, and Oceanografic.

6. Witness the Valencia Cathedral, Miguelete Tower & Holy Grail

For a special experience when in Valencia, visit the Cathedral , Miguelet, and the revered Holy Grail. Marvel at the grandeur of the cathedral's architecture, ascend Miguelete Tower for the best views over the city and witness the sacred relic believed to be the Holy Grail. This immersive experience showcases Valencia's religious heritage which offers a profound connection to centuries of history and tradition.

7. Visit a Witch Village - Granada

The enchanting village of Soportujar is often affectionately referred to as the "Witch Village". It is nestled in the Sierra Nevada Mountains close to Granada, its winding streets and white-washed houses seem to conceal secrets from centuries past. Legends of witches and magical traditions have been woven into its history, adding a captivating allure.

8. Treck Europe´s only Desert

The Tabernas Desert in Almeria is a mesmerising arid landscape renowned for its rugged beauty and unique cinematic history. Europe's only desert, features dramatic rock formations, dry riverbeds, and a harsh yet captivating terrain. Its stark, cinematic allure has made it a popular location for countless Western films, adding to its mystique as a wild, enchanting desert oasis in southern Spain.

9. Explore the White-Washed Villages of the Alpujarras

The quaint villages of the Alpujarras in Granada , form a stunning mosaic of white-washed houses clinging to the southern slopes of the Sierra Nevada. Known for their traditional Moorish architecture and terraced farmlands, these picturesque hamlets offer a glimpse into Andalusia's rich history and culture. Nestled amidst lush valleys and dramatic landscapes, here, you will find a taste of authentic Spanish mountain life.

10. Discover Grazalema Nature Park - Cadiz

Grazalema Nature Park, located in Cadiz, is a pristine wilderness haven. This protected area boasts lush forests, rugged limestone peaks, and deep gorges, including the captivating Garganta Verde. It's a haven for hikers, birdwatchers, and nature enthusiasts. The park's diverse flora and fauna, including the rare Spanish fir, make it a vital ecological treasure in the heart of Andalusia.

11. Explore the Sierra de Aracena

The Sierra de Aracena, nestled in the province of Huelva , is a tranquil and picturesque mountain range. Its lush woodlands, charming villages, and gentle slopes offer a serene escape. This region is known for its traditional hamlets with whitewashed houses, exquisite ham, and captivating cave systems, adding to its allure. The Sierra de Aracena is a real hidden gem to explore.

12. Visit Ubeda - Jaen

Ubeda, a UNESCO World Heritage city in the province of Jaen, is a historic treasure trove. Its well-preserved Renaissance architecture, including ornate palaces and churches, transports visitors to a bygone era. The Plaza de Vazquez de Molina, with its stunning buildings and fountains, stands as a testament to the city's grandeur.

13. Explore the Stunning Hilltop Village of Guadalest

Discover the enchanting village of Guadalest nestled in the Valencia region , where ancient history meets breathtaking landscapes. Perched on a mountain, the village offers panoramic views of the turquoise reservoir below. Explore the medieval castle, visit the quirky micro-sized museum, and wander through charming streets lined with artisan shops.

14. Walk Among Olive Groves

Cordoba is renowned for its picturesque olive groves, contributing to the region's status as one of the world's leading olive oil producers. These ancient groves, with their silvery-green foliage, blanket the rolling hills and valleys, creating a serene and iconic landscape. The olives harvested here are the essence of Andalusian cuisine, making Cordoba an essential destination for food lovers and those seeking the beauty of olive country.

15. Visit Antequera in Deepest Andalusia

Antequera, located in the province of Malaga is a town rich in history and natural beauty. Its well-preserved monuments, such as the stunning Alcazaba fortress and the Dolmen of Menga, harken back to ancient civilisations. Surrounded by dramatic landscapes, including the unique rock formations of El Torcal.

16. See Mermaids Reef at Cabo de Gata

Arrecife de las Sirenas, situated in Cabo de Gata-Nijar Natural Park, Almeria, is a striking coastal formation known as the "Mermaids' Reef." This unique landscape consists of volcanic rock formations that resemble mythical creatures. Nestled along the Mediterranean, it's a haven for photographers and nature enthusiasts, offering breathtaking views and a glimpse into the wild beauty of Spain's southeastern coast.

17. Explore Sancti Petri Island - Cadiz

Sancti Petri Island, off the coast of Cadiz , is a captivating maritime gem steeped in history. This small island is home to the iconic Castle of Sancti Petri, a historic fortification that dates back centuries. Surrounded by azure waters and sandy beaches, it offers a picturesque setting for exploration, water sports, and a glimpse into Spain's naval heritage, making it a must-visit destination in the Cadiz province.

18. Visit Arcos de la Frontera - Cadiz

Arcos de la Frontera, perched atop a dramatic sandstone ridge in Cadiz is a captivating pueblo blanco (white village). Its historic old town is a maze of narrow streets, whitewashed houses, and stunning viewpoints offering panoramic vistas of the Guadalete River valley. The town's rich Moorish and Christian history is reflected in its architecture and festivals, making Arcos a delightful and culturally rich destination.

19. Explore the Whitewashed Village of Frigiliana

Frigiliana, nestled in the hills of Malaga, is a charming whitewashed "Pueblo Blanco" celebrated for its well-preserved Moorish architecture. Its winding cobblestone streets, adorned with vibrant flowers, lead to picturesque squares and historic buildings. The village offers a tranquil escape and a step back in time, with a blend of Mediterranean culture and a captivating Andalusian ambience.

20. Be Astonished at Setenil de las Bodegas

Setenil de las Bodegas, nestled in the Province of Cadiz, is a charming village famous for its unique architecture. Houses are built directly into the cliffs and rock overhangs, creating a fascinating cave-like appearance. Walking through its narrow streets, visitors can admire this natural and architectural marvel, while enjoying traditional Andalusian cuisine in the cosy eateries that line the picturesque alleys. Check out this Malaga, Ronda and Setenil guided tour , a walking tour with transport from Malaga.

21. Treck The Sierra Morena Nature Park - Jaen

The Sierra Morena in Jaen is a rugged and pristine mountain range renowned for its untamed natural beauty. Its dense woodlands, diverse wildlife, and pristine rivers offer a haven for outdoor enthusiasts and nature lovers. This wilderness area, dotted with charming villages, provides a serene escape from the bustle of urban life and invites you to explore its beautiful scenic trails.

22. Explore Almodovar del Rio

Almodovar del Rio, in the Province of Cordoba , is a picturesque town known for its imposing castle, Castillo de Almodovar . Rising majestically above the Guadalquivir River, this well-preserved fortress boasts a rich history dating back to Roman times. The town's narrow streets, charming architecture, and the dramatic backdrop of the castle make Almodovar del Rio a captivating destination that takes you back to medieval Spain.

23. Visit Romantic Ronda

Perched dramatically atop deep gorges, Ronda in the province of Malaga captivates with its enchanting blend of history and breathtaking landscapes. Famous for its iconic Puente Nuevo bridge spanning the El Tajo gorge, Ronda offers a romantic ambience , cobbled streets, and charming squares. Renowned for its wineries, Ronda beckons wine lovers to savour the local brew amidst stunning vineyard backdrops.

24. Stroll Along The Sand Dunnes of Bolonia

A stroll along the pristine sand dunes of Bolonia , in Southern Spain, is truly a magical experience. This natural wonder, located along the Andalusian coast, offers a mesmerising landscape where golden sands meet the clear Atlantic Ocean. Feel the soft sand beneath your feet whilst witnessing the harmonious blend of nature's elements. Bolonia's expansive dunes provide a serene escape and are well worth visiting.

25. Visit Palma Cathedral - Mallorca

Palma Cathedral, a Gothic masterpiece, also known as La Seu, stands as a testament to centuries of craftsmanship and religious significance. You will be amazed at its soaring spires, intricate stained glass windows, and ornate interiors that showcase a blend of medieval and Catalan Gothic styles. Constructed on the site of a former mosque, its construction began in 1229 and continued for several centuries. Experience the glory of La Seu Cathedral in Palma de Mallorca with a skip-the-line entry ticket to the city's most iconic building.

26. Be Amazed At Smurf Village

Juzcar, a village in the province of Malaga, is famously known as the "Smurf Village" due to its unique blue-painted houses. In 2011, the entire village was painted blue as part of a promotional campaign for the Smurfs movie. Although the campaign was temporary, the village chose to keep its vibrant blue hue, making Juzcar an eye-catching and quirky destination that attracts curious travellers and fans of the little blue creatures.

27. Visit El Rocio - Huelva

El Rocio, in the Province of Huelva , is a unique village renowned for its annual pilgrimage, the Romeria del Rocio . Each year, millions of pilgrims descend upon this charming town to pay homage to the Virgin of El Rocio. The village, with its sandy streets, rustic charm, and picturesque hermitage, provides a captivating setting for this deeply rooted Andalusian tradition.

28. Discover Tarragona

Tarragona, nestled on the northeastern coast of Spain, is a captivating place to visit with its unique blend of ancient history, Mediterranean charm, and modern vibrancy. Steeped in Roman heritage, Tarragona boasts an exceptionally preserved amphitheatre overlooking the azure sea, transporting travellers to an era of gladiator battles and grand spectacles.

29. Explore the Grand Mosque Cordoba

Cordoba's Grand Mosque , also known as the Mezquita, stands as an architectural testament to the city's rich history. A captivating fusion of Islamic and Christian influences, the mosque's intricate arches and stunning prayer hall showcase medieval Moorish craftsmanship. Amidst its ornate beauty, visitors experience a harmonious blend of cultures, transitioning seamlessly from the mosque to the Cathedral.

30. Visit the Volcanic Landscapes of Garrotxa

The enchanting Garrotxa nature park is a land sculpted by ancient volcanic activity. This natural haven, with its rugged landscapes and fertile valleys, boasts lush forests, medieval villages, and ancient volcanic cones. You can wander through the peaceful Fageda d'en Jorda beech forest, explore charming towns like Besalu, and be amazed at dormant volcanoes like Santa Margarida.

31. Explore The Golden Triangle of Art - Madrid

If you love the arts, Madrid's Triangle of Art is the place to be. Comprising the Prado Museum , Reina Sofia , and Thyssen-Bornemisza, this triangle showcases a breathtaking array of Spanish and international art. See Picasso's "Guernica" or the classic works of Velazquez, Goya, and more. Each museum offers a distinct perspective, weaving together the vibrant tapestry of Spain's artistic heritage.

32. Visit the House of Salvador Dali

Embark on a surreal journey in Cadaques, Catalonia, as you explore the whimsical House Museum of Salvador Dali . Nestled on the Mediterranean coast, this iconic residence served as the artist's refuge and canvas. See the eccentricity of Dali's mind through the labyrinthine rooms adorned with peculiar objects and avant-garde decor.

33. Scuba Dive Off the Canary Islands

Enjoy an aquatic adventure off the Canary Islands , and delve into the mesmerising underwater world with scuba diving. Submerge into crystal-clear Atlantic waters teeming with vibrant marine life, intricate coral formations, and volcanic landscapes. The Canary Islands offer a diverse array of dive sites, each unveiling a unique marine ecosystem. Experience what it feels like to breathe underwater during your introduction to scuba diving in Tenerife .

34. Visit a Sherry Bodega in Jerez

Visit a traditional Sherry bodega in the Andalucia town of Jerez de la Frontera . Get up close with the rich history of this fortified wine, witnessing the intricate process of production and ageing in the bodega's cellars. Engage your palate with tastings of distinct Sherry varieties, from dry Fino to sweet Pedro Ximenez. This amazing experience unveils the artistry behind Sherry-making.

35. Walk Through Blossoming Cherry Trees

Take a stroll beneath pink canopies of blossoming cherry trees in Extremadura, Western Spain. This enchanting experience, typically in spring, unveils a landscape transformed by delicate pink and white blooms. Wander through orchards and embrace the fragrant air, capturing the essence of nature's renewal.

36. Take a Day Trip To Lobos Island - Fuerteventura

Go on a day trip to Lobos Island, just off the coast of Fuerteventura , in the Canary Islands. This tranquil oasis is well worth visiting with its pristine beaches, crystal-clear waters, and diverse landscapes. Explore the island's volcanic terrain, hike scenic trails, and encounter the abundant wildlife and fauna. The short boat journey from Fuerteventura sets the stage for exploration in this untouched paradise.

37. Explore The Rio Tinto Mines - Huelva

The Rio Tinto Mines Huelva , are an extraordinary testament to both human industry and the astonishing forces of nature. These mines have been in operation for over 5,000 years, yielding vast quantities of copper, silver, and other minerals. What's unique is the vibrant red hue of the river, a result of the high mineral content, creating an eerie, Martian-like landscape.

38. Go On an Olive Oil & Wine Tasting Tour

Get up close with one of Spain’s best exports, on an immersive olive oil and wine tasting tour. Stroll through picturesque landscapes, where olive groves and vineyards stretch as far as the eye can see. Engage in the art of olive oil production, savouring its nuances, and then delight in the diverse flavours of local wines. This unique gastronomic journey offers a unique opportunity to taste the country's liquid gold.

39. Visit Albufera Valencia - The Home of Paella

Explore the culinary heart of Valencia, Spain, visiting Albufera , the birthplace of paella. Discover the lush landscapes surrounding this coastal lagoon, known for its rice paddies and vibrant flora. Engage in a Spanish gastronomic journey as you try authentic paella crafted with locally sourced ingredients. The experience not only unveils the origin of Spain's iconic dish but also offers a taste of Valencia's rich cultural heritage .

40. Explore El Torcal - Antequera

El Torcal in Southern Spain, stands as a geological wonder with its surreal limestone formations and panoramic vistas. A haven for nature lovers and hikers, this UNESCO-listed site boasts unique landscapes sculpted by wind and water over millions of years. The labyrinthine trails unveil striking rock formations, home to diverse flora and fauna.

41. Explore Modernisme in Barcelona

Delve into the enchanting world of Modernisme in Barcelona. Explore the city's architectural treasures, including Gaudí's iconic Sagrada Familia and the whimsical Casa Batllo . Immerse yourself in the innovative designs, vibrant mosaics, and intricate details that define this Art Nouveau movement. Barcelona's Modernisme showcases a fusion of artistic brilliance and architectural marvels that will last long in your memory.

42. Walk the Renowned Camino de Santiago

Walk the Camino de Santiago , one of the world's most renowned historic hikes. This historic pilgrimage route weaves through diverse landscapes, quaint villages, and ancient landmarks, offering a profound experience for seekers of adventure and spirituality. With each step, absorb the rich cultural tapestry and camaraderie that define the Camino.

43. Discover the Whitewashed Villages of Andalusia

Discover the charm of picturesque whitewashed villages located around Andalusia . Nestled against stunning landscapes, these picturesque settlements feature narrow winding streets, adorned with vibrant flowers and traditional architecture. Immerse yourself in the authentic Spanish culture as you explore these idyllic villages, each with its own unique character. The pick of the villages include Mijas Pueblo , Vejer, Frigiliana, and Casares.

44. Be Part of the Fallas Festival - Valencia

If you love the Spanish Festival scene, there is none better than the Fallas Festival held each year in Valencia. Be part of the spectacle as colourful sculptures and effigies line the streets, culminating in a grand display of fireworks. Join locals in lively celebrations, featuring parades, music, and traditional attire. The festival's energy, unique dynamic atmosphere, and artistic fervour create an unforgettable holiday experience.

45. Stay in a Fairy Tale Castle

Enjoy the magic of Spain by staying in a fairy-tale castle, monastery or converted palace. Nestled amidst picturesque landscapes, these historic buildings, known as Paradors, offer a blend of luxury and medieval charm. Stay in regal surroundings, surrounded by grandeur and architectural splendour. From opulent interiors to breathtaking views, each Parador promises a unique and enchanting stay .

46. Explore Donana National Park

Discover the natural wonder of Donana National Park, a pristine sanctuary in southwestern Spain. This UNESCO World Heritage Site offers a diverse landscape encompassing marshes, dunes, and forests. Traverse its meandering trails and encounter a rich array of wildlife, including the endangered Iberian lynx and myriad bird species.

47. See a Roman Aqueduct in Segovia

Marvel at the ancient engineering marvel, the Roman Aqueduct in Segovia . Dating back to the 1st century AD, this UNESCO World Heritage Site stands as an imposing symbol of Roman architectural prowess. Witness the aqueduct's grandeur, with its double-tiered arches stretching gracefully through the city. Wander through the historic streets and absorb the palpable sense of history, appreciating the timeless beauty of this iconic structure in the heart of Segovia.

48. Visit the Coastal Town of Santillana del Mar Cantabria

Explore Santillana del Mar, a picturesque town in Cantabria , Spain. Stroll through its cobblestone streets and marvel at well-preserved medieval architecture, including the Collegiate Church of Santa Juliana. Admire the rustic beauty of stone houses adorned with vibrant flowers. Discover the allure of its historic sites and experience the serene ambience of this captivating Spanish town.

49. See the Hanging Houses of Cuenca

Explore the unique City of Cuenca , and witness the awe-inspiring Hanging Houses (Casas Colgadas) clinging to the cliffs of the Huecar Gorge. These architectural marvels, perched dramatically on the edge, offer breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape. Wander through the historic town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and appreciate the fusion of medieval and modern elements.

49. Discover the Historic City of Oviedo

Discover the historic city of Oviedo, where time seems to stand still amid its architectural treasures. Stroll through charming cobblestone streets, discovering the essence of Asturian culture. Marvel at the impressive Oviedo Cathedral , a masterpiece of Gothic architecture. Delight in the iconic pre-Romanesque churches, showcasing intricate craftsmanship. Immerse yourself in the vibrant Plaza del Fontan, experiencing the local buzz.

50. Stroll Around the Historic City of Avila

Embark on a leisurely stroll through the historic city of Avila , Spain, and step back in time. Encircled by well-preserved medieval walls, Avila is a living testament to Spain's rich heritage. Wander through cobblestone streets lined with ancient architecture, including the iconic Walls of Avila. Marvel at the stunning cathedral and explore charming plazas.

51. Explore the Picasso Trail - Malaga

Stroll the Picasso Trail in Malaga, and delve into the artistic journey of the legendary painter, Pablo Picasso. Visit the Picasso Museum , housed in a historic palace, showcasing an extensive collection of his masterpieces. Stroll through Plaza de la Merced, where Picasso's childhood home stands, and discover the vibrant street art paying homage to the iconic artist.

52. Learn Spanish in Barcelona

Improve your Spanish language skills at one of Barcelona´s language schools. Absorb the language amid historic streets and lively culture, making your education an integral part of your unforgettable Spanish experience. It’s a great way to learn Spanish and connect with locals in the amazing city of Barcelona.

53. Experience an Authentic Flamenco Show In Barcelona

Witness the passionate rhythms of Spain at an authentic Flamenco show in Barcelona . See for yourself the mesmerising dance, soulful guitar strums, and heartfelt vocals that define this traditional art form. The energy and emotion of Flamenco create a captivating atmosphere, transporting you to the heart of Spanish culture. Choose a renowned venue such as the City Hall, sip on local wine, and let the vibrant performance ignite your senses. This unforgettable experience offers a glimpse into the soul-stirring artistry that has enchanted audiences for generations.

54. Witness the Medina Azahara - Cordoba

Medina Azahara unveils awe-inspiring Roman ruins in the heart of Cordoba. This archaeological site, once a magnificent palace city, showcases intricate mosaics, grand arches, and historical relics that harken back to the 10th century. It stands as a testament to the opulence and architectural prowess of the Islamic Caliphate in Al-Andalus.

55. Visit the Impressive Guggenheim Musuem - Bilbao

The Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao , is an avant-garde masterpiece, designed by architect Frank Gehry. It is a mesmerising fusion of titanium, glass, and limestone. As you traverse the iconic structure, contemporary art comes to life with exhibitions showcasing works by renowned artists. The museum itself, a work of art, stands as a testament to Bilbao's revitalisation.

56. Experience Parc Guell - Barcelona

Parc Guell is a vibrant mosaic of art and nature nestled in the heart of Barcelona . Designed by the iconic architect Antoni Gaudi, this UNESCO World Heritage Site captivates with its surreal architecture, kaleidoscopic tilework, and panoramic views of the city. Meander through whimsical pathways adorned with colourful ceramics and encounter Gaudí's iconic lizard sculpture. The expansive terrace offers breathtaking vistas of Barcelona's skyline. A testament to Gaudi's genius, Parc Guell is a sensory feast, inviting you to revel in its unique charm and creativity against the backdrop of Catalonia's capital.

Southern Spain Bucket List

Southern Spain combines busy resorts, great beaches, a rich cultural heritage, and unrivalled hospitality, making it a perfect holiday destination. Embrace Andalusia's iconic cities like Seville , where the rhythmic beats of flamenco echo through historic streets, and Granada, home to the mesmerising Alhambra. Wander through the romantic lanes of Ronda, perched dramatically atop cliffs, or indulge in the coastal charm of Costa del Sol's pristine beaches . Southern Spain is a feast for the senses, where Moorish architecture, vibrant festivals, and delectable tapas tell tales of a storied past.

• Explore the Alhambra Palace , Admiring the Islamic Architecture and Serene Gardens of Granada's Crown Jewel.
• Taste Andalusian Tapas in Seville's Triana neighbourhood, Delighting in Traditional Flavours and Lively Riverside Ambiance.
• Witness the Passion of Semana Santa in Malaga , Experiencing the Rich Traditions of Southern Spain's Holy Week.
• Hike the Rugged Trails of Sierra Nevada, Revelling in Panoramic Views of Snow-Capped Peaks and Moorish Villages.
• Bask in the Sun on Marbella's Golden Mile , Enjoying Luxury Beachfront Living and Glitzy Mediterranean Vibes.
• Visit Ronda's Puente Nuevo, Gazing Across the Gorge to the White-Washed Houses Perched on Cliffs.
• Experience the Feria de Abril in Seville , Celebrating Flamenco, Horse Parades, and Andalusian Festivities in Style.
• Discover the Caves of Nerja, Marveling at Stalactite Formations and Subterranean Chambers Along the Costa del Sol.
• Attend a Flamenco Show in the Sacromonte Caves , Immersing Yourself in the Soulful Music and Dance of Granada.
• Relax on the Beaches of Costa del Sol, From the Glamorous Puerto Banus to Charming Nerja Cove Retreats.
• Explore the Historic Alcazar of Seville , Stepping Into a Fairytale Palace with Mudejar, Gothic, and Renaissance Influences.
• Take a Scenic Drive Through the White Villages of Andalusia, including Frigiliana, Mijas, Vejer, Casares, and Ronda.
• Visit Jerez de la Frontera's Sherry Bodegas , Sampling the Rich Flavors of Andalusian Sherries in Historic Cellars.
• Sail the Strait of Gibraltar, Crossing Between Europe and Africa with Views of the Iconic Rock.
• Attend La Noche en Blanco in Malaga, Joining an All-Night Arts and Culture Celebration in the City.
• Horseback Ride in the Sierra de Grazalema, Exploring Lush Forests and Meadows in Andalusia's Natural Paradise.
• Marvel at the architectural beauty of the Mezquita in Cordoba , a former mosque turned cathedral, featuring a mesmerizing blend of Islamic and Christian design.
• Explore the dramatic gorge and Puente Nuevo bridge in Ronda , perched high above the El Tajo canyon.
• Experience the passionate world of Flamenco with a live performance in Seville , the birthplace of this vibrant art form.
• Experience the energetic windsurfing and kiteboarding scene in Tarifa, known for its windy conditions and vibrant nightlife.
• Sierra Nevada National Park: Ski in the winter and hike in the summer amidst the stunning mountain landscapes of Sierra Nevada.
• Wander through the charming streets of Mijas, a traditional Andalusian white-washed village offering panoramic views of the coast.
• Explore the fascinating stalactite formations in the Nerja Caves, a subterranean wonder near the town of Nerja.
• Enjoy the maritime atmosphere of Cadiz , one of Europe's oldest continuously inhabited cities, known for its historic charm and lively Carnaval.
• Experience luxury in Puerto Banus, Marbella's upscale marina, renowned for its high-end shops, restaurants, and yachts.
• Discover the picturesque village of Grazalema, surrounded by lush landscapes and known for its artisanal crafts.
• Step back in time at the Dolmen sites in Antequera , megalithic tombs dating back to the Neolithic period.
• Indulge in the world-famous Iberian ham in Jabugo , a town known for its exquisite cured ham.
• Wander through the charming Casco Viejo, Bilbao's Old Town , filled with narrow streets, historic buildings, and lively pintxos bars.
• Discover the green spaces and cultural richness of Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain's green capital, with parks, medieval architecture, and vibrant festivals.
• Soak up the sun on La Concha Beach , San Sebastian's urban paradise, known for its crescent shape, golden sands, and scenic backdrop.
• Explore the medieval charm of Hondarribia, a coastal town with well-preserved fortifications, colourful buildings, and a historic old town.
• Discover the unique semi-desert landscape of Bardenas Reales , a natural region in Navarre featuring eroded cliffs, canyons, and distinctive formations.

Barcelona Bucket List

The City of Barcelona offers visitors a blend of architectural wonders, cultural dynamism, and sun-soaked allure. The city's heartbeat pulses in iconic landmarks like Antoni Gaudi's Sagrada Familia and the vibrant La Rambla promenade. Delight in the Gothic Quarter's labyrinthine streets and medieval charm. Revel in the artistic treasures at the Picasso Museum and the contemporary allure of the MACBA. Barcelona's beaches beckon for relaxation, while the culinary scene showcases Catalonian gastronomy.

• Marvel at Gaudí's Sagrada Familia , a Masterpiece of Modernist Architecture and Spiritual Beauty in Barcelona.
• Stroll down La Rambla and immerse Yourself in the Bustling Energy, Street Performers, and Lively Atmosphere.
• Explore the Intricate Details of Park Guell , Gaudi's Wonderland, Boasting Colorful Mosaics and Surreal Architecture.
• Indulge in Tapas Delights at La Boqueria Market, Savoring Spanish Flavours Amidst a Kaleidoscope of Fresh Produce.
• Ascend Montjuic Hill for Panoramic Views, Unveiling Barcelona's Coastal Beauty and Iconic Landmarks from Above.
• Experience Flamenco at Palau Dalmases , Surrendering to the Passionate Rhythms of Spain's Traditional Dance.
• Discover the Historic Gothic Quarter of Barcelona , Roaming Medieval Streets, and Uncovering Centuries-Old Architectural Treasures.
• Admire Casa Batllo's Whimsical Facade, a Surreal Canvas of Gaudí's Artistic Vision in Modernist Elegance.
• Sunbathe on Barceloneta Beach, Embracing the Mediterranean Sun, Sand, and the City's Vibrant Coastal Lifestyle.
• Visit the Picasso Museum , Immersing Yourself in the Evolution of Picasso's Artistry Across Diverse Periods.
• Visit the Barcelona Football Club Stadium at Camp Nou, Absorbing the Electric Atmosphere of Spain's Football Capital.
• Dine at El Nacional, Savoring Culinary Delights in a Historic Pavilion Housing Four Distinct Gastronomic Spaces.
• Take a Day Trip to Montserrat, Marveling at the Monastery's Mountainous Backdrop and the Black Madonna.
• Explore the Surreal Visions of Joan Miro at the Fundacio Joan Miro , a Testament to Catalan Modernism.
• Cycle Through Parc de la Ciutadella, Unveiling Serene Lakes, Lush Greenery, and Barcelona's Grand Triumphal Arch.
• Sip Cava at the Codorniu Winery , Embarking on a Journey Through Catalonia's Rich Wine Heritage.
• Ride the Historic Tramvia Blau to Tibidabo , Reveling in Nostalgic Charm and Stunning Views of the City.

Madrid Bucket List

Madrid , the vivacious heart of Spain, stands as a testament to the nation's rich history, cultural depth, and contemporary flair. Embark on a journey through the Spanish capital, where grand boulevards intersect with historic neighbourhoods. Marvel at the regal elegance of the Royal Palace and immerse yourself in art at the Prado Museum . Stroll through the lively Puerta del Sol and indulge in culinary delights at local markets. Madrid's vibrant nightlife echoes the city's lively spirit, while green oases like Retiro Park offer serene escapes.

• Marvel at the Majestic Palacio Real , Immerse Yourself in Royal Splendour Amidst Opulent Halls and Gardens.
• Explore the Prado Museum's Artistic Riches , Admiring Masterpieces by Velázquez, Goya, and El Greco.
• Stroll Through Retiro Park's Green Oasis, Rowing on the Lake and Discovering Hidden Gardens and Statues.
• Witness Flamenco at Corral de la Moreria , Diving into the Passionate World of Spain's Traditional Dance.
• Discover Puerta del Sol's Iconic Landmarks, from the Tio Pepe Sign to the Statue of the Bear.
• Savour Chocolate and Churros at San Gines , Indulging in a Time-Honoured Spanish Culinary Delight.
• Visit the Royal Monastery of El Escorial , Exploring the Grandeur of This Historic Marvel Near Madrid.
• Climb the Faro de Moncloa Tower , Revelling in Panoramic Views Across Madrid's Cityscape and Beyond.
• Dine at Mercado de San Miguel, Savouring Culinary Delights in a Vibrant Market Atmosphere in Madrid's Center.
• Take a Day Trip to Toledo , Wandering Through the Ancient Streets and Exploring the Historic Alcazar.
• Explore the Chic Neighbourhood of Malasana, Uncovering Trendy Cafes, Street Art, and Bohemian Vibes.
• Experience the Vibrancy of Gran Via, Madrid's Main Thoroughfare, Lined with Theatres, Shops, and Restaurants.
• Celebrate the San Isidro Festival , Immersing Yourself in Madrid's Grand Fiesta with Music, Dance, and Traditional Events.
• Bike Through Casa de Campo Park , Enjoying Madrid's Largest Green Space with Wooded Trails and a Lake.
• Admire the Contemporary Art at Reina Sofia Museum , Home to Picasso's Guernica and Avant-Garde Masterpieces.
• Attend a Flamenco Show at Tablao Los Carboneras , Surrendering to the Intense Rhythms and Expressive Dance

Valencia Bucket List

Valencia, a coastal jewel on Spain's eastern shore, unfolds as a captivating tapestry of tradition, innovation, and Mediterranean allure. The City of Arts and Sciences , a futuristic marvel, reflects Valencia's commitment to cutting-edge design, while the historic Silk Exchange and the stunning Valencia Cathedral embody its rich past. Revel in the vibrant Mercado Central, a gastronomic haven, and soak up the sun on the pristine beaches along the Turia River.

• Marvel at Santiago Calatrava's City of Arts and Sciences , a Futuristic Wonderland Showcasing Valencia's Architectural Ingenuity.
• Indulge in a Paella Cooking Class , Mastering the Art of Spain's Iconic Dish in Valencia's Heartland.
• Wander Through the Historic Barrio del Carmen , Exploring Narrow Streets, Graffiti Art, and Bohemian Vibes.
• Cycle the Turia Gardens, Following the Serpentine Park That Winds Through Valencia, Offering Greenery and Recreation.
• Visit the Lively Central Market , tasting Fresh Produce and local Delicacies, and Immersing Yourself in the Bustling Market Atmosphere.
• Relax on Malvarrosa Beach, Soaking Up the Sun and Enjoying the Vibrant Coastal Scene of Valencia's Shoreline.
• Explore the Bioparc Valencia , Experiencing an Immersive Zoo Concept Where Animals Roam in Natural Habitats.
• Attend Las Fallas Festival , Participating in the Grand Fireworks, Parades, and Burning Sculptures That Define Valencia's Unique Celebration.
• Climb the Micalet Tower, Enjoying Panoramic Views of Valencia's Skyline and Historic Monuments from the Bell Tower.
• Discover the Silk Exchange (La Lonja), Admiring Valencia's Gothic Masterpiece and UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Take a Boat Ride in Albufera Natural Park , Navigating Through the Picturesque Lagoons and Serene Waterways.
• Visit the Oceanografic , Exploring Europe's Largest Aquarium and Delving Into the Depths of Marine Life Exhibits.
• Taste Horchata in Alboraya , Sipping the Traditional Valencian Drink Made from Tiger Nuts in Charming Orchards.
• Celebrate La Tomatina in Bunol , Joining the World's Largest Tomato Fight for an Unforgettable Festival Experience.
• Explore the Silk Route Cultural Center, Tracing Valencia's Historical Connection to the Silk Trade and Artisan Craftsmanship.
• Visit the amazing Las Fallas Festival Museum . Learn about the history of one of Spain´s best festivals as well as see many award-winning minots of the past.
• Discover the Crypt of San Vicente Martir , Unearthing Ancient Christian Catacombs Beneath Valencia's Cathedral.
• Relax in Turia Gardens, a lush urban park created from a diverted riverbed, featuring gardens, playgrounds, and scenic walking paths.
• Explore the Lladro Factory , where intricate porcelain figurines are crafted, offering insights into the artistry and craftsmanship of this renowned brand.
• Cross Puente de la Exposicion, a beautiful bridge spanning the Turia River, adorned with sculptures and offering picturesque views of the city.
• Immerse yourself in the historic charm of Plaza de la Reina , a central square surrounded by cafes, shops, and the Valencia Cathedral.
• Marvel at modern opera and performing arts at Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia, a cultural complex within the City of Arts and Sciences.
• Feel the passion at Mestalla Stadium , the home of Valencia CF, where you can catch an exhilarating football match or tour the iconic venue.
• Unleash your inner child at Gulliver Park , an interactive playground with a giant Gulliver sculpture for climbing, sliding, and imaginative play.
• Appreciate fine art at Museo de Bellas Artes , a museum showcasing an impressive collection of Spanish paintings, sculptures, and decorative arts.
• Climb Santa Catalina Tower for stunning views of the city, the Turia River, and the distant mountains, providing a unique perspective on Valencia.
• Bring the family to Jardin del Turia Playground, a spacious play area with themed zones, zip lines, and recreational spaces for children to enjoy.
• Enjoy a Free Tour of the famed Torres de Serranos , a medieval gate and former prison, offering panoramic views of the city and the opportunity to explore its historic architecture.

Central Spain Bucket List

Central Spain, a region steeped in history and cultural richness, beckons travellers to explore its diverse landscapes and timeless treasures. The nation's capital, Madrid, stands as a dynamic hub where historic grandeur mingles with modern sophistication. Beyond Madrid, the ancient City of Toledo enchants with its medieval charm, while Segovia captivates with its iconic aqueduct and Alcazar fortress.

• Step Back in Time in Toledo, exploring its medieval streets and the majestic Alcazar fortress.
• Witness the Rich History of Zaragoza at the Basilica-Cathedral of Our Lady of the Pillar.
• Take a Stroll Through Cuenca's Hanging Houses , a UNESCO World Heritage Site on a dramatic cliff.
• Savour the Flavours of Albacete, known for its delicious traditional Spanish cuisine and local wines.
• Absorb the Academic Atmosphere in Salamanca , home to one of the world's oldest universities.
• Discover the Enchanting Medieval Town of Caceres, a well-preserved city with Renaissance architecture.
• Experience Albarraiin's Unique Charm, a picturesque town with ancient walls, towers, and narrow streets.
• Explore Segovia's Alcazar and Roman Aqueduct , iconic symbols of this historic city.
• Attend Caseres' Running of the Wine Horses Festival, a lively celebration blending tradition and excitement.
• Wander Through the Lush Gardens of La Granja de San Ildefonso , a magnificent royal palace.
• Visit the Historic Jewish Quarter in Toledo, a testament to the city's multicultural past.
• Trek Through the Sierra de Cuenca Natural Park, a haven for nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts.
• Join a free tour of Salamanca's University District and learn all about this famous cultural area.
• Attend the Medieval Market of Alcala de Henares , a lively event with period costumes and activities.
• Tour the Mausoleum of Pozo Moro, an ancient Iberian burial site with impressive sculptures.
• Discover the Aqueduct of Teruel , an engineering marvel dating back to the 16th century.
• Take a Boat Trip on the Tagus River in Toledo, enjoying scenic views of the city's landmarks.
• Enjoy a Free walking tour of the Old Town of Toledo , Cathedral, Jewish Quarter and the Palace House Tour
• Visit Zaragoza's Basilica del Pilar : Behold the grandeur of Pilar, an iconic basilica on the banks of the Ebro River.
• Marvel at Salamanca's Plaza Mayor: Admire the architectural splendour of Salamanca's main square, a Baroque masterpiece.
• Stroll Through Caceres Old Town: Step back in time to explore the medieval charm of Caceres, a UNESCO World Heritage site .

Spanish Islands Bucket List

The Spanish Islands, scattered across the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, offer an enchanting escape into diverse landscapes and coastal splendour. The Balearic Islands , including Ibiza, Majorca, and Menorca, lure with their pristine beaches, vibrant nightlife, and historic charm. In the Canary Islands , volcanic landscapes unfold in Tenerife , Gran Canaria, and Lanzarote , offering a tapestry of geological wonders, from Teide National Park's towering peak to Timanfaya's otherworldly terrain.

• Discover the Hidden Coves of Menorca , Unwind on Untouched Beaches, and Explore the Island's Tranquil Mediterranean Charm.
• Hike the Dramatic Volcanic Landscape of Lanzarote , Marvel at Otherworldly Scenery, and Visit Timanfaya National Park.
• Experience Ibiza's Legendary Nightlife, Dance Under the Stars, and Enjoy Beach Parties in the Balearic Island Paradise.
• Explore the Pristine Waters of Formentera, Discover Sandy White Beaches, and Embrace the Relaxed Mediterranean Vibe.
• Sail the Turquoise Waters of Majorca , Visit Historic Ports, and Indulge in the Island's Culinary Delights and Culture.
• Witness the Spectacular Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and engage in Colourful Parades, Music, and Festive Celebrations.
• Dive into the Underwater World of El Hierro, Explore Vibrant Coral Reefs, and Encounter Unique Marine Life Species.
• Embrace the Nature Reserve of La Graciosa , Enjoy Secluded Beaches, and Experience the Tranquillity of This Remote Island.
• Visit La Palma's Stargazing Observatory, Marvel at the Canary Islands' Clear Skies, and Discover the Magic of Astrophotography.
• Discover the Eclectic Street Art Scene of Ibiza Town, Wander Through Colourful Murals, and Embrace the Bohemian Atmosphere.
• Experience the Carnival of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Immerse Yourself in Themed Parades, Music, and Exuberant Festivities.
• Explore the Historic Old Town of Ciutadella in Menorca , Roam Through Narrow Streets, and Soak in the Island's History.
• Engage in Water Sports Paradise in Fuerteventura , Surf on Pristine Beaches, and Explore the Island's Unique Sand Dunes.
• Visit the Archaeological Site of Talayots in Menorca, Explore Ancient Stone Structures, and Uncover Prehistoric Balearic Culture.
• Go on an All-Inclusive day-long Ibiza beach-hopping cruise.
• Discover the Artistic Legacy of Cesar Manrique in Lanzarote , Visit His Iconic Creations, and Appreciate the Island's Aesthetic Harmony.
• Experience the Mystic Charm of Dragon Trees in Tenerife , Marvel at Ancient Specimens, and Explore the Island's Botanical Wonders.

Spanish Food Bucket List

Spanish cuisine, a vibrant mosaic of distinctive flavours, aromas, and culinary traditions, offers a delectable journey for those seeking an authentic taste of Spain. From the sizzling pans of paella on Valencia's shores to the deliciously tasty slices of Jamon iberico in Andalusian tapas bars, every region contributes its unique gastronomic tapestry. Relish the robust flavours of gazpacho on a sunlit terrace, indulge in the exquisite simplicity of Spanish Tapas and pintxos in the Basque Country, or try the rich textures of cocido madrileno in Madrid.

• Try Authentic Paella in Valencia, Delighting in the Perfect Harmony of Saffron-Infused Rice and Seafood.
• Indulge in Jamon Iberico in Andalusia, Relishing the Rich, Nutty Flavors of Spain's Finest Cured Ham.
• Taste Pintxos in San Sebastian, Enjoying Basque Culinary Artistry in Bite-Sized, yummy Tapas Masterpieces.
• Experience Churros and Chocolate, Dipping Fried Dough in Thick, Velvety Chocolate for a Decadent Treat.
• Enjoy Gazpacho in Andalusian Summers, Quenching Your Thirst with Chilled Tomato Soup Bursting with Fresh Flavours.
• Try a plate of delicious Goose Barnacles “Percebes” a strange but delicious Spanish delicacy.
• Partake in Calçotada in Catalonia, Celebrating Spring with Grilled Green Onions and Romesco Sauce.
• Relish Fabada Asturiana in Asturias, Satisfying Your Palate with Hearty Bean Stew Infused with Spanish Sausages.
• Treat Yourself to Crema Catalana in Barcelona, Indulging in Creamy Custard with a Caramelised Sugar Crust.
• Taste Bacalao a la Vizcaina in Bilbao, and enjoy Codfish in a Rich Tomato and Red Pepper Sauce.
• Sip Vermouth in Madrid's Vermuterias, Imbibing the Herbal Elixir Infused with Spices and Citrus Zest.
• Experience Cocido Madrileno in Madrid, Satisfying Your Appetite with a Hearty Chickpea-Based Stew.
• Enjoy Gambas al Ajillo in Seville, tasty Garlic-Infused Shrimp Cooked to Perfection in Andalusian Style.
• Try Escudella i Carn d'Olla in Catalonia, Indulging in a Festive Stew with Meat and Vegetables.
• Try Salmorejo in Cordoba, a Relishing Creamy Tomato and Bread Soup Garnished with Hard-Boiled Eggs.
• Indulge in Basque Cheesecake in San Sebastian, Delighting in the Creamy, Caramelised Perfection of this Regional Dessert.
• Enjoy a “Fritura Malagueno”, a mix of fried fish, one of Malaga´s most famous dishes.
• Experience Fideua in Catalonia, Savouring Seafood and short Noodle Delight, a Cousin to the Famous Paella.
• Delight in Sobrasada in Mallorca, Enjoying the Spicy, Spreadable Sausage Made from Ground Pork and Paprika.
• Sip Rioja Wine in La Rioja, Tasting the Rich Red Wines Cultivated in Spain's Renowned Wine Region.
• Taste Turron in Jijona, Indulging in the Almond and Honey Nougat Traditionally Enjoyed During the Holidays.
• Try Pulpo a Feira in Galicia, Revelling in Tender Octopus Drizzled with Olive Oil and Paprika.
• Enjoy Tarta de Santiago in Santiago de Compostela, Delighting in the Almond Cake Embossed with the Cross of Saint James.
• Treat Yourself to Rabo de Toro in Andalusia, Relishing Slow-Cooked Oxtail Stew Bursting with Rich Flavors.
• Experience Txuleta in the Basque Country, Sinking Your Teeth into a Succulent and Perfectly Grilled Ribeye Steak.
• Sip Cava in Catalonia, Toasting with Spain's Sparkling Wine, Produced with the Traditional Method.
• Indulge in Choco Frito in Andalusia, and taste Deep-Fried Cuttlefish Rings Crisped to Perfection.
• Taste Arroz Negro in Valencia, Savouring Squid Ink Paella for a Unique Culinary Experience.
• Delight in Patatas Bravas in Madrid, Enjoying Crispy Potatoes Drizzled with Spicy Tomato Sauce and Aioli.
• Experience Morcilla de Burgos, and taste the Distinctive Blood Sausage Flavours of This Spanish Delicacy.
• Try the tasty Jamon de Teruel in Aragon, Relish this Unique Cured Ham Produced in the Teruel Region.
• Taste Cochinillo Asado in Segovia, Enjoying the Roasted Suckling Pig, a Local Culinary Specialty.
• Indulge in Espetos de Sardinas in Malaga, and savour delicious Grilled Sardines on Skewers Along the Mediterranean Coast.
• Experience Manchego Cheese in La Mancha, Delighting in the Nutty and Creamy Flavors of This Iconic Spanish Cheese.
• Sip Sidra in Asturias, Enjoying the Traditionally Poured Asturian Cider in Sidrerias Across the Region.
• Relish Pimientos de Padron, Savouring Small Green Peppers Blistered and Sprinkled with Sea Salt.
• Experience Zarangollo in Murcia, Delighting in a Zucchini and Onion Scramble Infused with Spanish Flavours.
• Taste Gambas a la Plancha in Barcelona, Enjoying Grilled Prawns Seasoned with Sea Salt.
• Indulge in Flan de Huevo, Savouring the Creamy and Caramelised Elegance of Spanish Custard.
• Try Gambas al Pil Pil in San Sebastian, Delighting in Garlic-Infused Prawns Cooked in Spicy Olive Oil.
• Experience Pulpo a la Brasa in Galicia, Relishing Grilled Octopus Charred to Perfection with a Dash of Paprika.

Spanish Festival Bucket List

Spanish festivals offer you a way to immerse yourself in the spirited celebrations that define the essence of Spain. The infectious energy of events like La Tomatina in Bunol, where streets transform into a sea of red with tomato fights, or the vibrant Feria de Abril in Seville , filled with flamenco, fairgrounds, and joyous camaraderie, captures the heart and soul of the nation. Semana Santa, the Holy Week processions, weaves a tapestry of religious fervour and artistic expression in cities like Seville and Granada. Here are some of the best festivals and fiestas in Spain you should visit.

• Join the Vibrant La Tomatina Festival in Bunol and engage in the World's Largest Tomato Fight Celebration.
• Participate in Seville's Feria de Abril , Revel in Flamenco, Horse Parades, and Colourful Casitas.
• Attend Pamplona's Running of the Bulls and experience the Thrill of this Iconic San Fermin Festival Tradition.
• Celebrate La Feria de Malaga , Join the Joyful Processions, Flamenco Dancing, and Traditional Andalusian Merriment.
• Experience Barcelona's La Merce Festival , Engage in Street Performances, Fire Runs, and Artistic Extravaganzas.
• Join Valencia's Las Fallas Festival , and Marvel at the Elaborate Sculptures, Fireworks, and Colourful Street Processions.
• Partake in the Feria de Jerez , Enjoy Flamenco, Horse Exhibitions, and Sherry Tasting in Andalusia.
• Celebrate Carnaval in Cadiz , Engage in Street Parties, Parades, and Witty Satirical Performances.
• Experience the Feria de San Isidro in Madrid , Immerse Yourself in Bullfighting, Music, and Traditional Cuisine.
• Join the Grape-Stomping Fiesta of La Vendimia in La Rioja and participate in Harvest Celebrations and Wine Tasting.
• Attend the Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and enjoy Colourful Parades, Street Parties, and Extravagant Costumes.
• Experience the Holy Week Semana Santa in Seville and witness Solemn Processions, Music, and Traditional Religious Observances.
• Celebrate the Feria de Cordoba , Experience Flamenco, Bullfighting, and the Festive Atmosphere of This Andalusian Fair.
• Experience the famed Moros vs Cristianos battle enactments at Alcoy in Valencia.
• Experience the Feria de Granada , Engage in Flamenco, Tapas, and the Lively Celebrations of This Andalusian Fair.
• Participate in the Running of the Wine Horses in Caravaca de la Cruz , Enjoying This Unique Folkloric Tradition.
• Celebrate the Feria de San Fermin in Pamplona and immerse Yourself in Festive Processions, Music, and Bullfighting Events.

» Check out our comprehensive guide to all the best festivals in Spain , month by month.

More Bucket List Experiences

• Uncover the allure of the Costa Brava and its pristine golden sand beaches and rugged cliffs.
• Embark on a journey through the spiritual tranquillity of the Abbey of Montserrat or trek the scenic paths of Montserrat National Park .
• Set sail along the stunning expanse of the Spanish Mediterranean Coast for a maritime adventure.
• Traverse the cinematic landscapes of Girona , exploring Game of Thrones filming locations.
• Delight your taste buds with 'horchata' in Valencia, a refreshing non-alcoholic drink crafted from tiger nuts.
• Savour a culinary masterpiece at the famed eatery, El Celler de Can Roca , Voted one of the best restaurants in the world.
• Discover the historic allure of Denia , with its captivating castle and scenic coastline.
• Explore the enchanting coastal town of Peniscola, celebrated for its historic castle and inviting beaches.
• Take to the Skies over Spain. Try a Hot Air Balloon ride or a thrilling Tandem Paragliding experience.
• Witness the unique flora and fauna of the Ebro Delta Natural Park , a wetland sanctuary.
• Marvel at the ancient cave paintings of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Cave of Altamira .
• Explore off-the-beaten-track gems of the  Costa Blanca , renowned for its beautiful beaches, white-washed structures, and panoramic sea views.
• Explore Segovia's UNESCO-listed Roman aqueduct , a testament to ancient engineering.
• Wander through the medieval charm of Avila, a UNESCO World Heritage Site boasting well-preserved walls.
• Visit the Monasterio de San Juan de los Reyes in Toledo, an architectural marvel.
• Admire the Roman archaeological sites of Merida, revealing ancient Romanic splendours.
• Explore the grandeur of the Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial , a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Behold the architectural marvel of the Gothic-Mudejar Coca Castle.
• Stroll through the historic City of Cuenca , marvelling at its iconic hanging houses.
• Discover the medieval charm of the Alcazar of Segovia, a castle with a rich history.
• Explore Salamanca's historic Plaza Mayor and renowned university.
• Visit the regal Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso, surrounded by stunning gardens.
• Embark on a scenic journey to Sierra de Gredos , a mountain range offering breathtaking landscapes and outdoor activities like hiking and skiing.
• Discover the enchanting fairytale-like village of Setenil de las Bodegas , built into the cliffs.
• Marvel at the optical illusions of the Museo de las Ilusiones in Toledo .
• Take a stroll through the lavender fields of Brihuega during the blooming season.
• Experience the eerie beauty of Las Medulas, ancient Roman gold mines turned stunning landscapes.
• Explore the abandoned Belchite , a town destroyed during the Spanish Civil War, frozen in time.
• Take a boat ride through the Caves of Drach in Mallorca , featuring an underground lake.
• Witness the unique spectacle of the Moors and Christians Festival in Alcoy , Valencia.
• Explore the medieval charm of Albarracin, a well-preserved town with red sandstone buildings.
• Attend the quirky Burial of the Sardine Festival in Murcia , marking the end of Carnival.
• Explore the surreal rock formations of Ciudad Encantada in Cuenca.
• Attend the Feria de Caballo (Horse Fair) in Jerez, celebrating Andalusian culture.
• Visit the House of Shells (Casa de las Conchas) in Salamanca, adorned with ornate seashell motifs.
• Experience the thrill of paragliding over the stunning landscapes of the Sierra Nevada.
• Discover the vibrant street art of the El Carmen neighbourhood in Valencia .
• Explore the stunning landscapes of the Bardenas Reales  in a 4x4 guided tour,  a semi-desert region in Navarra.
• Take a dip in the pink salt lakes of Torrevieja for a surreal and colourful experience.
• Attend the unique Cascamorras Festival in Guadix, featuring paint-covered participants.
• Explore the surreal landscapes of Tabernas Deser t, the only desert in Europe.
• Explore the picturesque Catalan village of Comprodon . Located in the beautiful mountain valley in the western Pyrenees.
• Visit the quirky Museum of Funeral Carriages in Barcelona.
• Experience the vibrant Feria de Malaga , a lively summer fair with music, dance, and festivities.
• Explore the underwater museum of Lanzarote, featuring sculptures submerged in the Atlantic Ocean.
• Attend the Batalla del Vino (Wine Battle) in Haro , a wine-soaked celebration in La Rioja.
• Explore the labyrinthine cave dwellings of Guadix, where people still live in cave houses.
• Witness the Castells, a human tower building, during festivals in Catalonia.
• Explore the colourful houses of the fishing village of Cudillero in Asturias .
• Attend the unique Wine Horses festival in Caravaca de la Cruz , featuring horse races and wine-soaked celebrations.
• Visit the surreal landscapes of Las Salinas de Torrevieja , vibrant pink salt lakes.
• Attend the Feria de Pedro Romero in Ronda, Andalusia, celebrating the traditions of bullfighting.
• Explore the charming Alcazar of Jerez de la Frontera , a Moorish fortress with lush gardens.
• Attend the Feria de Los Patios in Cordoba , where locals open their colourful patios to the public.
• Explore the unique architecture of the Frank Gehry-designed Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao.
• Witness the Cascamorras Festival in Baza, a playful celebration involving paint and festivities.
• Combine a fun cooking class and a visit to the vibrant Mercado de la Boqueria in Barcelona.
• Discover the captivating charm of the underground caves of Nerja, adorned with stunning stalactite formations.
• Explore the historic Alcazaba fortress in Antequera, Malaga.
• Experience the vibrant Carnaval de Santa Cruz de Tenerife , one of the biggest carnivals in the world.
• Visit the mystical Poblat Iberic de la Moleta del Remei, an ancient Iberian settlement in Catalonia.
• Attend the Festival Internacional de Benicassim , a renowned music festival held in Castellon.
• Explore the enchanting Frigiliana , a picturesque Andalusian village with cobblestone streets.
• Take a scenic drive along the winding roads of the Picos de Europa , a stunning mountain range that crosses northern Spain.

Adrenaline-Pumping Bucket List Experiences

There are plenty of adrenaline-pumping activities for thrill-seekers searching for  exhilarating activities. Tandem skydiving is one the of best if you want the ultimate freefall experience, providing breathtaking views as you plummet from the skies.

How about opting for bungee jumping, leaping off bridges or platforms, a heart-pounding moment of controlled freefall.

For water enthusiasts, canyoning combines rock climbing, rappelling, and swimming through ravines, promising an adrenaline rush amid stunning natural settings.

Parasailing offers a unique perspective as you soar above the coastline, harnessed to a parachute towed by a speedboat, capturing the beauty of Spain's beaches.

White-water rafting enthusiasts can navigate thrilling river rapids, while jet skiing offers high-speed adventures on the open sea.

Hot air ballooning elevates the thrill to serene heights, providing panoramic vistas of Spain's diverse landscapes.

For some Off-road adventures, how about exhilarating quad biking adventures, tackling rugged terrains and exploring scenic trails. Spain's diverse terrains, from mountains to coastal cliffs, provide a playground for off-road 4x4 experiences, combining nature exploration with adrenaline-inducing manoeuvres.

Whether diving into the blue skies or conquering rushing waters, Spain's adventurous offerings cater to thrill-seekers of all kinds, promising unforgettable moments against the backdrop of its stunning landscapes.

Bungee Jumping 35m in Gador Bridge, Almeria

Elevate your thrills with a 35m Bungee Jump from the iconic Gador Bridge in Almeria ! Unleash the adrenaline surge surrounded by the breathtaking beauty of the Almeria Alpujarra. As one of the oldest bridges in the province, this historic site adds a unique dimension to your daring adventure. The Gador Bridge awaits, promising an adrenaline-fueled leap into unforgettable moments!

Canyoning at Guadalmina Gorge in Benahavís near Marbella

How about a canyoning adventure in the stunning Guadalmina Canyon , only 20 minutes from Marbella! This beginner-friendly experience introduces you to the thrill of canyoning. Dive into turquoise waters, conquer optional jumps of varying heights, and enjoy scenic abseiling passages.

Tandem Skydive from 3100m in Sevilla

Soar above Seville with a thrilling skydiving experience just 20 minutes from the city center!  Enjoy a one-minute freefall at 200km/h with a professional guide, relishing breathtaking views of Seville. The parachute opens, and you descend for 5-8 minutes, savouring every moment. Experience the ultimate thrill of freefall without a full course.

Parasailing Flight from Levante Beach, Benidorm

Experience the breathtaking Benidorm coast from the sky with a 10-minute parasailing flight ! The boat accommodates up to 10 people, offering both single and tandem flights. Choose to fly solo or share this unforgettable experience with a special someone. Depart from Rincon de Loix on Levante Beach for a fun parasailing flight along the stunning Benidorm coastline.

Bungee Jumping in Alcoi, Alicante

Indulge your adrenaline addiction with bungee jumping , a must-try extreme sport! Experience the thrill, speed, and nature's beauty with your first jump just 40 minutes from Alicante in Alcoi.  Qualified instructors are ready to guide you on this exhilarating 30-meter high bridge bungee jump. Don't miss the chance to conquer your fears and embrace the excitement.

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• About Author
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Hey there! I'm Matt, your friendly neighbourhood explorer extraordinaire! For the past 15 years, I've been gallivanting around Spain, soaking up all its wonders and uncovering hidden gems like a modern-day Indiana Jones (minus the hat and whip, unfortunately). So, buckle up, amigos! It's time to dive straight into the heart and soul of Spain. Welcome to my world of Spanish wonders!

Latest posts from Matt

• 4 Days in Valencia – The Ultimate Bucket List Itinerary - March 17, 2024
• Luxury Spain Holidays – The Ultimate Bucket List Travel Guide - March 9, 2024
• Easter in Spain – Semana Santa Holy Week Traditions - March 7, 2024

Recent Posts

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Making The Most Of Shore Sightseeing Excursions In Spain Whilst Cruising The Med

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5 Days in Spain: Itineraries to See (almost) Everything!

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In a 5-day trip to Spain, should you stick to the main cities, book a day trip to a nearby small town, or tour elsewhere?

There are many possibilities to create the travel experience of your dreams. But hey, as a local, I’d say five days are enough to see almost everything, depending on your priorities.

In this article, I’ve got you covered with the best advice to organize the best vacation.

You’ll discover three diverse itineraries curated for different types of travelers: first-timers looking for iconic landmarks, seasoned explorers seeking hidden gems, and culture enthusiasts ready to immerse in Spain’s rich heritage.

Let me show you how to make the most of your five-day adventure!

Table of Contents ▼ ▶

ITINERARY #1 - Discover the 3 main cities + a Day Trip!

You will begin your travel adventure in the stunning and cosmopolitan city of Barcelona, where art, culture, diversity, and incredible architecture live together. Not to mention that it has a front row to the Mediterranean Sea! It enjoys pleasant weather throughout the year as the sea breeze gives relaxing and comforting vibes and atmosphere. 

I really suggest you spend day 1 exploring the highlights of Barcelona, such as the famous Sagrada Familia, the iconic Casa Battló, and La Pedrera. Delight yourself in the famous Mercado de la Boquería or try seafood delights next to Barceloneta Beach. Take this day to soak in this enchanting city’s ambiance and welcoming vibes so you have something left to experience on day 2 , which I recommend you save for Park Güell, Tibidabo Park, or Camp Nou; it’s your pick! Depending on your preferences, you can choose the activity that best suits your needs. 

Here’s our suggestion on how to spend the perfect day in Barcelona with the landmarks explained so you have ideas on what to include in your travel plans. 

🇪🇸 Read more: 1 Day in Spain? Here’s the perfect 24-Hour Itinerary!

On day 2, I suggest you travel to Madrid, Spain’s heart and principal capital, in the late afternoon. Have a well-rested sleep, and prepare for day 3 , in which you’ll explore the highlights of this beautiful, elegant, and captivating city that welcomes everyone with open arms!

Having a traditional Spanish breakfast, chocolate with churros, at Chocolatería San Ginés is a must. Then you’ll find yourself in the middle of the bustling city center; you can wander in the streets and visit Plaza Mayor, Puerta del Sol, Callao, Plaza de España, the Royal Palace, walk-in Gran Vía, and head to Cibeles, reach the Retiro Park and finish with dinner in front of La Puerta de Alcalá. If you don’t want to do a lot of walking, I suggest you take a  hop-on & hop-off  bus or have shelter in one of the most important museums of Spain, the Prado Museum, the Reina Sofía, or Thyssen. 

The next day, day 4 , you should embark on a day trip to discover one of the prettiest and most enchanting historical and medieval cities, Toledo!

This gorgeous town near Madrid is worth exploring for its Medieval architecture, castles, and cathedrals. You’ll transport back in time. Make sure you visit the Cathedral of Toledo and the Alcázar de Toledo, and head to a walking viewpoint to appreciate the city from above. Also, don’t forget to eat typical regional food: cochinillos, lamb, stews, and many other delicious dishes. 

This day trip is optional, and if you want to spend more time in Madrid, it is advisable too! I can get excited and squeeze everything in 5 days, but it is possible!

For day 5 , get ready to take the road and travel to Seville, your last Destination. This is the third biggest city in Spain, one of the most visited, and where you can grab the essence of what it is like “living in the south.”

Visit the incredible Plaza de España and Maria Luisa Park for a nature retreat, see the impressive Alcázar de Sevilla, the beautiful Guadalquivir River… Seville has many things to do.

It’s where Flamenco flourishes at its best, and you can find the warmest version of Spain (both in terms of weather and friendly people).

I wish you had more time so I could show you a bit more about everything, but it’s okay. You can come back anytime.

ITINERARY #2 - Explore lovely cities in Southern Spain

This Itinerary is for those who have already traveled to Barcelona and Madrid and want to see something different. You need to visit the South! It’s total magic.

It has landmarks declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites, such as the Alhambra in Granada and the Alcazar in Seville (that I’ve already mentioned)

The region is rich in towns and enjoys many diverse landscapes and places to discover. Fortunately, it is a comfortable area to visit accompanied by a private driver, or renting your own car.

On day 1 , you’ll begin in the charming city of Seville, you know the deal, home to an attractive mix of Moorish, Christian, and Jewish architecture and history.

Same as I told you earlier, don’t miss the Royal Alcázar of Seville, the oldest royal palace in use worldwide, and the Seville Cathedral, the world’s largest Gothic temple, and of course, enjoy a leisurely walk in the famous Plaza de España.

Oh and, if you’re interested in bullfighting, the oldest bullring in Spain is in Seville, called Plaza de Toros Real Maestranza, the Triana Bridge, and maybe you can grab dinner on the Guadalquivir River or a lovely rooftop with views of La Giralda Tower!

Read more: 10 Iconic Landmarks in Seville and Must-Visit Attractions

On day 2 , it’s time to say goodbye to this big city and head to Cádiz, probably one of the best towns in Spain. (also one of my favorites) Besides paradisiac beaches such as La Victoria, San Maria, and La Cortadura, Cádiz is packed with history and culture.

You’ll find experiences of all kinds, from some street flamenco in the district of Santa Maria to getting lost in the streets of Alameda de la Apodaca y Marqués de Comillas, every corner of this city is so romantic to visit with your partner!

On day 3 , make sure you’re ready for Ronda! A beautiful small town in Málaga, everything is easy to access, and you can visit nearly everything on foot while enjoying the main tourist attractions throughout the day. All viewpoints are unique, making Ronda a primary place to stay in Andalucia. Read more .

On day 4 , you will discover Málaga, the capital of the famous Costa del Sol and one of the most incredible cities in Spain.

Be sure to visit La Alcazaba de Málaga, the Plaza de la Constitución on Calle Larios, the Málaga Cathedral, the Picasso Museum, and the Roman Theater. This is a coastal city that vibrates high for its people, its colors, and of course, the food! Try a fried fish by the beach, and you’ll know what heaven looks like!

Moving on to day 5 , you’ll head to Granada, home to the captivating and majestic Alhambra de Granada, a beautiful palace and fortress, the most important monuments of Islamic architecture, and one of the best-preserved palaces of the historic Islamic world. Which can

Granada is a city that should be on everyone’s list, no exaggeration.

Why? Simple: You can’t visit Spain and immerse yourself in its culture without understanding its past and Muslim history, which you can also see in the Albaicín and Sacromonte neighborhoods. This city will probably be one of the most memorable trips of your life.

This way, we end strong with what could be our second itinerary Idea for those travelers who have already got a glimpse of the top Spanish cities and are hungry for more.

ITINERARY #3 - Spain for First-time Travelers

If this is your first time in Spain, my recommendation as a local is to immerse yourself in the main Spanish cities and spend enough time in each.

Discover Barcelona and Madrid to the fullest, enjoy the best of each place without rushing, and be able to soak in the culture. 

On day 1 , arrive in Madrid and visit the city’s best highlights. Let’s start with the Royal Palace of Madrid, and from there, you can easily move on to the city center by walking. You’ll reach Plaza Mayor, Sol, Mercado San Miguel, and everything nearby! Make sure you take enough pictures, take your time to know the details, or even get a guided walking tour so you can understand the landmarks. If not, you can always visit our articles, where we explain everything about them.

Afterward, I suggest you go to a nice restaurant or maybe try some tapas bars if you like it. Anyways, here are our top recommendations:

As for the afternoon, spend your day at the lovely Retiro Park, grab some snacks, an ice cream in  Mistura ice cream , or an açai bowl from T he açai spot  (which is very trendy in Madrid right now), and take it to the park!

Then, you have options, and you could end your day on a rooftop terrace, for example, the one in the RIU Hotel in front of Plaza de España, go on top of the Palacio de Cibeles, or have dinner with views of Puerta de Alcalá! As a local, these are among the two most exquisite ways to spend your night in Madrid. 

Of course, if you prefer partying or want to try many different local tapas bars, that’s alright too!

On day 2 , I suggest you visit the art triangle: The Prado Museum, the Reina Sofía Museum, and the Thyssen Museum. Also, take this time to visit the landmarks you couldn’t see the day before and to try the restaurants and bars that caught your attention. After all, your unique experience is all that matters. 

On day 3 , head to Barcelona first thing in the morning and get ready to get lost in the streets! Walk in Passeig de Gràcia, enter Casa Batllò and La Pedrera, discover Las Ramblas, the famous Gothic Quarter, and the Boquería market, and do some people-watching as you get immersed in the relaxed and chill atmosphere that surrounds you. After that, heat to the Montjuïc Fountain to see the incredible spectacle of lights. 

On day 4 , discover the magical world of Gaudí and his most famous work, the Sagrada Familia. Visit it early in the morning to avoid crowds. Then, head to Park Güel, see the Arc du Triomf and the Ciutadella Park.

For football enthusiasts, you can also take a guided tour to Camp Nou, Barcelona Football Club Stadium (the biggest in Spain)

Then, finish strong with seafood by the gorgeous Barceloneta Beach.

On day 5 , I suggest you take a short trip to La Costa Brava to explore the beautiful landscapes and natural magic that make this destination iconic. Tarragona or Girona are great options. Also, you can do a wine-tasting tour in Penedès! 

Five days in Barcelona and Madrid are enough to get to know the main things about each city. So, I would say this is a safe option for those who have never traveled to Spain before. 

I hope this article was helpful. Let me know in the comments which itinerary idea was your favorite (or which itinerary idea you have in mind, so we can help you make it come true)

Remember, if you need any resources for traveling to Spain, we have complete guides for each city, so your only worry is to decide when you’re taking those well-deserved vacations. Safe travels!

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Complete Guide to Visiting Montserrat Spain

Last updated: March 25, 2024 . Written by Laurence Norah - 32 Comments

Montserrat is an impressive mountain range with an important mountaintop monastery around 30km as the crow flies from Barcelona in Spain. Visiting Montserrat from Barcelona is one of the most popular day trips from the city.

Of course, there are many ways you can get to and visit Montserrat. We visited it as part of a longer road trip around the Catalonia region, so we drove, but you can also visit on a tour or by public transport. However, one of the most common options for visiting Montserrat is as part of a day trip from Barcelona, so this post includes plenty of information on how to do that.

The mountain range is both a place of pilgrimage and a popular place for hiking (similar to the Vall de Nuria in fact), and there’s a lot to do here.

In this guide to visiting Montserrat, we’re going to give you all the information you need to plan your own trip to Montserrat.

We’re going to tell you the best ways to get here, what there is to do on the mountain, where to stay, and lots of other practical advice. We’re also going to recommend some companies that do day tours to Montserrat from Barcelona.

As always, this post is based on our own personal experiences, and we’re happy to answer your questions in the comments at the end. Now, let’s get started with our detailed guide to visiting Montserrat.

What is Montserrat?

Montserrat is a mountain range made up of a number of peaks, the highest of which (Saint Jerome) is 1,236 metres above sea level. The range rises strikingly from the surrounding landscape and is visually interesting for two reasons – the landscape around it is comparatively low lying and the mountains themselves are very jagged.

The name Montserrat translates in Catalan to serrated mountain, or saw mountain, a reference to how the peaks look like the jagged teeth of a saw. The peaks rise almost vertically from the plains surrounding them, and are visible from a long way off and very recognisable.

As well as being geologically interesting, Montserrat is also the home of a Benedictine Abbey. This was founded in the 11th century and is found 718m up the mountain.

This abbey has an important Roman Catholic relic, a statue of the Madonna and Child which is believed to date from at least the 12th century. This has made the Abbey and the Montserrat mountain as a whole, and important site of pilgrimage for centuries.

Where is Montserrat?

Montserrat is 20 miles / 30 kilometres to the north west of Barcelona as the crow flies. The driving distance is around 40 miles / 65 kilometres, making it easy to reach from Barcelona as a day trip. Most transport options to Montserrat from Barcelona take between an hour and 90 minutes.

The closest town to Montserrat is Monistrol de Montserrat, which is found at the foot of the mountain on the east side. The closest city is Manresa, a little to the north.

How to get from Barcelona to Montserrat?

As visiting Montserrat from Barcelona is a popular day trip, we wanted to share some options for the various transport options you have for making this journey. Of course, you can visit Montserrat from anywhere else too, and much of the information in this section will be relevant to you wherever you are coming from in Spain.

There are a number of ways to get from Barcelona to Montserrat. You can drive yourself, you can take public transport, you can cycle, and you can take a tour.

It’s possible to drive most of the way up the mountain to near where the monastery is, after which you can reach it on foot. There’s also a cable car and a funicular railway up the mountain.

Here are instructions for each of those options.

Driving from Barcelona to Montserrat

If you have a car, it’s an easy drive from Barcelona to Montserrat, and from the city centre to the area of the mountain where you can park should take you just over an hour, depending on traffic.

To get to Monsterrat from Barcelona by car you just follow the C-31 road north-east out of Barcelona, and then the C-58 north-west to Montserrat.

When you get to the town of Monistrol de Montserrat you have two options for getting to the monastery.

First, you can just keep driving until you reach the parking area at the top of the mountain. The road is quite steep and winding, but is well paved and does not need a four wheel drive or anything like that.

The parking area at the top is around a 10 to 20 minute walk from the monastery, depending on how busy it is. Note that the parking area is on a bit of a slope, so the further from the monastery you are, the more slope you will need to walk up.

The parking area is free for the first 30 minutes, and then €6.50 per day. If you stay overnight at the campsite or at one of the accommodation options, the fee is €10.50 for up to three days, and €11.50 for up to seven days. You can see full price information here .

When you enter the car park you will go through a barrier and get a ticket, you will need to pay for your parking at a payment machine before you return to your car and leave the car park.

The other option is to park in Monistrol de Montserrat and then take either the Montserrat rack railway (Cremallera de Montserrat) to the top, or the Aeri de Montserrat cable car.

Both of these options have free parking, either at the Aeri de Montserrat station for the cable car, or at the Cremallera de Monistrol Vila rack railway station. Of course, whilst the parking is free, you do still have to pay for your ticket for these transport options!

The rack railway has a variety of prices depending on time of year and your age. At time of writing, for adults in high season, a single ticket is €7.20 and a return ticket is €12.

You can see all the pricing options and timetables here , but tickets are not available online. You can buy them at the rack railway station.

The Aeri de Montserrat cable car costs €7.50 one way for an adult, and €11.50 return at time of writing. You can see all the prices, and book your tickets online, at the official website here , or in person at the cable car station.

You might be wondering which of all these options we would recommend. The answer of course, is that it depends! At particularly busy times of year, the car park at the top of the mountain can get very busy, and as the car park fills up it can get to be a bit of a walk from the car park area to the monastery.

So if you have mobility issues, you might prefer to park at the bottom of the mountain and take the train or cable car up. The cable car ride is around five minutes, but there is no seating. The rack railway ride is around 15 minutes and does offer seating. The rack railway is also wheelchair accessible, whilst the cable car is not.

However, the car park at the top is by far the cheapest option if you are driving, as you only have to pay to park the car, and a car parking ticket is cheaper than any of the transport options up the mountain. And of course, as you have to buy transport tickets for each individual in your group, the cost can quickly add up.

That said, the journey up the rack railway or cable car is quite spectacular, so don’t discount this option even if you have a car. Both provide some awesome unique views.

Train from Barcelona to Montserrat

If you are staying in Barcelona, a good option to get to Montserrat is by train. It takes around an hour to get to the town of Monistrol de Montserrat at the base of the mountain, from where you can take the rack railway or cable car to the top of the mountain.

You could also hike up, if you wanted some exercise – the hike is around 5km and should take no more than two hours.

Hiking options can be seen on this website and also here . The recommended path is the “ Drecera dels Tres Quarts ” (see English description here ). You can see more hiking options here .

If you take the train from Barcelona to Montserrat, then you can take advantage of the combined train tickets, which can include either the return rack railway or return cable car ticket.

There are also some additional combination tickets you can buy online in advance which have more inclusions, and we’ll also go through these. First though, the basic tickets.

Note that if you have a Barcelona discount pass that includes transportation, such as a Barcelona Pass or Barcelona Card , the transportation will not get you all the way to Montserrat so you will need to purchase separate train tickets.

Basic Combination tickets from Barcelona to Montserrat

The basic return tickets that you can purchase at the station include your train journey to the foot of the mountain and then a return ticket for either the rack railway or the cable car.

As of May 2022 these cost €12.65 for an adult and €23 return in the low / medium season, and €13.25 / €24 return in the high season. You can see up to date pricing at the bottom of this page , Note it is in Catalan, last time I checked the English version was not up to date. You are looking at the price from Zone 4.

You need to buy these tickets in person at Barcelona-Plaça Espanya Station.

Note that there are both automated ticket vending machines and also manned ticket booths. Reports online suggest that the automated vending machines are the best option for the basic return ticket as the vendors in the ticket booths primarily sell the higher priced combination tickets which have more inclusions. These higher priced tickets include various addons which can be worth it, more on these further on in the post.

Trains run throughout the day from Barcelona-Plaça Espanya Station. You are looking for the R5 train to Manresa, and you can check the times on the FGC website here . Trains run regularly approximately every half hour from early in the morning, but unless you are hiking up the mountain don’t go too early as transport up the mountain doesn’t start until around 9.30am.

Tickets can be purchased from automated vending machines at the Barcelona-Plaça Espanya Station. Give yourself plenty of time to find the line and buy the ticket as the station is quite large, and there also can be lines at the ticket machines, especially on weekends.

There are also multiple return train times, with departures from Monistrol back to Barcelona approximately every half an hour. Don’t forget to account for the time it will take to get down the mountain when considering your train time, and be sure to check the schedule of either the rack railway or cable car to give yourself plenty of time.

Please check up to date train times on the FGC website here .

When you buy your ticket at the vending machine at Placa Espanya station you need to specify if you want to take the Aeri de Montserrat cable car or the Cremallera de Montserrat funicular rack railway.

You can of course just buy the train ticket by itself and then buy separate tickets for the funicular or cable car on arrival in Monistrol, but buying the combination ticket will be more cost effective.

The only exception is if you want to take one option up the mountain and one option down the mountain, in which case you will have to buy separate single tickets for the cable car and funicular.

It is important when buying any combination ticket that you decide in advance which transport method up the hill you want to take. Once you have bought the ticket, you can’t change your mind. The type of transport will also define which train station you get off at.

For the cable car, you want to get off the train at the Aeri de Montserrat stop. The cable car is easy, as there is just one stop on each end, and the ride up the mountain only takes five minutes.

For the funicular rack railway, you will get off the train at the Monistrol de Montserrat stop. The funicular has three stations, the one at Monistrol de Montserrat, one a little further up the mountain at Cremallera de Monistrol Vila and then the stop at Montserrat itself.

When coming back down the funicular rack railway to connect with the train, make sure not to get off at the middle stop as this is not close to the train station, and is primarily for those visiting by car or coach.

Finally, something to be aware of when deciding on tickets is that the train back to Barcelona can be quite full, and possibly standing room only. If this is a concern, you will be better off taking the funicular, as this is the first stop for the Montserrat stations that the train stops at. If you take the cable car, the train will likely be quite full by the time it gets to the cable car stop.

Additional Ticket Options from Barcelona to Montserrat

As well as the basic combination train+cable car and train+funicular tickets, there are a number of other tickets available. These tickets include your transportation plus some extra services and inclusions.

These can be purchased in advance of your trip, which will save you queuing at the train station, and hunting for the right ticket machine. You can buy these tickets in person at the train station, at the Plaça Catalunya Tourism Office, or online from the Barcelona Tourism office (as well as various other online locations).

If you buy the tickets online, you will need to exchange the voucher for the actual tickets. If you buy them via the official Barcelona Tourism website (our recommended option), then you can pick them up at a variety of locations, including:

• Tourist information point in Plaça Catalunya, daily from 8.30am to 8.30pm. (Except 1st January and 25th December).
• Tourist information point in Barcelona Airport. Terminals T1, T2 and metro L9 lobby; daily from 8.30am to 8.30pm.
• FGC (Catalan Rail) station in plaça Espanya, daily from 8am to 2pm

So what are the ticket choices, and what do they include?

1. Trans Montserrat

The basic ticket is the Trans Montserrat ticket, which is around €10 more expensive than the basic combination ticket. As well as the return train to Barcelona, and your choice of round-trip cable car or funicular transport up the mountain, you also get:

• A round trip metro ticket within Barcelona to get you to Plaça Espanya train station (value €4.40)
• Unlimited rides on the Sant Joan funicular (return ticket value €14, see price here )
• Entrance to the Montserrat audio visual exhibit (€5.50 value)

We’d say that this is worth is just for the Sant Joan Funicular inclusion. You can buy the Trans Montserrat ticket in advance here .

2. Montserrat Exprés

Note – this service does not appear to be bookable for 2024 currently.

The Monserrat Exprés is a special service from Plaça España which guarantees you a seat. There is one of these trains each way per day, so you are limited in that regard, but it will save you potentially standing for an hour each way if there are no seats available.

As well as the return train to Barcelona, and funicular transport up the mountain, you also get:

• Audioguide in 8 languages with information about the train journey and monastery.
• a guide to the shrine of Montserrat “Open-air museum”
• a box of carquinyolis (hard almond biscuits) from Montserrat
• a tasting of typical liqueurs
• a pack of discounts for different services.

If you are interested in these addons, and the idea of guaranteed seat is appealing, then this is certainly an option to consider. You can buy the Montserrat Expres ticket in advance here .

3. Tot Montserrat

This is the most expensive ticket for Montserrat, at just over €50 per person. However, it does include quite a lot, and might work out to be very cost effective if you take advantage of all the features.

As well as the return train to Barcelona, and your choice of round-trip cable car or funicular transport up the mountain, you also get:

• Admission to the Museu de Montserrat (€8 value)
• A meal in the self service restaurant at Montserrat (€10 – €15 approx value)

If you plan on spending the full day at Montserrat, we think this ticket offers great value. It includes pretty much all the activities you would want to do as well as lunch on the mountain, so you don’t have to worry about anything. You can buy the Tot Montserrat ticket in advance here .

A reader asked me in the comments if these combination tickets can be used for an overnight stay, i.e. travelling out to Montserrat, staying overnight, and then returning. The response from the Barcelona Tourism office was that this is possible, but you have to use all the other parts of the ticket (funicular, meal, monastery etc.) on the first day.

So you would need to book transport down the mountain, as the ticket is only valid on the first day. I would however advise checking with the Barcelona Tourism office before doing this in case anything changes.

Taking the Bus from Barcelona to Montserrat

There is a direct bus service that departs from Barcelona once a day to the area at the top of Montserrat. The bus is operated by Autocares Julia , and runs from the Estación de Autobuses de Barcelona/Sants, which is next to the Sants Train Station on Viriat Street, and is around a 10-minute walk from Plaça Espanya.

The bus departs once in the morning from Barcelona, and has one departure time on the way back. We couldn’t find any way to book online, but at just over €5 each way this is one of the most affordable options for getting to the top of the mountain. The journey takes around 90 minutes each way.

It is also possible to book a tour which features round trip bus transport only. These are a little bit more expensive, but at least you can book them in advance. This one for example also gets you to the mountain top early, well in advance of the majority of other tours.

Cycling from Barcelona to Montserrat

It is also possible to cycle from Barcelona to Montserrat. This is a fairly long route (around 145 kilometres round trip) with steep climbs, so we would not recommend this unless you are a fit capable cyclist with experience doing trips like this.

If you do want to do this, there are a number of companies who will help you with bike hire and route planning. Some also include a guide.

Taking a Tour from Barcelona to Montserrat

Of course, one of the most popular ways to visit Montserrat from Barcelona is to take a tour. This is likely going to be the easiest option, as all you have to do is book the tour, show up at the departure point (or wait in your hotel lobby if the tour offers hotel pickups), and then enjoy the scenery and sights.

Tours vary in price and inclusions, but should include return transport to/from Barcelona, time at Montserrat itself, and your transport up the mountain (this may be by bus or rack railway).

Some tours include additional sight-seeing in the area, food, a guided tour, wine tasting, museum entry, or other features. Tours usually last between half a day and a full day depending on what is included.

We’d recommend picking a tour based on your interests, the inclusions you are interested in, and of course your budget. We also recommend checking the latest reviews of any tours you book to see what other travellers have said.

We cover a range of tour options in the section on day tours later in the article, however here are a few to give you an idea of what is available.

• The Go Barcelona Pass includes a trip out to Montserrat. This is worth considering if you plan on doing some sightseeing in Barcelona on your other days, as it includes over 40 attractions in the city like the Sagrada Familia and Parc Guell. However it is not worth buying the pass for the Montserrat tour alone.
• This low cost tour from Barcelona departs early from Plaza Catalunya and lets you get to Montserrat ahead of the crowds. It only includes round-trip transport to the top of the hill, but is a good budget option. Note that this is not a guided tour, it just includes a host and driver, you explore the monastery on your own.
• This tour from Barcelona includes round-trip transport, a ride on the cable car up and down the mountain, a ride on Sant Joan’s funicular, an hour of guided hiking, a guided tour of the monastery, and the opportunity to hear the choir. An excellent all-round option.

See more tour options in our section towards the end of the post on day tours to Montserrat.

How to Get Around Montserrat

The top of the cable car, rack railway, and car park at Montserrat are all at the same level as the monastery and the main restaurants and shops. Once you have reached this part of the mountain, it is easy to get around on foot.

The Basilica entrance is a level above this, and you can either walk up a slope to get here, or take a staircase. It’s probably equivalent to around four flights of stairs.

This level is also where you will find the other two funiculars that service other parts of the mountain, the Sant Joan Funicular and the Santa Cova funicular . The stations for these funiculars are next to each other, and close to both the cable car and rack railway stations.

The Sant Joan funicular takes you from the monastery level way up the mountain to above 1,000 metres in altitude. The views from the ride up are amazing (although it is possibly a bit nerve wracking if you are not good with heights), and from the top there are a range of hikes you can do across the mountain.

The Santa Cova funicular runs down the mountain to the cave where, the legend goes, the image of the Virgin Mary that now resides in the Basilica was first discovered by shepherds. There is a chapel here, which is a popular place of pilgrimage, as well as a number of sculptures by Catalan artists including Gaudi.

The lower Santa Cova funicular station also houses a small museum about Santa Cova as well as funiculars in general.

It is possible to just walk to both of these locations. The hike up to Sant Joan will take 45 minutes to an hour, each way and the hike down to Santa Cova is around 20 – 30 minutes each way. Obviously the funiculars will save you time (and energy!).

Note that the funiculars are sometimes closed for maintenance or other reasons. You can check the current status on the official website here .

When is the best time to visit Montserrat?

Montserrat can be visited at any time of year, however, it is worth bearing in mind that the mountain is relatively high compared to the surrounding landscape, and as such, the temperature and weather are not what you might expect from Spain’s Mediterranean climate.

Expect it to be cooler than the surrounding land, and due to the height, it can also be windier. Snow is rare, but a possibility in the winter months. Fog is a common occurrence.

The average temperature varies from a range of 23C/ 73F to 29C / 84F in the summer months, to 9C/48F- 15C/59F in the winter months. Of course, these are just averages, and hotter and colder temperatures are possible.

If you plan on hiking, then spring / autumn will likely be the best balance of good weather and comfortable temperatures. Weekends are always the busiest times to visit, especially Sundays, so if you can avoid these, you will have a quieter time.

Can you Take Photos at Montserrat?

Yes, you can take photos at Montserrat at most of the locations in this post, there are just a few exceptions and rules to follow.

Photography is permitted in the Basilica interior, except during a religious service. Flash photography and use of a tripod is also not allowed.

In Montserrat Museum you are not permitted to use flash photography or tripods, and some temporary exhibitions may restrict photography.

Is there a fee to visit the Basilica on Montserrat?

As of May 2023, there is a fee to visit the Basilica at Montserrat. This applies to everyone who is not a resident of Catalonia.

Tickets allow for access to the Sanctuary, which includes the Atrium, Basilica and Chapel. Tickets can be purchased on the official website here .

Luggage Storage / Prohibited Items

There is no formal luggage storage at Montserrat. If you are staying in the hotel, then you should be able to leave your luggage at reception before or after checkout, and then collect it when required.

We would advise against bringing large bags to the mountain, as some of the attractions like the museum do not allow visitors to enter with large bags.

In terms of restricted items, common sense should prevail. Items like food, drink, bags, firearms, umbrellas and knives are not permitted in the majority of the buildings. Other than those devices required for mobility purposes, devices like electric scooters and skateboards are also not permitted.

Can you bring pets to Montserrat?

Pets, such as dogs, are allowed on the hiking trails at Montserrat and in the outside areas, however they are not permitted inside the Basilica, museums or other indoor areas. They must be kept on a leash at all times.

Also, be aware that whilst dogs are allowed on the train from Barcelona, if you wish to bring your dog on the rack railway or cable car it needs to be muzzled and on a leash. Smaller animals must be in a basket or cage.

Read more in the FAQ section on the official Cremallera website .

Things to do on Montserrat

There is a lot to do on Montserrat, certainly plenty to easily fill a day or more. Here’s a quick overview of the various options you have for activities.

Visit the Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey

A major highlight of any visit to Montserrat is a visit to the Santa Maria de Montserrat abbey. The abbey building itself was originally founded in the 11th century, however the present monastery building was rebuilt in the 19th and 20th centuries.

The monastery is still active today, and is home to around 80 Benedictine monks. Obviously, as it is an active monastery, you cannot visit many parts of it; however there are some parts that you can visit, including the basilica and the museum (see below for details on the museum).

The basilica has a number of interesting features, but the main draw for visitors is the statue of the Virgin of Montserrat, or Our Lady of Montserrat.

The legend goes that this statue of the Virgin Mary and child was found on the Montserrat mountain in 880 – although it is actually now thought that it is a Romanesque sculpture dating from the 12th century.

Still, the statue of Catalonia’s patron saint is certainly eye catching, regardless of its origin. She is one of the Black Madonnas, with both the statue of Mary and Jesus having dark skin and gold robes. She is sitting on a thrown and holds an orb in her right hand.

The tradition is for visitors to touch (or kiss) the orb that she holds. Other than the orb, the rest of the statue is encased in glass to protect it.

To visit the statue, you need to enter the church on the right hand side where, depending on the time of day you visit, a queue will likely have formed. We’d recommend doing this as early on in your trip as possible as the queue will likely just get longer as the day progresses. Wait times can be anywhere from a few minutes to an hour.

Alternatively, if you stay overnight, you can visit first thing in the morning or last thing in the afternoon, when the majority of visitors will have left.

Once you have visited the statue you will come down the Ave Maria path, which is full of candles lit by previous visitors. These candles are lit as prayer offerings to the Virgin Mary, and you are welcome to light your own candle for a modest fee to contribute to this impressive collection.

After you exit the Ave Maria path, you can enter the Basilica proper to see the rest of it.

As well as the statue, the Basilica has a number of other features that are worth enjoying on your visit. First, the facade of the church building, which you reach after the atrium, is very pretty, and dates from the mid-20th century.

Inside the church itself there are a number of sculptures and paintings, as well as an impressive 33 metre high nave, around which are a number of chapels. The cross on the altar dates from the 15th century.

Photography is not allowed inside the Basilica, only of the Black Madonna (as of our visit anyway).

The basilica is very much a working church, and there are number of masses held each day. The public is welcome to attend these services, although of course as these are religious events, respectful behaviour is required.

The church is also famous for its boys choir, called the L’Escolania. They generally perform twice daily in the Basilica, and you can see their performance times here . Note that they generally do not perform over the summer holiday from late June to early August. See more about the L’Escolania in the section of the post below.

Whilst the access to the main part of the Basilica is flat and accessible for those with mobility issues, access to the statue of the Virgin involves a number of steps and there are no wheelchair friendly ramps or lifts. It is also not appropriate for strollers so you’ll want to leave those in an appropriate area outside.

The best option if you are in a wheelchair or have difficulty with steps is to do the visit in reverse, by going up the Ave Maria path, from where you will be able to get within a few meters of the statue.

The basilica is open daily from 7.30am to 8pm, and the Statue of Our Lady can be visited from 8am – 10.30am and then from 12pm – 6.15pm. You can see opening hours for the basilica and the majority of other attractions at Montserrat here .

Note that as of 2023 there is a fee to visit the Basilica, which you can read about any buy tickets for here .

Visit the Museum of Montserrat

Montserrat Abbey is also home to an excellent museum, which can be found just before you cross the large plaza to the entrance of the Basilica.

The Museum of Montserrat is primarily an art museum, and it houses seven permanent collections which include over 1300 pieces, including works by artists including Dali, Monet, Chagall, Picasso and Miro.

These collections cover antique paintings, goldsmithing, modern paintings, avant-garde and contemporary art, sculptures and drawings.  There’s also an exhibition which focuses on the iconography of Our Lady of Montserrat.

Finally, there’s an extensive collection of archaeological exhibits from the ancient world and the Middle East, which was the first collection the museum housed. This includes objects that date as far back as the 13th century BC.

We highly recommend taking the time to visit the Montserrat Museum. There is an entry fee (it’s included in the Tot Montserrat ticket), but we think it is well worth the visit. There’s also a small gift shop here. The museum is open daily from 10am to 6.45pm.

Visit the Espai Audiovisual Museum

Montserrat is actually home to two museums. As well as the Museum of Montserrat, there’s also the Espai Audiovisual , found on the level below the Basilica entrance.

This museum makes use of an audioguide linked with video presentations and display panels to tell the story of the Montserrat region from a variety of perspectives. These focus on three main themes, and you’ll learn about the geology of the mountain, the history and present-day life of the monastery as well as about some of the cultural artefacts on display.

The tour finishes with a video presentation which takes you through a day in the life of the monastery, which includes a performance by the Escolania. So if you don’t get to catch the choir in action, the Espai Audiovisual experience offers a good alternative.

We really enjoyed visiting the Espai Audiovisual museum, as it gave us a really good overview as to what we were seeing and experiencing at the monastery. We’d definitely recommend this one if you are visiting Montserrat.

Again, there’s a small entry fee. You can also purchase a ticket on-site which includes both museums. Both the Trans Montserrat and the Tot Montserrat tickets also include this museum.

The museum is open from 9am to 8pm.

Listen to the Escolania de Montserrat (Boys’ Choir) Perform

Dating from at least the 14th century, the Escolania de Montserrat is one of the oldest boys choirs in Europe. It is rightly world famous, and as well as the daily performances in the Basilica, the choir has released multiple albums, and has performed at locations around the world.

The choir is made up of over 50 boys, aged 9-14, who come from across Catalonia, as well as other regions of Spain. They live and study at Montserrat during their time in the choir.

Watching a performance of the choir is a highlight for many visitors to Montserrat, and if you have the opportunity, we can definitely recommend you try and see a performance during your visit.

Performances of the choir take place daily throughout the year in the Basilica, with the exception of over Christmas and the summer break.

If this is something you really want to see, be sure to plan ahead by checking the scheduled dates and times here .

You learn more about the choir and watch a video in the above mentioned Espai Audiovisual museum if you aren’t able to catch a live performance – they were on holiday during our visit, so we unfortunately missed them.

One of the most popular things to do at Montserrat is of course to go hiking. The mountains are home to a wide range of hiking trails which vary from short, relatively easy trips through to longer full day hikes.

The official website for the Montserrat Mountain park has some good hiking routes and options here , although it is in Catalan so you will need to translate it.

When you arrive at Montserrat, you can also visit the Tourist information office. Here you can pick up a hiking map of the area with a number of hikes listed, including difficulty and length. There are also maps on boards at the trailheads showing the various hiking options.

The hikes start in different locations – either at the very base of the mountain, at the area around the monastery, or at the stations for the funiculars. One of our favourite hikes was the walk down from the Sant Joan funicular, which we describe a bit later in the article.

If you’d like to take a tour that includes hiking, this day trip from Barcelona includes round trip transport, a hiking guide, and a visit to the main highlights.

Go Climbing

As you might imagine, Montserrat is a very popular destination for rock climbing. With over 1,000 climbing routes to explore, at a wide variety of levels, it’s not hard to see why!

If you are an experienced climber with your own equipment, then you can visit the Tourist Information Office on the mountain where they can give you advice as to the different areas for climbing and some of the routes.

There are not too many English language books covering routes on Montserrat. The most commonly referred to option is called Montserrat Free Climbs, published in 2015, which covers over 1,000 routes.

We haven’t been able to find it on Amazon, but you can purchase it here or here .

If you would like a guided climbing experience, this company is based near Montserrat and can help you put a trip together.

Ride the Rack Railway / Cable Car

Whilst the rack railway or cable car are means of transport for getting up the mountain, they are also a worthwhile experience in of themselves.

If you visit by car and drive up the mountain, you might still consider taking one of these options down and up the mountain just to experience the views.

Alternatively, you could ride them up the mountain to the monastery, and then walk down.

Visit the Aula Natura Exhibit and Hike Down

At the top of the Sant Joan Funicular, in a room above the terminus building, you will find the Aula Natura exhibition.

This is a small exhibit that covers a lot of information about Montserrat Mountain, including the history, geology, flora and fauna. It also covers the lives of the hermits here, as well as information on the Virgin of Montserrat.

This is free to visit, and if you go through the exhibit there’s also a balcony with excellent views of the monastery and mountains.

If you do ride the Funicular and are looking for a short walk with excellent views, then turn right as you leave the funicular station at the top, and you can hike down to the monastery area.

This is around a 45 minute – 1 hour hike downhill hike (there’s a short uphill section at the start which can be misleading, but just follow the signs!) which offers excellent views.

If are short on time and only do one hike at Montserrat, this is a great option. You can also add on a 5 minute detour and see St. Michael’s Cross on the way down.

There are a number of other hiking trails from the top here, including a hike to the highest peak, Sant Jeroni, as well as various chapels and sites of pilgrimage. This website has a list of some good routes and hikes all across Montserrat which will give you plenty of ideas. See our section above on hiking at Montserrat for more ideas.

Visit St. Michael’s Cross

A really nice hike that you can do from the area around the abbey is the walk to St. Michael’s cross. This starts near the Santa Cova funicular station, and is well signposted.

The walk takes around 20 minutes each way, and is slightly uphill on the way to the cross. The views are absolutely fantastic, and this is one of the best places to get a good view back across to the abbey with the huge mountains all around it.

You can also visit St. Michael’s Cross on the hike down from the St. Joan funicular, you just have to take a short detour from the main trail as you hike down to see the cross.

Explore and Check out what else is Open and Happening at Montserrat

Whilst this post has covered some of the more popular activities and sights at Montserrat, there is lots more to do, as well as activities and events throughout the year.

For example, as you drive up or down the mountain we can suggest stopping at the Monestir de Sant Benet de Montserrat . This active monastery has masses as well as workshops and activities, meditation courses, and they make and sell ceramics. It’s usually open throughout the year.

There were also a number of hermitages and smaller churches built on the mountain over the centuries and you can see the ruins of a few – one of the best preserved is Santa Cecília de Montserrat . This former monastery and church is now used for concerts and art exhibitions.

Where to Stay on Montserrat

You can stay on Montserrat, and if you have the time, we can highly recommend this option. There are three main accommodation options, a 3* hotel, serviced apartments, and a hostel.

If you stay on Montserrat, as we did, you can experience the mountain with less crowds. We really enjoyed staying overnight and wandering around as night fell.

One tip if you stay overnight and have a car – whilst you can’t park at the hotels, you can drive up to them to drop your bags off and then parking the main parking area. As it can be a bit of walk from the parking area to the hotel, we would recommend you do this.

You just have to drive up to the security gate at the end of the car park, and let the security official know that you are dropping your bags off at your accommodation.

You will then sign in and be allowed through. If you do this, do drive carefully, as the area is pedestrianised and most people are not expecting vehicles.

The three accommodation options on Montserrat are as follows:

• Hotel Abat Cisneros – this 3* hotel is found right beside the Basilica, and has been the traditional place of rest for pilgrims since 1563. Rooms are comfortable and the majority have fantastic views, en-suite facilities, TV and heating. There’s an on-site restaurant. We stayed here and it was a comfortable night’s sleep.
• Abat Marcet Apartments – These apartments offer accommodation that includes a kitchen, with units available for 1 – 4 travellers. Perfect for those staying on the mountain for a little longer, or who just prefer an apartment type stay.
• Abat Oliba Hostel – this hostel style accommodation offers great value budget accommodation. As well as dormitory accommodation, there are also private rooms for 1 to 6 people which would suit solo travellers, couples and families.

We had a very comfortable night stay on Montserrat, and can definitely recommend staying the night if you have the opportunity to do so.

Can you Camp on Montserrat?

You can camp on Montserrat. There is a small campsite located on the trail up to the Creu de Sant Miquel, around 10 minutes from the monastery. You can see it here on Google Maps . This is primarily for climbers, although it is open to anyone looking for a campsite. It is for tent camping only and is reached by foot.

According to reports from campers, at the time of writing the cost is low, around €4 per adult + €3.50 per person. The site can’t be booked in advance, and is only open for check-in between 5pm and 8pm. It’s also primarily open in main season, and is closed over winter, although there are no details online about the schedule.

You need to bring all your own camping equipment and gear; however, there are toilets, showers, wash basins, and a small kitchen area with a fridge (although no cooking equipment).

Note that Montserrat is a natural park, and wild camping is not permitted in natural parks in Spain. The next closest campsite to Montserrat with facilities is Camping Freixa , near Manresa.

Where to Eat on Montserrat

Montserrat has a number of dining options. There are two restaurants, an open plan cafeteria, and a bar which serves snack type food as well as hamburgers.

There is also a small supermarket on the mountain if you want to put a picnic together, as well as some market stalls where you can buy local produce from vendors during the day.

The two restaurant options available are Restaurant Hotel Abat Cisneros and Restaurant Montserrat.

These both offer formal sit down dining with table service and either a set menu or a la carte option.

We ate our evening meal at the Restaurant Hotel Abat Cisneros (we were staying in the hotel). We had the set meal, which cost around €27 per person when we ate there.

The food was traditional Catalan and was excellent, and the cosy surroundings with stone vaulted ceiling were a nice bonus touch.

Restaurant Montserrat offers nice views, as well as good price fixed menu and a la carte dining options. The menu focuses on Mediterranean dishes, and you can book online here .

There are three other options for less formal dining at Montserrat. Bar de La Plaça is a cafe / bar which offers drinks and snacks, including sandwiches and hamburgers.

There’s also the Cafeteria, which offers a range of hot and cold dishes. Reviews are definitely mixed on this one. There are also reports that you can eat here with the Tot Montserrat ticket, however the description of the ticket says that it is in fact that the below self-service restaurant. That said, sometimes one or the other of these two restaurants is closed, so it is possible that the meal in this case transfers to the other.

Finally, there’s a self-service all you can eat buffet which has a range of options available for a fixed price of €16.50, as well as drink. This gets better reviews, and you can also eat here with the Tot Montserrat ticket.

Tips for Visiting Montserrat

When we visited Montserrat, we drove up to the car park at the top and we stayed overnight at one of the hotels at the top.

We did a number of activities on the mountain, and based on our experiences, we wanted to share some tips for your own visit.

Figure out how you plan to get there and book needed tickets and tours in advance

As already discussed in the post, there are a variety of options for coming to Montserrat. Many of these options can be booked in advance, and we would recommend doing this.

If you prefer not to book in advance, your main options from Barcelona are to drive to Montserrat, take the bus with Autocares Julia , or buy a basic train or train + mountain transport option at the train station on the day you depart.

Some of the advance booking options you have are:

• One of the combination tickets for the public transport, which are the Trans Montserrat ticket , the Montserrat Expres ticket and the Tot Montserrat ticket .
• This basic tour which just includes your round trip transport by bus from Barcelona
• A more fully featured tour, such as this tour which includes an hour of hiking , this early access tour , or this early access tour which includes lunch and wine tasting

Avoid the crowds by coming early or staying late

Being at the monastery near opening time or staying late will ensure the lines are not so long and the crowds are manageable. We suggest visiting the most popular places first. These are generally the Basilica and Statue of the Virgin, followed by the funicular to the very top of the mountain.

Once you have done the more popular things that you are interested in, then you can spend time in the museums, doing hikes, shopping, etc.

If you are booking transport or a tour, consider booking one like this one or this one that gets you here at or near opening.

Here are some photos comparing Montserrat when it’s busier versus the quieter morning and evening times to give you an idea of the difference.

Consider staying overnight

If you have time, we can definitely recommend staying overnight at Montserrat. Montserrat is a very popular place to visit, and during the day – especially on weekends – it gets very busy. Staying overnight will give you more time to explore, and let you enjoy a more peaceful environment on the mountain.

Those of you making a pilgrimage to Montserrat will definitely appreciate staying at least one night to enjoy the mountain with less crowds.

If you have the opportunity to stay overnight, you will experience a far more peaceful Montserrat. Most visitors leave by 5pm, and you will almost have the place to yourself. We visited the Virgin of Montserrat in the early evening, and we were the only ones there.

If you stay overnight, you will also be able to catch sunrise and sunset from the top of the mountain. Sunrise in particular is worth getting up for as the early light hits the monastery buildings.

Dress appropriately

This is a two pronged tip! First, as you are likely to be visiting the basilica, you will want to dress appropriately for a religious location. This means covering your shoulders, men removing hats, and covering your knees. If it is really hot and your not sure your clothes are appropriate, we recommend packing a scarf or travel wrap for the day and putting it on before you go inside the basilica.

The other side of the tip is to remember that it can be much cooler and windier on the mountain than the surrounding plains. So you will want to bring some warm layers. In the winter, you’ll likely need a coat or warm jacket.

This is especially the case if you plan on staying overnight and being outside in the early morning or late evening, as the temperature can drop even further during the night time.

If you are planning on hiking or climbing, you will also want to bring appropriate shoes and gear for these activities. These items might include good hiking shoes , a water bottle , clothing layers and so on.

Plan at least one hike

This might be obvious, but many folks just come up to Montserrat, visit the Basilica, wander around a little, and are on their way.

We think that even taking the time to do one of the shorter hikes, like that out to St. Michael’s Cross, is definitely worth doing. You have lots of options from easy to difficult.

Visit the Museums

One thing we noticed when we visited Montserrat was how busy the Basilica was during the day, but how quiet the museums were at the same time.

We get that you have to pay an entrance fee to visit the museums, but we definitely think it’s worth it. We enjoyed both museums, and the audio visual one in particular is good for learning all about the local area.

If you want to save money, you can get a ticket that includes both museums for a small discount, or you can take advantage of one of the combination transport tickets which include one or both museums, such as the Trans Montserrat and the Tot Montserrat tickets.

Explore Monistrol de Montserrat

Last, but not least in our list of tips for your visit to Montserrat, is not to forget to take a bit of time to explore Monistrol de Montserrat, the town at the foot of the mountain where the cable car and funicular terminate.

Whilst most people just use Monistrol as a junction point for transferring between the train and the transport up the mountain, there is plenty to see here, including a 14th century bridge, crumbling defensive towers, and a 16th century aqueduct. It was through this town that pilgrims historically came to begin their hike up the path of pilgrimage to the Abbey of Montserrat.

You don’t need to spend a lot of time here to see the highlights but a stroll around the town centre is definitely a good way to spend an hour or so. We spent about 1 hour here wandering around and enjoyed it, there were only a handful of other visitors about.

Day Tours from Barcelona to Montserrat

As mentioned earlier in the post, one of the easiest and most popular ways to visit Montserrat is on a guided day tour from Barcelona. These tours will handle all your transport arrangements, sometimes with direct pick up from your hotel, and will let you focus on enjoying the mountain.

There’s a wide variety of tour options, depending on your interests and budget. We’ve gone through and picked what we think are some of the best options to help you find the right tour for you.

• This small group tour from Barcelona includes early entry into the monastery so as to avoid the queues, as well as nearby Cava tasting and lunch. It’s run by Walks, one of our favourite small group tour companies.
• This low cost tour from Barcelona departs early from Plaza Catalunya and lets you get to Montserrat ahead of the crowds. It only includes round trip transport to the top of the hill, but is a good budget option. This is a similar tour with the option to include a guided tour and / or liquor tasting.
• This tour from Barcelona includes round-trip transport, a ride on the cable car up and down the mountain, a ride on Sant Joan’s funicular, an hour of guided hiking, a guided tour of the monastery, and the opportunity to hear the choir (if performing during your visit). An excellent all round option. If you’d prefer a longer hike, check out this tour instead .
• For a different perspective of Montserrat , this tour includes a hot air balloon flight followed by a visit to the mountain and monastery. Definitely a unique way to experience the mountain!
• This full day tour from Barcelona includes a guided tour through the Basilica, free time to explore Montserrat, wine tasting and vineyard tour at the Oller des Mas vineyard, and a full lunch. This is a similar tour with the option for Tapas.
• If you’d prefer a private tour, this is a full day private tour from Barcelona which includes breakfast, lunch, round trip transport and a guide.

As you can see, there are lots of options to choose from. For many more tour options, see the full listing of Montserrat tours on GetYourGuide here , and Viator here .

Further Reading

Hopefully this guide to visiting Montserrat has answered all your questions and given you plenty of ideas for your own trip.

As well as Montserrat, we’ve also explored many other parts of Spain’s Catalonia region, and have put together a number of posts to help you plan your own trip. Here are some we think you will find useful in planning your own trip.

• If you’re going to be spending time in Barcelona, check out our 3 day Barcelona itinerary , our 2 day Barcelona itinerary , our guide to spending a day in Barcelona , our review of the Barcelona Pass , and our detailed guide to Gaudí sites in Barcelona to start you off.
• There are lots of great day trips from Barcelona. See our guides to visiting Besalu and things to do in Girona as good starting points.
• Lovers of surrealist artist Salvador Dali will want to visit some of the many sites associated with the artist in the region. See our guide to Dali attractions in Costa Brava that lists all the attractions to help you put together your trip.
• A fantastic experience we can recommend to anyone visiting this region is to take a hot air balloon ride. We’ve done this twice, and you can see our guide to hot air ballooning in Costa Brava here.
• We have a guide to things to do in Palamós , one of our favourite fishing towns in the Costa Brava
• If you love mountains, you’re going to want to spend some time in the Spanish Pyrenees region of Catalonia. See our guide to the Spanish Pyrenees to start you off. If visiting in the winter, you might consider heading to one of the Girona region’s ski resorts, and you can take a look at our guide to skiing in the Spanish Pyrenees .
• We also have detailed guides to all the specific regions of the Girona Pyrenees of Catalonia, including La Garrotxa , El Ripollès and La Cerdanya .
• Another mountainous experience for lovers of nature is the Vall de Nuria, which also makes a good day trip or overnight experience from Barcelona. See our guide to visiting the Vall de Nuria for more information
• The official website for the Abbey, which has information to help you plan your visit
• If you’re looking for a guidebook, the most up to date books we could find are this Costa Brava pocket guide  and this DK Eyewitness guide to Barcelona and Catalonia

And that’s it for our detailed guide to visiting Montserrat near Barcelona in Spain! As always, we’re happy to answer your questions – just pop them in the comments below and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.

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27th September 2023 at 9:46 am

Hello, I would like to ask one question. In the Plaça d’Espanya train station, you can buy a single ticket which costs 13.25 Eur and a return ticket which costs 24 Eur. Does the return ticket mean a round trip ticket (going from Barcelona to Montserrat and from Montserrat to Barcelona)?

Laurence Norah says

28th September 2023 at 7:27 am

Yes, this is correct, the round trip ticket will take you to the Montserrat train station and then back to Barcelona once you have visited Montserrat. I hope this helps, enjoy your trip!

Kam Cheng says

15th September 2023 at 11:14 pm

Hi Laurence I went to the montserratvisit.com website to check on the tickets. There are separate tickets for Basilica and The Throne of our lady. Do I have to buy both tickets or just the Throne of our lady in order to go to both? I will be visiting Barcelona next week.

By the way, your description of the Montserrat is very thorough.

17th September 2023 at 9:33 am

Thanks very much! So if you want to visit the Throne of Our Lady then you just need to buy tickets for that, as that ticket includes access to the Basilica as well. The other ticket for the Basilica is for those who only want to visit the Basilica and not the throne.

I hope this helps! You can see more about the ticket types and what they include here .

Have a great visit to Montserrat!

anneka king says

25th August 2023 at 5:49 pm

Such a detailed blog – thanks! We will be arriving very late into Barcelona and getting a car to drive direct to Hotel Abat Cisneros where we have booked two nights. This is my thinking and just want to be sure I have it right – and that I am not missing anything. -Leave car near hotel (little confused about the hotel parking) -Take Rack railway up to Monastery – or are we already at that level being at the hotel? -Head direct to the Virgin statue -Take Sant Joan Funicular to the top and back down again -Take the Santa Cova funicular and walk to the cave – detour to St Michaels Cross as we walk back to the Basilica -Hopefully see the boys choir -Tour the museums -Return to the Abbey – Basilica – Ave Maria -Take cable car back down – or again are we already at the level of the hotel? -Dinner -Sunset – is there a best place to be? -Maybe get up for sunrise -Next morning on our drive back to Barcelona stop at Monistrol de Monseratt

Should I add more hiking since we have all day or this a full schedule? What should I expect for lunch options? Do I buy all my tickets day of?

Thanks in advance so any help!!

26th August 2023 at 7:08 pm

Thanks very much! So you are pretty much spot on with a couple of things to note. The hotel is on the same level as the monastery etc, so once you are up there you don’t need to take the railway up to the monastery. You park in the main parking area, but you should be able to drive up to the hotel past the barriers (say you are staying at the hotel) to drop off your luggage, then you can drive back down. You will want to check into the hotel first because hotel guests get free access to the monastery as far as I know, otherwise you have to pay (this is new as of this year, so I am not 100% sure how it works).

For sunset, unfortunately the sun sets behind the mountain when you are at the monastery / hotel, so there isn’t an easy location to watch it from. Sunrise is a better choice, I just watched the sunrise from next to the Basilica, but St. Michael’s Cross would also probably be a good option. If you like hiking you could definitely extend your hike from the top of the Sant Joan funicular, there’s a lot to hike up there and the views are spectacular. For tickets, yes, you should be able to buy all the tickets on site 🙂

Let me know if you have any more questions!

27th August 2023 at 3:29 pm

Thanks – that makes sense. Do you recommend we still take a ride on the Rack railway and Cable car?

27th August 2023 at 9:10 pm

I would say that it’s not really necessary unless you really want to. The views are pretty spectacular from the monastery and the hikes you will be doing, and you’ll be taking transport to the very top already. So there’s no real need to do this unless you really want to experience it 🙂 The views won’t be significantly different as the route down is basically in front of where you’ll be staying.

20th August 2023 at 11:58 pm

Thanks for the excellent write up, I’m planning to take the family there this week and it was really helpful for my planning. One question is that it seems that the site is no longer free for non residents of Catalonia ( https://tickets.montserratvisita.com/en ), maybe worth updating the guide.

21st August 2023 at 9:32 am

Thank you so much! You are correct, it looks like a fee to visit the Basilica was implemented in May 2023. I have updated my guide. I believe it is just the Basilica which has the entrance fee rather than the whole area.

Have a wonderful trip and if you have any additional notes following your visit I am happy to hear them 🙂

Safe travels!

Bernie says

16th July 2023 at 7:23 pm

Hi guys, I’ve read lots of articles about getting to, from and around Montserrat, and yours is by far the best and most informative. I’m used to planning my own itinerary around cities but this is another level in terms of coordination. I’m worried I’ll end up going backwards and forwards, going past things I’ve already seen and missing out on others. It seems the best thing to do is to get to the Basilica and see the Black Madonna then get up to Saint Jerone before the crowds. Is it possible for you to plan the rest of my trip in the correct order for the best use of the time with indicating whether you can ride and or walk with timings for each? St Michaels Cross Monestir de Sant Benet Monestir de Santa Celicia Santa Cova Funicular to cave, chapel, St Mikes X St Joan Funicular to hiking trails Rabbies to Montserrat Mur avec des Arcs et des Sculptures Stairway to Heaven I will then visit the bridge, towers and aqueduct in Monistrol on way back down to Barcelona. I’m happy to hike up to 1 hour but no more, given it’ll be mid August. Finally, do they never let you enter Basilica in shorts? Especially as it could be 40 degrees? Thanks in advance, Bernie

17th July 2023 at 3:48 pm

Thanks very much! So your initial plans sounds good, visiting the Basilica before the crowds are too big and then you could take the Sant Joan funicular up to do the hike to Saint Jeroni. However this is just over an hour each way, so might be further than you are willing to hike, although it is largely flat. However in the extreme heat it might still be a bit much.

I think some back and forth is really inevitable. I also think that you might want to think about priorities, as the majority of what you want to see is going to require some hiking, and it’s going to add up to a lot more than an hour overall.

So for example you could take the Sant Joan Funicular, hike up to Sant Jeroni, then come back down via Santa Anna. But that’s already around 2.5 hours of walking. At the bottom you can see the attractions around the abbey like the Stairway to Heaven, then do the 10-15 minute walk up to St. Michaels Cross.

The monastery of Saint Cecilia and Sant Benet are probably going to be a bit far to walk but if you have your own car they are easy to reach.

In terms of entering the Basilica, you will need your knees to be covered. If you happen to have those hiking pants where the legs zip off that is one option to think about.

I hope this helps. I would definitely recommend shortening your list to a more achievable amount, especially given the heat and if you are planning on walking the majority of locations.

Have a great time!

19th July 2023 at 10:59 am

Thanks Laurence. How far are the 2 other monasteries? I will be there for 10 hours all day, and are they worth the trip?

24th July 2023 at 9:07 am

So the Monastery of Saint Cecilia is mostly a refuge for hikers and a small church, and we’ve only ever been able to see the outside. It’s nice to stop if driving but I’m not sure worth a long walk in the heat. The monastery of Sain Benet is more interesting to the visitor, it has a ceramics workshop and a community of nuns as well as a church you can visit. However it’s still a 3km walk downhill so again I am not sure if this will be of interest given the heat. Of the two though that would be the one I’d consider visiting.

Hope this helps!

Carlos says

21st April 2023 at 2:15 am

Wao! Thank you for the great detail of this blog (visiting Montserrat). I had to read it a couple of times as I followed the links. In the end, we got the TOT Monserrat Card. It will give us more freedom, and better value than a tour (where you have a lockstep trip.

21st April 2023 at 8:33 am

It’s my pleasure Carlos, have an awesome time at Montserrat!

11th April 2023 at 9:57 am

Hi. Well written and so informative. Thanks. We are getting train from Barcelona and would like to use the aeri cable car going up to the monastery and the rack train back down. We like the ease though of the Trans Montserrat ticket (currently €45) but you have to choose either the cable car or the rack train; you can’t mix and match. Will we be questioned if we buy the rack train return ticket but then get off the train one stop early at the cable car station? We’ll have bought one way cable car tickets already online. Thanks.

13th April 2023 at 10:09 am

Glad to hear you found our guide useful! You won’t have any problems getting off a stop early. Your ticket lets you go to your ticketed stop, but you can get off earlier if you want 🙂

Have a great time at Montserrat!

Thanh Chu says

14th August 2022 at 2:28 am

Hi! Thanks for an article. It is very helpful. I plan to go there on Mid September and would like to take a tour at Montserrat. This will be our first time and we wonder which tour you recommend would be effective. We would like to tour inside the Montserrat with guided person, view the Montserrat’s scenery view that its offers, etc. I would like to know what is the best tour that you recommend.

Thank you in advance!

15th August 2022 at 10:22 am

So I think this tour would probably be the best option for you as it includes the round trip, guided experience inside the monastery and time hiking with views. There are other options, but I think that would probably meet your requirements.

Enjoy Montserrat, it’s a beautiful spot!

Ellen Blazer says

27th April 2022 at 11:18 pm

Thanks for giving such great information on Montserrat — this has been the most useful blogpost I’ve read on it so far! I am going in one month with my boyfriend. Normally we love to hike a lot, but he has a knee injury right now. He needs to avoid stairs as much as possible, and any steep hills. Do you think the walk to the Cross of Sant Michael might still be doable for us? Is it kind of flat, or more of a hill? Is the walk along the way scenic, in case we just walk a little bit of it? Or — do you have any other suggestions for scenery without hiking? We will have a car. Thank you so much!!!

28th April 2022 at 11:09 am

Thanks so much! Sorry to hear about your boyfriend’s knee injury 🙁 So, I would say that the walk should be fine, it’s sloping but I wouldn’t call it steep. I don’t think there were too many stairs although there were a few. In terms of the views, once you are at the top where the monastery and the majority of attractions are, it’s quite level and there are incredible views in most directions.

Another option would be to take the Sant Joan Funicular higher up for even more views and it’s also quite flat at the top there as well. I’m not sure if it’s both up and down he struggles with, but if he can go down then you can take the Sant Joan funicular to the top, and then walk down. This walk takes you past the cross as well.

If you are parking at the top of the hill, I would recommend trying to park as close to the entry as possible, or at least driving your boyfriend to the top of the car park and dropping him off. It’s not too steep, but the car park is on a gentle slope, so obviously the further away from the entry the further you would have to walk before getting to the monastery.

I hope this helps – let me know if I can be of any further assistance! And have a great trip!

27th September 2021 at 1:58 am

Hi! This is a great article and very helpful thank you for doing this. I had a question, still kind of torn if I should drive to montessret or take a train. Is one more scenic then the other and is the train difficult to get around and find? What would you recommend?

Thank you so much.

27th September 2021 at 10:57 am

So there are obviously differences – a car will give you more flexibility in when you arrive and depart, although you will have to pay for parking. A car also makes it easier to transport more luggage, and can be more cost effective if you are a few people. The train saves you the drive, but you have to go by the schedule. I’d not say one is better than the other, they are just different. The train is definitely easy to use and the ride to the top is quite spectacular. The train is not hard to find, the only thing is to give yourself plenty of time in Barcelona to get to the right platform.

Have a great trip to Montserrat, let me know if you have any more questions!

Marcia says

12th September 2021 at 2:27 am

Congrats and thanks for your guide, Laurence! I will purchase TOT Montserrat and want to overnight there. Do you know if I can use this ticket in 2 days? In order to avoid crowds, I plan to arrive there early afternoon and leave next day around noon, including a hike to the cross. Do you think it can work? Any suggestion for the best time to visit each attraction? Thank you for the help.

12th September 2021 at 10:18 am

Thanks very much 🙂 So I will be honest, I am not sure if the TOT Montserrat ticket can be used for two days. I can’t find this mentioned anywhere in the documentation, so I have a feeling it might not be, but you could contact the Barcelona Tourism Office and ask them. However, you can just book the individual tickets yourself for the two days instead if it’s not possible. If you find out it is possible please let me know so I can update the guide.

In terms of timing, We visited the monastery in the evening and there was no-one else there and no lines for the black Madonna. So that would be my suggestion. Then, I hiked to the cross in the morning. The earlier the better as there will be few people around before the transport starts running, and it’s so peaceful and beautiful on the mountain in the early morning 🙂

Let me know if you have any more questions, and have a great trip!

Chrissie Brown says

12th June 2021 at 2:27 pm

Really useful article, thank you! We’re planning a trip to Montserrat and this has really given me a good understanding of how to plan it to get the most out of the time we have!

12th June 2021 at 2:50 pm

Thanks very much Chrissie! Have a great trip to Montserrat, and do let us know if you have any questions. We’d also love to hear how it went once you’re done 🙂

robert imperato says

1st March 2020 at 4:50 pm

When returning from Montserrat via funicular which which stop to get off? You write: “When coming back down the funicular rack railway to connect with the train, make sure not to get off at the middle stop as this is not close to the train station, and is primarily for those visiting by car or coach.” Do you recommend we get off at the first stop or last stop for purposes of securing a seat on the train back to Barcelona. Thank you for your help.

1st March 2020 at 5:10 pm

Great question. The Funicular has three stations: Monistrol de Montserrat (where it connects with the train to & from Barcelona), one a little further up the mountain at Cremallera de Monistrol Vila and then the stop at Montserrat itself.

On the way down the mountain you get off at Monistrol de Montserrat.

For the train back to Barcelona, the train itself stops at two stops. The first stop is Monistrol de Montserrat, where it connects with the funicular. The second stop (on the way to Barcelona) is Aeri de Montserrat, which connects with the cable car.

The tip about getting a seat on the train back to Barcelona applies to the choice of transport up and down the mountain. If you choose the cable car down the mountain, it brings you to Aeri de Montserrat. By this point, the train will have already stopped at Monistrol de Montserrat, where everyone coming down the mountain in the funicular will have boarded. So there is less chance of getting a seat if you take the cable car down, compared to the funicular.

I hope this helps – let me know if I can be of any further assistance, otherwise, have a great trip!

Glenn Tyrell says

3rd November 2019 at 4:36 pm

Your guide is very useful to traveling to Montserrat and gives a good overview of all the things to do there. I am a bit overwhelmed as trying to plan a trip for our group (will include 4-6 adults) as a day trip to Montserrat from Barcelona city center. We have a fairly limited time frame (in city for a conference) and only have 4 – 5 hours total really. So is this doable and what would be the easiest and most simple way without driving? Would it be to take the train or join a tour? Any specific advice/suggestions appreciated!

I want to spend the least amount of time getting there/waiting for trains etc. since we have such limited time, main focus is to see the church, visit to museum if time, and take in some nice views.

3rd November 2019 at 4:52 pm

Thanks very much 🙂 So the easiest way would definitely be to join a tour, as they will handle all the transport. You just have to get to the tour start location. The only issue I see would be around timing as you don’t have that much time. It’s at least an hour each way to Montserrat from Barcelona, so 4 hours would not give you much time. I’d probably recommend this tour , but it’s 5.5 hours, so that might be too long for you.

Instead, you might consider this tour . It’s basically just the transport, but it will get you there early before the crowds and let you do everything you want. It’s listed as five hours which should work, giving you in the region of 2-3 hours on the actual mountain. This will be enough to see the museum, basilica, and even do the hike out to the cross if you want to.

Finally, I’m not sure what your budget is, but with 4-6 of you, you might find a private tour works better for you. For example, this private tour includes hotel pickup and your own vehicle, and with a private tour you should have some flexibility around timings.

Obviously there are many more tours available, those were just some suggestions. The train is of course an option, it can just be a bit more stressful and time consuming, as you have to switch from the train to the cable car or rack railway, whilst the tours take you straight to the top of the mountain. You also have to plan the schedules properly, which might be stressful if you have limited time.

I hope this helps – let me know if you have any more questions and I’ll do my best to help out. Otherwise have a great trip!

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Essential travel guide to barcelona [updated for 2024].

Barcelona is constantly alive with activity and excitement. La Rambla teems with people enjoying a stroll, heading out with a group of friends, and taking in the sights of the city. The Gothic Quarter tells the story of Barcelona’s ancient past with its narrow streets and medieval architecture.

All around the city are the famous works of beloved architect Antoni Gaudi, like Sagrada Familia . These are a few of the areas that tourists absolutely love about Barcelona and can’t seem to get enough of.

Whether you’re visiting Barcelona for a few days or a few weeks, you’ll find our essential travel guide to Barcelona very useful. It contains all the best things to do in Barcelona, places to eat and drink, and even includes our top picks for where to stay, all in one short infographic.

If you’re looking for where to eat in Barcelona , check out this post for top restaurants, and we also love going on a food tour in Barcelona to learn where to go back during your stay. Here’s a great 3-day Barcelona itinerary .

If your plans take you to other parts of Europe, check out our how to plan a trip to Europe guide. 

Are you planning your trip to Barcelona?

If you’re  traveling to Barcelona , ensure you have lodging and tours booked ahead of time! Below are some of our top picks to help you plan!

• Book a transfer from the airport to Barcelona city center with Welcome Pickups.
• Rent a car from the Rome airport through Discover Cars .

Where to Stay in Barcelona See all hotel options

• Grand Hotel Central ⇒ 5-star luxury near La Rambla with poolside bar, rooftop terrace
• ME Barcelona ⇒ 5-star hotel near La Rambla
• Catalonia Catedral Hotel  ⇒ 4-star eco-friendly hotel near Plaça de Catalunya

Best Tours and Experiences in Barcelona:

• Skip the Line: Park Guell and La Sagrada Familia Guided Tour (definitely the way to go)
• Barcelona Tapas and Wine Experience Small-Group Walking Tour (we loved this tour)
• Interactive Spanish Cooking Experience in Barcelona (if you have extra time – super fun)

» Want more info on what to eat in Spain? Check out our Spain travel guide . I highly recommend a pinchos crawl in Logrono or pintxos in San Sebastian , in Northern Spain. If you’re going to Southern Spain, find out  where to eat tapas in Seville. And don’t miss a trip to the Rioja wine region .

Table of Contents

What to Do in Barcelona

I love Barcelona for the sheer number of things there are to do there. You will not have a quiet moment, unless you plan it into your itinerary.

For me, it’s all about trying all the great foods Barcelona is known for, so the first thing I recommend is taking this Tapas and Wine Experience Small-Group Walking Tour . It’s about 3 hours long and is a great introduction to Barcelona and it’s food and wine.

If you want to see the Sagrada Familia (and of COURSE you do!), it’s always a good idea to book ahead for priority access, so you can avoid standing in the atrocious line. This is a good one to book: Priority Access: Barcelona Sagrada Familia Tour .

Other popular things to do in Barcelona include:

• Visit Park Güell, Casa Mila, and Casa Batlló – all Gaudi’s amazing masterpieces
• Walk along Las Ramblas from Plaça de Catalunya down to the waterfront
• Go to the beach – Barcelona has beautiful beaches that stretch for miles
• Eat your way around La Boqueria – this market has been around forever and there are dozens of places to eat both inside and out.
• Visit the Barcelona City History Museum – you’ll go underground to see the remains of the Roman sites that are long since buried
• Go on a wine tasting trip to try wine and Cava outside Barcelona. Here’s a tour you can book:  Wine and Cava Day Trip from Barcelona

Other Notable Attractions

Aside from the top attractions mentioned earlier, there are still several other notable attractions in Barcelona that you should consider visiting during your one day itinerary.

If you’re a fan of art and architecture, you should not miss Casa Batlló and Casa Milà, two of the most famous buildings designed by the renowned architect Antoni Gaudí. Casa Batlló is known for its colorful facade and unique rooftop, while Casa Milà, also known as La Pedrera, features a wavy stone facade and a stunning rooftop terrace with chimney sculptures.

For those interested in art, the Picasso Museum is a must-visit. The museum houses an extensive collection of works by Pablo Picasso, including paintings, sculptures, and ceramics. You can also visit the El Born neighborhood, where you can find several art galleries and boutiques.

If you’re a football fan, you can visit the Camp Nou stadium, home to FC Barcelona. You can take a tour of the stadium, visit the museum, and even step onto the pitch.

Montjuïc Hill is another off-the-beaten-path destination that offers stunning views of the city. You can take a cable car to the top, where you can find several attractions, including the Montjuïc Castle, the Joan Miró Foundation, and the National Art Museum of Catalonia.

Passeig de Gracia is a popular shopping street that features several high-end boutiques, including Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Chanel. You can also find several notable buildings along the street, including Casa Batlló and Casa Milà.

Plaça Catalunya is Barcelona’s main square and a bustling hub of activity. You can find several shops, restaurants, and cafes in the area, as well as several notable buildings, including the Barcelona Cathedral.

The Gracia district is a charming neighborhood that is known for its bohemian vibe and narrow streets. You can find several shops, cafes, and bars in the area, as well as several notable buildings, including the Casa Vicens and the Parc Güell.

Tours to Go On in Barcelona

We always schedule at least a few tours with local tour guides when visiting Barcelona. It’s a great way to learn more about the city and find all the great places to go during the rest of our trip. Indulge in some of the best food and drink that Barcelona has to offer on one of these fantastic tapas tours .

Here are some of the top tours we recommend:

• Barcelona in One Day: Sagrada Familia, Park Guell & Old Town with Hotel Pick-up
• Barcelona Segway Tour
• Paella Cooking Experience with Professional Chef and Bottomless Wine
• Barcelona Tapas and Wine Experience Small-Group Walking Tour
• Flamenco Show at Tablao Flamenco Cordobes Barcelona in Las Ramblas

How to Get to Barcelona

Most international flights will come into El Prat Josep Tarradellas Airport (BCN). From there, it’s a 20-minute taxi ride or 30-minute train ride to the city center.

Another option is to take the Aerobus, the airport express bus. It comes to the airport every You can’t miss it – it has Aerobus across the side of it. They park right out in front of the terminal. The main bus stops in Barcelona city center are at Plaça de Catalunya and Plaça España. The cost is €5.90 for a single and €10.20 return.

For the train, the RENFE train runs every 30 minutes between the city and the airport. It takes about 25 minutes. You can catch the train from Clot, Passeig de Gràcia , or BarcelonaSants.

What to Eat & Drink in Barcelona

Barcelona is full of options for eating and drinking, from high-end restaurants to food markets, and tapas bars. You’ll want to get ready for a giant list of things you need to try while you’re there.

A few of the foods you must try in Barcelona are:

• Pimientos de padron
• Patatas Bravas
• Brocheta de Camarones

If you’re looking for a more sophisticated meal, there are a lot of fine-dining restaurants that will blow your mind, like Caelis, Moments, Alkimia, and Cinc Sentits. Be sure to make reservations well in advance to get a table.

Craft beer is also very big in Barcelona. You can make a day of it and visit some of the top craft breweries, like BierCaB, Ale & Hop, BlackLab, and Garage Beer Co.

Where to Stay in Barcelona

There are a couple of things we’ve come to expect from hotel rooms in Spain . One is that the walls and floors are typically not well insulated, so you can hear your neighbors in their rooms, in the hall, walking around, etc. Another is that the beds are not as soft or comfortable as in U.S. hotels. As long as you understand those two things, your expectations will be set appropriately.

Here are our recommended hotels in Barcelona . Please feel free to use any of these links to read reviews, see prices and book your stay (they are affiliate links that help us keep the lights on around here): For more choices, check out these  Hotels in Barcelona, Spain

Check out this post for what to do in Barcelona with kids .

Hotel Indigo

4-star hotel in the middle of the action in Plaza Catalunya, with a pool and Gaudi-inspired lobby.

Read Reviews | Book a Stay

W Barcelona

5-star beachfront hotel in Barceloneta, with a full-service spa, 3 restaurants and 2 bars.

4-star hotel with a restaurant, 2 bars/lounges and an indoor and outdoor pool.

Essential Travel Guide to Barcelona

You might also like:

• What to see in Barcelona in 3 Days  (by Surfing the Planet)
• 23 Fun Things to Do in Barcelona  (by Hostel Geeks)
• How to enjoy La Boqueria market in Barcelona

Be Prepared For Travel Planning is the most important part of any successful trip. Do it the easy way:

🧳 Travel Packing List | ✔️ Why You Need Travel Insurance | ✈️ What to Do Before You Leave Home

• Find and book the best hotel (our favorite booking site is Expedia)
• Research flight options (our favorite tool is Skyscanner )
• Book a tour (we always use Viator to find the best tours)
• Rent a car through Discover Cars (they search the best deals for you!)

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE

Where to Eat in Barcelona: Top 10 Restaurants to Try

Try This Devour Barcelona Food and Wine Tour

21 of the Best Cities to Visit in Europe

The Perfect 7-Day Costa Brava Itinerary (Spain)

Like this post? Why not save it to Pinterest? FOLLOW US  on  Pinterest ,  Instagram ,  Facebook  for more great travel inspiration and tips.

Laura Lynch, creator and writer of Savored Journeys, is an avid world traveler, certified wine expert, and international food specialist. She has written about travel and food for over 20 years and has visited over 75 countries. Her work has been published in numerous guidebooks, websites, and magazines.

3 thoughts on “ Essential Travel Guide to Barcelona [Updated for 2024] ”

Cervesería Catalana was amazing! There’s always a long line-up there when we went. We also tried its sister restaurant Ciudad Condal – similar menu and just as delicious.

you have some nice tips for people here for the first time in Barcelona. If you are ever back in Barcelona I own a food tour business here in BCN and I would be happy to show you around some great spots to eat.

Absolutely will do!

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