To know it is to love it. And to know it well is to realize that your understanding of Spain's uniqueness depends on the extent to which you let yourself be drawn into its everyday affairs. Along stupefying architectural heritage and soothing natural beauty, what makes the image of Spain genuine is the busyness of El Rastro flea market in Madrit, the nightlife frenzy of Barrio del Carmen in Valencia, the fun of La Tomatina festival in Buñol, the terror of Pamplona Bull Running, the week long spectacle of flamenco during La Feria de Sevilla, the fiesta and siesta, the taste of tapas and wine, and finally, the corrida. All this could well take the whole year to embrace. And what's there to see regardless of when you're around?
Following some research into the preferences and opinions posted by users of various social media sites, such as Twitter and Facebook, as well as own resources and reviews by the most popular travel sites, Open Travel has compiled a list of top 25 things to see or do on your Spain Vacations. The county is like a virus - once you get infected with its allure, it will forever run in your blood, reminding you of the unique experience you had in that sun-kissed spot on the Iberian Peninsula.
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Location: Spain
Photo by Lanci Daniele
Floating in the Mediterranean off the east coast of mainland Spain, the Balearic Islands are four dramatically diverse gems in the Spanish crown. Sun-kissed Ibiza is all about a partying galore and the joys of life, pristine Menorca is an oasis of tranquility and natural grandeur, mountainous Mal...
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Photo by Javier Carro
Overlooking the city of Granada and chosen by the first Nasrid king, el Ahmar, as a prestigious location for his court, the fortified Alhambra was altered and enhanced by successive rulers to end up as a staggering complex that few can rival. Lofty halls, colossal chambers with imposing ceilings...
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Photo by teleyinex
The futuristic construction sprawling along an axis of about 2 kilometers, Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias is cultural marvel and a bottomless well of attractions. Staggering on the outside, the alluring design is just a foretaste of what's hiding inside. The complex houses the Hemisfèric (Im...
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Photo by Guijarro85
The Mezquita de Cordoba is by far the most exquisite example of the Muslim fabric in the Spanish cultural patchwork. Its giant arches, jasper columns, marble floors, richly gilded prayer niches, and the awe-inspiring domed shrine of Byzantine mosaics take you back to the 10th century Spain when...
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Location: Provincia de Toledo, Spain
Photo by Diliff
Toledo is a masterpiece of multinationality, with Judaism, Christianity and Islam playing key roles in its development. Sitting atop a rugged hill, surrounded by the meandering Tagus, this receptacle of 2-millennium history is so charming and complex that it takes a lot more than a weekend outing...
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Location: Provincia de Málaga, Spain
Photo by robbie jim
Approximately 2 million non-residents breeze every year into the resorts of Costa del Sol to enjoy the multitude of cultural, recreational, and historic delights spread along the southernmost edge of Spain. Whether it's Torremolinos, Benalmadena, Marbella, or Puerto Banus, over 300 days of sunshi...
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Photo by Patstuart
Resting at the very heart of Andalusia, little Ronda is by far one of the loveliest Spanish towns. Although developing at a sufficient pace, it retains much of its historic charm, and it is the old quarter, called La Ciudad, that tourists flock to looking for a speck of romance and adorable sight...
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Location: Spain
Photo by lugarzen
Straddling the provinces of Cantabria, Asturias and León, The Picos de Europa cast a spell on just about anyone who gazes at the snow-capped, rugged peaks, breathes the refreshing air, hikes the fabulous routes, and dines in any of the numerous lovely towns in the area. It is here that you can...
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Photo by SlapBcn
Some of the fascination in visiting the Sagrada Familia is the fact that it has been an ongoing project ever since it started in 1882. Legend has it that the world will end once the church is completed, which would explain why architects are estimated to be struggling with the fulfillment of Ga...
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Photo by Wolfgang Staudt
Sitting on the hill of el Carmel in the Gràcia district of Barcelona, Park Guell is a tangible reflection of a surreal dream. Beside the wondrous Casa Batll, Sagrada Familia, and Casa Milà adorning the city, it is the most spectacular manifestation of Antoni Gaudi's unrivaled talent. Take your...
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Location: Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Photo by Julikeishon
Recognized through legend as the resting-place of the Apostle James, Santiago de Compostela is so magnetic that even today numerous pilgrims decide to embark on the medieval Way of St. James - a route that traditionally began at one's home and ended at the splendid cathedral in the heart of the O...
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Location: Spain
Photo by monstermunch99
Tenerife, known as the island of eternal spring, caresses with its temperate climate, appeases with historic residences of La Laguna, takes you high to scenic la Rambleta, and sets your senses ablaze with Santa Cruz festivals.
La Palma, largely volcanic in character (and appearance), is not a plac...
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Photo by van Ort
A sparkling jewel in the Bourbon crown, this artistic trio consists of 3 most significant Spanish museums, or at least ones that cannot be missed on any account. The world-famous Museo del Prado, among its numerous treasures, glorifies the likes of Velázquez, Goya, and Rubens. The Museo Nacional...
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Photo by Elena F D
Cynics say that Avila has just two assets - high wall and low temperature. Much as they are right about the colossal wall embracing the city and the pleasant chill that offers some relief from the intense heat of the south, they obviously can't appreciate the romance that dwells in the finest rem...
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Photo by kurtxio
Shuffled among Carthaginian, Roman, and Moorish hands, Salamanca has developed so multifaceted and alluring an appearance that UNESCO decided to draw it on list of the World Heritage Sites. A unique type of sandstone gives its facades a gold-like glow, a maze of narrow streets endow it with a r...
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Photo by Jorge6880
Founded in 25 BC, Merida was once a thriving capital of Lucitania and can therefore boast the greatest number of ancient Roman trademarks of all Spanish cities. Today, its appearance may seem a bit down-at-heel at first sight, but once you get used to some modern eyesores, you'll discover that Me...
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Las Médulas
Location: Provincia de León, Spain
Photo by FCPB
When you look at the fiercely orange protrusions poking out of the green chestnut mass, it's hard to believe the site is a product of human activity. Meanwhile, Las Medulas are traces of ancient technologies used by the Roman Imperial authorities to exploit the gold deposits by means of hydraulic...
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Photo by GViciano
When it was revealed to the public, the Guggenheim Museum was immediately hailed as one of the world's most spectacular achievements of postmodern, deconstructivist architecture. And when you gaze at the randomness of form that the designer conceived of, you not only can't help but agree, but als...
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Photo by IgnisFatuus
Whether seen from afar or up close, the Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial makes its royal connotations immediately obvious. The ideally symmetrical square, with four towers marking its corners, is home to a monastery, two palaces and a library that boasts as many as 40,000 volumes founded b...
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Alcazar
Photo by clspeace
Once a Moorish fort, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Alcázar of Seville is an astonishing complexed still used by the royal family when around. Less crowded than the Alhambra but not in the least bit less inspiring, the palace is worth exploring in length and breadth, from the underground...
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Photo by Lohen11
Classical music may not be your cup of tea; nor do you have to be delighted with the fact that composers the likes of Prokofiev, Rachmaninov and Ravel have walked through its door. This architectural delight is well worth exploring in its own right, even without symphonic background. Endowed wit...
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Photo by Grez
If statistics can be believed, this remnant of the 1929 Ibero-American Exposition is one of the most photographed sights in the world. If they cannot, the majority of photographers should certainly change their focus. This way or the other, fans of Star Wars II must be experiencing a jolt of rec...
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Nou Camp
Photo by Will Palmer
Més que un club (More than a club). So goes the motto of FC Barcelona, and an extraordinary club needs an extraordinary stadium. With a capacity of 98,772 and the UEFA status of a 5-star venue, Camp Nou is the largest, most prestigious stadium in Europe, and much as crowds are virtually a nuisan...
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El Eshavira
Photo by Andrea Balducci
The Andalusians say, "If you haven't seen Granada, you haven't seen anything." We say, "If you've been to Granada and haven't seen a live performance at El Eshavira, you're a fool." Here smooth jazz and sultry flamenco hold sway in the dim, smoky interior that draws you in like a whirlpool, and l...
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Photo by Esetena
When Jean Botin founded his modest inn at the beginning of the 18th century, little did he imagine that after nearly 300 years he will end up in The Guinness Book of Records. Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the oldest restaurant in the world. Located just off Madrid's Plaza Mayor in a charming h...
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Stumble
this is great! i will hopefully be traveling and working in spain this summer. so much to look forward to doing and seeing.
I think that the Pyrenees shold be there, hands down.
Also there are too many things about Andalucia and none of other important places like Zaragoza
It's so Spain!
very nice congratulations!!
Every one probably has a place he thinks should be in the list, but hey!!! It's your list and you nailed it!!!
The festival in Valencia celebrating the dawn of spring Las Fallas. check it out, it for sure should be on the list
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falles
next time you are in barcelona, check out the catalan museum 'MNAC' not just fantastic paintings, a sculptural collection of apses removed fro the crumbling hill churches.
http://www.mnac.cat/colleccio/col_romanic.jsp?ambit=8&lan=001
I've been to four of these places. Spain is beautiful
This is all true and wonderful but enjoyed La Rambla in Barcelona a great deal. Very enjoyable.
I lived in Spain for three years....and it is wonderful.I lived in Cadiz at the border with Gibraltar and Africa.a lot of things to visit and a fantastic life.....
very nice selection! but camp nou...i wouldnt include a football field as a site to visit, and would include some other site
I can't believe!!!! Why does not Caceres appear in this list? It's a very beautiful place. Caceres has a wonderful old town.
León Cathedral is a must !
http://www.catedraldeleon.org/
I've been working at Barcelona (Spain) for two years, and I guess that this list is made by a Catalonian. The Palace of Catalonian Music is not so nice as to put it in tis list. Neither do the Nou Camp (Barcelona FC stadium).
But Gaudi's monuments are great. They are the most interesting architecture in Spain, that's true.
But I prefer the city of Madrid. People is really nice, not like the catalonians. And the Real Madrid stadium is like the main cathedral of football!!
I can´t believe Mundaka doesn´t appear in this list. The Nou Camp!?! WTF!!!
you missed San Sebastián, that's unforgiveable
what a beaut
"You missed Valladolid, you missed the craddle of Spanish".
You must get lost into its monuments, museums, parks, river and bridges and many many more...
You guys have to come and see!!!
Jean-Luc... I totally desagree with you!
Catalonians are great people and the Santiago Bernabeu is just an average stadium in the middle of the Madrid (80,000)... If you don't like Barcelona (and Camp Nou) is your problem, but this list is nice!
Spain has a lot of wonderful places, but Barcelona is the best city!
Well, you have Spain. And then you have Catalonia. Thats someplace else. I don't see how you can confuse them. Give me Sevilla anyday. You can keep the European Catalonian Barcelona.
I love these structures, I have never been to Spain and never knew it was this beautiful. I will definitely check out Spain sooner than later.
Will Hill
www.gomoneyline.com
Where is Sevilla's Cathedral? Where is the Giralda? Where's Santa Cruz quarter?
Catalonia is one of the 17 communities of Spain. Don´t let independentist people confuse you. You just have to check any European map of any period of the history and try to find Catalunya as a state to discover that it has never been an independent state. Before being part of Spain it was a county from the Aragon Kingdom.
It's hard to satisfy with this list all those who have been in other beautiful corners of this diverse country. I don´t really believe that visiting Nou Camp is as amazing as visiting Valencia, Sevilla or Pamplona during their city festivals ( Las Fallas, La Feria de Abril and Los Sanfermines).
¡Magnífico! I'm hoping to plan a holiday this coming spring... it'll be my first visit to Spain.
I´m glad to see a lot of stuff from Barcelona cos Barcelona is Spain
La provincia de CANTABRIA (SPAIN) tiene muchas cosas aparte de las que ya hay aqui nombradas como:
Las cuevas de Altamira:
http://blog.dimehoteles.com/imagenes/2009/01/altamiraplafond-300x298.jpg
Santilla del Mar:
http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/1815000.jpg
CABARCENO de los Zoos mas grandes de Europa:
http://www.cantabrico.com/reportajes/cabarceno/cabarceno1g.jpg
MAGDALENA:
http://lgi.is.edu.ro/eumigration/gallery/santander/Palacio%20Magdalena.jpg
UNA DE LAS MUCHAS PLAYAS (EL PUNTAL):
http://bristol.campusanuncios.com/picanuncio/piso/piso342990721.jpg
Todavia te queda mucho por descubrir visita CANTABRIA ... querras volver
CATALONIA IS NOT SPAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Don,t forget Sevilla (in April), Almería (Cabo de Gata), Asturias, Cantabria, Galicia, ....
Ps: The Camp Now
Ps2: No matter what some people sais, Catalonia is Spain, of course, and is amazing.
And Costa Blanca
I cant believe Costa Blanca isnt there...
For God's sake people! Of course a lot of places have been missed, but how can you possibly satisfy everyone with just 25 places on the list
? And learn to read. It is not about VISITING that damn Camp Nou, but being part of a game and the fervor on the stadium. You have to admit it makes impression!
OK ... Madrid needs to appear on this list. I have been to over half of these places so I know Spain quite well. You need to put something in Madrid on the list ... I mean seriously ... Madrid is the greatest city in the world. You don't know Spain if you don't know how to hop the metro to Sol, have a few tapas and copas at a bar in lavapies and then end the night with some churros from San Gines. Come on people ... MADRID IS SPAIN AT IT"S GREATEST.
1º Cies Islands (Islas cies) in Vigo (Galicia -Spain) and "playa de Rodas" The Best beach in the world by "The Guardian" and the magacine "Travel".
I've never been to Spain, but after looking at this list it would be worth a visit. Never realised Spain has such beauty. Thank you for sharing.
I love Spain and visit it all the time. Now I don´t have a job and I¨m so sad I can´t go to Spain and it and my friends there..
I really miss Spain and have seen many of these places. I want to go to San Sebastian and Toledo next.
I pray I am soon employed so I can visit my beloved Spain!
Everyone keeps asking me when I am going to return..
wow these photos are amazing ... brings back memories of the honeymoon my wife and I took in Spain almost 20 years ago where we saw only a few of these wonderful sights ... got to get back there soon !
I think the oldest resturant in the world is in Beijing, It is over 900 years old and has been in continual operation ever since. Probably not the same owner though.
Jim Kennedy, I know your right about the oldest restaurant being over 900 years old, but are you sure that it is not the same owner, cause i think it is...
Spain is really beautiful,we have been there about 25 days and visited almost all the location...
Great country,great people,great history!Many greetings from Pula,Croatia....
Spain is a beautiful country.Thank you for your sharing.I also want to share you some nice photo slideshows here from
http://dvd-photo-slideshow.com/support/showcase/index.html
Thanks for all your contributions guys. Greetings from Open Travel.
This is an amazing list - makes me want to go to Spain NOW!
Santiago Bernabeu Tour
Hey Monica~~ Beautiful photos and now you have WONDERFUL memories!!! Be well & enjoy the rest of your trip!! Thanks for keeping us informed!! XO
EL NOU CAMP
JAAAAAAAAAAAAAJJAJAJAJAJAJAAJAJA F**king s**t!
This list is a s**t, there are lots of better things that doesn't appear there....
There are (at least) two huge things missing from this list. The first is Segovia. The old town is beautiful and beats Toledo and Salamanca hands down.
The other is the Pyrenees, especially the Ordesa National Park. Picos de Europa are crap compared to the Pyrenees!
Add Museum of Salvador Dali and Gala's house.
Viva la Espana!