Spain's dynamic metropolises, breathtaking landscapes and cultural offerings are second to none, making the country an undisputed stop on many travelers' European vacation itineraries. With so many varied destinations, each with its own celebrated sites, it may be hard deciding which cities are worth traveling for. U.S. News factored in sights, culture, seasonality and expert opinion to come up with the best places to visit in Spain for all types of travelers – from city slickers to beach bums to outdoorsy types. Have an opinion? Vote below to influence next year's ranking. (Note: Some of the below destinations may be affected by the coronavirus outbreak. Check with the CDC and the U.S. Department of State before traveling.)
Featured
No matter how much you have read or how many pictures you have seen of Granada's Alhambra palaces, this Moorish pleasure palace will still take your breath away. The Nasrid dynasty's royal palace is the artistic highlight of Spain's Islamic period, when Al-Andalus – as they called Andalucía – represented the epitome of culture and civilization in Europe's Middle Ages.
Antoni Gaudi took the architectural style known as Art Nouveau a step further, even, some have argued, into absurdity. The fanciful and outrageous buildings he created in Barcelona have become landmarks, the signature attractions of this Catalan city.
Once the principal mosque of western Islam and still known as the Mezquita, Cordoba's mosque is one of the largest in the world and the finest achievement of Moorish architecture in Spain. In spite of later alterations that carved out its center to build a Catholic cathedral at its heart, the Great Mosque ranks with the Alhambra in Granada as one of the two most splendid examples of Islamic art and architecture in western Europe.
The Prado alone ranks with the world's top art museums for the riches of its collections. But add the Reina Sofia National Art Museum, the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, and the CaixaForum, all along Madrid's mile-long, tree-shaded boulevard, and you have what may be the world's highest concentration of priceless art treasures. It's no wonder this is known as El Paseo del Arte – Boulevard of the Arts.