Spanish cities are perfect for a long weekend: compact, walkable and full of history, food and nightlife. In this section you will find our guides to large cities and smaller towns across the country, from Madrid and Córdoba to the island capitals Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Santa Cruz de La Palma. Seaside lovers will find guides to Nerja, Mijas and Almería. Each article lists the top sights, practical tips and the best time to visit.
Costa Brava
Why visit Lloret de Mar? Clifftop gardens, quiet coves and a coastal path to Tossa
Its reputation usually arrives before you do. Then you find Renaissance gardens on the cliffs, a castle above the waves and a cove that most people walk straight past.Lloret...
Cities in Spain
What to see in Seville - The Alcázar, Plaza de España and a night of flamenco in Triana
In spring, the whole city smells of orange blossom. Locals call it azahar, and once you have walked...
Cities in Spain
Santa Cruz de la Palma, La Palma’s Renaissance capital - Wooden balconies, a replica of Columbus’s ship and black-sand beaches
Five centuries ago this harbour was one of the busiest in the Spanish Empire. Today you can walk...
Cities in Spain
What to do in Los Gigantes? Sheer sea cliffs, whale-watching cruises and a boat ride to Masca Bay
Forty-five minutes from the airport, the island suddenly ends in a wall of rock twice the height of...
Cities in Spain
What to do in Besalú? A fortified bridge, a medieval mikveh and Romanesque churches
Cross a crooked stone bridge, pass under its gate tower and the 21st century seems to stay behind...
Tossa de Mar, Costa Brava - A walled old town, hidden coves and Chagall’s blue bay
In 1934 Marc Chagall spent a summer on this bay and called it his blue paradise. More than ninety years on, the water is...
Almeria travel guide - The Alcazaba, Wild West film sets and the volcanic beaches of Cabo de Gata
Half an hour from the old town, cowboys still ride through what is often called Europe's only desert. Back in town, a free tapa...
Puerto del Rosario - Is Fuerteventura’s capital worth a visit?
Most holidaymakers only ever see this town through the window of an airport transfer coach. Give it a slow morning instead, and you may...
Altea, Spain - Things to do in the blue-domed artists’ village of the Costa Blanca
Look closely at the tiles on the church dome and you'll spot small dragons curling through the blue and white. Most people photograph it...
A weekend in Valencia - Paella, Gothic lanes and a riverbed turned park
In 1957 a flood swept through the city and changed the river's course for good. The water was diverted, and the empty bed became...
Córdoba highlights - From the Mezquita to flower-filled patios
A thousand years ago, caliphs ruled half of Spain from these streets. Today the locals compete over who has the prettiest patio.Córdoba is one...