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...
What to see in Santiago de Compostela - Cathedral squares, market stalls and the end of the Camino
For more than a thousand years, people have walked for weeks to reach one granite square. You can get there by train in an...
From Mijas Pueblo to La Cala - Whitewashed lanes, Picasso ceramics and a seaside boardwalk
What do an oval bullring, a chapel cut into a cliff and a ballerina carved from a toothpick have in common? They all sit...
Why visit Elche? Palm groves, a medieval mystery play and three UNESCO treasures
More than 200,000 date palms grow inside one Spanish city, and one of them has seven arms. The rest of the town is just...
Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife - Old town, Manrique’s sea pools and the island’s greenest coast
Some 150 years ago, British doctors sent their patients here for the sea air and the mild winters. Today the same Atlantic breeze cools...
Tarragona, Spain’s Roman city by the sea - Tarraco, the Part Alta and Costa Daurada beaches
Two thousand years ago, chariots thundered round a track here in front of 30,000 roaring spectators. Today the same vaults hold up wine bars,...
What to do in Palma de Mallorca? Cathedral mornings, castle views and tapas nights
Plenty of people land at the airport, pick up a hire car and head straight for the beaches. On the way they drive past...