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...
First time in Torrevieja? Pink salt lakes, Blue Flag coves and a town built on salt
People call it the Costa del Yorkshire. Stand by the salt mountains at sunset, with flamingos wading in a pink lagoon, and the nickname...
Port de Sóller - Your base for vintage trams, lighthouse sunsets and Tramuntana trails
A wooden tram rattles through orange groves, turns a corner and suddenly the whole bay opens up in front of you. Few arrivals on...
Is Malaga worth visiting? Picasso, a Moorish fortress and tapas by the sea
Twenty minutes after landing, you can be sipping sweet wine straight from the barrel in a bar that has been pouring it since 1840.Malaga...
Alcudia, Mallorca - Roman ruins, medieval walls and a bay made for slow days
Two thousand years ago, Roman settlers laid out a city on this spot. Today, the loudest traffic is the Sunday crowd haggling over olives,...
What to see in Santa Cruz de Tenerife - Plazas, Calatrava’s auditorium and a beach of Saharan sand
Most holidaymakers only see this city through a coach window on the way to the volcano. They miss the island's best tapas bars, its...
Porto Cristo with kids - Caves, coves and a working fishing harbour
Deep under the pine-covered hills, a string quartet glides across one of the largest underground lakes in the world. Up on the quay, the...