Top 10 Must-Visit Destinations in Spain

Spain's capital since 1561, Madrid is home to the Prado Museum, one of the world's finest art collections with over 9,000 works including masterpieces by Goya and Velazquez. The expansive Retiro Park and a legendary nightlife scene make it a city that never truly sleeps.

Seville is the passionate soul of Andalusia, birthplace of flamenco and home to the Alcazar palace complex (UNESCO 1987) and the largest Gothic cathedral in the world. Its medieval streets and sun-drenched plazas have enchanted visitors for centuries.

Granada crowns the foothills of the Sierra Nevada and draws 2.7 million visitors a year to the Alhambra Palace (UNESCO 1984), a stunning testament to Moorish architecture and craftsmanship. The Albaicin quarter, with its labyrinthine alleys and teahouses, preserves the city's rich Islamic heritage.

Designated a UNESCO World Heritage city in 1986, Toledo is known as the "City of Three Cultures" for its extraordinary coexistence of Christian, Muslim, and Jewish communities through the Middle Ages. Birthplace of El Greco, its hilltop old town is a living museum of Spanish imperial history.

San Sebastian (Donostia) is a culinary paradise on the Basque coast, boasting more Michelin stars per capita than anywhere else on the planet and a thriving pintxos bar culture. The crescent-shaped La Concha beach and the elegant Belle Epoque promenade make it one of Europe's most beautiful seaside cities.

Once a gritty Basque industrial port, Bilbao was spectacularly transformed by the opening of Frank Gehry's titanium-clad Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in 1997 — an architectural landmark that revived the city's fortunes and sparked global tourism. Today its riverfront, old town, and world-class gastronomy rival any Spanish city.

Spain's third largest city and the birthplace of paella, Valencia is defined by the futuristic City of Arts and Sciences complex (opened 1998), a masterwork of contemporary architecture set along a former riverbed. Warm year-round weather and Europe's largest urban beach park make it one of the continent's most liveable cities.

Cordoba's Mezquita-Catedral (UNESCO 1984) is one of the most breathtaking buildings in the world — a vast forest of horseshoe arches that was once the largest mosque in medieval Europe. The city's Roman bridge over the Guadalquivir and its fragrant flower-filled courtyards complete an unforgettable Andalusian experience.

The largest of the Balearic Islands, Mallorca welcomes over 10 million visitors a year to its turquoise coves, dramatic limestone mountains, and the Gothic splendour of Palma Cathedral (La Seu, completed 1601). From the cliff-top village of Valldemossa to the resort beaches of Alcudia, it offers an extraordinary range of landscapes in a single island.

Spain's capital since 1561, Madrid is home to the Prado Museum, one of the world's finest art collections with over 9,000 works including masterpieces by Goya and Velazquez. The expansive Retiro Park and a legendary nightlife scene make it a city that never truly sleeps.

Seville is the passionate soul of Andalusia, birthplace of flamenco and home to the Alcazar palace complex (UNESCO 1987) and the largest Gothic cathedral in the world. Its medieval streets and sun-drenched plazas have enchanted visitors for centuries.

Granada crowns the foothills of the Sierra Nevada and draws 2.7 million visitors a year to the Alhambra Palace (UNESCO 1984), a stunning testament to Moorish architecture and craftsmanship. The Albaicin quarter, with its labyrinthine alleys and teahouses, preserves the city's rich Islamic heritage.

Designated a UNESCO World Heritage city in 1986, Toledo is known as the "City of Three Cultures" for its extraordinary coexistence of Christian, Muslim, and Jewish communities through the Middle Ages. Birthplace of El Greco, its hilltop old town is a living museum of Spanish imperial history.

San Sebastian (Donostia) is a culinary paradise on the Basque coast, boasting more Michelin stars per capita than anywhere else on the planet and a thriving pintxos bar culture. The crescent-shaped La Concha beach and the elegant Belle Epoque promenade make it one of Europe's most beautiful seaside cities.

Once a gritty Basque industrial port, Bilbao was spectacularly transformed by the opening of Frank Gehry's titanium-clad Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in 1997 — an architectural landmark that revived the city's fortunes and sparked global tourism. Today its riverfront, old town, and world-class gastronomy rival any Spanish city.

Spain's third largest city and the birthplace of paella, Valencia is defined by the futuristic City of Arts and Sciences complex (opened 1998), a masterwork of contemporary architecture set along a former riverbed. Warm year-round weather and Europe's largest urban beach park make it one of the continent's most liveable cities.

Cordoba's Mezquita-Catedral (UNESCO 1984) is one of the most breathtaking buildings in the world — a vast forest of horseshoe arches that was once the largest mosque in medieval Europe. The city's Roman bridge over the Guadalquivir and its fragrant flower-filled courtyards complete an unforgettable Andalusian experience.

The largest of the Balearic Islands, Mallorca welcomes over 10 million visitors a year to its turquoise coves, dramatic limestone mountains, and the Gothic splendour of Palma Cathedral (La Seu, completed 1601). From the cliff-top village of Valldemossa to the resort beaches of Alcudia, it offers an extraordinary range of landscapes in a single island.