Top 10 Places to Visit in Spain
Ready to fall in love with Spain?
From coastal gems to mountaintop magic, we’re counting down the top 10 places that will make you want to pack your bags immediately. Each one has its own heartbeat, its own flavor, its own way of making you fall hard. Let’s start at number ten—and trust me, it only gets better
10. Alicante
Alicante is where the Costa Blanca begins to sparkle. Picture soft, sandy beaches bathed in golden Mediterranean light, palm-lined promenades that practically demand slow, lazy walks, and a castle—yes, a real one—perched dramatically above the city. That’s Santa Bárbara, the ancient fortress that watches over Alicante, offering panoramic views you’ll try to capture in photos but never quite match in real life.
But Alicante’s charm isn’t just in the scenery—it’s in the rhythm of the place. By day, it’s relaxed, all about beach life and sunlight. By night, the old town—Barrio de la Santa Cruz—glows with tapas bars, live music, and the kind of easy conversation that makes you lose track of time. Alicante doesn’t push. It doesn’t perform. It invites. It’s like that friend who pours you another glass of wine, insists you take your time, and knows exactly which little alley will lead you to the best view of the moon over the water. You come once, and somehow, you keep coming back.
9. Zaragoza
Zaragoza doesn’t shout. It whispers—through sun-warmed plazas, weathered facades, and centuries-old stone. Tucked between Madrid and Barcelona, this city is a crossroads of cultures, a living storybook of Roman, Moorish, and medieval chapters. One minute you’re gazing at the grand domes of the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar, the next you’re wandering past fragments of Roman walls or ducking under Moorish arches.
And then there’s the food. Aragonese cuisine is bold and comforting—slow-roasted lamb that melts in your mouth, stews that seem designed for long conversations, pastries that linger in your memory. This isn’t a tourist-clogged city. It’s a place where markets buzz with locals, where kids play soccer in the alleys, where life moves at its own pace. In Zaragoza, you don’t just visit—you quietly slip into the story being told.
8. Valencia
Valencia is a contradiction you’ll love. It’s medieval markets standing proudly beside space-age architecture. It’s the birthplace of paella, where tradition isn’t just preserved—it’s perfected. And then there’s the City of Arts and Sciences, all gleaming white curves and futuristic beauty, as if Valencia decided to borrow a few pages from the future.
A short stroll away, the old town takes you centuries back, with cobblestone streets, tucked-away tapas bars, and churches that seem to have seen it all. Add wide golden beaches, warm sea breezes, and sunsets that turn the sky into a watercolor painting, and you start to understand Valencia’s magic. It’s where old and new don’t clash—they dance.
7. Tenerife
Tenerife is Spain’s shape-shifter. In one day, you can stretch out on black-sand beaches, wander through misty cloud forests, and climb the slopes of Mount Teide, Spain’s tallest peak. Up there, the world changes—lava fields, alien landscapes, and skies so clear you can almost touch the stars.
The north of the island is lush and green, dotted with sleepy fishing villages and vineyards rooted in volcanic soil. The south is all sunshine, resorts, and endless ocean views. Whether you’re sipping a bold local wine, exploring lava tunnels, or watching the Atlantic turn gold at sunset, Tenerife gives you more variety than you’d expect from one island. It’s Spain, but with an edge—a wild, beautiful, unpredictable edge.
6. Segovia
Segovia is pure storybook. The Roman aqueduct, impossibly precise without a drop of mortar, slices through the city like a time traveler from 2,000 years ago. The Alcázar, all turrets and drama, looks like it was sketched by Disney animators on their day off. And the cathedral? A masterpiece of Gothic grace.
But Segovia isn’t just a feast for the eyes. It’s for the taste buds too. The local specialty, cochinillo—roast suckling pig—is so tender, tradition says it’s cut with a plate. The whole town feels timeless, each narrow street holding onto its stories, each plaza glowing softly in the late afternoon light. Segovia doesn’t clamor for attention—it quietly wins your heart.
5. Barcelona
Barcelona is an electric mix of art, sunlight, and energy. It’s Gaudí’s whimsical architecture turning buildings into dreams and parks into fantasies. It’s the Gothic Quarter’s maze of alleys, where history hums from the stones under your feet.
The city’s food scene swings from bustling markets like La Boqueria to sleek seaside restaurants where the seafood tastes like it jumped straight from the Mediterranean to your plate. You can sunbathe at Barceloneta Beach in the afternoon and find yourself in a candlelit jazz bar by night. Barcelona doesn’t make you choose between culture, food, or fun—it simply hands you all of it at once.
4. Ronda
Ronda is drama carved into stone. The town straddles a massive gorge, with the Puente Nuevo bridge stretching across in a display of architectural bravado that’s been stopping visitors in their tracks for centuries.
But beyond the views, Ronda feels deeply, quietly alive. You can wander its ancient walls, trace the history of bullfighting to its roots, or sit in a café where the day seems to pass in slow motion. It’s not a place for rushing. It’s a place for standing still, for listening to the wind through the cliffs, for watching the sunset turn the stone to gold.
3. Mallorca
Mallorca is a shape-shifter too, but in a softer, more romantic way. One drive takes you along the winding roads of the Tramuntana mountains, green and wild above a glittering sea. Another path leads to a secluded cove like Caló des Moro, where the water is so clear it feels unreal.
In Palma, the island’s capital, Gothic spires rise over buzzing streets lined with cafés, galleries, and boutique shops. Inland, you’ll find olive groves, vineyards, and sleepy stone villages where time moves differently. Mallorca doesn’t ask you to choose between a beach holiday or a cultural deep dive—it lets you have both, often in the same day.
2. Seville
Seville is a love story written in sunlight and shadow. The scent of orange blossoms lingers in the air, and the sound of flamenco echoes through narrow lanes. The Real Alcázar dazzles with its Moorish arches, intricate tilework, and lush gardens. Just steps away, the grand Seville Cathedral stands guard over centuries of history.
But Seville isn’t frozen in time—it’s alive in every tapa shared, every glass of sherry sipped under the stars, every smile exchanged in a plaza. It’s warm, passionate, unapologetically itself. And once it wraps around you, it never really lets go.
1. San Sebastián
San Sebastián isn’t just beautiful—it’s delicious. Set against rolling green hills and crescent-shaped beaches, it’s a city that’s as much about taste as it is about sight. Its Old Town is lined with pintxos bars, each serving small bites so packed with flavor you’ll find yourself wandering from one to the next like a pilgrim on a sacred route.
Yes, there are Michelin stars here—plenty of them—but the magic is just as alive in a plate of anchovies at a neighborhood bar as it is in a tasting menu. Days are spent strolling along La Concha beach, sipping coffee as the tide rolls in, and watching the sunset turn the bay to liquid gold. San Sebastián is Spain at its most refined, inviting you to slow down, savor, and let every moment linger.
And there you have it—10 incredible destinations, each offering its own flavor of Spain. Which one would you fly to first? Let us know in the comments, and don’t forget to subscribe for more travel inspiration, stories, and slow adventures.