Your one-stop guide to 15 of the most visited attractions in Spain to help you plan your next holiday to Spain.
With so many popular destinations, attractions, resorts, and historic sites to explore we thought it would be a great idea to list of some the best places to visit in Spain.
1. The Sagrada Familia - Barcelona
The outstanding Sagrada Familia in the city of Barcelona remains the most visited attraction in Spain and is arguably the best place to visit in Spain. It is one of the most popular single attractions in the world.
This stunning Gothic structure mesmerises its visitors with its sheer beauty and highly unique architecture, combining Gothic and modern.
2. Alhambra Palace - Granada
A world heritage site, the Alhambra Palace Granada attracts over 3 million visitors each year. It offers access to different parts of the church, including a museum, shop, nave, crypt and towers. Opening hours for public visits are between 9 am to 6 pm during winter and until 8 pm in summer.
If there is one place you should visit in Spain, it should be the Alhambra Palace in Granada. Situated in a privileged position overlooking the beautiful city of Granada in Andalucia, the Alhambra is a sprawling complex of immense beauty.
First mentioned in the year 899 as a small fortress, the Alhambra Palace was rebuilt in the mid-eleventh century and then transformed from a fortress into a palace after being used as a “medina”, adding more and more buildings.
Top attractions within the Alhambra Palace include the Lions Patio, the Royal Manor and the exquisite Alcazaba.
With so many visitors, it is always best to book your tickets in advance as there can be long queues at the ticket office depending on the time of year.
The Alhambra is open Monday to Sunday from 8 am to 8 pm, with extra evening visits on Tuesdays and Saturdays from 10 pm to 11.30 pm. Entrance fees vary depending on the area of the palace and grounds you wish to visit and the type of tour; prices range from €7.00 to €16.95
3. Reina Sofia National Art Museum - Madrid
The Reina Sofia National Art Museum is one of the most visited in Spain, with well over 3 million visitors a year.
The museum is located within the old General Hospital built during the reign of Charles III and was designated a Historic-Artistic monument in 1977. It was inaugurated as the new Reina Sofia National Art Museum in 1992 by the King and the Queen of Spain, Juan Carlos and Sofía.
The museum is now home to some of the most prized art collections anywhere in Europe, including works of art by Salvador Dali and Joan Miro. Picasso's "Guernica" is on the ground floor and is one of the most important works exhibited here.
It underwent a major reform in 2005 and now has an auditorium seating up to 500 people and another smaller one with a 200-seat capacity, along with a large arts and humanities library.
4. El Prado Museum - Madrid
The Prado Museum is located in central Madrid and is recognised as home to one of the finest collections of European art dating between the 12th and early 20th centuries.
Here you will find works of art by the great masters, including Goya, Rubens, Velazquez and El Greco. The museum houses around 8.000 drawings, 7,500 paintings and almost 5.000 prints.
This is a place to visit if you plan a trip to Madrid. The Museum is open most days from 10 am to 8 pm, and if you are on a tight budget, you can get free entry between 6 pm and 8 pm daily.
5. City of Arts & Science - Valencia
Valencia is one of the largest cities on mainland Spain's midwestern Eastern coast.
The impressive City of Arts and Science is an entertainment-based cultural and architectural complex that will keep you occupied for days on end. There is a fascinating Aquarium that houses the largest marine and aquarium park in Europe.
The Oceanographic Centre is underground and houses a marshland, wetland areas and mangrove swamps.
The Dolphinarium, one of the largest in Europe, has a seating capacity for over 2.000 people and holds around 40 million litres of water!
The City of Arts and Science is open most days, and entrance to the various attractions starts at around 8€ per person.
6. The Great Mosque of Cordoba
The charming Andalucian city of Cordoba is most famous for the impressive Mosque-Cathedral in the heart of the city.
The great Arab Mosque dates back to 784 A.D and became a World Heritage site in 1984.
Cordoba was founded by the Romans in the 2nd Century and became on the most important cities under the rule of emperor Augustus, the cities great era though came in the 8th century when it was conquered by the Moors.
Apart from the Great Mosque-Cathedral, Cordoba is full of interesting places to visit, including the famously decorated garden patios, the Zoco craft market, Casa Andalusi, the Jewish quarter and the banks of the Guadalquivir River.
7. Santa Maria Cathedral - Seville
Seville is a great place to visit almost any time of the year. One of its star attractions is the Santa Maria de la Sede Cathedral, the largest Gothic cathedral in the world and recognised as a World Heritage site by UNESCO.
Seville Cathedral is an imposing sight, located in the city's heart, just a few minutes walk from the Guadalquivir River.
The construction lasted for well over a century; the idea of city elders at the time was.. “ to build the grandest and most magnificent Cathedral that people will think us mad”.
The stunning central Nave rises well over 40 meters and is flanked by 80 side chapels. The Basilica was built on the site of the Aljama mosque from the Moorish dynasty, dating back to the 12th century.
8. Santiago de Compostela Cathedral
Located in the region of Galicia in northwest Spain, you will find the impressive Santiago de Compostela Cathedral, one of the most imposing structures of its kind in Spain.
Its significance is enormous as it marks the end of the famous Camino de Santiago for thousands of pilgrims each year. Construction of the Cathedral began in 1075 under the direction of Bishop Pelaez on the site of an old church dedicated to St James.
It was built in various styles over the many years it took to complete, including Gothic, Baroque, Romanesque and Neoclassical.
Various entrance fee options are available, the guided roof tour costs €12, access to the museum is €6, a guided tour of the cathedral is €10 and a combined tour ticket is €15 per person.
A reduced rate is available for certain groups and children under 12 enter for free.
9. The Royal Palace Madrid
Madrid is home to one of the most impressive royal pаlасеѕ іn Eurоре and should be on your itinerary of places to visit i Spain.
Located in the heart of Spain’s capital city, it boasts over 2000 luxuriously decorated rооmѕ, 50 of which are open to the public.
The palace іѕ ѕtіll used fоr head of ѕtаtе vіѕіtѕ аnd оthеr important сеrеmоnіеѕ. The impressive structure was built еntіrеlу оf granite and ѕtоnе frоm the nearby Sіеrrа dе Guаdаrrаmа mountain range.
It is open to the public seven days a week from 10 am to 6 pm during the winter months and stays open until 8 pm in the summer months ( April to September ). The basic entrance fee is €10, and group discounts are available. Guides cost just €4 and an audio guide is €3.
10. Casa Mila Barcelona
Casa Mila popularly known as La Pedrera ( The Stone Quarry ) is another ingenious creation of Antoni Gaudi not to be missed when visiting Barcelona. Its facade resembles an open quarry and was built by Antoni Gaudi between 1906 and 1912.
This is the last building created by this unique artist before he devoted his life to the construction of the Sagrada Familia.
Casa Mila is located in the Eixample district of Barcelona and is surely one of the world's most recognised modernist structures. It is best to book admission online to avoid the often long queues.
Entrance fees vary as they offer a variety of tour experiences. La Pedrera by day is the most popular at €22, which includes an audio guide. A combined La Pedrera tour day and night costs €41 but is well worth it.
11. Salvador Dali Museum at Figueres
Salvador Dali was a Catalan artist, sculptor, author, and filmmaker who greatly impacted the art world during the 20th century with his incredible surrealist artwork and flamboyant personality.
The Salvador Dali Museum is located in Figueres, his place of birth and where his body is buried. Figueres is located about a two-hour drive north of Barcelona, the transport services are very good and can be easily accessed by train, road or bus.
The museum was created by Dali himself and currently houses the world's largest surrealist works of art.
Although his works may not be to the liking of everyone, his genius is plain to see, and the museum is well worth visiting to step into the surrealist world of such a unique personality.
And if you think this may be one of the lesser attractions in Spain, a staggering 1.4 million people visited the museum in 2017!
There are various entrance tickets you can buy online or at the main entrance, depending on the type of tour. The introductory unguided tour price for the popular Dali-Theatre Museum costs €14 with reduced rates for groups and students, with free entrance for children up to 8 years of age.
12. The Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao
Bilbao is located in the Basque region of northern Spain. One of its main attractions is the stunning Guggenheim Museum, an architectural masterpiece that will mesmerise you from the start.
Created by world-renowned architect Frank Gehry, the museum opened in 1997 and is home to many prominent and contemporary works of art.
The showstopper, though, is the curvy titanium-clad building that houses the museum and is now a firm favourite in Spain.
After visiting the museum, you can take the opportunity to explore the rest of Bilbao, including the Casco Viejo (Old Town) on the banks of the Nervion River, which is centred around Las Siete Calles, the seven original streets of the city that date back to the 1400s.
The museum is open on weekdays from 10 am to 8 pm ( Closed Mondays ).
13. Picasso Museum Barcelona
The Pablo Picasso Museum is located within the former 15th Century Palacio de Berenguer D'Aguilar and was opened in 1963. It is home to an extensive collection of works of art by Picasso, much donated by his long-time former Secretary and friend Jaime Sabates.
There are well over 4.000 works by the famed artist who spent much of his youth in Barcelona, where he attended the prestigious art academy "La Llotja", where his father was a professor.
Some of the larger collections include the complete series of Las Meninas and some 58 paintings he created during his later creative period. Some of the works were collected by his wife Jacqueline Picasso.
14. The Basilica Zaragoza
The Basilica is one of Aragon's most important historic sites and one of the most visited in Spain.
The tradition goes that the Virgin Mary appeared to the apostle Santiago whilst he was preaching on the bank of the Ebro River.
The Basilica is the result of many constructions over the centuries and replaced the Gothic temple of 1515, which in turn succeeded the Roman temple, which was destroyed by fire in 1443. So, there are many styles to see within the basilica and the surrounding buildings.
The current temple began its life at the end of the 17th Century, in 1718 the naves and main alter were finished.
And if you want to see spectacular views over Zaragoza and the Ebro River, make your way up the Torre del Pilar by glass elevator, which will take you to the top ( 62 meters ) in just a few seconds.
15. Royal Alcazar Seville
The Royal Alcazar of Seville is another must-see historic attraction if you plan a trip to Andalucia's capital.
Declared a World Heritage site in 1987, the site is over 1.000 years old and has been home to various monarchs.
At the Royal Alcazar, you will see some of Spain's oldest palaces and fine examples of Mudejar architecture.