Places to Visit in Spain
Gaudí's unfinished cathedral, Moorish palaces, and a dinner clock that runs three hours later than the rest of Europe.
Spain's climate splits sharply between the interior plateau's continental extremes (hot summers, cold winters around Madrid) and the Mediterranean coast and Catalonia's milder, more temperate conditions. Barcelona sits on the northeast coast in Catalonia, a distinct autonomous region with its own language (Catalan) alongside Castilian Spanish, and a political relationship with Madrid that occasionally surfaces in local signage and civic life. High-speed AVE trains connect Barcelona to Madrid in under three hours. Spanish daily rhythm runs later than most of Europe — lunch around 2-3pm, dinner rarely before 9pm, with many shops closing for an afternoon siesta break outside major tourist zones. April-June and September-October avoid both summer heat and winter chill; August is when many Spanish city-dwellers themselves leave for the coast, thinning out some non-touristic neighbourhoods.
Capital
Madrid
Currency
Euro (EUR, €)
Time zone
CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Calling code
+34
Best months
Apr – Jun, Sep – Oct
Visas and entry
Schengen Area member. EU/EEA/Swiss citizens need no visa. Many other nationalities (US, UK, Canada, Australia, Japan) can enter visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period under the Schengen short-stay rule; ETIAS pre-travel authorisation is expected to apply to visa-exempt visitors once phased in. Other nationalities require a Schengen visa.
Where to start in Spain
The place ranked first in each of our city guides.