25 Spain unique experiences

Many countries within the same country, perhaps that is how Spain can be defined. Within its borders, the variety of cultures, traditions, cities, towns, villages and nature, among other things, make it one of the most complete tourist destinations in the world. A country to experience and enjoy like no other.

Before discovering it on your own, I invite you to take a virtual journey through 25 experiences that define Spain very well. And to make the trip more complete, you can compare each place and experience with those of other countries in the world, as I will tell you below. Let's start the journey.

In terms of historical value, architecture and beauty, the Alhambra is one of the most important monuments in Spain. A monumental complex that includes palaces, gardens and fortresses, it is considered to be the best example of Andalusian architecture and has been declared a World Heritage Site.

The picture it forms with the Sierra Nevada in the background is one of the most famous Spanish postcards in the world. To give you an idea of its characteristics and importance, the Alhambra can be compared to the Taj Mahal in India. An obligatory stop for anyone who wants to visit Spain.

Just as Paris has Notre Dame, Barcelona has the Sagrada Familia. Another national icon, construction began in 1882 and is still under construction to this day. A fact that serves to give you an idea of the magnitude of the masterpiece of Catalan modernism and the famous architect Antoni Gaudí.

If you travel to Barcelona, you must visit the extravagant and varied shapes of its façades, be dazzled by its interior and climb one of its tall towers to contemplate the city. A unique building in Spain and the world.

Goya, Velázquez, Picasso... The list of Spanish painters who have gone down in history is very long. And to see their best works it is not necessary to travel all over the country. Fortunately, the greatest concentration of pictorial works is to be found in Madrid in what is known as the art triangle.

An extension of a few square kilometres where you can visit the Prado Museum, the Reina Sofía Museum and the Thyssen Museum. Can you imagine having the Louvre Museum next to the Moma? Well, that's what you can find in the Spanish capital. A real luxury.

Gastronomy is one of Spain's hallmarks. In any of its cities you can eat like nowhere else in the world. But it is in the city of San Sebastian where the best food is to be found, thanks to its famous pintxos culture. These are the typical tapas of the Basque Country and thanks to them you can enjoy a real feast with lots of variety and at a good price.

Taking a gastronomic tour to try the pintxos in the bars of San Sebastian is an experience comparable to browsing the food stalls of Tokyo or tasting the typical dishes of Tuscany in Italy. Very few cities in the world conquer through the stomach, as San Sebastian does.

We can think of Teide as the Mount Fuji of Spain. However, both peaks are the highest in their respective countries, both are dormant volcanoes, both have a similar height of around 3700 metres and the views on both are incredible. And just like Mount Japan, climbing to the top is one of the must-do experiences if you visit the country.

Teide is part of a national park that is also a World Heritage Site and its natural landscape is one of the most diverse in terms of flora and fauna in the world. But not only that, Teide is one of the best places for astronomical observation on the planet. Few places in Spain and the world are more complete and beautiful.

If you are a lover of architecture, a visit to Barcelona is like a pilgrimage. Beyond the Sagrada Familia, the city has many examples of unique architecture in the world. Casa Batlló, La Pedrera, the Palau de la Música, Park Güell... The list of architectural gems is almost endless.

Most of them are in the modernist style and bear the signature of one of Spain's most important architects, Antoni Gaudí. Taking an architectural tour of Barcelona is like admiring the works of Frank Lloyd Wright in Chicago. A treat for architecture enthusiasts.

Spain is also a country of traditions and folklore. And of these, flamenco dance is one of the most internationally recognised. It is a dance that exudes energy and emotion. In the culture of the country, it is as important as the Fados in Portugal.

Andalusia is the birthplace of flamenco and in cities like Seville you will find the best shows. You cannot experience Spain without having seen an authentic flamenco performance live in one of the typical tablaos.

There are buildings like the Sydney Opera House that are admired and known all over the world for their spectacular and unique architecture. And Spain has one of those buildings that belong to this exclusive group, the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. Frank Gehry was the architect who designed this iconic building which houses a contemporary art museum.

Strolling along the Bilbao estuary after eating some pintxos, discovering the shapes of the Guggenheim's façade and seeing the sculptures on display around it before entering the museum is one of the most recommendable experiences in Bilbao and the whole country.

There are many ways to travel around Spain, but there is one that is more special than the rest, combining hiking along routes of extraordinary beauty with emotion and spirituality. We are talking about the Way of Saint James. A pilgrimage to the city of Santiago and its cathedral, where the remains of the apostle St. James rest.

The Way of St. James is actually made up of different routes through northern Spain, and those who have done it say that it is a unique experience that leaves its mark on you as a person. You can walk it for the beauty of its surroundings or for its spiritual component. The Spanish version of the Inca trail to the Machu Picchu ruins in Peru.

Valencia is home to one of the most amazing combinations of culture and architecture, the City of Arts and Sciences. A complex of modern buildings designed by the famous Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, it houses a science museum, a screening room, a large theatre, Europe's largest oceanographic aquarium and much more.

Few places offer so much cultural variety and do so in such a unique space. We can therefore consider the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia as the Spanish Pompidou Centre. Although it has nothing to envy it.

Paris has Versailles, London has Buckingham Palace and Madrid has the Royal Palace. And it is the latter that stands out the most in terms of size. Almost twice the size of the other two, the Royal Palace of Madrid is the largest in Western Europe and one of the largest in the world. And in terms of historical and artistic heritage it is not far behind.

Located right in the centre of Madrid, the kings no longer reside there as in the past, but you can still visit and enjoy its magnitude and all the heritage that its rooms protect. A must on your list, without a doubt.

Seville is a city of cinema, literally. Its streets have been the backdrop for many famous films. Its beautiful Plaza de España, for example, has been the setting for legendary films such as Star Wars and Lawrence of Arabia. But beyond the cinematographic, strolling around the city and seeing monuments such as the Giralda or its cathedral is a real luxury.

From Seville itself you can go on some of the most memorable excursions. One of them is to the Roman city of Italica, whose ruins are considered the Spanish Pompeii. And they also have a history with the cinema, as several scenes from the legendary series Game of Thrones were filmed in these ruins.

Did you know that a Spanish city holds the record for having the most monuments declared World Heritage Sites? Well, it is Cordoba, with its historic centre, the Caliphate City of Medina Azahara, the Fiesta de los Patios Cordobeses and, of course, the Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba all included in this recognition.

There are not many letters of introduction better than this to get to know a city which, although smaller in terms of heritage, is on a par with cities such as Istanbul.

Nature and mountain plans are also one of the most recommended experiences in Spain. Spain is one of the highest countries in Europe and has many mountain ranges. Sierra Nevada in Andalusia is one of the most important. After the Alps, it is the highest mountain massif in Western Europe and is home to the Mulhacén peak , the highest on the Iberian Peninsula.

In Sierra Nevada you have a thousand routes to follow, ski resorts and an incredible biodiversity. A perfect place to enjoy nature in the heart of Andalusia and very easy to reach from the city of Granada.

Wine is one of Spain's great gastronomic treasures and the national wineries are acclaimed all over the world. It is in La Rioja where more and better quality wine is produced and, therefore, where you can visit the most prestigious wineries.

If you want to get to know Spain through its gastronomy, making stops at the wineries of La Rioja for a tasting is a must.

Spain has hundreds of kilometres of beaches, some of which are considered among the best in the world. Of all of them, the most spectacular and unique are perhaps those of Ibiza. An island known the world over for its atmosphere and beaches, its coasts are also home to hidden coves of dreams.

To give you an idea, for the atmosphere and beauty of its beaches, it can be compared to places like Mykonos or Bali. There is so much to see in Ibiza, what are you waiting for?

There are cities that bring history to life when you walk through their streets, and Toledo in Spain is one of them. Over the centuries, Toledo has been inhabited by several different cultures. From the Romans to the Muslims, Jews and Christians. This great historical variety is reflected in its buildings and artistic heritage.

Its rich architecture is reminiscent of the medieval city of Fez in Morocco. If you are a lover of history, art and culture, few destinations are more complete than beautiful Toledo.

Spain's national sport par excellence is football. Madrid and Barça are two of the most prestigious clubs in the world of football, along with other great teams and some of the best stadiums in the world, all of which puts Spanish football at the top of the game. All this puts Spanish football at the top of the game.

So if your passion is football, few destinations compare to Spain. Visiting any of its stadiums and attending a La Liga match is the best way to indulge your passion.

One of the best summer destinations you can find in Spain is the Costa del Sol. Hundreds of kilometres of beaches that stretch along the southwest of Spain and offer visitors a wide range of tourist options. Sun, gastronomy, good beaches, charming towns and cities... An experience similar to visiting the Amalfi Coast in Italy

The city of Malaga is known as the capital of the Costa del Sol and is the perfect place to stay and from there start touring the Costa del Sol. There are few better plans if you want to enjoy a summer on the beach.

Popular fiestas are a fundamental part of Spain's culture. There are many in different regions that are worthy of highlighting in this list, but for their particular character and international prestige, the San Fermin festival in Pamplona has a special place.

A festival in honour of San Fermín de Amiens that takes place every year from July 6th to July 15th and consists, among other things, of the running of the bulls in which the participants run in front of 6 bulls over a course of about 850 metres. A festival so unique and representative of Spanish culture that it is unlike any other in the world.

Pablo Picasso is one of the most important figures in the history of art and one of the most recognised Spaniards in the world. The founder of Cubism was born in the city of Malaga and it is here that you will find one of the two art galleries where the painter's works are exhibited in Spain. The well-known Picasso Museum in Malaga

The museum's collection, with some 285 works, includes many of the artist's works, donated by his descendants, which give a complete overview of Picasso's life and work. More than 750,000 people visit the museum every year. Together with the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, it is one of the most important museums dedicated to a single artist in the world.

Can you imagine sailing around the Seychelles Islands without leaving the Spanish coast? Well, it's possible in Galicia. More specifically, in the Vigo estuary, where the Cíes Islands are located. An archipelago made up of three islands, whose beaches and unspoilt nature make it a national park and one of the most important and beautiful natural areas in Spain.

It is possible to sail its waters and visit them, but always under the protection and care required by such a valuable space with so much flora, fauna and underwater life to look after. A Spanish Seychelles that you must visit if you are a nature lover.

To sum up, the Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park is considered to be the Spanish Yellowstone. This is due to the similarity of some of its mountains and the park's biodiversity. A natural paradise for mountain lovers.

Located in the north of Spain, in the province of Huesca and in the heart of the Pyrenees, add it to your list of must-see places if mountains and nature are your passion.

Through Spain's heritage you can take a journey through almost the entire history of mankind. And what better way to start than with prehistory in the cave of Altamira. Located in the region of Cantabria, the cave is home to one of the best-preserved examples of cave paintings and engravings in the world.

The cave was declared a World Heritage Site and is currently not open to visitors in order to preserve its value. But that is not a problem, as a museum has been built next to the original cave and a faithful replica of the cave has been made so that no one can miss out on the marvellous prehistoric art.

Continuing along the long list of World Heritage Sites in Spain, we come to Ávila. A city whose symbol and icon is the wall that surrounds its historic quarter. The city walls of Ávila, along with the old quarter and several churches, form part of what UNESCO has recognised as a World Heritage Site.

This is because the complex is one of the best preserved of its kind, and visiting it is almost like travelling back to the Middle Ages. What's more, Ávila is a city located very close to Madrid, so if you visit the capital, it's always a good idea to visit it.