#11 best destination in the world
Palma Cathedral
- Gothic Roman Catholic cathedral located in Palma
- Constructed from 1229-1601
Platja d’Illetes
- #14 of the top 25 beaches in the world
- White-sand beach on a narrow strip of land with views of the sunset and fancy boats docked nearby
Alhambra
- Palace and fortress complex constructed as a small fortress in 889 AD
- Built over the remains of Roman fortifications
- The site of the Royal Court of Ferdinand and Isabella, who Christopher Columbus received royal endorsement for his expedition
- Islamic architecture combined with 16th century Christian building and gardens
- UNESCO World Heritage Site
Dolmen de Viera
- Dolmen, a type of single-chamber megalithic tomb
- Built around 2000 BC
- One of the oldest buildings in the world
Dolmen of Menga
- One of the oldest buildings in the world
- Megalithic burial mound called a tumulus, a long barrow form of dolmen, dating from the 3750-3650 BC
- One of the largest known ancient megalithic structures in Europe
Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba
- Catholic cathedral dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary
- #5 of the top 25 landmarks in the world
- Regarded as one of the most accomplished monuments of Moorish architecture
- Originally a small Visigoth church, in 784, the construction of the Great Mosque began under Abd al-Rahman I
- The city returned to Christian rule in 1236 during the Reconquista, and the building was converted into a Roman Catholic church
- Since the 2000s, Spanish Muslims have lobbied the Roman Catholic Church to allow them to pray in the cathedral, though this has been rejected by church authorities
Ronda
- Village in the Spanish province of Málaga, it now is one of the towns and villages that is included in the Sierra de las Nieves National Park
- Around the city are remains of prehistoric settlements dating to the Neolithic Age, including the rock paintings of Cueva de la Pileta
- Ronda was, however, first settled by the early Celts, who called it Arunda in the sixth century BC
Teide
- Active volcano in the Canary Islands, with a height of 12,198 ft
- Most recently erupted in 1909
- UNESCO World Heritage Site
Museo del Prado
- Art museum largely considered to have one of the world’s finest collections of European art
- #5 of the top 25 museums in the world
- Art dates back to the 12th century to the 20th century
- Collection comprises drawings, paintings, prints, and sculptures
Aqueduct of Segovia
- One of the best-preserved elevated Roman aqueducts and the foremost symbol of Segovia
- Completed in approximately 112 AD
- UNESCO World Heritage Site
Burgos Cathedral
- Catholic church dedicated to the Virgin Mary in the city of Burgos
- Construction began in 1221, in French Gothic patterns
- Now considered to be Gothic, although it is influenced by Renaissance and Baroque elements
- UNESCO World Heritage Site
Tower of Hercules
- Ancient Roman lighthouse built in the 2nd century
- Oldest Roman lighthouse still in use
- UNESCO World Heritage Site
Beach of La Concha
- #15 of the top 25 beaches in the world
Parc del Laberint d’Horta
- Historical garden and park that comprises an 18th-century neoclassical garden and a 19th-century romantic garden
- On the lower terrace is the hedge maze that gives the park its name
Sagrada Família
- Large unfinished Roman Catholic minor basilica in Barcelona, which began construction in 1882 and is estimated not to be completed until 2026
- Antoni Gaudí, who took over as chief architect, transformed the project with his architectural and engineering style, combining Gothic and curvilinear Art Nouveau forms
- Relying solely on private donations, the Sagrada Família’s construction progressed slowly and was interrupted by the Spanish Civil War
- In 1936, revolutionaries set fire to the crypt and broke their way into the workshop, partially destroying Gaudí’s original plans, drawings and plaster models, which led to 16 years work to piece together the fragments of the master model
- Some of the project’s greatest challenges remain, including the construction of ten more spires, each symbolizing an important Biblical figure in the New Testament
Casa Batlló
- Building designed, in 1904, by Antoni Gaudí, and is considered one of his masterpieces
- Identifiable as Modernisme or Art Nouveau
- The roof is arched and was likened to the back of a dragon or dinosaur
Plaza de España, Seville
- Plaza in a park, built in 1928
- #2 of the top 25 landmarks in the world
- Great example of Regionalism Architecture, mixing elements of Renaissance Revival and Moorish Revival styles
Mercury Fountain
- Fountain constructed for use with mercury rather than water
- Mercury fountains existed in some castles in Islamic Spain, the most famous one was located at the Kasr-al-Kholaifa in Córdoba
Naveta d’Es Tudons
- A naveta is a form of megalithic chamber tomb unique to the Balearic island of Menorca
- The site was founded in 2000 BC and abandoned in 750 BC
- One of the oldest buildings in the world
Costs
Number of Days: 31 days
Best Time To Fly: April-June, Sept-Oct
Airline tickets: $1,301
Seattle -> Valencia (one way) = $385
Valencia -> Palma (one way) = $31
Palma -> Ibiza (one way) = $95
Ibiza -> Málaga (one way) = $77
Málaga -> Tenerife (one way) = $36
Tenerife -> Madrid (one way) = $28
Barcelona -> Minorca (round trip) = $60
Barcelona -> Seattle (one way) = $589
Food: $35/day x 31 days = $1,085
Rental car: $52/day x 14 days = $728
Gas: $235
Entertainment: $194
Airbnb: $132/day x 30 days = $3,960
TOTAL: $7,503
