Shannon O'Brien Travel Itineraries

The best destinations

Photo of Spain
Photo of Spain

The Best of Spain

#4 best destination in the world

Map view

Palau de la Música Catalana, Barcelona

Photo of Barcelona

Best time to visit: May-June

Cost: $

  • Concert hall in Barcelona, Catalonia, designed in the Catalan modernista style, built between 1905 and 1908 for Orfeó Català, a choral society founded in 1891 that was a leading force in the Catalan cultural movement that came to be known as the Renaixença (Catalan Rebirth)
  • Today, more than half a million people a year attend musical performances in the Palau that range from symphonic and chamber music to jazz and Cançó (Catalan song)

Sagrada Família

Photo of Sagrada Família

Best time to visit: May-June

Cost: $

  • Unfinished church in the Eixample district of Barcelona, Catalonia
  • It is the largest unfinished Catholic church in the world
  • Designed by architect Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926), his work on Sagrada Família is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site
  • 2010, Pope Benedict XVI consecrated the church and proclaimed it a minor basilica

Parque del Buen Retiro, Madrid

Photo of Madrid

Best time to visit: March-May, Sept-Nov

Cost: $

  • One of the largest parks of the city of Madrid
  • The park belonged to the Spanish Monarchy until the late 19th century, when it became a public park

Sant Jeroni Summit Loop, Parc Natural de la Muntanya de Montserrat

Photo of Parc Natural de la Muntanya de Montserrat

Walk difficulty: Moderate

Best time to visit: May-June

Cost: $

  • Toothlike clusters of towering rock in a mountain landscape with oaks, high plains and birds of prey

PortAventura World

Photo of PortAventura World

Best time to visit: June-Aug

Cost: $

  • Entertainment resort in Salou and Vila-seca, Tarragona, built around the PortAventura Park theme park
  • It is the most visited theme park in Spain and the sixth most visited theme park in Europe
  • The resort includes a second theme park, Ferrari Land, since 2017 and also includes PortAventura Caribe Aquatic Park, six hotels, a convention centre and an RV park

Museo del Prado

Photo of Museo del Prado

Best time to visit: March-May, Sept-Nov

Cost: $

  • Main Spanish national art museum, located in central Madrid
  • It is widely considered to house one of the world's finest collections of European art, dating from the 12th century to the early 20th century, based on the former Spanish royal collection, and the single best collection of Spanish art
  • The Prado Museum is one of the most visited sites in the world and is considered one of the greatest art museums in the world

Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia

Photo of Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia

Best time to visit: March-May, Sept-Nov

Cost: $

  • Spain's national museum of 20th-century art, officially inaugurated in 1992, and is located in Madrid
  • The museum is mainly dedicated to Spanish art, highlights of the museum include excellent collections of Spain's two greatest 20th-century masters, Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dalí

Beach of La Concha, San Sebastian

Photo of San Sebastian

Best time to visit: May-July

Cost: $

  • Crescent shaped urban seaboard of the city of San Sebastián located at the Bay of La Concha in the Basque Country
  • Its name “Concha” is given upon its remarkably regular shape
  • The scenic setting in the Bay of La Concha and the 19th century elegance of fashionable seaside resorts have made the site very popular, as it is frequently cited as one of the most beautiful and the most famous urban beaches in Europe

Beach of the Cathedrals

Photo of Beach of the Cathedrals

Best time to visit: May-June

Cost: $

  • Natural monument whose name is derived from its cliff formations
  • During low tide the size of its cliffs and sea caves is more apparent, ranging from small cracks on the rock to big caves whose roofs have collapsed due to the erosion of the waves

Guggenheim Museum Bilbao

Photo of Guggenheim Museum Bilbao

Best time to visit: May-July

Cost: $

  • Museum of modern and contemporary art located in Bilbao, Basque Country, opened in 1997 by King Juan Carlos I of Spain, with an exhibition of 250 contemporary works of art
  • The museum features permanent and visiting exhibits of works by Spanish and international artists, and is one of the largest museums in Spain

El Golfo - Playa del Paso, Timanfaya National Park

Photo of Timanfaya National Park

Walk difficulty: Moderate

Best time to visit: March-May, Sept-Nov

Cost: $

  • Spanish national park on the island of Lanzarote, in the Canary Islands, and the parkland is entirely made up of volcanic soil
  • Timanfaya National Park represents a sign of recent and historical volcanism in the Macaronesian Region
  • The last volcanic eruptions occurred during the 18th century as well as on the 19th century

Las Pinturas Rupestres de Albarracín, Albarracin

Photo of Albarracin

Walk difficulty: Moderate

Best time to visit: March-May, Sept-Nov

Cost: $

  • Albarracín is a Spanish town surrounded by stony hills
  • The town was declared a Monumento Nacional in 1961
  • The many red sandstone boulders and cliffs surrounding Albarracín make it a popular rock climbing location

Alhambra

Photo of Alhambra

Best time to visit: May-June, Sept-Oct

Cost: $

  • Palace and fortress complex located in Granada, it is one of the most famous monuments of Islamic architecture and one of the best-preserved palaces of the historic Islamic world, in addition to containing notable examples of Spanish Renaissance architecture

Grand Palladium Palace Ibiza Resort and Spa

Photo of Grand Palladium Palace Ibiza Resort and Spa

Best time to visit: May-Oct

Cost: $$$

  • Upscale all-inclusive resort on Platja d'en Bossa beach along the Mediterranean Sea, near bars and eateries in Ibiza Town

Cala Comte, Ibiza

Photo of Ibiza

Best time to visit: May-Oct

Cost: $

  • Small sandy beach with several small coves nearby
  • From the beach there are views of the small islands of S’Espartar Illa des Bosc and Sa Conillera

Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba

Photo of Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba

Best time to visit: March-May

Cost: $

  • Cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Córdoba dedicated to the Assumption of Mary and located in the Spanish region of Andalusia
  • Due to its status as a former mosque, it is also known as the Mezquita and as the Great Mosque of Córdoba

Circular Casa de Campo

Photo of Casa de Campo

Best time to visit: March-May, Sept-Nov

Cost: $

  • Largest public park in Madrid, it gets its name 'Country House' because it was once a royal hunting estate, located just west of the Royal Palace of Madrid
  • It was created in the early 16th century for use by the royal family and nobility, and was opened to the public in 1931 when it became a public park
  • Today, it is a popular green space and weekend destination for Madrid residents

Plaza de España, Seville

Photo of Seville

Best time to visit: March-May

Cost: $

  • Plaza in the Parque de María Luisa, in Seville, built in 1928 for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929
  • It is a landmark example of Regionalism Architecture, mixing elements of the Baroque Revival, Renaissance Revival and Moorish Revival (Neo-Mudéjar) styles of Spanish architecture

Seville Cathedral

Photo of Seville Cathedral

Best time to visit: March-May

Cost: $

  • Roman Catholic cathedral in Seville, and one of the largest churches in the world as well as the largest Gothic church
  • Christopher Columbus and his son Diego are buried in the cathedral

Chinyero Volcano Loop, Teide National Park

Photo of Teide National Park

Walk difficulty: Easy

Best time to visit: March-May, Sept-Nov

Cost: $

  • Teide National Park is located in Tenerife, Canary Islands, and is centered on Mount Teide, the highest mountain of Spain
  • In addition, the highest volcano in the Atlantic Ocean islands and the third highest volcano in the world from its base in the ocean floor

Park Güell

Photo of Park Güell

Best time to visit: May-June

Cost: $

  • The park was built from 1900 to 1914 and was officially opened as a public park in 1926

Casa Batlló

Photo of Casa Batlló

Best time to visit: May-June

Cost: $

  • Building in the center of Barcelona, designed by Antoni Gaudí, and is considered one of his masterpieces
  • A remodel of a previously built house, it was redesigned in 1904 by Gaudí and has been refurbished several times after that
  • The local name for the building is Casa dels ossos (House of Bones), as it has a visceral, skeletal organic quality

Casa Milà

Photo of Casa Milà

Best time to visit: May-June

Cost: $

  • Popularly known as La Pedrera, "the stone quarry", in reference to its unconventional rough-hewn appearance, is a Modernista building in Barcelona, Catalonia
  • It was the last private residence designed by architect Antoni Gaudí and was built between 1906 and 1912
  • At the time, it was controversial because of its undulating stone facade, and twisting wrought iron balconies

Alcázar of Seville

Photo of Alcázar of Seville

Best time to visit: March-May

Cost: $

  • Royal palace in Seville, built for the Christian king Peter of Castile
  • It was built by Castilian Christians on the site of an Abbadid Muslim alcazar, or residential fortress
  • The fortress was destroyed after the Christian conquest of Seville in 1248

Plaza Mayor, Madrid

Photo of Madrid

Best time to visit: March-May, Sept-Nov

Cost: $

  • Major public space in the heart of Madrid, once the centre of Old Madrid, first built (1580–1619) during the reign of Philip III
  • Originally called the "Plaza del Arrabal," it was used as the main market of the town