Best 10 Things to do in Spain
Dreaming of a relaxing beach holiday? Come to Spain! Love trying different foods and wines? Visit Spain. Enjoy looking at fine buildings, castles and works of art? Discover Spain. Love sports holidays - playing golf, skiing, hiking, surfing or watching football? You’ve guessed it, Spain delivers.
When deciding what to do in Spain, the difficulty is in knowing what to leave out. We’ve had a tough time finding the best 10 things to do in Spain because our wish list of where to go and what to do in Spain keeps getting longer and longer. Let us know your favourite things to do in Spain. Here are ours.
Planning a holiday to Spain? Check all our available villas in Spain now and have an unforgettable holiday time.
Best beach holiday destinations in Spain
With 320 days of sunshine a year and around 5,000 kilometres of coastline, it’s no wonder millions of people choose Spain for a beach holiday. The coast is very varied from tiny coves to huge expanses of sandy beaches. The most popular Costas in mainland Spain are:
- Costa del Sol. The Sunshine Coast in southern Spain is also known as the golf coast as it has more than 70 golf courses. The resorts to the west of Málaga have some of the most popular beach resorts in Spain including Torremolinos, Fuengirola, Benalmádena, Mijas, Marbella and Estepona.
- Costa Blanca. The Costa Blanca in eastern Spain is home to the ever-popular high-rise resort, Benidorm, renowned for its nightlife and British bars. Other popular Costa Blanca holiday destinations include Jávea, Moraira, Dénia, Torrevieja, Calpe and the Orihuela Costa.
- Costa Brava. Also known as the Wild Coast, in the north-east corner of Spain between Barcelona and the French border, this is a popular choice for families and art lovers. Salvador Dali fans come to the Costa Brava to stay at either Roses or Cadaques to visit three Dali museums in nearby Figueres, Portlligat and Púbol. Families and young couples enjoy the top Costa Brava resorts of Lloret de Mar and Tossa de Mar.
- Costa Dorada. Just south of Costa Brava is the Costa Dorada - Golden Coast - which is a firm favourite with families because of the great beaches and theme parks including PortAventure Park and Ferrari Land in Salou.
Enjoy sports in Spain
Sports lovers will find a whole host of things to do in Spain. Water sports are obviously huge attractions including sailing, surfing, kite-surfing and kayaking. All the major resorts will offer water sports but for windsurfing and surfing the best spots are Tarifa in Cadiz, Mar Menor in Murcia, Roses in Girona, Zarautz in the Basque Country, and Playa de Bil Bil in Benalmádena.
The temperate climate and 398 golf courses in Spain are major lures for golfers with Real Valderrama and Real Sotogrande on the Costa del Sol, El Saler in Valencia and PGA Catalunya in Catalonia being top championship courses.
Skiing in the Spanish Pyrenees and Sierra Nevada are huge draws too. Last but not least, a visit to cheer on one of Spain's top football teams such as Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Seville or Valencia should be top of all football fans' list of things to do in Spain.
Food tour of Spain
Every town has its own special dish and every region has its own star ingredients from rice in Valencia to anchovies in the Basque Country. We love trying food from the different regions of Spain and can highly recommend:
- Paella using Bomba rice from Valencia
- An Espeto de Sardinas (sardines barbecued on the beach) in Malaga
- Cabrales cheese from Asturias
- Manchego cheese from La Mancha
- Fabada Asturiana stew from Asturias
Wine tasting in Spain
The most famous wines in Spain come from La Rioja country but each region has its own specialities. We suggest you ask for a local wine in the restaurant but you might also like to try:
- Red wines from Ribera del Duero
- A crisp white Verdejo from Castillo y León
- Manzanilla Solear from Bodegas Barbadillo in Cadiz
- Pedro Ximénez wines from Jerez
- Wines from Jumilla in the region of Murcia
- Mistela Riu Rau wine from Bodegas Xaló in the Alicante region
- Txakoli white wine from the Basque Country
- Cava sparkling wine from Catalonia
- Sherry (Jerez) from Andalusia’s Cádiz province
Cultural tour of Spain
You’ll find that just about every town in Spain has its own castle, some more magnificent than others, as well as grand palaces and churches.
Top sights include:
- Alhambra Moorish palace and fortress in Granada
- Sagrada Familia cathedral in Barcelona
- Santiago de Compostela cathedral in Galicia
- Basilica of Nuestra Señora del Pilar in Zaragoza
- La Giralda tower in Seville
- Plaza de España in Seville
- Palacio Real palace in Madrid
- Prado national museum in Madrid
- Guadalest waterfalls, inland from Benidorm
- Mezquita Mosque-Cathedral in Cordoba
Watching flamenco in Andalucia
Seville is the birthplace of flamenco but you can see spectacular flamenco shows throughout Andalusia and the Costa del Sol. Top places to see the best flamenco in Andalucia are:
Walk the Camino de Santiago
The Way of St James is the oldest pilgrimage route in Europe and still attracts more than 300,000 pilgrims, hikers and walkers a year. Walking part of the route is a great way to get to know Green Spain, both by the coast and through the mountains, as well as trying the gastronomic delights such as pintxos - similar to tapas - in the Basque Country; as mentioned above the fabada Asturiana stew, and famous Asturian cider, and the exquisite seafood and shellfish from Galicia when you reach your destination at Santiago de Compostela cathedral.
Take the family to Spain’s theme parks
Family holidays take on an extra-special dimension when a day out at an amusement park is added to your list of things to do in Spain, like:
- Warner Park (Parque Warner) in Madrid where children can see their favourite characters such as Bugs Bunny and Spiderman. You can also try one of the highest rides in the world - La Venganza del Enigma.
- PortAventura in Salou is always a top choice. You can travel the world as the park has themed areas with adventures from the Mediterranean, China, Mexico, Far West, Polynesia and Sesame Street.
- Tibidabo Amusement Park in Barcelona is worth a visit to hop on the Ferris wheel to enjoy amazing views across the city and the sea.
- Aquamijas in Fuengirola is the Costa del Sol’s favourite water park with a world of slides, river runs, wave pools and lots more aquatic fun. Your kids won’t let you holiday on the Costa del Sol without a trip to Aquamijas!
- Isla Magica in Seville is a theme park and water park rolled into one. The theme is based on explorations from the Age of Discovery in the 16th century.
Marvel at the wondrous fiestas in Spain
There are fiestas going on somewhere in Spain throughout the year. You can book your holiday to coincide with a fiesta such as:
- Feria de Sevilla in Andalucia. As many as five million people go to the Seville Fair held two weeks after Easter week. There's a huge fairground and parades of carriages and horse riders. It's a great party with plenty of dancing, sherry drinking and tapas eating.
- Semana Santa in Andalucía. Andalucía has a well-deserved reputation for commemorating Holy Week. Most processions take place from Palm Sunday until Easter Saturday with elaborate floats, impressive statues and brass bands accompanying the penitents wearing robes and pointed hoods. Although Malaga and Seville are the best cities to head to, Semana Santa is a fabulous experience throughout Andalucía and the Costa del Sol.
- Nuestra Señora del Carmen in Andalucía. The fiesta is celebrated on July 16 in most coastal towns in honour of the sea and seafaring populations.
- Las Fallas in Valencia. Celebrated to coincide with St Joseph’s Day on March 19, the Valencians put up enormous statues in the streets which they burn on St Joseph’s Day. Be warned - it’s very noisy, very busy and the party goes on throughout the night.
- La Tomatina. Held in the Valencian town of Buñol, La Tomatina is basically a huge tomato fight held on the last Wednesday of August.
- Moors and Christians in Alcoy. A huge festival celebrated since the 16th century, the Moors and Christians commemorates a battle on 23 April 1276 when San Jorge appeared to help the Christian army to victory.
- Three Kings in all towns and cities. Celebrating the arrival of the Three Wise Men in Bethlehem after Jesus was born, most Spanish cities and villages hold colourful parades where the kings hand out sweets and presents.
Be amazed at Spain’s World Heritage Sights
We've already touched on the UNESCO World Heritage sites of the Alhambra, Santiago de Compostela and Gaudí's architecture in Barcelona, but Spain has an amazing 49 World Heritage Sites. Among them are:
- Seville Cathedral in Andalucia
- Cordoba's historic centre in Andalucia
- Palmeral in Elche in Valencia which is the largest palm grove in Europe
- Prehistoric rock art in Siega Verde, near the Portuguese border
- Doñana National Park in Andalusia
Come and book your holiday home with us so you can start exploring some of the fabulous things to do in Spain. Whether you’re looking for a beachfront holiday home or somewhere tucked away in the countryside, you’ll find the perfect base in one of our villas in Spain. Discover all our available villas in Spain including villas in Costa del Sol, villas in andalucia & more and have an unforgettable holiday in beautiful Spain.