Spain: Barcelona, Madrid and Andalusia — Where to Go and What to Try

Barcelona: Gaudí and the sea

Barcelona is Antoni Gaudí's city. The Sagrada Família, Park Güell, Casa Batlló and Casa Milà — you could spend hours gazing at each of them. In between lie the Gothic Quarter with its narrow lanes, La Rambla boulevard and La Boqueria market, and at the end of the day you can head down to the sea and the city beaches.

Madrid: museums and parks

Madrid is a capital with some of the finest art museums in the world: the Prado, the Reina Sofía with Picasso's “Guernica”, and the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum. After the museums, take a stroll through Retiro Park, stop by the Plaza Mayor and visit the Royal Palace. Madrid stays up late, so an evening here is an adventure in itself.

Andalusia: Seville, Granada and Córdoba

In the south of Spain lies Andalusia, the birthplace of flamenco. Seville has an enormous cathedral, the Alcázar palace and the Plaza de España. Granada has the Alhambra, a Moorish palace with gardens and fountains and one of the most beautiful ensembles in Europe. Córdoba has the Mezquita, a former mosque with a forest of columns and arches.

The coast and the islands

The Costa Brava in the northeast means rocky coves and fishing villages, while the Costa del Sol in the south offers long beaches and sunshine. Mallorca and Ibiza in the Balearic Islands suit both a quiet holiday and an active one, and the Canary Islands are warm almost all year round — on Tenerife you can go up to the Teide volcano.

What to try

Spanish cuisine is, above all, about tapas and fresh produce.

• Tapas — small bites ordered to share with friends.
• Paella — a rice dish that comes from Valencia.
• Jamón — cured ham carved into thin slices.
• Tortilla — a Spanish omelette with potatoes.
• Gazpacho — a cold tomato soup, especially good in summer.
• Churros with hot chocolate — a classic breakfast or dessert.

Good to know before you go

A few simple rules will help you feel at ease in Spain.

• Lunch and dinner come later than in many countries — restaurant kitchens don't open for dinner until the evening.
• In smaller towns, shops often close in the middle of the day for the siesta.
• In tourist areas, keep an eye on your bags and phones.
• Summers in the south are very hot: plan sightseeing for the morning and evening.
• Every region has its own traditions and festivals — check the local events calendar.

Staying connected

In Spain you need the internet from the very first minutes: to open a map, call a taxi, buy a train ticket, or show your hotel booking or museum ticket. You can install your eSIM at home over Wi-Fi, so after landing you won't have to hunt for a SIM card at the airport or stand in queues. When a plan's validity begins is shown on the checkout page before you pay: for some plans it starts at the first connection in the destination country, for others on installation or right after purchase. Your main number stays in your phone, and calls and messages to it keep arriving as usual, under your carrier's terms.