As of: February 27, 2024, 9:00 a.m
By: Franziska Kaindl
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Mallorca and Tenerife appeal to many holidaymakers in Spain.
But the mainland regions – including Andalusia, Galicia and Castile – have just as much to offer.
1 / 10Barcelona is one of the classics of city trips in Spain and rightly so: historic buildings combine with modern buildings to form an extraordinary cityscape with a lot to discover: The Sagrada Família, designed by the well-known Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí is just one of many fascinating sights.
This also includes three other works by the architect, namely Park Güell, Casa Batlló and Casa Milà in the Modernist style.
© Pond5 Images/Imago
2 / 10In the south of Navarre there is a landscape that is unique to Spain: the Bardenas Reales, a desert-like lunar landscape that is the result of erosion.
With its bizarre rock formations, it has become a popular location for film and television productions, including the James Bond film “The World Is Not Enough”.
The natural park is divided into the Bardena Blanca, which is characterized by its white landscape with steppe vegetation, and the Bardena Negro, which has Aleppo pine forests.
© Pond5Images/Imago
3 / 10The monastery island of San Juan de Gaztelugatxe was considered an insider tip for a long time, but those days are over: after the tranquil island off the rocky coast of the Costa Vasca in the Basque Country became the filming location for the HBO series “Game of Thrones”, it can be imagined Hardly any tourists can be saved.
The view of the narrow path that connects the mainland with the island in tight curves is particularly impressive.
However, if you want to escape the hustle and bustle, you can take a closer look at the surrounding landscape: the Urdaibai inlet has been declared a biosphere reserve by UNESCO due to its diverse ecosystems.
© Konrad Zelazowski/Imago
4 / 10The capital of the Spanish region of Andalusia is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe: Seville looks back on thousands of years of history in which the Phoenicians, Romans and Arabs played a major role.
This can also be seen in many special buildings, especially the Alcázar: The medieval royal palace is an impressive example of Mudejar architecture, an architectural style in which Christian and Islamic craftsmanship came together.
Also worth seeing is the Plaza de España, which is intended to be reminiscent of the Spanish provinces with its benches and mosaic tiles, which are typical of Andalusia.
Just enjoy a walk through the city and the magnificent buildings, picturesque streets and the Andalusian lifestyle will reveal themselves.
© robertharding/Imago
5 / 10The Playa de Las Catedrales in Galicia is not particularly suitable for swimming, but vacationers are drawn here primarily because of something else: the spectacular rock formations that are reminiscent of the vault of a church, and hence the name “Beach of the Cathedrals” have introduced.
At high tide the cliffs are surrounded by water, but at low tide visitors can walk through the columns and arches and see the unique natural spectacle up close.
© Pond5 Images/Imago
6 / 10The port city of San Sebastián in northern Spain is the perfect place for holidaymakers who appreciate good cuisine and a luxurious flair.
The Basque metropolis is known for a high density of star restaurants and is also the location of an international film festival.
The old town is home to numerous boutiques and pinxto bars serving Basque finger food.
If you just want to relax, you can do so in La Conca Bay with its golden sandy beach right next to the city center.
© Javier Larrea/Imago
7 / 10The southern Spanish city of Granada is probably well known to tourists because of the Alhambra.
The impressive palace sits atop Sabikah Hill and is a unique example of Moorish architectural culture in Europe.
Together with the Generalife, a Moorish garden, and the historic Albaicín district, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The latter is located opposite the Alhambra and was once the city's Arab quarter.
Tourists can stroll through a labyrinth of white houses, narrow streets and small squares and immerse themselves in times gone by.
© Pond5 Images/Imago
8 / 10An extraordinary cultural landscape awaits active vacationers in the province of León: The red clay gorges in Las Médulas are the result of a gold mine that was built by the Romans centuries ago.
Tourists can get the best view of the chestnut-covered hills from the Orellán viewpoint, about eight kilometers away.
© Panthermedia/Imago
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9 / 10Nature-loving holidaymakers in Spain will not only find picturesque beaches, but also varied landscapes full of lakes, waterfalls, moors and forests - such as the Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park in the High Pyrenees in the province of Lleida.
One of the places worth seeing is Lake Sant Maurici, which is located at the foot of the twin peaks of Encantats.
Hikers can look forward to impressive vegetation - due to the large differences in altitude, a large number of different plant species can be found in a small area.
© David Micha Sheldon/Imago
10 / 10The Caminito del Rey, about 60 kilometers from Málaga, was once considered one of the most dangerous hiking trails in Europe.
After being closed for many years and extensively renovated, it has been open to the public again since 2015 - and can now also be walked through safely by tourists who are not extreme athletes.
And the hike is definitely worth it: the almost eight-kilometer-long route leads through a gorge whose rock walls are up to 700 meters deep.
The path is attached to the steep walls at a height of 100 meters and leads at the end over a 15 meter long suspension bridge to the other side of the gorge - the view is spectacular.
© Pond5 Images/Imago
Anyone traveling to Spain often ends up in the Balearic Islands or Canary Islands - but what about the mainland?
Given the enthusiasm for island vacations, this can sometimes fall by the wayside.
This also has many beautiful corners to offer, from rough landscapes to cities steeped in history.