Spain - Highlights
Madrid vies with rival Barcelona for dominance in the arts. Granada's Alhambra sits in stately majesty while the Guggenheim Bilbao shouts for attention in silver-clad finery.
Examine the masterpieces in Madrid's Golden Triangle, the Prado, Reina Sofía and Thyssen-Bornemisza museums and immerse yourself in Barcelona's Picasso Museum and Miró Foundation. Go out of your way for the shiny Guggenheim in Bilbao, the surreal Dalí Theatre-Museum in Figueres and Santa Cruz Museum in Toledo.
From Santiago de Compostela and Toledo, the cathedrals speak of baroque and Gothic grandeur. Arabic splendour shines through Seville, Córdoba and Granada's porticoed Alhambra, a reminder of the Moors' last stand. The Escorial Royal Monastery is a resting place for kings and queens, and in Barcelona Gaudí's Sagrada Familia wonkily reaches skyward.
Ride rollercoasters in Port Aventura, explore underwater worlds in Barcelona Aquarium and tame wild animals at Madrid Zoo. You don't need an umbrella for the virtual rainstorm at Galixia Dixital, but you will need a swimsuit to bathe in the warm waters of Mallorca and Marbella.
Andalusia is brimming with summer fiestas and saints' days, when whole villages process and dance through the night. Join the party and immerse yourself in the culture.
Amble through the Alhambra's Generalife gardens to the dulcet sounds of Falla's Noches en los Jardínes de España (Nights in the Gardens of Spain). Listen to Paco de Lucía's vibrant Entre Dos Aguas (Between Two Waters) in Seville's Triana Gypsy quarter and climb the Picos de Europa to Alejandro Sanz's Mi Soledad y Yo (My Solitude and I).
