This Isabelline monument was built in the 15C by Alonso de Burgos, Confessor to Queen Isabella. The portal , attributed to Gil de Siloé et Simon de Cologne, is a masterpiece of Spanish art (exuberant decoration and fine heraldic carving). The chapel..

This ecclesiastical museum’s collection is of considerable historical and artistic significance. Among its treasures are the reliquary of St Isidore (11C), a wood casket covered in hammered gold and silverwork; the Doña Urraca chalice composed of..

Toledo’s situation is unique, and can be appreciated all the more from the Cigarrales , extensive olive groves on the south bank of the River Tagus (accessed by the Carretera de Circunvalación as far as Puente de San Martín), where there are several..

Extending along the west part of the island between Palma and Alcúdia, this is one of the wonders of Majorca . Popular with cyclists, the mountains fall away sharply into the blue and turquoise waters of the sea. Its stark relief is softened by abun..

This botanical garden was established in the 18C by order of Charles III. The small 2ha enclosure houses an extraordinary profusion of all sorts of species of trees and flowers. While some of the species are native to the Canary Islands, others origi..

Founded in 1218, the university has over the centuries gained international prestige. It boasts a magnificent Plateresque-style façade with a majestic portal dating from 1534. Its buildings are laid out in a square around a patio. Make sure you see t..

The cathedral dates almost entirely from a period running from the 11C to the start of the 13C, although the so-called Façade do Obradoiro is a finely sculpted Baroque masterpiece. In the narthex is the Pórtico da Gloria , with its exceptionally b..

Since 1918, the Valley of Ordesa has been a 2 066ha national park. Since 1982, the park has encompassed the whole Massif of Monte Perdido and the valleys of Ordesa, Añisclo, Escuain and La Pineta, in all 15 608ha. The limestone reliefs are striking..

The square, named after the cathedral façade which is known as the "work of gold", is the historical heart of Santiago. Its four sides are lined by impressive buildings erected over 700 years in various styles: Baroque, the façade of the c..

The road winding north of La Palma is lined with laurel bushes and pine trees and climbs up to one of the world's most important astrophysical observatories (2 423m). Here you are just a few metres from the summit and an impressive vista of the w..

At an altitude of 3 718m, this impressive volcano is the highest peak in the whole of Spain. On getting out of the cable car (3 555m), there still remains a good 30min walk up the slope, when the path is open (the volcanic slag is unstable, as is the..

The winding MA10 corniche road runs along cliffs that extend all the way along the northwest coast of Mallorca. It boasts superb views and is shaded by pine trees along almost its entire length from Andratx to Sóller. Stop at the Mirador Ricardo R..

This national park lies around the Las Cañadas corrie , a spectacular collapsed volcanic cone rising to a height of 2 000m and dominated by El Teide (3 718m) to the north. A crest of lava rocks laid bare by erosion and known as Los Roques stands..

Timanfaya National Park encompasses a massif that was formed by the volcanic eruptions of 1730-1736. The colour of the landscape varies from red to black. In the centre are the Mountains of Fire (Montañas de Fuego), whose depths remain active, just..

The Cumbrecita Pass (1 833m) and especially the Lomo de las Chozas 1km away afford incredible panoramic views over the Caldera de Taburiente, a designated national park. The area is dotted with thickly covered Canary Island pines and up above loom to..

A listed "national artistic garden" is a delightful retreat in the palm grove. The "priest’s garden" takes its name from José Castaño Sánchez (1843-1918), a chaplain who inherited the garden and then devoted his life to it. In an ..

Housed in a fine building designed by Josep Lluís Sert (1902-83), the Joan Miró Foundation contains over 10 000 works by the artist, who is one of the great names of the 20C avant-garde movement in Europe. The remarkable Barcelona Series, comprising ..

The Roman and Visigothic town was discovered beneath the Clariana-Padellàs house and the Plaça del Rei. An extraordinary underground walk leads to the Palau Reial Major and the 14C Capella de Santa Águeda , housing the magnificent altarpiece of t..

Occupying a modern building dating from 2002, this museum is over a hundred years old. It houses one of the largest and most impressive collections of Romanesque and Gothic art in Catalonia, as well as sections dedicated to archaeology and arts and c..

The ruins of the imposing 10C monastery stand in a beautiful setting that dominates the sea, the Cabo de Creus headland and El Port de la Selva. The truly outstanding church shows a marked pre-Romanesque influence. It has splendid capitals and its 12..