There’s something delightfully old-school about traveling by cable. While everyone else is driving switchbacks or huffing up trails, you’re gliding through the air like you’ve figured out some kind of cheat code. Spain has embraced this form of elevated transport with characteristic enthusiasm, building funiculars and cable cars that haul passengers up volcano summits, through…
There are roads designed to get you somewhere efficiently. And then there are roads that seem almost hostile to the concept of straight lines. Spain has an exceptional collection of the latter—serpentine strips of asphalt that wind through mountains, cling to cliffsides, and double back on themselves in ways that would give a GPS system…
Spain produces half the world’s olive oil, and the province of Jaén alone has 67 million olive trees for just 600,000 people. Oleotourism is booming because nothing converts skeptics faster than tasting liquid gold straight from the source. 1. Oleícola San Francisco, Begíjar This family-run mill in Jaén province pioneered olive oil tourism in Spain…
Some Madrid taverns have been pouring wine since before the United States existed. These century-old establishments serve history alongside their tapas, and the ghosts of writers, revolutionaries, and bullfighters still linger at the bar. 1. Sobrino de Botín, Madrid (1725) The Guinness Book of World Records confirms this as the world’s oldest continuously operating restaurant,…
Spain has more vineyard acreage than any country on Earth, and the best part is that bodegas actually want you to show up. These regions roll out the welcome mat with tastings, tours, and enough wine education to make you dangerous at dinner parties. 1. La Rioja Spain’s most famous wine region has the highest…
Some restaurants earn your money with the view before a single bite reaches your mouth. These Spanish dining rooms occupy caves, cliffs, castles, and converted convents where the setting does half the work. 1. Bodega de los Secretos, Madrid Madrid’s oldest winery hides beneath street level in 17th-century caves originally built by monks to age…
Romans settled Spain’s thermal areas 2,000 years ago because they knew a good soak when they found one. These healing waters range from free riverside pools to luxurious spa resorts—and the heat stays perfect year-round. 1. Ourense Thermal Route, Galicia This Galician city nicknamed “The City of Water” has seven thermal areas along a 4-kilometer…
Spanish sunsets hit different when you’re watching from a cliff, a cathedral, or a volcanic beach. These viewpoints turn the daily disappearing act into something approaching a religious experience. 1. Cala d’Hort, Ibiza The silhouette of Es Vedrà rising from the Mediterranean creates what might be the most photographed sunset in Spain. This mysterious 400-meter…
Semana Santa transforms Spanish cities into open-air theaters of devotion that have played out the same way for centuries. Whether you’re religious or not, the spectacle of candlelit processions, towering floats, and haunting saetas will raise every hair on your arms. 1. La Madrugá, Seville The early hours between Maundy Thursday and Good Friday bring…
Real flamenco happens in small rooms where the performers outnumber the tables and the emotion can make strangers cry. These venues prioritize duende—that untranslatable spirit of raw passion—over dinner packages and photo opportunities. 1. Peña La Platería, Granada Founded in 1949, this is one of the oldest flamenco clubs in the world—and legends like Federico…