The Spinny Index: Spain
Spinny's verdict: unscientific, but built on a lot of travel. 5 wheels = maximum.
The Balearic Islands: four islands, four very different moods
Off the east coast, the Balearics are where Spain goes swimming. Each island has its own character, so choose carefully.
Mallorca is the big one. Beyond the beach resorts, the Serra de Tramuntana mountains are a UNESCO-listed landscape of stone terraces, olive groves and cliff-top villages.
Menorca is calmer, with pine-backed coves, and the whole island is a UNESCO biosphere reserve. The Camí de Cavalls path runs all the way around its coast.
Ibiza is famous for its clubs, but its walled old town, Dalt Vila, is UNESCO-listed too. Next door, tiny Formentera has water so clear it looks unreal, thanks to the seagrass meadows offshore.
Best for: beaches, island hopping, coastal hikes · Spinny tip: June and September give you warm water with fewer people than July and August.
Spaniards are obsessed with…
Andalusia: Moorish palaces, flamenco and whitewashed villages
The south is the Spain of postcards, shaped by centuries of Moorish rule.
In Granada, the Alhambra is a palace city of carved ceilings, tiled walls and water gardens. In Córdoba, the Mezquita is a vast mosque with a cathedral built right in the middle of it.
Seville has the Real Alcázar palace and evening flamenco, an art form on UNESCO's intangible heritage list.
Between the cities, white villages cling to the hills. In Ronda, a stone bridge spans a deep gorge right in the middle of town.
Best for: history, road trips, romance · Spinny tip: Book the Alhambra well ahead. Tickets for the Nasrid Palaces come with a fixed entry time and often sell out.
Spinny's food dare
Four words that open doors
| Hello | Hola | O-la |
| Thank you | Gracias | GRA-thjas |
| Cheers! | ¡Salud! | sa-LUD |
| Goodbye | Adiós | a-DJOS |
Capitals = stressed syllable. ə = a short, neutral vowel.
Barcelona: Gaudí's unfinished basilica and a beach in the city
Barcelona is proudly Catalan. You'll see Catalan on street signs and menus, and hear it all around you.
The Sagrada Família has been under construction since 1882. Gaudí is all over town, from the mosaic terraces of Park Güell to the wavy facade of Casa Batlló on Passeig de Gràcia.
Get lost in the medieval lanes of the Gothic Quarter, graze your way through La Boqueria market, then cool off on Barceloneta beach.
Best for: city breaks, architecture, food · Spinny tip: Buy Sagrada Família tickets online in advance and pick a time slot, so you skip the ticket queue.
Spain in 60 seconds
- 711 Muslim armies cross from North Africa, beginning centuries of Muslim rule in parts of Iberia.
- 1492 Granada falls to Ferdinand and Isabella, and Columbus sails west.
- 1936–1939 The Civil War ends with Franco's victory, ushering in decades of dictatorship.
- 1975–1978 Franco dies, and a new constitution consolidates Spain's transition to democracy.
- Today A parliamentary monarchy with regional co-official languages including Catalan, Basque and Galician.
The Basque Country: pintxo bars and a museum clad in titanium
In the north the hills turn green and the food gets serious. The Basques have their own language, Euskara, which isn't related to any other language in Europe.
In San Sebastián, bar counters are covered in pintxos: small bites, often on bread and held together with a toothpick. Hop from bar to bar in the old town and have one or two at each.
Walk the curve of La Concha beach, then head to Bilbao, where Frank Gehry's titanium-clad Guggenheim Museum sits on the riverbank.
Best for: foodies, city breaks, cooler summers · Spinny tip: Look for the hot pintxos on the chalkboard. They're cooked to order, so ask the bartender.
Spain: three easy mistakes
Spain by numbers
Myth vs truth
💶 What it costs
Spain is mid-priced for Western Europe. Cafés and tapas bars are good value, while Barcelona, Madrid and the Balearic Islands cost noticeably more than smaller inland towns, especially in summer.
🛂 Visa & entry (tourist stays)
- EU/EEA citizens: No visa needed. A valid passport or national ID card is enough. (Official source)
- US citizens: No visa needed for stays up to 90 days in any 180-day period in the Schengen area. Your passport must be valid for at least 3 months after the day you leave. (Official source)
- UK citizens: No visa needed for stays up to 90 days in any 180-day period in the Schengen area. Your passport must be less than 10 years old on the day you arrive and valid for at least 3 months after the day you leave. (Official source)
Other nationalities, longer stays or work: check the official source.
General guidance only, not legal advice. This information is collected automatically and may be incomplete or out of date. SpinYourDestination takes no responsibility for your entry to any country – always check the official source or the embassy before you travel.
