Spain
Spanish
The second most visited country on Earth: Mediterranean beaches, medieval cities left whole, and a street life that runs until dawn.
Updated on
- Capital
- Madrid
- Population
- 49 millones
- Currency
- EUR · Euro
- Languages
- Spanish
- Plugs
- Types C and F · 230 V · 50 Hz
- Time zone
- Europe/Madrid
Before you go to Spain
When to go to Spain
Spring (April to June) and autumn (September and October): good weather without August's heat or crowds.
Mediterranean on the coast, continental and dry inland, green and rainy in the north.
What it costs to travel to Spain ●●●○○
Middling. A set lunch runs 12–15 € and a beer 2–3 €; Madrid and Barcelona are the priciest cities.
Is it safe to travel to Spain? ●●●●●
High. The real risk is pickpockets in the tourist quarters of Barcelona and Madrid.
Visa for Spain
Schengen area: 90 days visa-free for Latin Americans. From 2026 you also need an ETIAS authorisation online (≈ 7 €, granted in minutes).
Catalan, Galician and Basque are co-official depending on the region.
What to see in Spain
- 01Sagrada FamíliaBarcelona
Gaudí's basilica has been under construction for over 140 years; completion is planned for 2026.
- 02The AlhambraGranada
A 13th-century Nasrid palace with the loveliest water courtyards in Europe. Book weeks ahead.
- 03Museo del PradoMadrid
Velázquez, Goya and Bosch under one roof. Free entry for the last two hours of the day.
- 04Mosque-CathedralCórdoba
A forest of 850 columns under red-and-white arches: mosque and cathedral at once.
- 05Camino de SantiagoNorthern Spain
800 km from the Pyrenees to Galicia; the French Way takes about 30 days on foot.
- 06SevilleAndalusia
The Real Alcázar, the Giralda tower and the flamenco venues of the Triana quarter.
Culture and food of Spain
What to eat
- Valencian paella, made with rabbit and chicken — not seafood
- Acorn-fed Iberian ham
- Tortilla de patatas
- Tapas and pintxos
- Gazpacho in summer
- Churros with thick chocolate
Customs
- Greet with two kisses, starting on the left cheek
- Dinner is very late: between 9 and 10:30 pm
- Lingering at the table is sacred
- Many shops close in the mid-afternoon
Festivals
- San Fermín, the Pamplona bull run (6 to 14 July)
- La Tomatina in Buñol (last Wednesday of August)
- Holy Week in Seville
- Las Fallas in Valencia (March)
Catholic by tradition (≈ 56 %), though mostly non-practising.
Curious facts about Spain
- It ranks second worldwide for World Heritage sites, with 50 — behind only Italy.
- It has more bars per head than any other country in Europe: roughly one for every 175 people.
- Spanish is the world's second most spoken native language, with nearly 500 million speakers.
- The siesta is fading: fewer than 20 % of Spaniards take one on a weekday.
- Restaurante Botín in Madrid, open since 1725, is the oldest continuously running restaurant in the world.
Cities in Spain
- Madridcapital · 651 m
- Barcelona44 m
- Seville15 m
- Valencia19 m
- Granada689 m
- Bilbao19 m
- Córdoba124 m
- Toledo532 m
- Palma de Mallorca34 m
- Salamanca815 m
- Zaragoza208 m
- Málaga20 m
- Murcia46 m
- Las Palmas20 m
- Alicante19 m
- Valladolid701 m
- Vigo81 m
- Gijón19 m
- Gasteiz / Vitoria540 m
- L'Hospitalet de Llobregat19 m
- A Coruña22 m
- Elche84 m
Data from Banco Mundial, GeoNames and WorldClim. Photo from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). The editorial content is our own.