Spain travel guide

Alhambra is probably the most famous palace in Spain. It's sprawling over a hilltop and was built over several stages, when one ruler built upon what a previous ruler had left, but it was the Moorish emir of Granada who constructed the palace we know today in the 13th and 14th centuries. It's an exquisite example of Islamic architecture and the elaborated tile mosaics have made Alhambra famous among mathematicians. It can be proven mathematically that there only exist 17 different geometric patterns (wallpaper groups) and most of them (all?) are found in Alhambra. But you don't need to be a mathematician to enjoy the rich ornamented halls and lavish gardens of Alhambra - which of course is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Every traveller to Barcelona find something to their liking. Whether it's architecture (Gaudi), art museums (Picasso and Miró), beach going (Barceloneta) or just finding a bar for some cava sipping, Barcelona can deliver. Of course, there are all the mandatory things like walking up and down La Rambla, snack at the La Boqueria market, visit La Sagrada Familia, and stumbling upon churches and plazas in the Barri Gotic. But things get equally exciting (and more local), when exploring a bit further, like the quarters of El Born Barrio (cocktails), Gracia (shoppe in Carrer de Verdi), and even Poble Sec (boozing). There are so many things to see and do in Barcelona, so don't limit yourself to only the touristic ones.

Ceuta and Melilla are two Spanish autonomous cities located on the Mediterranean coast of Africa. Both are bordering Morocco, but are located almost 400 km apart. Ceuta is the closed to mainland Spain, where the ferry ride only takes an hour.
With an area of 18,5 km² is Ceuta the big sister, though the populations are similar at 85.000.
Due to its strategically important position at the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea, Ceuta has changed hands many times throughout ancient history. From the 15th to the 17th centuries, Ceuta was under Portuguese rule. Afterwards it came under Spanish rule.
The majority of the historical buildings dates no more than a few centuries back.
Like Melilla, Ceuta is heavily fenced off to Morocco, since these are the only land borders between Africa and Europe. At times these fences get attacked by big groups of migrants trying to reach the EU.

Most people come to Granada to see the magnificent Alhambra palace, but Granada is a bit of gem itself - especially the historic quarter Albayzín at the foot of Alhambra. Albayzín is enlisted alongside with Alhambra as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is easy to understand when getting lost in the narrow ascending streets. Here are Arabic (tourist) shops, small cafes, and beautiful traditional houses with courtyards. For lunch, aim at a restaurant at the top with views over the neighbourhood and Alhambra with snow covered Sierra Nevada as backdrop.

Like Ceuta, Melilla is a Spanish autonomous city located on the Mediterranean coast of Africa bordering Morocco. It covers an area of 12 km^2 and has about 85,000 inhabitants.
It has a long history of being controlled by whoever was in power in the region. Melilla can trace its Spanish past to the 15th Century. A lot of the defense structures that can be seen today date back to the 16th and 18th centuries.
Today, Melilla normally only gets into the international news, when migrants storm the tall fences.

The highest point in Spain is actually not on the mainland, but on the island of Tenerife. Here the volcano Teide rises 3,718 m into the sky and is visible from all over the island - if the weather permits. Though Mt Teide last erupted in 1909, it's still active and minor earthquakes do happen. There are several roads leading up the volcano and it's possible to drive all the way up to 2,356 m, where a cable car can bring you further up to the upper station at 3,555 m (tickets can be prebooked online). The last 163 m you need to hike on foot (remember to book a hiking permit online). A large part of the volcano is a natural park and an UNESCO World Heritage Site, and offer some great hiking opportunities through the volcanic moonscape. Even if you don't want to hike, a road trip across the volcano will still give you amazing sights of the snow covered peak of Teide, along with other odd rock formations, in addition to panoramic views over the rest of Tenerife and the neighbouring Canary Islands.

Though Seville is a metropolis, it manages to have a distinct Andalusian feel. Its history is rich and the abundance of grand architecture is a testimony to that. Royal Alcázar (only second to Alhambra palace), Cathedral of Seville (third-largest church in the world), Archivo General de Indias (those three are joint enlisted as a UNESCO World Heritage Site), Plaza de España, Parque de Maria Luisa, and Metropol Parasol (picture) are just some of the many must-see sights in Seville. However, wandering the winding cobbled streets in Santa Cruz, the former Jewish quarter, is what seems to enchant visitors the most - so expect lots of tour groups. But Santa Cruz - and Seville for that matter - is big enough for both locals and tourists, so it's easy to escape any crowds.