Sierra de Grazalema in Andalusia.Credit: iStock
Everyone wants to go to France. That’s been the case for some time: France is regularly the world’s most visited country for tourism, with an estimated 100 million visitors in 2023, up from almost 80 million the year before.
In fact, France has been the world’s most popular tourism destination for so long, we’ve almost stopped thinking about it losing its mantle. But that may happen.
A new report co-produced by Deloitte and Google, NextGen Travellers and Destinations, predicts that by 2040 the world’s most popular tourism destination will be Spain. That’s just a small jump for Spain from its current second place, still, any country able to topple France is big news.
Visitor drawcard the Church of La Sagrada Familia by Antoni Gaudi in Barcelona. Credit: Getty Images
Everyone wants to go to Spain. More and more people, in fact. So, what’s the big deal? What makes this country so great? And if you’re going to join the crowds, how do you visit Spain in a way that’s sustainable and low-impact?
Because as attractive as Spain is, there’s already a downside to its mass tourism appeal. Anti-tourist protests have rippled through the country in recent months, making it more important than ever to see Spain in the right way.
Below is our guide to this incredibly diverse, beautiful and culture-rich country, soon to be the most popular place on Earth. It’s about seeing the best of Spain, in the best way. Because done right, there’s nowhere better.
The cities
Mercat Central in Valencia and its largest offering of fresh produce in Europe.Credit: Getty Images
One of the most surprising things visitors usually find in Spanish cities is that, despite their large reputation, they’re quite small. Madrid and Barcelona, at six million people and five million respectively, are the only truly large bases; only two more cities, Valencia and Seville, have populations of more than a million. That makes Spanish cities generally approachable and charming with easy access and few no-go zones; most are centred around historic old towns that contain all of their main attractions in a walkable area. Something to bear in mind when visiting Spanish cities, however, is your accommodation (short-term rentals have become an issue in Barcelona in particular, with hotels much preferred) and also your choice of destination, given there’s a huge concentration of tourists in Barcelona, Malaga and Seville but relatively fewer in the likes of Madrid, Valencia, Zaragoza and Vigo.
The towns
Albarracin, a medieval village in Aragon.Credit: iStock
Spain’s true beauty, you could argue, is in its picturesque towns and villages, spread throughout the country from mountaintop to coast. These settlements are often historic and charming, and though some can feel tourist-heavy – clifftop Ronda in Andalusia or coastal Cudillero in Asturias, for example – plenty retain their local vibe.
Check out Hondarribia, Getaria and Tolosa in the Basque Country, Ribadesella in Asturias, Albarracin in Aragon, Mogarraz in the community of Castile and Leon, Ujue in Navarra, Vielha in Catalonia, A Guarda in Galicia, and Mijas in Andalusia: all gorgeous and enjoyable. This is just the beginning though, and a slow exploration of any of Spain’s 50 provinces will reveal many more.
The islands
Nerja, Costa del Sol, Andalusia. Credit: iStock
There are plenty of household names floating in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic: Ibiza, Mallorca, Lanzarote, Tenerife. These are some of the most popular travel destinations on the planet, party islands, sunshine islands, places to see a few sights and then rub shoulders with boozed up Brits or cashed up Euros at the local bars.
Those big-hitters, however, are suffering under the weight of over-tourism, so it’s worth looking further afield. There’s plenty of fun to be had in La Gomera and El Hierro in the Canary Islands, Ons Island off the coast of Galicia, and Formentera in the Balearics.
Those searching for beachy good times could also try the Costa de la Luz, the stretch of coastline from Huelva to Tarifa in Spain’s south. It’s far less crowded than the likes of the Costa Brava and the Costa del Sol, and includes Cadiz, one of the country’s true gems.
The mountains
Santa Maria de Montserrat abbey, Catalonia.Credit: Getty
Most people picture Spain and see either arid plains or golden beaches, so it can be a surprise to visit somewhere like Vielha, high in the Pyrenees, and feel like you could be in Switzerland. There’s some gorgeous alpine terrain in Catalonia in particular, where the Pyrenees are riven with hiking trails and picturesque villages, but there are further heights to explore.
Begin in the Picos de Europa, a range in Asturias and Cantabria that offers some of the most spectacular scenery in Europe. Then move on to the limestone cliffs and whitewashed villages of the Sierra de Grazalema in Andalusia, the monasteries and rock formations of Montserrat in Catalonia, and the abundant birdlife and local cured meats in the Sierra de Villuercas in Extremadura. See spain.info
The diversity
The facade of Casa del Batllo, designed by Antoni Gaudi, in Barcelona.Credit: iStock
Probably the least appreciated aspect of Spain and its tourism experience is its diversity. This country is not so much a cohesive whole, but rather a collection of related cultures that have somehow been united. Spain is made up of 17 autonomous communities, many of which have their own language, their own festivals and traditions, their own food, their own architecture and a strong sense of their own identity.
This makes Spain a fascinating and invigorating place to explore, with new norms to get your head around in almost every province. There’s geographical diversity too, from the vast plains of the south, to beaches on both the Mediterranean and the Atlantic coastlines, to the lush, soaring mountains of the north, to the vine-strewn foothills of the east.
The history
The ancient aqueduct in Segovia. Credit: iStock
Spain has a complicated history. Over the centuries, parts of the country we now know as Spain have been ruled by Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Germanic kingdoms, the Moors, various Christian kings and queens, the military, the fascists and, now, a democratically elected government.
Remnants of this incredibly long and diverse history can be found in Roman ruins in Tarragona, Segovia, Merida and Cordoba; Moorish palaces in Granada and Seville; royal palaces in El Escorial, Madrid and Aranjuez; and towering cathedrals in Valencia, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca and more.
The art
Bilbao’s Guggenheim Museum and Iberdrola Tower at sunset.Credit: iStock
As a quick refresher, Spain has produced the following artists: Diego Velazquez, Francisco Goya, Pablo Picasso, Joan Miro and Salvador Dali and that’s for starters. In other words, the country has a rich artistic culture.
It also has a host of high-quality galleries and museums for art lovers to enjoy, most notably the Prado in Madrid, though also the Picasso Museum in Barcelona, the Guggenheim in Bilbao, the Fundacio Miro in Mallorca, the Dali Museum in Figueres, and the Museu d’Art Contemporani in Barcelona.
If street art is more your thing, Madrid and Barcelona are the two best cities to wander, with plenty of walls featuring work by locals and visiting artists. There’s also the Museu Banksy in Barcelona.
See museodelprado.es; museupicassobcn.cat; guggenheim-bilbao.eus; miromallorca.com; salvador-dali.org; macba.cat; museobanksy.es
The architecture
Inside the mosque-cathedral of Cordoba. Credit: iStock
Perhaps one of the world’s most famous architect, Antoni Gaudi, was Spanish (though, of course, he would have described himself as Catalan). Gaudi’s legacy lives on in his home city of Barcelona, highlighted by the magnificent La Sagrada Familia, though his works can also be found at Park Guell, Casa Batllo, Casa Vicens and Casa Calvet.
Aside from Gaudi, meanwhile, there’s plenty more for architecture buffs to discover in Spain. For tradition and history, see the Alhambra in Granada, the Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba, Torre Giralda in Seville, and the Alcazar of Segovia.
For modern works check out the sprawling City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia, the Frank Gehry-designed Guggenheim in Bilbao, and the Metropol Parasol (known as “Las Setas”, or “the mushrooms”) in Seville.
See sagradafamilia.org; mezquita-catedraldecordoba.es; catedraldesevilla.es; alcazardesegovia.com; setasdesevilla.com; cac.es/en/
The food
There’s only one reason you need to visit Spain, and this is it. Food in this country is just so delicious, so accessible, so diverse, and so steeped in joyous tradition that you can’t help but fall hopelessly in love with it.
You probably know about tapas, the small plates of food that range from a few slices of Manchego to a tiny work of gastronomic art. But there’s much more to food in Spain, from the delights of high-end tinned seafood, to the art of grilling meat and fish over coals, to the absolute joy of a Catalan calcotada (a seasonal celebration of fire-roasted onions), to hearty home cooking, to incredibly creative and expensive cuisine at the likes of Disfrutar and DiverXO.
The trick to eating well in Spain is to leave as much time as possible for its enjoyment, to linger over lunch, to make an event of dinner, to sit or stand with friends and family and just have fun.
See disfrutarbarcelona.com; diverxo.com
The wine
Rioja is one of Spain’s many highlights for wine lovers.Credit: iStock
Most people are familiar with Rioja, and perhaps Rias Baixas, but Spain has more than 60 distinct wine regions, vines spread from the rain swept coast of the Basque Country to the sunny warmth of the Canary Islands. Wine culture in Spain is easy to tap into: there’s at least one bar on every city block, which will have a selection ranging from basic Rioja and whatever is local, to a full suite of artisanal drops.
Given the widespread nature of the growing regions, however, there’s a good chance you will be close to the wineries themselves, many of which will be open for a visit.
The Jerez-Sherry region in Andalusia is one of the best set up for tourists, though Priorat and Penedes in Catalonia, Ribera del Duero in Castile and Leon, Getariako Txakolina in the Basque Country, and of course Rioja, offer great experiences. See spain.info
Viva Espana: 10 things worth knowing
Fiesta
The Spanish absolutely love a festival. Every city and every town in Spain will have at least one unique, annual celebration, along with the provincial celebrations, the regional celebrations and the countrywide holidays. Jump online and look up the fiestas or ferias wherever you’re visiting. You’re highly likely to find some sort of event to attend.
Siesta
Plenty of Spaniards swear that the idea of a siesta is an outdated stereotype that’s not really practised any more. And that’s true of certain people in larger cities. But what’s also true is that you will find most small shops do close from 2pm to 4pm or 5pm every day, and – particularly in the south during summer – everyone seems to disappear from the streets around those hours.
Eating late
Spaniards famously eat late, though there are a few things to consider. One is that there’s always time for snacking beforehand, whether during la hora del vermut, or merienda (see below), or with a few tapas in the evening. Another thing to realise is that Spain is effectively in the wrong time zone – geographically, it should be an hour behind – so the eating schedule matches up with the sun, rather than the clock.
Ir de tapas
Here’s another of the great joys of Spanish life, and of course it revolves around food. Ir de tapas means a “tour of tapas” (known as txikiteo in Basque Country) and it’s where you spend the evening hopping from bar to bar, taking a drink and a small plate of food at each. Sometimes, a tapa is just a snack before a large, sit-down meal; other times, this tour of the bars is the main event.
Sobremesa
You know those times after a beautiful, long meal when you just don’t want the whole thing to end, so you wind up sitting around the table for hours nursing the last of your drinks and chatting to your family and friends? That’s such a common, cherished occurrence in Spain that they have a word for it: sobremesa, or “upon the table”.
Merienda
Those who look at Spain’s late dining times and wonder how they go so long before having dinner clearly haven’t heard of merienda. Merienda is a late afternoon snack, usually taken between about 5pm and 8pm. Merienda treats are often sweet, which is why you will see bakeries start to fill up in the late afternoon as people pile in for a pastry and a coffee.
La hora del vermut
This may just be the best of Spain’s many unique cultural quirks and traditions. La hora del vermut, or “vermouth hour”, in Catalonia in particular is the period before a long lunch when everyone goes out to their favourite bar to drink vermouth and eat a light snack. This is the transition from morning to lunch, the first boozy drink of the day, and it’s celebrated with gusto.
Canas and boquerones
You may have learnt the words for certain things to eat and drink in Spain, but you will discover their meaning can be reversed, depending on your location. For example, in most of Spain, a cana is a small beer. In the Basque Country, a cana is a large beer (a zurito is a small one). If you’re eating anchovies in the north of Spain, fresh or salt-cured fish are anchoas, and vinegar-cured are boquerones; in the east and south, boquerones are fresh or fried anchovies, while anchoas are only salt-cured.
Churros for breakfast
You probably think of churros as the ultimate dessert: sticks of fried dough dusted in sugar and dipped in rich, liquid chocolate. Delicious. Only, churros aren’t a dessert in Spain. They’re breakfast. They’re typically eaten early in the day, sometimes with coffee, though you’ll occasionally see them consumed for merienda.
(Bad) coffee
Two important things to know about Spain: people there love coffee, and it’s often bad coffee. That is, at least, for Australian tastes. Spanish coffee tends to be overly bitter and served very hot. And though there’s a growing movement towards smoother Italian or Australian-style coffee, do prepare yourself to be underwhelmed.
How to be the model tourist in Spain
Stay local but in hotels
Short-term rentals are clearly an issue in Spain right now, which makes hotels more attractive. However, Casey Merwood, founder of Spanish tour experts Biznaga, says even there you have a few decisions to make. “Don’t stay in a big five-star chain,” she says. “Find a hotel that’s owned by a Spanish company, or even better a Spanish family, and support them.”
Stay somewhere new
When you choose your hotel, steer clear of traditional tourist areas. “We stayed in Gracia, in Barcelona, recently, and every place we went to was awesome,” Merwood says. “The store owners there were all young people giving it a go, lots of artisan jewellery, ceramics, sustainable fabrics. If you’re supporting people like that, while at the same time going to La Sagrada Familia, it’s not only better for the country, but a much more fulfilling experience.”
Steer clear of hotspots
“Don’t just go to the places that are on Instagram,” Merwood says. “In Spain there are so many amazing places. I guarantee you almost no one will know where the Costa de la Luz is, and it’s amazing. But I would say to people, in the way you don’t just walk down Las Ramblas, you step off Las Ramblas and look in the backstreets, it’s the same for Spain. Don’t just go to Barcelona. Look at what’s around Barcelona. Pop out to the Priorat or have a look at the Delta de l’Ebre.”
Think twice about souvenirs
“Don’t go and buy [mass-produced] souvenirs, have a think about what you’re buying,” Merwood says. “Buy slow clothes made by locals from sustainable fabric. Go and talk to the people who made them. Buy jewellery from some young design kid. Support those people, and then you’re a much better tourist.”
Be considerate
”When I was in Spain recently,” says Merwood, “I spoke to every restaurant owner, every taxi driver, every cafe owner, every hotel owner, and all said that tourists who do the right thing – who immerse themselves in the place, buy locally and support local – are the people they want. It’s the tourists who live their lives the same way as they always have, who are just there for a good time and not care what that means to the locals, that’s not OK.” See biznaga.co