Spain Attractions

Terra Mitica is a theme park located near to Benidorm owned by Paramount and referred to as a Paramount Park. The park is divided into 5 themed zones: Egypt, Greece, Rome, Iberia, and the Islands (of the Mediterranean). The park was opened in 2000. The park in organized into five thematic areas: Egypt - This area is influenced by ancient Egyptian culture and artifacts. Greece - This area is influenced by ancient Greek culture and mythology. Rome - This area is influenced by ancient Roman culture and history. Iberia - . This area is influenced by ancient Iberian culture and life. The Islands - This area is also influenced by the ancient Mediterranean cultures and history. In 2008, the following areas were added to the park: Ocionía - A free access area with themed shops, branded restaurants, and pay-as-you-go attractions....

The Caves of Drach (open all year round) are one of Mallorca's most popular tourist attractions. The caves, formed over millions of years boast fantastic rock and limestone formations. Visitors journey through more than a mile of mysterious caverns where rock formations reach down from the ceilings (Stalactites) of the cave and grow up from the floors (Stalagmites). The caves consist of around 12 main areas and other impressive chambers (such as the Black Cave, the White Cave, and the Luis Salvator Cave). A walk through the caves ends at the fantastic Lago de Martel which is one of the world's largest underground lakes. A popular novelty attraction of this section of the caves is a classical music concert provided by musicians floating across the lake in boats. A backdrop of beautiful lights creates the perfect ambience for enjoying a lakeside concert as touri...

The Cathedral of Seville is a religious building in Seville, Andalusia. It is the largest Gothic cathedral and the third-largest church in the world. It is also known as Catedral de Santa María de la Sede (Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See) At the time of its completion in the 16th century, it took the place of the Hagia Sophia as the largest cathedral in the world. Previously, the Hagia Sophia had held the title for more than a thousand years. The cathedral also serves as the burial site of Christopher Columbus.

The Nou Camp (or, Camp Nou) is a football stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The stadium, located in the W of the city, has been the home of FC Barcelona since its construction in 1957. It has hosted numerous international matches at senior level, and two UEFA Champions League finals, the most recent being in 1999. It has a capacity of 98,787, making it the largest stadium in Europe, and the twelfth largest in the world. Its official name was Estadi del FC Barcelona (FC Barcelona Stadium) until 2000, when the club membership voted to change the official name to the popular nickname, Camp Nou. It held UEFA five-star stadium status which was superseded by a new system of classification. Across from Camp Nou is the Palau Blaugrana, the stadium for indoor sports and adjacent is the Ice Rink, the stadium for ice-based sports. Just behind the complex is the Mini Estadi, the stadium wh...

The Sagrada Família Temple, is a huge, privately-funded Roman Catholic church that has been under construction in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain since 1882 and is not expected to be complete until at least 2026. A portion of the building's interior is scheduled to open for public worship and tours by September 2010. Considered the master-work of renowned Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926), the project's vast scale and idiosyncratic design have made it one of Barcelona's (and Spain's) top tourist attractions for many years. The church is to be consecrated and proclaimed a Basilica by Pope Benedict XVI on November 7, 2010, during his visit to Santiago de Compostela and Barcelona.

The Guell Park (or, Park Guell) is a garden complex with architectural elements situated on the hill of el Carmel in the Gràcia district of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It was designed by the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí and built in the years 1900 to 1914. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Works of Antoni Gaudí". Park Güell is skillfully designed and composed to bring the peace and calm that one would expect from a park. The buildings flanking the entrance, though very original and remarkable with fantastically shaped roofs with unusual pinnacles, fit in well with the use of the park as pleasure gardens and seem relatively inconspicuous in the landscape when one considers the flamboyance of other buildings designed by Gaudí. The focal point of the park is the main terrace, surrounded by a long bench in the form of a...

The Alhambra is a palace and fortress complex constructed during the mid 14th century by the Moorish rulers of the Emirate of Granada in Al-Andalus, occupying the top of the hill of the Assabica on the SE border of the city of Granada, now in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. The Alhambra's Moorish palaces were built for the last Muslim Emirs in Spain and its court, of the Nasrid dynasty. After the Reconquista by the Reyes Católicos ("Catholic Monarchs") in 1492, some portions were used by the Christian rulers. The Palace of Charles V, built by Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor in 1527, was inserted in the Alhambra within the Nasrid fortifications. After being allowed to fall into disrepair for centuries, the Alhambra was "discovered" in the 19th century by European scholars and travelers, with restorations commencing. It is now one of Spain's m...

The Aqueduct of Segovia (or more precisely, the aqueduct bridge) is a Roman aqueduct and one of the most significant and best-preserved ancient monuments left on the Iberian Peninsula. It is the foremost symbol of Segovia, as evidenced by its presence on the city's coat of arms. As the aqueduct lacks a legible inscription (one was apparently located in the structure's attic, or top portion), the date of construction cannot be definitively determined. Researchers have placed it between the second half of the 1st Century CE and the early years of the 2nd Century—during the reign of either Emperor Vespasian or Nerva. The beginnings of Segovia itself are likewise not definitively known. Vacceos are known to have populated the area before the Romans conquered the city. Roman troops sent to control the area, which fell within the jurisdiction of the Roman provincial court (Lat...

The Prado Museum (Museo del Prado) is a museum and art gallery located in Madrid, Spain. It features one of the world's finest collections of European art, from the 12th century to the early 19th century, based on the former Spanish Royal Collection. Founded as a museum of paintings and sculpture, it also contains important collections of more than 5,000 drawings, 2,000 prints, 1,000 coins and medals, and almost 2,000 decorative objects and works of art. Sculpture is represented by more than 700 works and by a smaller number of sculptural fragments. The painting collection comprises about 7,800 paintings, of which only about 1,300 are at public display, mainly because of the museum's lack of space. A new, recently opened wing enlarged the display area by about 400 paintings, and it is currently used mainly for temporary expositions. El Prado is one of the most visited sites...

The Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial is an incredible 16th-century monument at the foot of Mount Abantos. The extensive grounds also include the Royal Pantheon, where the remains of late Spanish monarchs rest, and a grand Gothic basilica. The enormous monastery (also a Palace) was commissioned by Philip II to commemorate his victory in the battle of San Quentín. Its bleak location, on the misty SE slope of the Sierra de Guadarrama, may not be an obvious choice for a royal residence, but perhaps reflects the restraint and power of a man who governed the greatest empire of his time from a small office. The Monastery of El Escorial is the most prominent building in the town and is one of the main Spanish Renaissance monuments. The Valley of the Fallen also falls within the boundaries of the municipality. The monastery and its historic surroundings were decl...

Universal Mediterranea is a 300 acre theme park that attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors every year aimed at all age groups and families. The park is sectioned into 5 areas (Mediterránia, Far West, Mexico, Polynesia and China) with many rides and attractions throughout the different themed areas. Aside from the daytime attractions and rides, there are nightly shows, including Fiestaventura in the Mediterranean world, as well as numerous other attractions, including the Sea Odyssey underwater adventure, the Stampida roller coaster ride, and the Grand Canyon Rapids and Tutuki Splash water rides. Those wishing to spend a few days in the park can stay in one of the numerous hotels on site or nearby holiday resorts.

Frank Gehry's spectacular twisting titanium-clad modern art museum was one of the the most celebrated buildings of the 1990s. The graceful, sensuous curves, evocative of the ships that used to be ubiquitous along the docks of Bilbao, are covered in titanium squares, which resemble the scales of a fish and shimmer in the sunlight. In keeping with the maritime theme, appropriate for the setting, the skylights of the largest gallery (formerly known as the Fish gallery) are designed to look like the fins of fish. Many parts of the building are purely decorative, and don't serve any purpose. The permanent collection is not particularly impressive, but the museum always hosts at least one interesting temporary exhibit, frequently comprised of masterpieces from the other Guggenheim collections.

S'Albufera situated on the outskirts of Alcudia, is the largest and most important wetland area in the Balearic Islands. Originally a lagoon separated from the sea by a chain of dunes, the area has filled up with sediments, becoming an extensive floodplain. S'Albufera is the Balearic's prime birdwatching location. Some 271 different birds species have been sighted at the park.

Castle od Santa Barbara is a fortification in the centre of Alicante, Spain. It stands on the Mount Benacantil (166 m), built in the ninth century by Muslims. The castle provides for great views over the town and harbour. Visitors can choose to walk from Plaza de Carmen which is a sight in itself, through some narrow winding streets. For the less energetic, there is an elevator in the core of Mount Benacantil itself. The castle can also be reached by a car, but parking is limited. Entry to the castle is free. A round-way trip by the elevator from the ground floor costs € 2.40. Use of the elevator is currently free until the end of May 2011. The ticket machine is near the end of the tunnel. Maps are provided and travel between the two castle levels is free. From April to September, the castle is open from 10:00 to 22:00, while the elevator runs from 10:00 to 20:00....

The Archaeological Museum of Alicante is an archaeological museum in Alicante, Spain. The museum won the European Museum of the Year Award in 2004, a few years after significant expansion and reallocation to renovated buildings of the antique hospital of San Juan de Dios. The museum houses eight galleries that use multimedia to allow visitors to interact with the lives of past residents of the region.

Gravina Museum of Fine Arts (Spanish: Museo de Bellas Artes Gravina, MUBAG) is a museum in the city of Alicante, Spain, located in the Palacio del Conde de Lumiares, a four floor building constructed between 1748 and 1808 and declared a historical monument. The museum is devoted to painting and sculpture of Alicante from the sixteenth century to the early decades of the twentieth century. In the museum there are nearly 500 works from funds of the provincial council, including a sculpture by Francisco Salzillo, and a portrait of Ferdinand VII by Valencian painter Vicente López Portaña. The museum has also several works of the most important regional painters of the nineteenth century: Antonio Gisbert, Joaquín Agrasot, Lorenzo Casanova, and Fernando Cabrera. These works reflect the major trends of the nineteenth: historicism, customs, portraits, landscapes.

San Fernando Castle, situated in the northern part of the centre, is a beautiful castle that guards the city from the top of the Tossal hill. Dating back to the 19th century, its main purpose was the protection of the city against the strong Napoleon Bonaparte. The castle is now a popular sightseeing attraction in Alicante largely due to its breathtaking views of the city. It is surrounded by a series of monuments of significance for Alicante such as Jorge Juan Institute, the Estels Square and the Huerfanos de Ferroviarios College.

Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park is a natural park in southeastern Spain, near the city of Almería. It is the largest terrestrial-maritime reserve in the European Western Mediterranean Sea, covering 460 km² including the town of Carboneras, the mountain range of Sierra de Cabo de Gata, and 120 km² of the sea as a part of a Marine reserve. It is of volcanic origin and is centred around the Cabo de Gata headland. Its climate is semiarid to the extent of being the driest location in Europe. In 1997 it was designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. In 2001 it was included among the Specially Protected Areas of Mediterranean Importance.

The 1450 metre long harbour aerial tramway with red cars connects Montjuic and Barceloneta. It starts in Barceloneta on the top of the 78 metre tall Torre San Sebastian tower, which has also a restaurant qt its top accessible by an elevator. It has an intermediate stop at Torre Jaume I tower (close to Columbus monument), which can be reached by elevator from ground--107 metre tall tower, the second tallest aerial tramway support tower in the world. The final point of the tramway is Montjuic. Overall, the tramway is quite old (built in 1929), and the car is packed with tourists during the daytime--particularly sensitive for a stroller or a wheelchair.

Aqualandia & Mundomar are theme parks that are twinned together and located next to each other although separate entrance fees for each are required. The parks are located in Benidorm in the Costa Blanca, Spain. Mundomar - is a marine animal park featuring Dolphins, Sea Lions, Penguins, Meerkats and many more marine and land animals. There are Dolphin, Sea Lion, and Parrot displays several times a day at the park, where visitors can watch trained handlers interacting with the animals, who also put on spectacular shows. Mundomar is usually open from February to December. Aqualandia - contains many water attractions, including water slides, swimming pools, river rapids and sunbathing areas. Water is sourced directly from the sea

Terra Natura are two zoo theme parks and aqua parks (Aqua Natura) located near Benidorm and Murcia, in the Costa Blanca, Spain. Many different species can be viewed at Terra Natura, including Elephants, Tigers, Monkeys, Lions, Buffalo, Rhinoceros and other animals. Terra Natura Animal Park is a new generation park where you can discover the "Zooimmersion", a new concept in habitat design which enables you to make contact with animals with barriers invisible to the human eye. The 320,000 square meters of the park are divided into four zones or areas that are: Pangea (the park entrance area), America, Asia and Europe. Aqua Natura Benidorm is a water park of 40,000 square meters. It has a large swimming pool area with over 1 km of flumes and slides, swimming with sharks and also an aquarium.

Bilbao Fine Arts Museum is an art museum located in the city of Bilbao, Spain. The building of the museum is located entirely inside the city's Doña Casilda Iturrizar park. It is the second largest and most visited museum in the Basque Country, after the Bilbao Guggenheim Museum. The museum is particularly notable for the lengthy period it covers (from the 12th century to the present day) and the extraordinary variety of art works acquired since its inception, the Bilbao Fine Arts Museum collection currently boasts more than six thousand works including paintings, sculptures, drawings, engravings and objects from the decorative arts.

Santiago Cathedral is a Catholic Cathedral in the city of Bilbao that was officially declared cathedral in 1950. Its origins probably date to well before the foundation of the city in 1300, when Bilbao was little more than a small enclave of fishermen. The temple is consecrated in honor of the apostle Saint James the Great (Santiago in Spanish), by virtue of being a point of transit for the pilgrims that followed the Northern branch of the Way of Saint James. Architecturally, the present building is a mixture of styles: from the 15th century Gothic of the cloister and the main vault, where of special interest are the cloister and the beautiful portal that gives access Correo street (Puerta del Angel), to the ostentatious Gothic Revival façade and spire. A curious custom is the addition of stone carvings of local merchants along the buttresses of the main vault. It should...

The Basilica of Begoña (or Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Begoña in Spanish) is a basilica in Bilbao, in Spain, dedicated to the patron saint of Biscay, the Virgin Begoña. Overlooking Bilbao, this is perhaps the most symbolic religious building in the city. Built in the 16th Century by Sancho Martinez de Arego, who was also responsible for the Iglesia San Anton. It is a basilica of three naves. During the first Carlista War, in 1835, the façade and the tower were destroyed. The present ones were designed Jose Maria Basterra and constructed between 1902 and 1907.

The caves of Drach are four great caves that are located in the island of Majorca, Balearic Islands, Spain. They are in the municipality of Manacor, near the locality of Porto Cristo. The caves extend to a depth of 25 m, reaching 2.4 km in length. The four caves, called Black Cave, White Cave, Cave of Luis Salvador, and Cave of the French, are connected to each other. The caves have formed by water being forced through the entrance from the Mediterranean Sea, and some researchers think the formation may date back to Miocene. There is an underground lake situated in the caves called Martel Lake, which is about 1150 m in length and 30 m in width. The Drach Caves are one of Mallorca's most popular sightseeing attractions.

Plaza Isabel la Catolica is located at the intersection of Gran Via de Colon and Calle Reyes Catolicos. At the junction of Granada's two grand boulevards is this small square with a prominent statue of Columbus unfurling a contract with Queen Isabel, outlining the terms of their agreement in preparation for his first voyage to the Americas, an event which likely occurred in Granada. A pleasant fountain surrounds the statue and there are benches nearby, allowing you to relax and take in the passing crowds of vehicles and people.

Towering over the surrounding blocks, The Granada Cathedral is this spectacular 16th century structure, the second-largest cathedral in Spain and noted for its bright Renaissance interior. Constructed after the Reconquista of Granada to replace the mosque on the site, the cathedral was laid out with Gothic foundations but built in the Renaissance style and decorated with Baroque elements. Upon entering you'll be behind the main altar, located beneath the towering circular Capilla Mayor (sanctuary) with its magnificent domed ceiling. Surrounding the sanctuary and the pews are a series of chapels with magnificent artwork, and the sacristy (tucked away on your right immediately after entering) holds a collection of fine paintings, mirrors, and furnishings. Additionally, the spectacular facade of the cathedral (on the west side of the structure, opposite the Gran Via) is worth walking aro...

The caves of Drach are four great caves that are located in the island of Majorca, Balearic Islands, Spain. They are in the municipality of Manacor, near the locality of Porto Cristo. The caves extend to a depth of 25 m, reaching 2.4 km in length. The four caves, called Black Cave, White Cave, Cave of Luis Salvador, and Cave of the French, are connected to each other. The caves have formed by water being forced through the entrance from the Mediterranean Sea, and some researchers think the formation may date back to Miocene. There is an underground lake situated in the caves called Martel Lake, which is about 1150 m in length and 30 m in width. The Drach Caves are one of Mallorca's most popular sightseeing attractions.