Explore Spain

Fried potato chunks served with a spicy, tomato-based sauce (and sometimes aioli) – a quintessential bar snack found across the country.

The classic Spanish omelet made with eggs, potato, and often onion, served at room temperature or slightly warm, a staple at any time of day.

Catalonia's answer to creme brûlée, this creamy custard is infused with lemon zest and cinnamon, topped with a brittle, caramelized sugar crust.

Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família, or simply Sagrada Família, is a Catholic church that was under construction in the Eixample district of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Designed by the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí, it is the tallest church in the world. On 7 November 2010, Pope Benedict XVI consecrated the church and proclaimed it a basilica. In 2005, parts of the Sagrada Família (Nativity façade and Crypt) were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, under "Works of Antoni Gaudí". On 19 March 1882, construction of Sagrada Família began under the architect Francisco de Paula del Villar. In 1883, when Villar resigned, Gaudí took over as chief architect, transforming the project with his architectural and engineering style, combining Gothic and curvilinear Art Nouveau forms. Gaudí devoted the remainder of his life to the project, and he is buried in the church's crypt. At the time of his death in 1926, less than a quarter of the project was complete. Relying solely on private donations, Sagrada Família's construction progressed slowly and was interrupted by the Spanish Civil War. In July 1936, anarchists from the Iberian Anarchist Federation (Federación Anarquista Ibérica, or FAI) set fire to the crypt and broke their way into the workshop, partially destroying Gaudí's original plans. In 1939, Francesc de Paula Quintana took over site management, which was able to go on with the material that was saved from Gaudí's workshop and that was reconstructed from published plans and photographs. Construction resumed with intermittent progress in the 1950s. Advancements in technologies such as computer-aided design and computerised numerical control (CNC) have since enabled faster progress, and construction passed the midpoint in 2010. In 2014, it was anticipated that the building would be completed by 2026, the centenary of Gaudí's death, but this schedule was threatened by work slowdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The central Tower of Jesus Christ reached structural completion on 20 February 2026, when the final piece was installed, and it was inaugurated and blessed by Pope Leo XIV on 10 June 2026 during his visit to Spain, coinciding with the centenary of Gaudí's death. The tower, with a height of 172.5 m (566 ft), makes the Sagrada Família the world's tallest church. Describing Sagrada Família, the art critic Rainer Zerbst said "it is probably impossible to find a church building anything like it in the entire history of art", and Paul Goldberger describes it as "the most extraordinary personal interpretation of Gothic architecture since the Middle Ages". Though sometimes described as a cathedral, the basilica is not the cathedral church of the Archdiocese of Barcelona; that title belongs to the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia.

The Retiro Park, also known as Buen Retiro Park or simply El Retiro, is one of the largest city parks in Madrid, Spain. The park belonged to the Spanish monarchy until 1868, when it became a public park following the Glorious Revolution. The park is located at the edge of the city centre, near both the Alcalá Gate and the Museo del Prado, and covers 1.4 km2. It has gardens, monuments, galleries, an artificial lake, and event-hosting venues. In 2021, Buen Retiro Park became part of a combined UNESCO World Heritage Site that also includes Paseo del Prado.

The Plaza de España ("Spain Square", in English) is a plaza in Maria Luisa Park in Seville, Spain. It was built in 1928 for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929. It is a landmark example of Regionalism Architecture, mixing elements of the Baroque Revival, Renaissance Revival and Moorish Revival (Neo-Mudéjar) styles of Spanish architecture.

Spanish Christmas centres on Nochebuena (Christmas Eve family dinner) and the Three Kings parade (Cabalgata de Reyes) on Jan 5 — the main gift-giving event. El Gordo, the world's biggest lottery draw, falls Dec 22. Christmas markets fill city squares from Madrid to Barcelona.

Spain's Holy Week with dramatic religious processions, floats, and centuries-old traditions.

Spanish Christmas runs Dec 22 to Jan 6 (Three Kings Day is bigger than Christmas Day in Spain). El Gordo (Dec 22) — world's biggest lottery, 2.4 billion euros prize pool, broadcast live to the nation from Madrid's Teatro Real by singing schoolchildren. Nochebuena family dinners Dec 24. Cabalgata de Reyes Magos parades (Three Kings processions) evening of Jan 5 in every city.

This Catalan liquid gold has a distinctively peppery, buttery finish from Arbequina olives.

This bold Garnacha-based wine comes from the nearby rugged hills of Priorat.

This honey and hazelnut brittle is a regional holiday staple made nearby.