Travel guide to Spain and Portugal

With millions of us switching up our travel plans this year – or just leaving it later to decide where to go – Spain and Portugal have become two of the most popular destinations for a last-minute European getaway. These closely linked countries, which share the Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe, both offer a combination of stunning beaches, standout food and history-rich architecture. Plus, they come with an impressive sunshine record and a short-haul flight time to match. 

So if you’re looking for some inspiration this summer, we’ve picked out some of the top destinations to visit – whether you fancy a city break in Barcelona or Lisbon, or a beach holiday to one of the Spanish Costas. Before you go, don’t forget to order euros ready to spend when you arrive.

Top picks in Spain

Take a city break to Barcelona

Take everything great about Mediterranean cities – wonderful beaches, a relaxed vibe, months of sunshine – then add world-class art and culture, superb food and boundary-breaking design, and there you have it: Barcelona. A walk through the Spanish city’s streets has a magical, almost dream-like quality thanks to all the Gaudi architecture and Gothic facades. And a stroll along Barcelona’s lively central boulevard – Las Ramblas – is a must.

Foodies have a collection of Michelin-starred restaurants to try, architecture fans can marvel at Gaudi's La Sagrada Familia cathedral and the fantastical creations of Park Guell, and football fans shouldn't miss a trip to Camp Nou – the biggest stadium in Europe.

Go off the tourist radar in Cáceres

Despite its UNESCO World Heritage centre, cobbled streets and numerous tapas restaurants, Cáceres has managed to stay off the tourist radar – so it’s a great choice if you want to go a little more off the beaten track in Spain.

Just three hours from Madrid, the city is one of Europe's foodie hotspots. With a host of food-themed events happening throughout the year, you can try local specialities like torta del casar – a local sheep's cheese. You’ll find it for sale at various foodie markets, so don’t forget to bring some cash. At the other end of the scale, the jewel in the city's gastro crown is Atrio, a Michelin starred restaurant and hotel with a stunning menu and contemporary design.

Go beyond the beach on the Costa Blanca

This 200 kilometre stretch of Mediterranean coastline is a holiday classic for good reason – it’s lined with golden sandy beaches and packs in plenty of purpose-built resorts. Places like Benidorm and Alicante are popular with holidaymakers who want a bit of hustle and bustle, but you don't have to go far for a quieter, more authentic Spanish holiday experience. 

Popular Xàbia, for example, is a slow-paced and family-orientated town with a beautiful beach – Casa Playa Javea. Or try Elche – a UNESCO World Heritage site and home to Europe’s largest palm groves. Along with the desert-coloured stone of the buildings, these give the town a North African feel, a nod to the area's Moorish roots.

Choose a resort on the Costa Del Sol

Malaga airport is served by lots of flights from the UK, and the gateway to the Costa del sol. On this sunny stretch of coastline, mild winter temperatures often make it ideal for an out-of-season mini-break or a summer holiday.

Marbella is where you'll find the glitzy, yacht-packed marina of Puerto Banús – a prime spot for people-watching. Away from the gloss of Marbella you’ll find a collection of family-friendly resorts in Fuengirola – home to seven kilometres of sandy beach – and prime snorkelling territory off the coast of the pretty Andalusian town of Estepona.

Make tracks for Madrid

With its wide boulevards, manicured parks and the elaborate Royal Palace, the Spanish capital is a delight to wander around. Art lovers will find some of the best European art in Madrid, most notably in the world renowned Museo Nacional del Prado, which has one of the most extensive collections in the world. That includes works by Goya, Velázquez and Titian.

Away from art and architecture, Madrid's other favourite pastime is shopping. The Sunday flea market at El Rastro is the largest and most popular in Madrid, so bring some euros in cash if you’re planning a spree. And for foodies there's everything from laidback tapas spots and churros cafes, to Michelin-starred dining.

Put Seville on your radar

Flamboyant, charismatic and peppered with spectacular architecture from its Moorish, Renaissance and Baroque past, Seville is well worth adding to your Spanish holiday shortlist. And a visit here wouldn’t be complete without a visit to its UNESCO-listed cathedral, or a stroll around the ancient city walls and the palm-tree-filled gardens of the Real Alcazar.

Elsewhere, you can wander the tightly packed cobbled streets and shops of Barrio Santa Cruz, the city's central quarter, or take a horse-drawn carriage trip to see its elegant houses. As for food, there are thousands of tapas restaurants across the city serving up small portions of local specialities like salt cod and melt-in-the-mouth Iberico ham. Keep some cash on hand for tipping – locals tend to round up the bill.

Top picks in Portugal

Pay a visit to Lisbon

The statue of Henry the Navigator in Lisbon’s harbour lets you know that this was once a city of explorers, from where the mariners of the Middle Ages set out to discover the world. But nowadays Portugal's capital is a go-to holiday destination, offering a brilliant and easy combination of city break and beach holiday.

The city itself is as charming as the wooden trams that climb up its many hills, cutting along narrow cobbled streets. Open-air cafes offer local delicacies and strong flavours, with savoury dishes featuring clams, sardines and sausages, and classic Portuguese custard tarts for dessert.

Lisbon is less than 30 minutes away from several wild Atlantic beaches that are as popular with surfers as they are sunbathers, like Adraga and Guincho. History lovers, meanwhile, should make the short trip to the town of Sintra, where the mountaintop palace and castle will make you feel as though you've wandered into the pages of a fantasy novel.

Explore the Algarve

Year-round sunshine, some of the best beaches in Europe and a short flight time from the UK means the Algarve ticks just about any holiday box you can throw at it. With child-friendly paddling beaches and an abundance of easy-to-navigate resorts, its reputation for being a top destination for a chilled-out family break is well deserved.

But there's more to the Algarve, too: nature-lovers can bird-watch in Sagres, golfers can tee off on world-class courses, walkers have coastal clifftops to explore and surfers can head west to the wild waves of the Atlantic. Plus, budding photographers have limestone rock formations like those at the Algarve's most famous beach – Praia da Marinha – to capture, and foodies have an ever-changing menu that leans heavily on net-fresh seafood.

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