20 pictures that showcase Spain's allure

On the third Sunday in May, girls donning white bridal dresses clutch holy branches during the annual “Procession of the Hundred Maidens,” a tribute to the hundred maidens paid to the Moors during the Reconquista.

A popular day trip from Barcelona, the main attraction in Montserrat is the mountainside Benedictine monastery—one of Catalonia’s most significant religious retreats.

During the pilgrimage of El Rocío, hundreds of thousands of people wearing traditional flamenco dress hop on horseback or into horse-drawn carts. Brotherhoods from the provinces of Huelva and Cádiz make their way along one of four routes to the village for a celebration that culminates 50 days after Easter.

Andalucía sits at the southernmost point of Europe, where two continents—as well as oceans—collide. Thirty-seven marinas line the coastline, including port cities like Málaga that offer ferry services across the Mediterranean and Atlantic to the neighbouring African country of Morocco.

The whitewashed coastal town of Cadaqués sits in Costa Brava along Spain’s northeastern tip. Considered one of the less-trodden villages in the country, Cadaqués draws a well-heeled crowd come summer, when visitors follow in the footsteps of famous painters and former residents such as Salvador Dalí.

An easy day trip from Barcelona, Vic is just an hour and a half from the Catalan capital by train. One of the main draws is the mural-lined neoclassical Catedral de Sant Pere de Vic. The other is the region’s oldest ballooning event, the International Mercat del Ram Balloon Trophy, held the weekend before Easter, when travellers can hop in a basket for a private ride over the city’s Roman ruins and 11th-century Romanesque bridge.

The Catedral de la Santa Creu i Santa Eulàlia (aka the Barcelona Cathedral) was built over six centuries on the former site of a fourth-century Christian basilica. The namesake saint (and one of Barcelona’s patron saints) is buried in the crypt.

While Spaniards may skip town during Holy Week, or Semana Santa, leading up to Easter, towns across Andalucía (such as Spain’s southernmost point of Tarifa, pictured here) take on a festival spirit as one or more religious processions parade daily down the street.

The weeklong Feria de Abril is the highlight of Seville’s festival season, when women dressed in traditional traje de flamenco (flamenco dresses) dance in the lantern-lit streets. Arrive for the inaugural night, alumbrao, when the street festival’s thousands of lights are switched on and traditional pescaíto frito, or fried fish, is served.

Barcelona is home to 39 food markets, including Catalonia’s largest—Mercat de la Boqueria. Its 300-plus stalls attract some of Spain’s most celebrated chefs, including one of the world’s greatest, Ferran Adrià.

Once home to Barcelona’s fishermen, the triangular-shaped, seafront Barceloneta district—bordered by the old harbour (Port Vell) on one side and sandy beaches on the other—is a favorite for paella-seekers and cyclists who cruise along the promenade to the Olympic Marina.

Barcelona holds a beautiful mix of medieval architecture and modern masterpieces from architectural greats like Antoni Gaudí. Stroll through the city’s 2,000-year history along the Gothic Quarter’s narrow alleyways and the main drag of Las Ramblas, leading to one of the city’s best markets, La Boqueria. Don’t forget to look up—you’ll see everything from sheets blowing in the breeze to the intricate spires of the Sagrada Famìlia basilica.

In Sevilla’s old town, ancient Moorish walls mix with Roman ruins and Gothic cathedrals, including the world’s largest, Santa María de la Sede, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Hop in a five-minute cable car ride or leisurely hike up Montserrat, to catch 360-degree views of the entire mountain range and Catalonia. A Benedictine community has called the mountain home for nearly 1,000 years, and you’ll still hear the oldest children’s choir in Europe, the “Escolania de Montserrat,” perform daily from the abbey at the top.

The village of Frigiliana is considered one of Spain’s most beautiful—and it’s easy to see why. Walk up to the Moorish quarter where twisting, cobbled streets open up to picture-perfect viewpoints over the sea, admiring the blue-tinged azulejos, or ceramic tilework, adorning the façades of the whitewashed homes along the way.

Tejeda, which sits in the center of the island of Gran Canaria, is known for its annual almond festival in February, as well as natural wonders like the island’s symbolic Nublo rock, one of the largest natural crags in the world. Red tile-roofed homes with bougainvillea-accented façades (such as the one pictured here) surround the rural town’s centrepiece church.

Extending nearly three miles from Punta de San Felipe to the Santa Catalina castle in Puerto de Santa María, the Bay of Cádiz Nature Reserve holds an array of ecosystems and landscapes from marshes and beaches to dune and cliffs—as well as salt flats spread across nearly 13,500 acres. Embark on one of four walks weaving through stretches of abandoned salt pans and pine forests or hop on a canoe to paddle through the bay.

Picasso captured the mountain town of Horta de Sant Joan with its lush vineyards and charming alquerías, or farmhouses, in his famous painting “Horta de Ebro” during his second visit to the village in the summer of 1909.

DJs like David Guetta may have contributed to Ibiza’s party-heavy image, but the White Isle’s beaches offer much more than clubs. Snorkel in one of the sheltered bays such as Cala Xarraca, or hike through pine forwards along cliffside paths to Es Portitxol in the north, one of the island’s more secluded beaches that’s only reachable by foot or boat.

In March, the five-day Fallas festival takes over the streets of Valencia with religious processions and brass bands. More than 750 monuments are set up around town and burnt during the cremà celebration on March 19.