12 Things You Absolutely Need To Do in Spain Before You Die

Spain is a famous tourist destination that finds itself on most travelers’ bucket lists. With the promise of sunny skies, historic cities, picturesque coastlines, and unique attractions, it’s easy to see why. Spain has many exciting things to see and do and endless places to explore.

As a result, deciding where to go and what to do first can be a challenge. You can’t see and do it all in one visit. Luckily, we’re here to help. In this article, you’ll find 12 things to do in Spain before you die. We selected these entries because they offer fascinating, exciting, and unique experiences you’ll regret missing out on.

Table of Contents

Explore La Sagrada Familia, Barcelona

Europe's Most Overrated Tourist Traps La Sagrada Familia (Barcelona, Spain) — © anekoho / Adobe Stock

Let’s start this list with La Sagrada Familia, one of Spain’s most famous landmarks. This fascinating structure is the world’s largest unfinished church. Construction began in 1882. It’s scheduled to be completed in 2026, although we don’t hold up much hope, considering it’s already been over 140 years.

Aside from its unique story, this Antoni Gaudí masterpiece is a sight to behold. The remarkable interior and breathtaking stonework are marvelous. Tourists can pay to explore inside the church, so make sure you purchase a ticket. The best views of La Sagrada Familia are from the outside. Its sheer size and beauty are not something you want to miss.

Watch FC Barcelona, Barcelona

Barcelona Camp Nou — © Ioan Panaite Adobe Stock

Like in most places across Europe, football, or soccer to Americans, is big business in Spain. Spain hosts some of the best football teams in the world, including the famous Barcelona and Real Madrid. While watching either team play is a treat, we highly recommend watching Barcelona.

FC Barcelona is one of the world’s most historic football clubs. Founded in 1899, the club is famed for winning the sport’s biggest trophies and having some of the best players ever. Notable icons include Lionel Messi, Ronaldinho Gaúcho, Diego Maradona, Xavi Hernández, and Johan Cruyff. If you time your visit to Barcelona right, you can watch them play in the famous Camp Nou Stadium.

Go Whale Watching in the Bay of Biscay, Northern Spain

Most people visit Spain to experience local culture, explore the big cities, and relax on the beach. However, many people don’t realize that Spain is also one of Europe’s best whale-watching destinations. Along the coast of Northern Spain lies the Bay of Biscay, a gulf of the northeast Atlantic Ocean.

Boat trips from various places in Northern Spain, including Bilbao and San Sebastian, offer wildlife-watching boat trips into the Bay of Biscay. On these boat trips, you have a fantastic opportunity to spot whales, dolphins, and seabirds. You should keep your eyes peeled for the fin whale, Cuvier’s beaked whale, and the common dolphin. You can also expect panoramic views of Spain’s northern coast.

Eat in the World’s Oldest Restaurant, Madrid

Fun Facts About Spain Spain Is Home to the Oldest Restaurant in the World — © Tamorlan / Wikimedia Commons CC BY 3.0

A one-of-a-kind experience available to travelers in Spain, more specifically, the capital, Madrid, is dining in the world’s oldest restaurant. Restaurante Botín in Calle de Cuchilleros first opened its doors in 1725. It was opened by French chef Jean Botín, who ran it with his wife. It’s an excellent place to visit if you love food.

Today, the restaurant is inside a gorgeous 16th-century building near Plaza Square. Remarkably, it maintains much of its original 18th-century layout, including a firewood oven. Restaurante Botín is run by the third generation of the Gonzales family, who ensure the restaurant still specializes in its original offerings: suckling pigs and slow-cooked lamb.

Visit La Alhambra, Granada

Places To Retire in Spain Granada — © Pillerss / Adobe Stock

If you can only visit one historic landmark in Spain, it must be Alhambra in Granada. Perched upon a verdant hilltop overlooking the city, La Alhambra is a breathtaking 13th-century palace and fortress complex. It’s one of the world’s finest examples of Islamic architecture and one of the best-preserved palaces from Islamic history.

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As you explore La Alhambra, you’ll discover beautiful Renaissance architecture, vibrant gardens, intricately designed fountains, and stunning tile mosaics. The palace’s views of the surrounding landscape and city are also spectacular. Whether you’re into architecture, history, or epic views, La Alhambra is a place you don’t want to miss.

Hit the Surf in San Sebastian

San Sebastian, a resort town on the Bay of Biscay in Northern Spain, is a beautiful tourist destination famous for its pristine beaches and lively atmosphere. However, the town is most famous for its surf, which is often considered the best in Spain. Therefore, there’s no better place to catch a wave.

One of the best things about the surf in San Sebastian is that it’s one of the few places you can catch amazing waves in the heart of the city. As such, surfers can combine surfing with other fun things in the city. Multiple beaches along the city’s coastline offer excellent surfing, including Zurriola Beach, Playa de Ondarreta, and Playa de la Concha.

Ski in the Sierra Nevada Mountains

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If skiing’s more your thing, head to the Sierra Nevada Mountains in Southern Spain. A short journey from Granada and Malaga, this picturesque mountain range offers the best skiing in Spain. In the Sierra Nevada Mountains, outdoor adventurers will find numerous mountains with ski resorts, cable cars, and groomed slopes begging to be raced.

The Sierra Nevada Ski Resort is one of Europe’s widest and most appealing skiing areas. The resort offers more than 70 miles (112 kilometers) of skiable land in winter, divided into 134 slopes. The highest slope in the area is impressive, at 3,937 feet (1,200 meters). In addition to skiing, snowshoeing, snow groomer driving, ice skating, and roller coaster riding are also possible.

Party the Night Away in Ibiza

Partygoers seeking the biggest thrills in Spain don’t want to miss the Ibiza nightlife. Ibiza, one of the Balearic Islands, offers party-going travelers the opportunity to relax on postcard-perfect golden-sand beaches during the day and party hard at night. Most of the nightlife action on the island can be found in San Antonio.

The lively San Antonio Strip has restaurants, bars, and nightclubs here. This is the perfect place to stay if you want to party all night. If you’re going to experience the biggest and wildest parties in Ibiza, you must visit in July and August, the peak party season on the island. However, you’ll need plenty of money as club entry can be expensive.

Take Part in La Tomatina, Buñol

Things To Do in Spain Take Part in La Tomatina, Buñol — © SerFF79 / Adobe Stock

One of the best ways to experience a country is to participate in local festivities and events. In Spain, La Tomatina is one of the most entertaining and unique events you can join. Annually, the small town of Buñol in the Valencia province hosts the world’s largest food fight.

On the last Wednesday of August, thousands of locals and tourists take to the streets to hurl ripe tomatoes at each other. Great fun, extremely messy, colorful, and tasty, this event is a spectacle you don’t want to miss out on. It’s believed La Tomatina started after an argument broke out over a spilled vegetable stand in 1945. The argument reportedly escalated to the point those involved began throwing tomatoes at each other.

Read also: Spain’s Secret Destinations

Enjoy the Scenic Views in Ronda

12 Instagrammable Spots in Spain Ronda — © dziewul / Adobe Stock

Ronda is one of Spain’s best places to visit for many reasons. First, this charming city in southern Spain is brimming with historic architecture. Second, the Old Town is jam-packed with fascinating things to see and do. However, what we love most about Ronda is its mesmerizing landscapes. Ronda sits precariously above a canyon, offering spectacular views of the Spanish countryside.

Meanwhile, the Old Town and 15th-century New Town are separated by a deep gorge called El Tajo. As you would expect, this makes the city an excellent place to take photographs and admire the views, especially if you have a drone. Using a drone, you can capture epic panoramic pictures of the city from above, framed with the gorge and mountains.

Climb Picos de Europa, Cantabrian Mountains

Hiking enthusiasts, outdoor adventurers, and climbers will quickly fall in love with Picos de Europa, a picturesque mountain range in the Cantabrian Mountains in Northern Spain. This sprawling set of mountains, famed for their scraggy peaks, extends for approximately 12 miles (20 kilometers), offering travelers plenty of places to explore.

The Fuente Dé cable car offers impressive mountain range views while taking travelers into the heart of the mountains. From the top, hikers can explore the trekking area, and photographers can take landscape shots of the scenery. Experienced hikers and climbers seeking a challenge can take on Torre de Cerredo. At 8,690 feet (2,650 meters) tall, this is the highest peak in the Picos de Europa range.

Stroll Through Turia Gardens, Valencia

In 1957, Valencia experienced a catastrophic flood that resulted in significant damage to property and over 80 deaths. As a result, the city’s main river was diverted to a new artificial course south of the city. In its place, the Valencian government built Turia Gardens, one of Spain’s largest urban parks.

Turia Gardens is a 5.6-mile (9-kilometer) long open green space boasting leisure and sports areas, walking paths, and gardens. It’s a fabulous place to walk, relax, and unwind. It also connects many of the city’s most iconic attractions. Notable points of interest alongside the park include Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias, Serranos Towers, Porta de la Mar, and Queen Sofia Palace of Arts.