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Oceanogràfic, Valencia

Huge aquarium in the City of Arts and Sciences, with ocean worlds from the Arctic to the tropics and a long underwater tunnel where sharks swim above you.

🕘 Best time

Weekdays at opening at 10 am; midday and weekends are busier.

📍 Where

Valencia, Ciutat de les Arts i de les Ciències; metro or bus from the old town

💡 Tip

Buy tickets online and find a seat early for the dolphin show. Plan at least three to four hours.

half dayall ages€€€book onlineSource

Rowing boats in the Retiro, Madrid

Rent a rowing boat on the big lake in Retiro Park and row past the Alfonso XII monument. Each boat takes up to four people.

🕘 Best time

Weekday mornings are quieter and cheaper. There is a lunch break between 2 pm and a quarter past three, very Spanish.

📍 Where

Madrid, Parque del Retiro, Estanque Grande; metro Retiro

💡 Tip

A ride lasts forty-five minutes. Children under fourteen only with an adult. You can book via the Madrid Móvil app.

one hourall ages€Source

CosmoCaixa, Barcelona

Hands-on science museum. The highlight is the flooded Amazon forest under glass, with caimans, piranhas and birds.

🕘 Best time

Weekday mornings; usually closed on Mondays.

📍 Where

Barcelona, Carrer d’Isaac Newton, above the city; FGC to Avinguda Tibidabo, then uphill on foot

💡 Tip

Under-sixteens get in free. Book the planetarium separately online, weekends fill up fast.

half dayall ages€rainy daySource

PortAventura Park, Salou

Big theme park on the Costa Daurada with six themed worlds, from roller coasters for teens to the Sesame Street area SésamoAventura for little ones.

🕘 Best time

Seasonal park, usually from spring to early winter. Weekdays outside the summer holidays have shorter queues.

📍 Where

Salou near Tarragona, about an hour south of Barcelona; PortAventura station

💡 Tip

With toddlers, head to SésamoAventura first and do the big rides in the afternoon. Check opening days in advance.

full dayall ages€€€book onlineSource

Alhambra, Granada

Moorish palace city above Granada with the Nasrid Palaces, the Generalife gardens and the Alcazaba fortress.

🕘 Best time

The first morning slot from half past eight; in summer go early or book the night visit to the palaces.

📍 Where

Granada, on the hill above the old town; minibus from Plaza Nueva

💡 Tip

Book only on the official site, often weeks ahead. Your Nasrid Palaces time is fixed: be there at least half an hour early, it is about a twenty-minute walk from the entrance.

three to five hoursall ages€€book earlySource

Sagrada Família, Barcelona

Gaudí’s basilica, under construction since eighteen eighty-two. Inside, coloured light falls through the windows into a forest of columns.

🕘 Best time

Early morning; there is often a quiet hour between 9 and 10 am. In the afternoon the warm-coloured west windows glow.

📍 Where

Barcelona, Eixample; metro Sagrada Família

💡 Tip

Tickets are online only with a fixed time. Children must be six or older to go up the towers.

two hoursall ages€€€book onlineSource

Mezquita-Catedral, Córdoba

Former mosque with a forest of red-and-white arches and a cathedral in the middle.

🕘 Best time

Monday to Saturday from 8:30 to 9:30: free entry and hardly any groups.

📍 Where

Córdoba, old town near the Roman Bridge

💡 Tip

Silence is required in the early hour, perfect for marvelling. Children under ten always enter free.

one hourall agesfree earlySource

Real Alcázar, Seville

Royal palace with tiled halls, pools and large gardens. The Kingdom of Dorne from Game of Thrones was filmed here.

🕘 Best time

At opening in the morning, and in summer definitely before the midday heat.

📍 Where

Seville, next to the cathedral; entrance at Puerta del León

💡 Tip

Buy a timed ticket online. The gardens offer shade and a hedge maze for the kids.

two hoursall ages€€book onlineSource

La Pepica, Valencia

Paella restaurant right on Valencia’s beach promenade, since eighteen ninety-eight. The pan comes to the table for at least two people.

🕘 Best time

Lunch around 2 pm, like the locals. In Valencia, paella is a lunchtime dish.

📍 Where

Valencia, Avenida Neptuno at Las Arenas beach; tram to the coast

💡 Tip

Book a table and be patient: paella takes at least forty-five minutes. The kids can play on the beach meanwhile.

two hoursall ages€€reserveSource

Mercado Central, Valencia

Art Nouveau market hall with a dome and colourful tiles. Fruit, ham, olives, saffron and rice for paella at home.

🕘 Best time

Mornings, Monday to Saturday; closed on Sundays.

📍 Where

Valencia, old town, Plaza del Mercado opposite the Lonja

💡 Tip

Order a late breakfast, the esmorzaret, at Central Bar. Ask the stallholders before taking photos.

one hourall ages€Source

Chocolatería San Ginés, Madrid

Serving churros to dip in thick hot chocolate since eighteen ninety-four.

🕘 Best time

Afternoon snack time or very early in the morning; open around the clock.

📍 Where

Madrid, Pasadizo de San Ginés, a few minutes from Puerta del Sol

💡 Tip

The queue outside usually moves fast. Besides thin churros there are porras, the thick ones.

half an hourall ages€Source

Free tapas in Granada

In Granada a tapa comes with every drink, usually at no extra cost. A round of bars turns into a whole dinner.

🕘 Best time

Evenings from about 8 pm, when the bars fill up; locals come later.

📍 Where

Granada, Calle Navas and Calle Elvira in the centre, Realejo district

💡 Tip

Well-known spots: Los Diamantes for fried fish, Bar Ávila in Realejo since nineteen sixty-seven. Kids often get a tapa with their juice too.

two hoursall ages€Source

Teide National Park, Tenerife

Spain’s highest mountain is a volcano. The cable car takes you almost to the summit in eight minutes.

🕘 Best time

First cable car from 9 am; the Canaries are the winter escape when it is cold at home.

📍 Where

Tenerife, Canary Islands; by rental car up from the coast

💡 Tip

Children under three are not allowed on the cable car. It often closes in wind, so keep a spare day. More tips on the Tenerife page.

half dayage three and up€€Source

Playa de las Catedrales, Galicia

At low tide you walk between giant rock arches and caves on the Atlantic. At high tide the beach is under water.

🕘 Best time

Only around low tide; check the tide table. Quieter in June and in autumn.

📍 Where

Ribadeo, Lugo province, on the north coast

💡 Tip

During Holy Week and from July to September you need a free booking on the Xunta portal, and slots go fast. The clifftop viewpoints need no booking.

two hoursall agesfreebook in summerSource

La Concha and Monte Igueldo, San Sebastián

City beach in a round bay. The old funicular takes you up Monte Igueldo to a small amusement park overlooking the bay.

🕘 Best time

In summer, when the south is too hot; go up the hill for sunset.

📍 Where

San Sebastián, Basque Country; funicular station at Ondarreta beach

💡 Tip

The funicular has run since nineteen twelve. At the top there are vintage rides that little ones love.

half dayall ages€Source

Caminito del Rey, near Málaga

A wooden boardwalk clings to the cliffs of a narrow gorge high above the river. Almost eight kilometres in total including access paths.

🕘 Best time

Spring and autumn, in the morning; in summer the gorge gets very hot.

📍 Where

Between Ardales and El Chorro, about an hour north of Málaga

💡 Tip

Minimum age eight, with ID. Book timed tickets online. A shuttle bus links start and finish; bring cash.

three to four hoursage eight and up€book onlineSource