Spain
Kingdom of Spain
Southern Europe · ESP
Editorial Snapshot
Why Go To Spain
Spain is one of Europe's easiest all-round picks for travelers who want food, culture, good tourism infrastructure, and enough regional variety to justify repeat visits. You can build a trip around big cities, coastlines, architecture, or slower inland routes without sacrificing convenience.
Popular For
Things To See
- Barcelona
- Madrid
- Seville
- Granada
- Sagrada Familia
- Alhambra
Best Months
Know Before You Go
- Late spring and early fall are strong shoulder-season windows for city and coast combinations.
- Spain works especially well as a multi-city rail trip.
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Flights
Hotels & Accommodations
Compare stays across major booking options
Open hotel and accommodation options for Spain.
Guidebooks
Rick Steves Spain
Rick Steves
Expert-guided Spain travel with strategic itineraries, cultural insights, and practical advice.
View on Amazon →Lonely Planet Spain
Lonely Planet
Detailed guide with itineraries covering Madrid, Barcelona, and regional highlights.
View on Amazon →DK Eyewitness Spain
DK Eyewitness
Visually rich guide with detailed maps, photos, and cultural information for Spanish regions.
View on Amazon →Tours & Activities
Country Data
Stats At A Glance
Practical travel, safety, climate, and quality-of-life stats for Spain.
Quick Facts
- Capital
- Madrid
- Population
- 49,315,949
- Area
- 505,992 km²
- Region
- Southern Europe
Languages
- Catalan
- Basque
- Galician
- Spanish
Currency
euro (€)
EUR
1 USD = 0.85 EUR
Cost of Living (World Bank)
60.8
Price level index (US = 100)
- Groceries
- 50.6
- Restaurants
- 55.1
- Rent
- 23.2
Safety & Peace
higher score = safer everyday environment · derived from World Bank homicide data
lower score = more peaceful · 1.0–3.5 scale
Monthly Climate Averages
These weather averages are based on data for Madrid (40.40°N, 3.68°W).
LGBTQ+ Friendly
86/100
Traveler LGBTQ score
- Legal protections
- 95/100
- Lived safety
- 69/100
This traveler-facing score is lower than the legal protections score because lived-safety context is weaker, based on broader traveler safety and development conditions.
This score blends legal protections with lived-safety context so strong laws alone do not automatically push a country to the top of the ranking.
- Homosexuality legal✅
- Relationship recognitionMarriage
- Adoption recognition✅
- Anti-discrimination laws✅
- Employment protections✅
- Legal gender recognition✅
- Conversion therapy ban✅
Human Development Index (UNDP)
0.918
Very high human development
- 5-year change
- +0.013
- 10-year change
- +0.032
- Trend
- improving
- Data year
- 2023
- Gender Dev. Index (GDI)
- 0.989
- Gender Inequality Index (GII)
- 0.043
- Planetary-adjusted HDI (PHDI)
- 0.818
UNESCO World Heritage Sites (50)
- 🏛️
Talayotic Menorca
Inscribed 2023
- 🏛️
Paseo del Prado and Buen Retiro, a landscape of Arts and Sciences
Inscribed 2021
- 🏛️
Risco Caido and the Sacred Mountains of Gran Canaria Cultural Landscape
Inscribed 2019
- 🏛️
Caliphate City of Medina Azahara
Inscribed 2018
- 🏛️
Antequera Dolmens Site
Inscribed 2016
- 🏛️
Heritage of Mercury. Almadén and Idrija
Inscribed 2012
- 🏛️
Cultural Landscape of the Serra de Tramuntana
Inscribed 2011
- 🏛️
Tower of Hercules
Inscribed 2009
- 🌿
Teide National Park
Inscribed 2007
- 🌿
Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe
Inscribed 2007
- 🏛️
Vizcaya Bridge
Inscribed 2006
- 🏛️
Renaissance Monumental Ensembles of Úbeda and Baeza
Inscribed 2003
- 🏛️
Aranjuez Cultural Landscape
Inscribed 2001
- 🏛️
Roman Walls of Lugo
Inscribed 2000
- 🏛️
Catalan Romanesque Churches of the Vall de Boí
Inscribed 2000
- 🏛️
Palmeral of Elche
Inscribed 2000
- 🏛️
Archaeological Site of Atapuerca
Inscribed 2000
- 🏛️
Archaeological Ensemble of Tarraco
Inscribed 2000
- 🏛️
San Cristóbal de La Laguna
Inscribed 1999
- 🌍
Ibiza, Biodiversity and Culture
Inscribed 1999
- 🏛️
Prehistoric Rock Art Sites in the Côa Valley and Siega Verde
Inscribed 1998
- 🏛️
Rock Art of the Mediterranean Basin on the Iberian Peninsula
Inscribed 1998
- 🏛️
University and Historic Precinct of Alcalá de Henares
Inscribed 1998
- 🏛️
Las Médulas
Inscribed 1997
- 🌍
Pyrénées - Mont Perdu
Inscribed 1997
- 🏛️
San Millán Yuso and Suso Monasteries
Inscribed 1997
- 🏛️
Palau de la Música Catalana and Hospital de Sant Pau, Barcelona
Inscribed 1997
- 🏛️
La Lonja de la Seda de Valencia
Inscribed 1996
- 🏛️
Historic Walled Town of Cuenca
Inscribed 1996
- 🌿
Doñana National Park
Inscribed 1994
- 🏛️
Routes of Santiago de Compostela: Camino Francés and Routes of Northern Spain
Inscribed 1993
- 🏛️
Archaeological Ensemble of Mérida
Inscribed 1993
- 🏛️
Royal Monastery of Santa María de Guadalupe
Inscribed 1993
- 🏛️
Poblet Monastery
Inscribed 1991
- 🏛️
Old City of Salamanca
Inscribed 1988
- 🏛️
Cathedral, Alcázar and Archivo de Indias in Seville
Inscribed 1987
- 🏛️
Mudejar Architecture of Aragon
Inscribed 1986
- 🌿
Garajonay National Park
Inscribed 1986
- 🏛️
Old Town of Cáceres
Inscribed 1986
- 🏛️
Historic City of Toledo
Inscribed 1986
- 🏛️
Monuments of Oviedo and the Kingdom of the Asturias
Inscribed 1985
- 🏛️
Santiago de Compostela (Old Town)
Inscribed 1985
- 🏛️
Old Town of Segovia and its Aqueduct
Inscribed 1985
- 🏛️
Cave of Altamira and Paleolithic Cave Art of Northern Spain
Inscribed 1985
- 🏛️
Old Town of Ávila with its Extra-Muros Churches
Inscribed 1985
- 🏛️
Burgos Cathedral
Inscribed 1984
- 🏛️
Historic Centre of Cordoba
Inscribed 1984
- 🏛️
Monastery and Site of the Escurial, Madrid
Inscribed 1984
- 🏛️
Alhambra, Generalife and Albayzín, Granada
Inscribed 1984
- 🏛️
Works of Antoni Gaudí
Inscribed 1984
Natural Beauty (World Bank)
- Protected land area
- 28.1%
- Forest cover
- 37.2%
Source: World Bank.
Wildlife & Birdwatching
- Threatened mammal species (IUCN)
- 18
- Threatened bird species (IUCN)
- 24
Source: World Bank / IUCN Red List. Higher counts indicate richer biodiversity, typically in tropical rainforest, island, and savannah ecosystems.
Food & Cuisine
75/100
Food and dining score
Built from two layers: dining-scene breadth and open prestige signals. We combine restaurant density, cuisine diversity, distinguished restaurants, and gastronomy-city recognitions from open data sources.
Winter Sports
54/100
Ski infrastructure & alpine pedigree
Combines ski resort depth, ski resort density, and Winter Olympic skiing results. Separate from climate comfort.
Luxury Infrastructure
84/100
Luxury & premium accommodation score
Based on OpenStreetMap luxury hotel density and World Bank international tourism receipts.
US Travel Advisory
Exercise increased cautionin Spain due to terrorism and unrest. Terrorist groups continue plotting possible attacks in Spain. Terrorists may attack with little or no warning and target: Tourist locations Transportation centers like airports and train stations Markets and shopping malls Local government facilities Hotels, clubs, and restaurants Places of worship and educational institutions Parks Major sporting and cultural events Demonstrations are common. They may take place in response to political or economic issues, on politically significant holidays, and during international events.
Read full advisory →Data current as of May 2026 and subject to change. Travel advisory information is sourced from the U.S. State Department and reflects conditions at the time of data collection, not real-time conditions. Do not rely solely on this information for travel decisions. Always check current government advisories for your nationality. Terms of Use · About our data