Spain

Spain fills most of the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe, with Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts and a Meseta heartland. Madrid is the capital at altitude; Barcelona, Seville, and Bilbao each argue for different lights, languages, and late nights.

Roman roads, medieval kingdoms, Islamic heritage in the south, and a modern democracy layered the plazas you wander. Sagrada Família remains Barcelona’s unfinished symphony in stone: cranes, coloured light, and a skyline that still surprises locals.

Climate splits the map: hot, dry summers inland and in the south; greener, wetter weather in the north; mild Mediterranean winters along much of the coast. Mountains and plateaus shape food and festivals as much as beaches do.

Geography made Spain a crossroads and a stage. Landmark days pair well with evening plazas when the stone finally exhales.

Social life runs late: lunch as an event, tapas as conversation, and nights that start when other cities sleep. Spanish is the main language; Catalan, Basque, and Galician matter deeply in their regions. English appears in tourist cores.

Spain uses the euro (EUR). Cards are normal; some bars still prefer cash for small tabs. When Gaudí’s interior light catches you, verify with iVisited and pin Spain to your atlas.