Things to Do in Spain

To look up - and up - at the Real Fábrica de Tabacos is to get a sense of the scale of Seville's tobacco industry in the 18th century. This is one of the largest buildings in Spain (only El Escorial tops it in terms of surface area). It's used as a university building now, but you can still walk around it. 

The reason most people visit is to get a vision of Bizet's doomed heroine, Carmen. This building is where she worked and these doors are where she lounged, fresh from rolling cigars on her thighs, to ensnare her lovers.

Carmen's wraith may be compelling, but the wraiths of the real cigar workers - nearly all of them women - also clamor for attention, as do the colonially themed bas-reliefs on the outside of the building. 

All too often overlooked in favor of the nearby Royal Palace gardens, the Royal Botanic Garden, or Real Jardín Botánico, is an exquisite pocket of greenery, showcasing over 5,000 different plant species. Situated next door to the Prado museum, the Botanic Garden was designed in 1755 by architects Francisco Sabatini and Juan de Villanueva under commission from Ferdinand VI, and makes a tranquil picnic spot for those visiting the museum.

Stretching over 20 acres, the garden manages to cram an impressive variety of trees, plants and flowers within its walls, featuring native plant varieties that span 5 continents. As you stroll through the three terraced gardens, keep an eye out for pomegranate trees, South African irises, Japanese raisin trees, Chinese peonies and a wide selection of Bonsais. Those intrigued in learning more about the world’s varied plant life will find plenty to look at in the three exhibition greenhouses, mimicking tropical, humid and desert climates, as well as the exhibit of medicinal plants and herbs.

It’s not just the plants that deserve a mention – the beautifully landscaped garden boasts a number of design features. Highlights include the ornate Puerta de Murillo and the Puerta del Rey gates; the central Villanueva Pavilion; and the Classical Romantic Garden, which features a duck pond and scores of colorful wild roses.

Sacromonte is traditionally Granada's Gitano quarter, and these days, it is the epicenter of the city's flamenco scene. Spilling down the sides of its hill (the 'sacred mountain' of the same name; the district is actually named after the Sacromonte Abbey), the area has been extensively commercialized, but still has plenty of magic. At dusk, with the lights twinkling and the Alhambra views, it's hard to resist.

One of the many formal gardens encircling Madrid’s magnificent Royal Oriente Palace, the Sabatini Gardens, or Les Jardines de Sabatini, lie on the northern border of the palace grounds. Named in honor of the renowned 18th-century Italian architect, Francesco Sabatini, who designed the former royal stables that once stood on the plot, the gardens were opened to the public in 1978 by King Juan Carlos I and drew wide acclaim for their innovative Neoclassic style. Set around a monumental pond and fountain, the Sabatini Gardens feature a maze of sculpted hedges fashioned into elaborate geometrical patterns that look even more impressive from overhead.

The idyllic gardens are a popular spot for locals and tourists to relax, with plenty of shaded picnic spots tucked beneath the many pine and cypress trees. One of the most notable features are the fantastic views of the palace, accessed by a grand stone staircase at the foot of the garden. From across the central pond, the rear of palace is a picture of perfect symmetry, dramatically framed by trees and casting shimmering reflections on the water.

One of the most atmospheric times to visit is during the summer Los Veranos de la Villa festival, when the Sabatini Gardens and the Casa de Campo park host a series of open-air music concerts, theater, cinema showings and Flamenco performances.

Madrid's Royal Palace (also known as the Palacio Real or Palacio de Oriente) is a beautiful baroque structure with some 3,000 rooms, making it one of Europe's largest castles. Although the royal family no longer lives here, the Palacio Real still serves as the king and queen's official residence, a venue for state ceremonies, and a place for tourists to get a peek into the royal history of Spain.

Sitting underneath the Alcazaba (fortified citadel), the Roman theater is Málaga’s oldest monument and was built during the reign of Emperor Augustus. It was at the cultural heart of the city for 300 years until the Moors began to plunder the stone to build the Alcazaba between the eighth and 11th centuries; Roman columns taken from the theater can clearly be seen in the Puerta de las Columnas (gate of the columns) at the entrance to the citadel. The theater was abandoned, buried and forgotten for centuries before finally being rediscovered in 1951 during a civic construction project.

After decades of restoration work, the theater stands proud once more; it measures 102 ft (31 m) across and 52 (16 m) in height; the stage, orchestra pit, entrance gateways and crescent-shaped, tiered auditorium – which seats 220 spectators – have all been carefully resurrected. It was re-opened in 2011 and entrance is through an Interpretation Center, which details the story of the theater’s long history and its rebirth through interactive displays. Pottery artifacts uncovered during excavation are also on display here. In summer the theater provides an atmospheric venue for a program of open-air concerts and plays.