Things to Do in Spain

A 1.8-mile-long stretch of golden sand fringed by soaring sea cliffs, the picturesque setting of Famara Beach (Playa de Famara) has earned it a legion of fans, among them renowned local artist César Manrique and Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar. The dramatic surroundings make the beach extremely popular among locals, and there are ample opportunities for exploring, like walking in the sand dunes, hiking across the cliff tops of El Risco (Lanzarote’s highest peak) or tucking into fresh seafood in the traditional fishing village of Caleta de Famara.

One of the region’s most renowned producers of Catalonian specialty Cava, the Freixenet Vineyards make a popular day trip for visitors from Barcelona. Built in 1922, Freixenet was started by the Ferras and the Salas, two well-regarded winemaking families whose history of wine production dates back to the 12th century.

The Freixenet vineyards, located in Sant Sadurní d'Anoia in the legendary wine region of Altes Penedes, offer guests the chance to experience the production of the famous Freixenet cava with tours of the winery. Visitors can take a peek into the historic wine cellars, the production areas and bottling plants, where they can learn the traditional winemaking techniques that are still employed today. Most unique is the small passenger train that runs through the 20km of underground cava cellars, transporting guests to the tasting room. The grand finale of the tour, is the opportunity to taste some of the region’s most iconic sparkling wines, among which is Freixenet’s leading cava, the Carta Nevada and the popular Cordon Negro, both available for purchase from the on-site Dolores Ferrer wine shop.

You’ll be in good company drinking at Freixenet – the winemakers have been associated with a number of famous faces over the years, with the brand’s Christmas TV commercials featuring celebrities like Shakira, Antonio Banders, Demi Moore and Sharon Stone.

The shimmering panels of Bilbao’s Guggenheim Museum may capture visitors’ oohs, but it’s the giant Puppy that draws all the awes. Standing at 43 feet tall, the flower-covered topiary stands out as a colorful symbol of Spain’s fifth-largest city, and will undoubtedly capture both your heart and the attention of your camera lens.

This cuddly canine giant was created by Jeff Koons, the American artist who found fame during the 80s, particularly for his pieces that hover between pop and pure kitsch. The life of this flowery man’s best friend didn’t start in Spain, though, but rather in Germany, where it was originally commissioned for a castle. Not done with traveling, the West Highland White Terrier puppy relocated to Sydney Harbour’s Museum of Contemporary Art, and ultimately to the grounds of Bilbao’s museum, where it is now part of its permanent collection. Since then, its journey has continued, making a temporary appearance in New York’s Rockefeller Center.

These days it’s back home, though, where it has become an almost universally recognizable image of Bilbao, the Spanish industrial city that rises as an artistic and culinary metropolis. Filled with over 25 tons of soil, the chrome-and-stainless-steel structure is covered in some 70,000 blooming and growing flowers that range from marigolds to begonias, petunias, impatiens and more.