Things to Do in Spain's Cities: Old Towns and Coast

A practical order for a day in A Coruña: the white glass galleries of La Marina, Plaza María Pita, the Romanesque church of Santiago, the gardens facing San Antón castle, and the separate seafront leg out to the Torre de Hércules.

Alcúdia rewards a half-day on foot: two rings of walls around the old town, the Roman city of Pollentia just outside, and a coast that starts at Port d'Alcúdia. Here is how the parts fit together, what to see in order, and the trade-offs worth knowing before you go.

Alicante fits into a day on foot if you focus on the castle, the Santa Cruz quarter and the seafront, with MARQ and the island of Tabarca as the two halves that need booking out separately. This guide groups the sights by area, names the plazas and museums, and explains how the old town is laid out.

Almería's essentials fit into two dense clusters: the Alcazaba hill with the Muralla de Jayrán, and the old town around the Cathedral-Fortress. Add the Civil War shelters, the archaeological museum and the Cable Inglés waterfront, and a short break fills easily.

Arrecife rewards half a day rather than a quick pass on the road north: two small fortresses, a lagoon ringed by whitewashed houses and a compact old town you can cross on foot, with the seafront tying it all together.

Burgos packs its heavyweights into one walkable old town: the UNESCO cathedral, the Arco de Santa María, the Cid statue and bridge, and the river promenade. The Atapuerca museum and the castle viewpoints fill a second day, and two monasteries sit outside the centre.

Cáceres packs its best sights into one walled medieval quarter: the Plaza Mayor and Torre de Bujaco, the Arco de la Estrella, the Concatedral de Santa María, a cluster of noble palaces and two museums of very different eras. This guide groups them by plaza so you can walk a logical loop, then adds the climb, the cost questions and the out-of-town add-ons.

Ciutadella packs its sights into a compact historic centre ringed by a Ronda, with the old port a short walk downhill. Here is how to group Plaça des Born, the cathedral lanes and the town's museums into a plan that works on foot, and how the weekly rhythm of market day and siesta hours shapes a visit.

Dénia's sights stack up neatly: the castle and its archaeology museum on the hill, narrow old-town lanes below it, the Baix la Mar fishermen's quarter by the port, and the Montgó rising behind. This guide groups them by area so you can build a route, with the castle, the lanes and the port as the core of a single day.

Girona packs a cathedral with the world's widest Gothic nave, a Roman-founded old town, medieval walls you can walk and a tangle of Jewish-quarter lanes into a compact centre. This guide groups the sights by area, says which carry a ticket and how much, and shows how to shape a day or a short break on foot.

Ibiza Town fits into a morning and an afternoon: enter Dalt Vila through the Portal de Ses Taules, climb to the cathedral by way of two small museums on Carrer Major, and finish at the Santa Lucía bastion over the harbour.

Jerez packs an Almohad fortress, a hybrid cathedral, two flamenco quarters, cloisters, a riding school and sherry bodegas into a compact old town. This guide groups the sights by quarter so you can walk between them, explains what each visit actually contains, and sets out how the pieces fit a short break without a car.

Las Palmas splits neatly in two: the stone lanes and plazas of Vegueta and Triana, and the ocean promenade at Las Canteras. Start in the old town while it is cool, then head for the Atlantic in the afternoon.

Málaga's best sights sit on one short slope: the Roman theatre, the Alcazaba, Gibralfaro above and the cathedral beside them. This guide groups them by area, with ticket prices, opening hours, free-entry windows, a one-day route and the trade-offs worth knowing before a short break.

Murcia packs a baroque cathedral, a lavish Casino, two absorbing museums and a string of plazas and river gardens into a walkable centre. This guide groups the sights by area, separates the central monuments from the Fuensanta and Monteagudo trips outside town, and shows how the pieces fit a short break.

Start with the Balcón de Europa, then walk the old town streets around it: Calle del Salón, Calle Carabeo and its miradors. Book the Cueva de Nerja separately, add the churches, the Museo de Nerja and the Verano Azul landmarks, and you have a full day without backtracking.

Oviedo packs its best sights into a compact old town: the cathedral and its Cámara Santa, two strong museums, a handful of handsome plazas and a park. The pre-Romanesque churches sit outside the centre and need transport. Here is how the pieces fit together on a short break.

Palma's essentials fit into one well-ordered day: the old-town lanes around Plaça Major, the cathedral of La Seu, the Almudaina palace and the circular Gothic castle of Bellver. This guide groups them by area, notes the free-entry slots that exist, and shows how the city slots into a Mallorca short break.

Pamplona's sights sit almost entirely inside its medieval walls, so a single day covers the core: the Plaza del Castillo, the Ayuntamiento facade, the bull-run streets, the Ciudadela and the bastions. This guide groups them by area, adds the cathedral quarter, churches, museums and parks, and explains how the traffic-restricted centre and Renfe routes shape a short break.

Puerto de la Cruz fits into a single day on foot if you group it by area: the old town lanes around the Plaza del Charco, the La Ranilla neighbourhood, and the cliff path towards Playa El Bollullo. Here is how the pieces fit together, what the black volcanic sand really looks like, and where the town's Agatha Christie theme stops and the actual sights begin.

Ronda's sights cluster on either side of the Tajo gorge, joined by three bridges. This guide groups the Puente Nuevo, La Ciudad old town, the Arab Baths, the church of Santa María la Mayor, Mondragón, the bullring and the cliff-edge miradors into a walking order, with a separate trip out to Roman Acinipo.

Salamanca's monuments sit close enough to string into one walking loop from the Plaza Mayor, taking in the Casa de las Conchas, the university, both cathedrals, Casa Lis and the Roman bridge. Here is the order that works, the smaller stops most lists miss, and the trade-offs to expect.

Santa Cruz de Tenerife rewards a day on foot: a plaza cluster around Plaza de España, a morning-only market, a pedestrian shopping street and a coast run out to San Andrés. Here is how the city is laid out, what to see in each part and how it fits a short break.

Santander rewards a short break: a compact historic centre around the Alameda, a resort quarter at El Sardinero and a green peninsula between them. This guide groups the sights into three walkable zones, names the easily missed stops and shows how to order a half-day, a full day or two days on foot around the bay.

Santiago de Compostela compresses into a few walkable streets: the cathedral and its four squares, the old town lanes, the market, two museums and a handful of viewpoints. This guide groups them by area, explains how the city is laid out and helps you decide what earns a place on a short break.

Segovia's three anchor sights sit within a compact walled old town, so a morning from the aqueduct to the Alcázar covers the essentials. Here is where to stand, what needs a ticket, which Romanesque churches to prioritise, what a guided walk includes and what things cost in euros.

Sitges packs a working old town, a baroque church on a rock above the sea, two museums built around Santiago Rusiñol and a long seafront promenade into a compact centre you can cross on foot. This guide groups the sights by area, explains how the modernista streets near the station fit the walk, and sets out a sample day.

Sóller rewards a half-day in the town alone: Plaça de la Constitució, the parish church of Sant Bartomeu, modernista houses such as Ca'n Prunera, and a short walk to Biniaraix. Add the tram to Port de Sóller and the day becomes full. This guide orders the sights by walking route from the square, explains the wooden train and tram as transport rather than photo stops, and sets out how a short break splits between town, port and valley.

Tarragona packs a Roman amphitheatre above the sea, a chariot circus, the oldest Roman walls outside Italy and a cathedral on the hill into one compact centre. This guide groups the sights by area so you can plan a walking order, with ticket prices, free-entry slots and the Balcó del Mediterrani for a free view.

Toledo packs a cathedral, a fortress, two synagogues, a mosque-church and a ring of river miradors into one tight meander. Here is how the sights group by area, which layers of the city to prioritise on a short break, and where the crowds gather.

Zaragoza packs a Roman theatre, a baroque basilica, a mudéjar cathedral and a Moorish palace into a flat, walkable centre on the Ebro. This guide groups the sights in walking order, gives the Aljafería entry price and free slots, and explains how Monday closure patterns and midday heat shape a two-day plan.