Esme Fox

Spain’s third largest city can really hold its own against Madrid and Barcelona. It’s the birthplace of paella, home to futuristic architectural constructions and has miles of golden beaches.  Spend your days discovering beautiful cathedrals, tucking into tapas and admiring street art, and your evenings sampling cocktails and visiting the bars in El Carmen and beyond. Whatever your vibe, Valencia has something for you. Here are the best things to do while you’re here.  RECOMMENDED:🏖 The best beaches in Valencia🛏 The best Airbnbs in Valencia🏨 The best hotels in Valencia🇪🇸 The essential guide to Spain This guide was recently updated by Esme Fox, a writer based in Barcelona, Spain. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. This guide includes affiliate links, which have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines. 

A much-loved European holiday destination all the way back to the 1960s, Benidorm has quite the reputation. Love it or hate it, this city is iconic enough to have TV shows made about it (yes, we’re talking about the 2007 sitcom), and get nearly 900,000 Brits flocking there every year.  But whatever your preconceptions about one of Spain’s top holiday hotspots are, this resort town is sure to surprise. Find a lively nightlife scene, a very charming old town, and some of the loveliest golden beaches in Spain, alongside skyscraper hotels which are backed by rugged mountains full of superb hiking and biking trails. Essentially, there’s tons to get stuck into. Here are the best things to do in Benidorm.  RECOMMENDED:📍 The best things to do in Spain⛰️ The most beautiful sights in Spain🏖️ Europe's best city breaks for 2024 Esme Fox is a writer based in Barcelona, Spain. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. This guide includes affiliate links, which have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines. 

Spain is stuffed full of incredible places to visit, but don’t overlook Bilbao. This Basque Country gem is a buzzing, gleaming city, as suited to a casual wonder and explore as it is to a strictly packed three-day itinerary. From its glorious Guggenheim to its tasty pintxos (Bilbao’s tapas), Bilbao strikes a balance between a number of contrasts; cosmopolitan and traditional, wild and super chilled, sophisticated and daring. From culture to food and markets to viewpoints, here are the best things to do in brilliant Bilbao. Should I go for Bilbao or San Sebastián? People often have to choose between here and San Sebastián, but if you want a cheaper, more classic city break (without the sunbathing), go for Bilbao. The best part is that you don’t really have to choose: you can get a coach from one to the other for about a fiver, and it takes less than an hour.  RECOMMENDED: 🇪🇸 The best places to visit in Spain📍 The best things to do in Spain🛏 The best hotels in Spain😋 The best restaurants in Spain This guide was recently updated by Esme Fox, a writer based in Barcelona, Spain. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. This guide includes affiliate links, which have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines. 

Spain is the second-most visited country in the world after France and many of its major cities and islands have been suffering from overtourism. This summer, locals have even taken to the streets in a series of anti-tourism protests in Barcelona, Málaga, Mallorca, the Canary Islands and more.  Thankfully Spain is a vast country, with plenty of fascinating cities to discover away from the main tourist trails (and without the crowds). From UNESCO World Heritage sites and sustainable cities to Gothic architecture and foodie havens, here are some of its most underrated spots.  RECOMMENDED:☀️ The best places to visit in Spain🌊 The best beaches in Spain🦐 The best restaurants in Spain🎭 The best things to do in Spain This list was written by Esme Fox, a writer based in Barcelona, Spain. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. This guide includes affiliate links, which have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines.