Spanien

Unesco World Heritage–listed Segovia has always had a whiff of legend about it, not least in the myths that the city was founded by Hercules or by the son of Noah. It may also have something to do with the fact that nowhere else in Spain is such a stunning monument to Roman grandeur (the soaring aqueduct) surviving in the heart of a vibrant modern city. Or maybe it's because art really has imitated life Segovia-style – Walt Disney is said to have modelled Sleeping Beauty's castle in California's Disneyland on Segovia's Alcázar. Whatever it is, the effect is stunning: a magical city of warm terracotta and sandstone hues set amid the rolling hills of Castilla, against the backdrop of the Sierra de Guadarrama.

Long, wide beaches and relatively calm (if cold) waters have made the Rías Baixas (Castilian: Rías Bajas) Galicia's most popular holiday destination. The Rías de Muros y Noia, de Arousa, de Pontevedra and de Vigo – Galicia's four longest rías (coastal inlets) – boast way more towns, villages, hotels and restaurants than other stretches of the Galician coast, which obscures some of their natural beauty. Still, the mix of pretty villages, sandy beaches and good eating options, especially the wonderful seafood, keep most people happy. Throw in lovely old Pontevedra, the big-city feel of lively Vigo, the quaint albariño wine capital Cambados and trips to offshore islands including the magnificent Illas Cíes, and you have a tempting travel cocktail.

Toledo is truly one of Spain's most magnificent cities. Dramatically sited atop a gorge overlooking the Río Tajo, it was known as the ‘city of three cultures’ in the Middle Ages, a place where – legend has it – Christian, Muslim and Jewish communities peacefully coexisted. Unsurprisingly, rediscovering the vestiges of this unique cultural synthesis remains modern Toledo’s most compelling attraction. Horseshoe-arched mosques, Sephardic synagogues and one of Spain’s finest Gothic cathedrals cram into its dense historical core. But the layers go much deeper. Further sleuthing will reveal Visigothic and Roman roots. Toledo’s other forte is art, in particular the haunting canvases of El Greco, the influential, impossible-to-classify painter with whom the city is synonymous. Though it's justifiably popular with day trippers, try to stay overnight to really appreciate the city in all its haunting glory.

Madrids matscen blomstrar. Här är stadens bästa restauranger enligt spansksvenska kocken Birgit Martin Malmcrona.

Strandliv, säger du. Skidåkning, tycker din resvän. Varför inte både och, föreslår vi. Följ med på en resa som blandar varma vårvindar vid Medelhavet med nysnö i Pyrenéerna.

Ett nytt snabbtåg med premiär 2019 ska ta passagerare mellan de båda städerna på tre timmar. Priset blir cirka 25 procent lägre än kostnaden för motsvarande tågbiljetter idag, skriver Lonely Planet.

15 000 kvadratmeter vit sand och turkosblått vatten – nästan 300 kilometer från närmaste kust. 2020 är det tänkt att de första badgästerna ska kunna besöka Europas största konstgjorda strand som planeras i den spanska kommunen Alovera.

L'Eixample, or El Ensanche, means the 'expansion' and was developed once Valencia got too big for its old walled town. Laid out in the 19th century, it's a zone of elegant streets and wide avenues, replete with upmarket shopping and eating options. In the south of this zone, in the dry Turia riverbed, are the otherworldly buildings of the fabulous Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias, one of Valencia's major highlights.

Spanning a broad swath of suburbs west of the old town, this neighbourhood has varied attractions. At the western end of the Turia riverbed, the Bioparc zoo presents African animals in innovative ways, while the history museum gives an overview of the city's past. Various park spaces across the area give the chance for a pleasant time out from urban life.

The island's spectacular southern reaches include Ibiza's highest peak (Sa Talaiassa; 475m), its most beautiful snow-white-sand beaches and the enigmatic, enticing southwest islet of Es Vedrà. It's a region of legends, both ancient and modern, with a contemporary clifftop art installation called Stonehenge and the mystical sight of Atlantis. Factor in the world-renowned clubs of Platja d'en Bossa, some top-notch restaurants and bombastic beach bars, and the glistening salt flats of the World Heritage–listed Parc Natural de Ses Salines, and the allure of Ibiza's south is unique.