Points of interest Spain: Tourism & Monuments

Practical information : Sightseeing Spain

Timetable

Museums are often closed on Mondays. Some monuments are open intermittently, but most open from 10am to 1pm and from 4pm to 8pm, 1 hour later in summer. The variations are greater in the smaller villages, so it is best to check their precise opening hours, often updated on their website. They are most visited in the morning, especially by groups. Prefer the afternoon if you want to be more quiet. Off-season, access is faster. Beware of the closing hours of the ticket offices, often from ½ hour to ¾ of an hour before the closing of the place.

To be booked

An entrance to the Alhambra in Granada must be booked as far in advance as possible before your arrival, as the number of entrances is limited and the monument attracts several million visitors per year. The same is true for the Caminito del Rey, in the province of Malaga. Both of these reservations can only be made online. In general, booking your entrance online is more than advisable for the most visited monuments of the big cities. It will help you avoid queues and sometimes gives you access to discounts. Whatever the place, if you want a guided tour in French (city tour, visit to a bodega...), you will have to book a few days in advance to have a French speaking guide.

Budget & Tips

Many cities offer passes that include several visits. Before buying them, make sure you intend to and will have time to visit everything. Municipal museums are often free for EU residents. And many monuments offer free days or half-days and advertise this on their websites. However, remember to book in advance, if possible in the morning, as the number of entries will be limited anyway. As for reduced rates, there are always special rates for students, young children, seniors and sometimes "family" tickets. Ask about the free evening events.

Main events

In the spring, Holy Week is the major event in all of Spain, with different variations in each region and city. And in many regions, the feria, follows and comes to animate the cities, from April to September. In general, find out about regional festivities that are also an opportunity to immerse yourself in local cultures, San fermines, romerías, patron saints or even gastronomic festivals or grape harvests. Not to mention festivals such as the film festivals in San Sebastián or Malaga. Summer is the time to attend concerts or open-air cinema sessions, which are becoming more and more popular. They are usually held in beautiful architectural or landscaped spaces. Christmas will bring its cohort of markets, most often dedicated to nativity scenes, before going to celebrate the last night(noche vieja) following the rite of a grape at each bell and ending it with a fireworks display. Please note that the monuments are closed on Christmas and New Year's Day.

Guided tours

In the big cities, many agencies offer either classic tours (main points of the city) or, more and more, thematic tours (gardens, neighborhoods, tapas or street art itineraries...) as well as different ways of discovering the city: by foot, by Segway, by bike, by boat... Some smaller cities and villages also organize guided tours, free or paid, in Spanish and especially on weekends. Check with your local tourist office to see if there are any such tours, and they will also tell you about the theatrical tours that are also becoming more common. These tours are conducted in Spanish, but they allow you to discover the area in an unexpected way that can be enjoyed by everyone, including children. If there is an audio guide in a monument or museum, don't hesitate to use it, because explanations in French, in situ, are rather rare.

Tourist traps

Beware of the "information points" or "tourist information" that have sometimes multiplied in the most strategic places in the city center. Avoid them at all costs. They are more likely to sell you turnkey tours or direct you to friendly companies. The good contacts are the tourist offices of the municipality or the region, free, well documented and with very good advice, very often in French.

Tourist Attractions & Monuments Spain

DALI TEATRE-MUSEU

ALHAMBRA

SAGRADA FAMÍLIA

PRADO MUSEUM

SAINT JAMES DE COMPOSTELLE CATHEDRAL

MUSEUM OF ERÒTICA

OFFICE DE TOURISME ZARAUTZ

CUEVAS DELS HAMS

ISLA MÁGICA

MUSÉE DES ILLUSIONS

PALACIO DE LAS DUEÑAS

NATURANDA TOURS AND EXCURSIONS

GÜELL PARK

MATADERO MADRID

PUERTA DEL SOL

RAMBLA DE CATALUNYA

THE STREETS OF THE CITY

IGLESIA NUESTRA SEÑORA DE LOS REMEDIOS

ROSE GARDEN

BEACHES AND COVES

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