Spanien

Stränder, kulturstäder och mysiga byar. Här är ställena som du inte får missa på bilresan genom södra Spanien.

Providing Granada’s dramatic backdrop, the Sierra Nevada range extends about 75km from west to east. Its wild snowcapped peaks boast the highest point in mainland Spain (Mulhacén, 3479m) and Europe’s most southerly ski resort at Pradollano. The lower southern reaches, peppered with picturesque white villages, are collectively known as Las Alpujarras.

The northwest corner of the old town is Valencia's oldest quarter, offering bohemian local character and several good museums. El Carme, as it is known in Valenciano, is fertile ground for eating and drinking, with a profusion of little bars and restaurants to track down in its narrow, confusing medieval street plan.

Vagabonds fotograf och skribent Pernilla Sjöholm återvänder årligen till familjens hus i den vita byn Nerja, sex mil öster om Málaga på den så kallade Solkusten. Ta del av hennes samlade favoriter på Costa del Sol.

Although best known for Maspalomas and the resort landscape running west along the shore, the south also offers some highly picturesque pockets and breathtaking natural wonders. The most obvious example of the latter, ironically perhaps, is back in Maspalomas, with its astonishing dunes: a nature reserve of huge sand hillocks in a vast dune field that recalls the Sahara Desert. It's here that you can understand why the island is so often called a 'continent in miniature'. But there's also the delightful village of Mogán, by its namesake barranco, where you really should spend the night to allow its magic to fully seep in. Or, for glorious seafood and a fun port atmosphere, head on down to Puerto de Mogán. Windsurfers may pay little attention to all of these attractions, however, and storm over to Pozo Izquierdo to ride the fine waves.

This medieval quarter has a little of everything, from high-end shopping to some of Barcelona's liveliest tapas bars. Key sights include the superb Museu Picasso, the awe-inspiring Gothic Basílica de Santa Maria del Mar and the artfully sculpted Modernista concert hall of Palau de la Música Catalana. For a bit of fresh air, locals head to the leafy gardens of Parc de la Ciutadella.

Dangling off the south coast of Ibiza, a mere half-hour away by fast ferry, the 20km-long island of Formentera (population 12,120) is a beautifully pure, get-away-from-it-all escape. Formentera's pace of life is blissfully languid, designed for lazy days spent lounging on some of Europe's (dare we say the world's?) most exquisite beaches.

Han säger sig ha resandet och den ständiga jakten på nästa matupplevelse i sitt DNA. Han har ätit sig igenom fler än 70 länder. Streetfood eller Michelinkrogar – det spelar mindre roll. Enligt Zvonko Sokcic vet man aldrig var nästa gastronomiska lyckorus väntar.

Palma is a stunner. Rising in honey-coloured stone from the broad waters of the Badia de Palma, this enduring city dates back to the 13th-century Christian reconquest of the island, and to the Moors, Romans and Talayotic people before that. A richly studded diadem of historical sites, Palma also shelters a seemingly endless array of galleries, restaurants, craft studios and bars – it's without doubt Mallorca's greatest treasure. Wander in any direction from the awe-inspiring Gothic Catedral at its geographic and historical heart and you'll find bent medieval streets lined with aristocratic townhouses, looming baroque churches, teeming public squares, vibrant bohemian neighbourhoods and markets overflowing with all the bounty of the island. You could spend weeks in this city alone, and still uncover fresh joys every day.

Mallorca är så mycket mer än vidsträckta stränder och turistorter! Här är anledningarna till varför du någon gång bör åka till Mallorca.