Spanien

The ever-popular star of the Mediterranean, Mallorca has a sunny personality thanks to its ravishing beaches, azure views, remote mountains and soulful hill towns.

The Murcia region offers a tantalising choice of landscapes and sights, ranging from the chill-out beaches and captivating coves of the Costa Cálida to the medieval magic of its towns. The ancient port of Cartagena has a magnificent array of Roman and Carthaginian ruins, while Murcia is a buzzy regional capital with pleasant parks and a cracking eating scene. Earthquake-damaged Lorca has bounced right back and its lovely old town is looking superb again. To appreciate fully the unspoiled hinterland, you will need your own wheels.

I omåttligt populära Barcelona kan det ibland vara svårt att sålla agnarna från vetet, fynden från turistfällorna. Vagabonds Sara Kollberg bor i staden och guidar med lokalbons expertis till guldkornen bortom turiststråken.

Sugen på att vandra den nervpirrande leden El Caminito del Rey som en gång i tiden var känd som världens farligaste? Nu har sommarens biljetter släppts till försäljning. Men skynda, trycket på biljetterna är högt, skriver Lonely Planet.

La Latina combines Madrid's best selection of tapas bars, fine little boutiques and a medieval streetscape studded with elegant churches; graceful Calle de la Cava Baja could be our favourite street for tapas in town. Down the hill, Lavapiés is one of the city's oldest barrios (districts) and the heart of multicultural Madrid. Spanning the two neighbourhoods is the Sunday flea market of El Rastro.

Stretching north from Barcelona to the Spanish–French border, the Costa Brava ('rugged coast') is undoubtedly the most beautiful of Spain's three main holiday coasts. Though there's plenty of tourism development, this wonderfully scenic region of Catalonia also unveils unspoiled coves, spectacular seascapes, wind-battered headlands, coast-hugging hiking paths, charming seaside towns with outstanding restaurants, and some of Spain's finest diving around the protected Illes Medes.

One building alone is reason enough to put Córdoba high on your itinerary: the mesmerising multiarched Mezquita. One of the world's greatest Islamic buildings, the Mezquita is a symbol of the worldly, sophisticated culture that flourished here more than a millennium ago when Córdoba was capital of Islamic Spain and western Europe's biggest, most cultured city. But today's Córdoba is much more than the Mezquita. With a lot to see and do, some charming accommodation, and excellent restaurants and bars, it merits far more than the fleeting visit many travellers give it. Córdoba's real charms unfold as you explore the winding, stone-paved lanes of the medieval city to the west, north and east of the gaudy touristic area immediately around the Mezquita, wandering between wrought-iron balconies and lamps, potted plants, overhanging trees, golden-stone buildings and verdant interior patios, emerging every few minutes on yet another quaint little hidden plaza.

Framed by golden beaches and lush hillsides, San Sebastián has undeniable allure, from its venerable dining scene to its grand architecture and packed cultural calendar.

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.

Följ med på en öluff mellan några av Kanarieöarnas paradisöar: Teneriffa, La Gomera, La Palma och Fuerteventura. Kombinera två eller flera öar på en långsemester – en utmärkt aktivitet för den som vill utforska svenskarnas solparadis på riktigt!