Mediterranean Coast: Costa Brava to Cabo de Gata

Cadaqués is a fishing village on the Costa Brava in Catalonia with white houses and the sixteenth-century Església Santa Maria. In the bay of Portlligat, you can visit the Casa-Museu Salvador Dalí, the former home where the artist lived from 1930 to 1982. You can stroll through the narrow streets of the center to the wooden fishing boats by the water or explore the rocky paths along the coast.

Girona reveals a rich history where four rivers converge. The Catedral de Santa Maria has a Gothic nave almost 23 meters wide. In the Barri Vell, you wander through the Jewish quarter El Call and past the colorful Cases de l'Onyar along the river. The ninth-century city walls, the Muralles, form a walking path with views over the city and the Pyrenees. Throughout the historic city center, you discover charming glimpses of the river and the mountains.

Tossa de Mar is a coastal town in Catalonia with the only preserved medieval fortress on the Catalan coast. The Vila Vella district dates from the twelfth to fourteenth century and includes seven watchtowers and the Castell de Tossa. From these city walls, you overlook Platja Gran and the Mediterranean Sea. Outside the walls, parts of the Camí de Ronda run along the cliffs to surrounding coves.

Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia and is known for the modernist architecture of Antoni Gaudí, such as the Sagrada Família, whose construction began in 1882. In Park Güell, you can see mosaic works and enjoy city views, while in the Barri Gòtic, you can wander through medieval streets. Along the Passeig de Gràcia, you'll find historic facades, and along the coast are city beaches on the Mediterranean Sea.

Sitges is a Catalan coastal town on the Mediterranean Sea known for the 17th-century Església de Sant Bartomeu, situated on a rock by the promenade. The Museu Cau Ferrat, housed in the former residence of artist Santiago Rusiñol, displays art in a building with whitewashed facades and blue details. You can stroll along the sandy beach Platja Sant Sebastià, located between the historic quarter and the promenade.

Tarragona is the former Roman capital Tarraco on the Costa Dorada. Here you can visit the second-century Amfiteatre de Tarragona, which accommodated 15,000 spectators, and the Circ Romà where chariot races were held. The Roman city walls lead you to the twelfth-century Catedral de Tarragona in the upper town. From the Balcó del Mediterrani, you can overlook the harbor and the sandy beaches of the Mediterranean Sea.

The Parc Natural del Delta de l'Ebre in Catalonia covers 320 square kilometers and forms one of the most important wetland areas on the Mediterranean Sea. Pink flamingos search for food in the Llacuna de l'Encanyissada, amidst vast rice fields. Fishing boats depart from Illa de Buda, Catalonia's largest island, to catch shellfish; on the coast, you can walk along the wide sandy beach of Platja de l'Eucaliptus.

The fortified town of Morella is situated on a rocky outcrop 1070 meters high in the Maestrazgo region and is completely surrounded by fourteenth-century city walls. Here you can visit the Castillo de Morella, a castle with foundations dating back to the Islamic period, and the Gothic Basílica de Santa María la Mayor with its twisted choir staircase. Just outside the city stands the Acueducto de Santa Lucía, a water system from 1318 that regulated the city's water supply.

Valencia is a Spanish coastal city where the dry bed of the Turia River has been transformed into a nine-kilometer-long city park. In the center, you'll find the Gothic Catedral de Valencia and the Mercado Central, a modernist market hall from 1928 with a 30-meter-high dome. You can walk along the fourteenth-century city gates of the Torres de Serranos or visit the nearby Albufera lagoon with its rice fields.

Calpe is a coastal town on the Costa Blanca dominated by the 332-meter-high limestone rock Peñón de Ifach. At the foot of this rock are the salt lakes of Las Salinas where you can observe flamingos. Directly by the sea, you'll find the Baños de Reina, the remains of a Roman fish farm from the fourth century. In the old town, you can wander through narrow streets with murals and colorful stairs.

Alicante is a port city on the Costa Blanca, where the 9th-century Castillo de Santa Bárbara overlooks the city from the 166-meter-high Mount Benacantil. You can stroll along the Explanada de España, a promenade inlaid with 6.5 million marble mosaic tiles, along the marina. In the Barrio de Santa Cruz district, you'll find the 17th-century Concatedral de San Nicolás and the sandy beach Playa del Postiguet.

The port city of Cartagena on the Mediterranean Sea is known for the Muralla Púnica from 227 BC and the Teatro Romano from the first century BC, which was only rediscovered in 1988. In the center, you will find modernist architecture and the medieval Castillo Concepción on a hill above the naval port. Along the quay, historical naval ships and modern yachts are moored along the wide promenades.

Cabo de Gata-Níjar is a 38,000-hectare volcanic natural park in Eastern Andalusia. At Arrecife de las Sirenas, sharp rock formations jut out from the Mediterranean Sea, while flamingos inhabit the salt flats. Visit sandy beaches such as Playa de los Genoveses and Playa de Mónsul, nestled between coastal cliffs. White fishing villages contrast with the dry, desert-like interior.