One of the most unusual places in the Pitiusas is the jagged islet of Es Vedrà, a magnificent 382 m (1250 ft) rock. Because of its majestic appearance, people have been ascribing magical powers to it since time immemorial. The view of the silhouettes of Es Vedrà and Es Vedranell at sunset is particularly spectacular. There is a footpath along the coast to the Sa Torre del Pirata watchtower. There are many legends about these magical rocks: some believe them to be the remains of the lost city of Atlantis, or the counterpole of the Bermuda Triangle, while others actually believe the island is a landing site for extraterrestrials. It is believed that the Carthaginians worshipped their goddess of love, Tanit, in the caves of Es Vedrà. In the 19th century, Carmelite monk Francisco Palau, who lived as a hermit on Ibiza, chose it as the perfect spot for meditation. What remains a mystery is the fact that carrier pigeons lose their sense of direction when flying over the islet, and that goats can live here although there is no drinking water on the barren isle.

There's no doubt – Cala Bassa ranks in the top five most beautiful bays in Ibiza. Leaving the large parking lot behind, you soon see a gorgeous panorama of water and sand. The water is crystal-clear and, depending on the position of the sun, appears in colors ranging from turquoise to dark blue. The curved sandy beach allows for a shallow, safe entry into the water. The small rock formations have their appeal as well. In the back of the beach you can retreat into the shade under pine trees – and this is quite exceptional on Ibiza's beaches! During the season a few beach bars are open. Cala Bassa is located in the western part of the island, eight kilometers from Sant Antoni de Portmany. "Camping Cala Bassa" is one of the few campsites on the island.

Another short descent in the far southwest of the island, then you reach the parking lot, which is unfortunately very small. Right behind it Cala d'Hort is waiting. However, a visit to this little bay is not primarily for relaxing on your bath towel. The beach is just too rocky for that. It is rather for the superb view of the rocky islands of Es Vedranell and Es Vedrà which lie in close proximity. The two rugged, uninhabited islands are called "Dragon Islands" and they are surrounded by an air of enchantment. With its rock ridge the larger island of Es Vedrà reaches a height of 382 meters. Cala d'Hort is an ideal meeting place at sunset. Some spots on the terrace of the restaurant El Carmen are perfect for watching the sun go down – and a very good paella is served here as well.

An exploration of the northern part of Ibiza leads to the somewhat remote town of Portinatx, which has an air of tranquility outside of summer. Measured against the size of the town, there is quite a large range of accommodation and restaurants. Portinatx, pronounced "Portinudge", has two small bays. The western bay is better suited for bathing, the eastern one is much deeper and flanked by rocks. Above the eastern bay Far des Moscarter, a lighthouse painted in black and white, catches the eye. It can be reached by foot but the hiking trail is not well signposted, so in case of doubt just follow your instinct. Your efforts will be rewarded with a beautiful panorama of the coast. As alternatives to the beaches of Portinatx two other beaches can be found a few kilometers southwest on the road to Sant Joan de Labritja: Cala des Xuclar and S'Illot of Renclí. Both beaches are small and pebbly.

This unique landscape of the Maspalomas Sand Dunes stretches over 5.3 miles (8.5 km) to an over 100-year-old lighthouse. The sight of the endless, gold-yellow glistening mountains of sand give the viewer the impression that s/he is standing in the desert of Africa. The picture is completed by camels on whom tourists ride through the area. The sand of the more than 32-ft (10 m) high dunes was not blown over from the Sahara - as often presumed – but has maritime origins; it is made of finely grind lime shells of mussels. The area became a protected area due to its unusual vegetation. The stringent regulation in conjunction with it came just in time for the nearby lagoon lake Lagunensee (La Charca de Maspalomas) – it nearly fell victim to the building boom. Numerous migratory birds use the oasis of palms around the lake as their resting place. The nature conservatory, which today includes the dunes, lagoon lake and palm grove is unique on the the Canary Islands.

Situated in the fertile mouth of the Barranco de Mogán, Puerto de Mogán is markedly different from other places on the east coast. While innumerable apartment complexes and hotel high rises are crawling up the rocks in the neighboring tourist centers, Puerto de Mogán shows some detail and style with its narrow alleys, little houses, wrought-iron balconies and lushly planted courtyards. While only a few fishermen and their families lived here at the beginning of the 1980s, in the meantime the town has developed into a gem of the tourism industry. In front of the old village, which was built on a slope, a new vacation town including a yacht harbor was constructed, fondly called “little Venice” due to its canals, waterways and bridges. Today Puerto de Mogán is the destination for innumerable day-trippers who wander through alleys with nostalgic street lamps, drink coffee in one of the bars in the main plaza and enjoy the atmosphere, which is unique in Grand Canary.

At 4,166 ft (1,270 m) elevation, Artenara is the highest village of the island placed amidst a picturesque and still relatively untouched landscape. Yet, that is not the only reason for visiting: a part of the population still lives in cave apartments today, which do not differ from other houses at first sight. Many cuevas have actual house fronts built on to them. Life of today's cave inhabitants does not resemble that of their ancestors: the apartments are equipped with every comfort as seen with the TV antennas mounted on the exterior walls. A wooden tower with a bell points to the chapel Nuestra Señora de la Cuevita, which was already cut into the rock in the 17th century. Even the altar, the confessional, the baptismal font and candle holders were made from tuff stone. The little church was named after the “virgin of the little cave”, the patron saint of Artenara. Many people visit the cave chapel for worship and prayer during the day.

Las Palmas is a city of many faces: behind the cool facades of austere concrete buildings and multi-lane highways, there are winding alleys, chic shops, interesting museums and pompous mansions hiding. One day is not enough to discover the lively and cosmopolitan metropolis and all its facets. The oldest and probably most romantic part of Las Palmas is the district of Vegueta, where splendid palaces and churches remind of a glamorous past - after all, Las Palmas was the first colonial town of the kingdom. The walls of the quarter marked the former border around the city center for almost four centuries, which expanded northwards only around the middle of the 20th century. The center of the old town is Plaza de Santa Ana surrounded by palm trees, which is dominated by the impressive Catredal de Santa Ana. Named after the patron saint of the Spanish conquistadores, the cathedral is a unique composition of Gothic, baroque, classical and Canarian styles.

Bentaiga, the “holy mountain” of the Guanches, rises amid the peak-filled landscape between Cruz de Tejeda and Roque Nublo, set slightly to the west. The thin peak of the cliff rises noticeably from the sea of fog, which is often found here and which gives everything a slightly mystical touch. By the parking lot at the base of Roque, the Centro de Interpretación Arqueológico del Bentaiga was founded with a small collection and information on the history of the holy mountain. Furthermore, one can wait here for a guide to extend an invitation for a tour. Those wishing to complete the ascent without help should be careful. It is impossible without sturdy shoes, and participants must not have a fear of heights or be prone to dizziness, because the last part on narrow steps has no kind of safeguard and is quite the challenge. And one has to be willing to help each other up. But then one stands, huffing and puffing, before a magnificent view and before an almogare, the archipelago’s best-preserved cult site of the Old-Canarians. In the stone-hewn rectangle, deep ridges are connected with a circular basin in the middle - an altar for libation, it is assumed. The Old-Canarians came to the fixed cult sites in processions, when they begged their god for rain or cures from illnesses; in times of war they begged for victory over their enemies.

Narrow, winding streets, atmospheric squares and a high concentration of magnificent buildings all lend the Gothic Quarter, the oldest part of the city, its character and charm. The town hall and the seat of the Catalan government, the latter an excellent example of Gothic and Renaissance style with its beautiful inner courtyards, face each other across the Plaça de Sant Jaume, which was once a Roman forum. Despite its colourful windows, the interior of the Gothic cathedral (La Seu) feels almost bathed in darkness. The Neo-Gothic façade was only completed in the 19th century, and the octagonal central tower was not finished until 1913. The crypt under the high altar house a marble sarcophagus containing the remains of Santa Eulàlia, the city’s patron saint. Geese are traditionally kept in the cloisters to ward off thieves. The Palau Reial Major, from which a broad flight of steps leads down to the Plaça del Rei, was once the home of the Counts of Barcelona and later the Kings of Aragón. It was in the Saló del Tinell, a magnificently vaulted throne room 36 m (almost 120 ft) long by 17 m (60 ft) wide, that the Inquisition judged whether people should live or die, and that in 1493 Christopher Columbus told the Catholic kings about the New World.

What is today an exemplary masterpiece by the architect Antoni Gaudí was highly controversial shortly after its completion in 1910. Many locals thought the Art Nouveau apartment block was a mistake due to its size and unusual flowing lines and gave it the derogatory name "La Pedrera", or "the quarry". The undulating roof with the chimneys mutated into mythical creatures, the concrete/steel construction without load-bearing walls, an elliptical inner courtyard and round windows - all this contravened the prevailing taste at the time. Today genuine hordes of visitors stroll through the light-flooded apartments, which are now a museum, in amazement, admiring the visionary genius in the loft (Espai Gaudí) and enjoying the fabulous view from the roof terrace over the entire city. Gaudi's pioneering role in terms of living quality is obvious: the natural ventilation makes air-conditioning systems superfluous, each apartment can be changed individually via movable walls and the master even thought about underground car parks.

Around 60 km (37 miles) north-west of Barcelona the jagged limestone cliffs of the Sierra de Montserrat (national park) tower above the Abbey of Santa Maria, a national shrine for Catalonians. In the Middle Ages, this place become an important site of pilgrimage after the legendary discovery of a statue of the Virgin Mary and even today over 750,000 believers flock to see "La Moreneta" (the "Black Madonna"), a 30 cm-high (11.81 inch) statue of the Madonna with Christ wrapped in golden clothes. In 1808 the Napoleonic troops burnt down nearly the entire site, with the exception of the Romanesque church door and the Gothic cloister. However, it was rebuilt 50 years later. The important Benedictine Abbey was a centre of the Renaixença - the rediscovery of Catalan culture - in the 19th century. In addition to the church, a printing plant, a goldsmith's workshop and the library are worth seeing. You should try the home-made cheese, honey and "Aromes del Montserrat" cordial which the Monks sell.

The Poble Espanyol is Barcelona's “Spanish Village” and the most artificial village in the country. Its draft was a stroke of genius for the world fair in 1929. The typical houses, plazas and architecture of Spain were put into a space of 20,000 square meters. This survived time and to this day offers some surprises. You can quickly travel from the palaces of Galicia to the winding Andalusian quarters and the church of Mudéjar in Aragon. Its main plaza is the Plaza Mayor. Bars, restaurants and arts and crafts stores breathe life into the place, but only until the place closes. The Poble Espanyol is a village that lives from its visitors, but nobody really lives in this place.

For the 1992 Olympic Games , the whole waterfront area and the promenade all the way up to the fishing district, La Barceloneta, were completely redesigned. The boats known as “Golondrines” set off on their tours around the harbour from the Moll de les Drassanes near the Monument a Colom, from the top of which you can see the whole coastline. The Rambla de Mar footbridge takes you to the Maremàgnum on the Moll d’Espanya jetty – a shopping and leisure centre incorporating fashionable bars, tempting gaming rooms, wonderful shops and an IMAX cinema to take you to faraway worlds. It is also home to the Aquarium, with an 80 m (260 ft) Plexiglas tunnel where you can come face to face with moray eels and tiger sharks. The Aquarium also has 35 huge tanks and around 450 different species of animals, making it the largest artificial underwater world in Europe. Accompanied by classical music, the visitor can learn more about marine life in an entertaining way.

The MACBA (the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art), a creation by US top architect Richard Meier, stands out in the highly built-up old town district of El Raval. Behind its impressive façade of white cement and glass, the museum mainly exhibits modern Catalan and Spanish art from the 1950s onwards. The many changing exhibitions on art, photography and design are always worth a look at in the latest programme. The interior of the building with its clear lines and a magnificent vertical line spanning all levels is more exciting than the external appearance viewed by the neighbours as slightly boxy. The Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (CCCB) (Barcelona Centre of Contemporary Culture) is located almost right next to the MACBA on Carrer Montalegre. The cultural centre ideally complements the MACBA with exhibitions about city life, urban planning and modern society and is no less interesting from an architectural point of view: the CCCB, which opened in 1995, is located in a medieval Casa de Caritat, the former hospice for the poor and homeless.

With its magnificent towers, the Gothic church in the old seaman's district of La Riberas resembles a fortress from the outside. It was created in around 50 years starting from 1329 by just one builder, Berenguer de Montagut - a rarity for the time, which is why it has a purity and unity of style unlike many other Gothic churches. The huge rose window over the main entrance with its glass paintings creates an almost magical luminosity inside the church in the Mediterranean mid-day sun, as do the side stained glass windows from the 15th century. In 1936, anarchist iconoclasts plundered and set fire to the side chapels during the Spanish Civil War, which meant that all the Baroque features that had been added disappeared and were never replaced. The atmosphere of the room with the Gothic pillars of the three-aisled basilica reaching for the heavens is still just as impressive. The residents of La Ribera adore their church and they particularly like using it for baptisms and weddings.

The Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC) is housed in what was originally the Spanish Pavilion for the 1929 World Fair. Since 1934, the museum has been home to one of the most precious collections of medieval European art: paintings, board games, painted wooden ceilings, sculptures, altarpieces and chests. Among the highlights are the original Romanesque murals from churches and monasteries in remote Pyrenean valleys, which justify the MNAC's fame around the world, including "David and Goliath" and "Christ as Lord of the World" from Taüll. The Gothic section is stunning, with an extensive collection of quality panel paintings. The ground floor is housing the private collection of the Catalan politician Francesc Cambó, and features works by Lucas Cranach, Tiepolo, Tintoretto, Goya and Titian. Since 2004, the Museu d'Art Modern, with its collection of late 19th and early 20th century Catalan art, has been housed in the Palau Nacional.

In 1900, Eusebi Güell i Bacigalupi commissioned his friend Antoni Gaudí to design and build the garden city of Parc Güell - which was to become Gaudí's most colourful architectural creation. The park is very extensive, so it is easy to escape the hordes of people around the famous buildings. Colourful shards of tile and ceramic have been used to produce countless imaginative mosaics on the roofs of the pavilions, adding an eccentric charm to the whole park. The real attraction is the Plaça de la Naturalesa - a huge terrace with a spectacular view down to the harbour. The sides of the square are lined with the famous snake bench. In the "Hundred Column Hall" below, many street musicians make the most of the excellent acoustics of the open hall. If you wander on through the complex, you come across idyllic little arcades and, at the foot of the hill, the Gaudí Museum. This is where the artist lived for nearly 20 years, and in the church-like building, you can still admire today the extravagance and playfulness of the architect in many little details.

The Museo Nacional del Prado houses one of the oldest and richest collections of paintings in the world. The collection was amassed over several generations, and began with artworks belonging to Charles V and Philip II. Their successors, whose court painters included the likes of Velázquez and Goya, extended the collection. In 1819, Ferdinand VII decided to centralise the paintings, which were scattered among several royal palaces, bringing them together in a single museum. Although only about a third of the museum's 7,000 or so works are permanently on show, it is still a good idea to choose which part of the extensive collection to visit. The collection focuses on Flemish and Dutch painters of the 16th and 17th Centuries, with works by Hieronymus Bosch and Rubens, Italian painters including Fra Angelico, Botticelli, Titian and Raphael, and Spanish paintings. The Prado has the world's finest collection of works by Velázquez, Goya and El Greco. Indeed, it is by far the best place to get to know Velázquez better. His masterpiece “Las Meninas” occupies the place of honour in its own, cleverly lit room. The post modern construction by top architect Rafael Moneo was opened in July 2007 and extends the exhibition area of the Prado by a good 50%.

Secular and sacred power can be found close together on the plateau of the city high above the Jardines del Campo de Moro: Royal Palace and Almudena Cathedral. The sacred magnificent building rises with its twin towers and a dome. All this appears relatively new. And indeed, constructions started in 1883 at the southern side of the Royal Palace, but Pope John Paul II did not consegrate the cathedral until 1993. In the spacious interior, the Madrilenians worship their patron saint Almudena; the polychrome statue of the Virgin Mary dates back to the 16th century. The chapel in honor of Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer (1902-1975), the founder of the notorious Opus Dei, is noticeable as well. This makes the city appear as a control center of the Spanish Opus Dei.

Philip V planned the construction of a huge royal palace to replace the existing Habsburg one; a palace designed to dwarf all others in Europe in terms of grandeur and size. The result is the Classical Palacio Real, a monumental edifice of light grey granite and limestone with more than 2,800 richly furnished rooms. Fifty of these rooms are now open to the public. Charles III was the first monarch to live in the palace, where the present king of Spain, Juan Carlos, holds state receptions. The highlights of the castle include the Salón del Trono, the Throne Room, whose walls are draped in red velvet and its ceiling painted by Tiepolo. The Armería Real, the royal armoury, contains more than 3,000 unique collectors’ items from the 16th and 17th Centuries. Showpieces of particular interest are the suits of armour worn by Charles V and Philip II, and the sword of national hero El Cid. The Biblioteca Real, founded by Philip V, houses 300,000 rare books as well as numerous manuscripts and maps.

Built between 1617 and 1620 on the site of the old marketplace according to designs by Juan Gómez de Mora on commission from Philip III, the Plaza Mayor was one of the most beautiful squares in all of Spain. The former centre of the capital was once the venue for a wide array of open-air events and gatherings, ranging from horse races, bullfights and fairs to processions, canonisations and heresy trials. Today, jewellery shops, souvenir stores, bars and cafés occupy the square's shady arcades. The bronze mounted statue of Philip III serves as a reminder of the king to whom the square owes its existence. The beautiful frescoes on the façade of the Casa de la Panaderia, constructed in 1672, decorate the north side of the square. Kings used to watch the entertainments in the square from the balcony bearing the royal coat of arms. The municipal authorities and the Department for Transportation and Tourism now occupy the Casa de la Carnicería, the former meat market, on the opposite side of the square. On Sundays, a stamp market is held here.

The Museo Nacional del Prado houses one of the oldest and richest collections of paintings in the world. The collection was amassed over several generations, and began with artworks belonging to Charles V and Philip II. Their successors, whose court painters included the likes of Velázquez and Goya, extended the collection. In 1819, Ferdinand VII decided to centralise the paintings, which were scattered among several royal palaces, bringing them together in a single museum. Although only about a third of the museum's 7,000 or so works are permanently on show, it is still a good idea to choose which part of the extensive collection to visit. The collection focuses on Flemish and Dutch painters of the 16th and 17th Centuries, with works by Hieronymus Bosch and Rubens, Italian painters including Fra Angelico, Botticelli, Titian and Raphael, and Spanish paintings. The Prado has the world's finest collection of works by Velázquez, Goya and El Greco. Indeed, it is by far the best place to get to know Velázquez better. His masterpiece “Las Meninas” occupies the place of honour in its own, cleverly lit room. The post modern construction by top architect Rafael Moneo was opened in July 2007 and extends the exhibition area of the Prado by a good 50%.

The Parque del Retiro, the remains of a grand summer residence laid out for Philip IV in 1633, provides a breath of fresh air in Madrid. The park has since been constantly extended and rearranged, and attained its present form at the end of the 19th Century. With its sandy paths, fountains, rose gardens, bridges, rowing lake and music pavilion, the garden, a mixture of French and English styles, is an urban oasis. The Parque del Retiro (or "secluded park") once served the Spanish kings as a spot to relax and unwind from the arduous ceremonies at court. Today, tourists and locals alike appreciate the 120-hectare (300-acre) park as a refuge from the heat and noise of the capital. The centre of the park is occupied by an artificial lake with a statue of King Alfonso XII on horseback. The Retiro Park’s pièce de résistance is the late 19th Century glass Palacio de Cristal, which is now used for exhibitions of modern art. The 7-hectare (17-acre) Real Jardín Botánico, or botanical gardens, are located at the south-west corner of the park.