Travel Dispatch: Spain, Beyond Barcelona and Madrid
Road trip along a wild coast, or follow a route of Moorish history.
Travel Dispatch
October 8, 2025

First-time visitors to Spain may automatically look to its two biggest cities — Barcelona and Madrid — but journeys to other cities like Valencia and Córdoba, or across regions like the wild Costa Brava or Moorish-influenced south, give travelers a chance to go deeper.

A city square with salmon-colored buildings around it, palm trees running down the middle, and people strolling along.

Emilio Parra Doiztua for The New York Times

Enjoy 300 days of sunshine in the birthplace of paella

People enjoy the beach, with some lying on towels on the sand, and others frolicking in or near the water. On the other side of the bar are white houses and mountains.

Jonathan Stokes for The New York Times

Road trip along the Costa Brava, the “wild coast”

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Laura Leon for The New York Times

Meet history at every turn in Córdoba

Visitors inside the Mosque-Cathedral walk beneath numerous red-and-white striped arches, which are supported by columns with a flowing, textured pattern.

Emilio Parra Doiztua for The New York Times

Follow a route of spectacular Moorish architecture

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