The 5 best routes by car to travel for tourism in Spain

 

Alcazar of Segovia

Many doubts arise when organizing a tourist trip to Spain, especially if it is the first time you visit it since the heritage it has is enormous.

That is why we propose five routes by car to visit different areas of the country so that you can choose the ones you like the most, join several, or even if you have time, complete them all in a single trip.

Each of the routes we recommend is a trip in itself, in which we have calculated a week for each.

And for those of you who want to follow them as they are, we will propose alternatives so that you can choose according to the tastes of each one.

As a complement, through the links, you will be able to access extensive information on each of the cities and places to visit, and you will also be able to watch very interesting videos for your visit.

That is if these routes do not cover all the regions of Spain. On the contrary, they leave out areas that, due to their enormous attractions, deserve their own routes, which we will propose in future articles.

Route by car from Madrid

The interior of Spain is an area full of castles and medieval cities, where the most important city is the capital of the country, Madrid.

Puerta del Sol in Madrid

In fact, on this route, we suggest you spend at least 3 or 4 days in Madrid because the capital's attractions cannot be enjoyed in less time.

The Royal Palace, the Plaza Mayor, the Puerta del Sol, the Gran Vía, the Retiro Park or the Prado Museum, the largest art gallery in the world, cannot be seen in less time.

That is why the ideal way to visit Spain's interior is to take Madrid as a starting point, and after visiting it, you go to know the cities and important places surrounding it.

El Escorial Monastery in the Sierra de Madrid

The good thing is that several visits are worthwhile in a little less than 2 hours away.

Escorial Monastery

Once you have visited Madrid, using the A-6, one of the national highways, we recommend that you head north to do a mini route of 2 or 3 days, depending on the time you have.

 The first stop is less than 30 kilometres away, without leaving the Community of Madrid, and it is the Escorial Monastery.

This incredible monastery is located in the Sierra de Madrid, in a privileged natural setting at the foot of Mount Abalos.

Avila

Crossing the Sierra de Guadarrama, we continue towards the walled city of Ávila, which has a huge 14-kilometre wall that surrounds the city, one of the best-preserved in the world.

An authentic jewel, not too well known outside of Spain, but in our opinion. one of the most impressive sites in the country.

Salamanca

The next stop is the university city of Salamanca, a city full of culture with a huge cathedral, a beautiful Plaza Mayor and an incredible atmosphere fostered by its university character.

Aqueduct of Segovia

Segovia

To close the circle through the cities to the north near Madrid, we have left the one that, in our opinion, is the most impressive of all, Segovia.

With thousands of years of history, this city has its  Roman aqueduct, one of the best examples of Roman architecture in the world, simply impressive.

But this is not all, since the Alcázar de Segovia is located at the top of the city, a castle that will remind you of Disney movies.

Here we leave you the information about the best things to see in Segovia and a video where we show you the city.

Toledo

Back in Madrid, crossing the city to the south on the A-42 is another one of those medieval movie cities such as Toledo.

The City of 3 Cultures, where Muslims, Jews and Christians lived together, is one of the most beautiful and visited cities in Spain; everyone who travels to Madrid should set aside at least one day to visit it.

Here we leave you all the information to visit Toledo and a video in which we show you the city.

To visit Madrid and all the cities that we have just mentioned, you would already have a one-week trip, but in any case, we leave you with other options in case you want to include them, such as Aranjuez with its Royal Palace and its gardens, the university city of Alcalá de Henares, or  Cuenca and its hanging houses.

Driving route through the south of Spain

The south of Spain is one of the areas with the most heritage since it is where the great monuments of the Muslim era are found, some of which are still among the most important ever built.

If you want to join the first and this second route from Madrid, you can visit Toledo and Aranjuez, and you are already heading south on the A-4 motorway.

For this route, we recommend spending at least two days in each of the three big cities, Seville, Cordoba and Granada, and from there, we will leave you with several options to visit in Andalusia.

Corner of the Barrio de Santa Cruz in Seville

Seville

Seville is one of our favourite cities in southern Spain, from where many of the expeditions to America carried out by Christopher Columbus and many other historic navigators were organized.

There are many essential points that must be visited, such as the Giralda , the Barrio de Santa Cruz , the Plaza de España or the Torre del Oro .

Gardens of the Alcazar of the Christian Monarchs in Cordoba

Cordova

Andalusia is incredibly beautiful, but in our opinion the city that we like the most is Córdoba.

A city of narrow streets typical of the Jewish quarters full of flowers, which has one of the jewels of Muslim architecture in the centre of the city, the Mosque of Córdoba, or other monuments such as the Alcázar de Los Reyes Cristianos.

Here we leave you the information to visit Córdoba and a video where we show you the city.

Grenade

The most important Muslim city in Al-Andalus was Granada, and the impressive Alhambra is its iconic monument.

A city that has been preserved incredibly well, a visit to which you need at least 4 or 5 hours to get to know it because of how big it is.

Here we leave you the information to visit both the Alhambra and the city of Granada and its neighbourhoods of the Albaicín, with its streets that transport you to places like Morocco, and the Sacromonte, with its cave houses, the cradle of flamenco, obligatory visits.

The Alhambra from the viewpoint of San Nicolás in the Albaicín of Granada

Other visits in Andalusia

In addition to the three big cities mentioned, there are others that you can include to complete the route.

To highlight the thousand-year-old Cádiz, with a coast with incredible beaches, and where you can do the Route of the White Towns.

Or the city of Malaga , with the Costa del Sol and places like Marbella or Ronda , or Huelva with its Doñana National Park , Almería , with Cabo de Gata , or Jaén , with the historic cities of Úbeda and Baeza , and sites of nature such as the Sierra de Cazorla .

Driving route through Levante

The entire Levante coast is one of the most visited points in the country, especially in summer, when the heat in the interior of Spain makes the coasts fill up.

Town Hall of Cartagena in Murcia

Here we leave you an article where we explain the best time to travel to Spain and tell you more about the characteristics of the country's climate.

Murcia and Mar Menor

If we go from south to north, a good starting point could be the city of Murcia, the great unknown capital of what is considered the Huerta de España and one of the places where the best vegetables are eaten thanks to its climate.

In the region, you have an essential visit to the historic city of Cartagena and a natural enclave to discover, such as the Mar Menor.

Alicante coast 

Further north, on your route, you will tour some of the country's most important holiday destinations, not only for Spaniards but also for Europeans, such as the city of Alicante, and places like Benidorm, Javea, Denia, Altea or Gandia.

Panoramic views of Alicante from the castle of Santa Bárbara

Beyond the beaches, a piece of advice is to visit the Palmeral de Elche, a World Heritage Site, or even Alcoy, in the inland mountains, where the oldest Parade of Kings in Spain takes place.

Valencia and the Albufera

We arrive in the city of Valencia, where you should spend at least two days visiting it, as there are many attractions that you will find, both in its historic centre and in places such as the City of Science or the Albufera.

Valencia is the city of Paella and Fallas, two of the essential elements of Valencian culture.

You have extensive information about visiting Valencia, with the best corners you should know.

Carmelite monastery of the Desert of Las Palmas near Benicàssim

Castellón and the Maestrazgo

Following the route to the north, in Castellón, it is worth visiting the holiday enclave of Benicasim, or the beautiful enclave of Peñíscola with its castle on top of a hill by the sea.

But also go inland to discover the attractions of the Maestrazgo region, with places as charming as Villafamés, Culla or Morella.

Following the route to the north, in Castellón, it is worth visiting the holiday enclave of Benicasim, or the beautiful enclave of Peñíscola with its castle on top of a hill by the sea.

But also go inland to discover the attractions of the Maestrazgo region, with places as charming as Villafamés, Culla or Morella.

Driving route through Catalonia

The fourth route we recommend is the one that leads to visiting Catalonia, which well justifies one or several trips of several days.

It is an area of ​​Spain that we know very well, and although you would need a lot of time to get to know it, we are going to propose a route in broad strokes that will serve as a reference for planning yours, adapted to the days available.

Tarragona

If you arrive in Tarragona from the south of the province of Castellón, entering Catalonia reserves the great natural area of ​​the Ebro Delta, where you can enjoy nature.

After passing through Ametlla de Mar, the city of Tarragona, a World Heritage Site, must be an essential visit due to the remains of the ancient Roman city of Tarraco that you can see in its historic centre.

If you want to make a trip to the province's interior on your route, you have as great attractions as the visit of some Cistercian monasteries, such as the monastery of Poblet, or the wine-producing territory of Priorat, with corners as surprising as Siurana.

Barcelona

Continuing along the coast from Tarragona, already in the province of Barcelona, ​​you will reach the town of Sitges, a very charming town, and finally, the capital, where you will obviously have to spend at least 2 or 3 days just visiting the city.

Barcelona is a city where modernist architecture and the influence of Gaudí marks the trip, with emblematic places such as the Sagrada Familia.

But it is also worth including some visits to the surrounding area in your tourist route by car, which you can do in one day.

In this regard, we recommend the Riscos de Tavertet area, the charming village of Rupit and, of course, the Montserrat Monastery, an absolute must-see.

Here we leave you an article explaining what to see around Barcelona and a video of our visit.

Girona and Costa Brava

En route to the north, you will reach the province of Girona, where along the coast you will find the beautiful towns of the Costa Brava, with their famous coves, and if you go inland, many charming places in the region of La Garrotxa.

There are so many attractive corners that it is well worth reserving several days to get to know this area of ​​Catalonia.

Essential places you must include in your route are the historic centre of Girona and beautiful towns such as Peratallada, Tossa de Mar, Calella de Palafrugell and Besalú.

Almost at the border with France, you find the charming town of Cadaqués, where you can visit the Dalí house museum.

Here we leave you the video with images of our visit to the area.

lleida

If you extend the route by car through the province of Lleida, you will find little-known and surprising corners.

To highlight the spectacular medieval town of Montfalcó Murallat or the Cistercian monastery of Vallbona de las Monjas.

And, of course, if you dare to reach the Pyrenees, you will discover one of the most beautiful and charming places in Spain, the Arán Valley, and the nearby Boí Valley, with its Romanesque churches.

Here you have extensive information on the best things to see in the province of Lleida and be sure to watch the video that summarizes our visit, which was awarded the Pica d'Estats 2019 international award for the best work on the internet.

Driving route through the North of Spain

The last route that we propose runs through a different Spain in terms of landscapes than what we have proposed so far.

Due to its climate, it is the greenest area in the country, and with an orography that combines mountainous and coastal landscapes, the food is incredible in the north of Spain.

With a deep gastronomic tradition, on the Cantabrian coast, there are some of the best restaurants in the country and the pinch culture is well established.

Basque Country

We suggest you start the route in San Sebastián, one of the most beautiful cities in Spain, with the prices set in the  Bahía de la Concha.

Butrón Castle near Bilbao

Along the coast, you will see beautiful fishing villages such as Ondárroa, Lequeitio or Bermeo until you reach the city of Bilbao, where the famous Guggenheim museum is led to the revitalization of the old industrial city.

In the surroundings of Bilbao, you can find some corners as interesting as the castle of Butrón.

On our route, we will not leave the coast until we reach the beautiful town of Castro Urdiales, on the border with Cantabria, where we recommend you to have pinchos or sardines in one of the bars in its old town.

Cantabria

Already in Cantabria are some of our favourite beaches and towns.

After leaving Castro, there are several places where we recommend you stop, such as Laredo and its huge beach and  Santoña, a town famous for its anchovies.

It is also worth passing through the Cala de Langre and, of course, the surfing beaches of Loredo and Somo, where one of our favourite sunsets takes place.

The city of Santander is worth your time to get to know and enjoy it, not only the Sardinero area, with a visit to the Magdalena Palace, but also its historic centre and, in its surroundings, the spectacular Cabárceno nature park.

Following our route along the coast, places that you must include in it are the dunes of Liencres, Suances, Comillas, and San Vicente de la Barquera.

And, of course, in that area, you have the essential visit to Santillana del Mar, one of the most beautiful towns in Spain, the Altamira Neocave and museum. And the Fuente Dé Cable Car, already in the Picos de Europa.

Asturias

We continue along the Cantabrian coast, but now in Asturian lands, where do not forget to try the cider while enjoying the landscapes full of cliffs and enormous mountains, since the Picos de Europa pass through here.

On your route along the coast, you should include places like Llanes, as well as  Ribadesella, where the famous descent down the river takes place every summer, and a little further on, the fishing village of Lastres.

Near Villaviciosa you can visit one of the best examples of Asturian perromanico, San Salvador de Valdedios .

An extension towards the interior allows you to go up to one of the most emblematic places of the Picos de Europa, the Enol Lake, passing through Cangas de Onís and the Covadonga Sanctuary.

Revillagigedo Palace in Gijon

The city of Gijón has enormous attractions for your visit, such as the Cimavilla neighbourhood, always with a great atmosphere, and where you have places as interesting as La Laboral.

Following the route by car to the west, you should stop to visit Avilés, whose historic centre will surprise you, and another stage should be the picturesque coastal town of Luarca.

Galicia

And we are getting closer to the end of the trip when we arrive in Galicia and its estuaries, the best place in Spain to eat seafood at the best price.

Stopping by the estuaries to try the different types of products from the land and the sea in towns such as Cedeira with its barnacles, or in the Betanzos estuary, which is one of our favourite places, before reaching the city of A Coruña.

Of course, you shouldn't miss spots on the north coast, such as the Cathedrals beach in Ribadeo.

And on the west coast, you should visit the estuaries in Costa da Morte, with corners such as the fishing port of Malpica or the Cabo Vilán Lighthouse.

And after passing through Santiago de Compostela, further south, in the Rías Bajas, you have beautiful corners such as Combarro, with its granaries and stone crosses, and the Cíes Islands opposite Vigo.

Here we leave you information about visiting Galicia and a video.

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