Best Nature Spots in Spain
map viewSpain's nature is remarkably varied, and this page gathers 14 places from volcanic islands to Pyrenean valleys. In the Canary Islands, Mount Teide on Tenerife is Spain's highest peak, and Timanfaya on Lanzarote is a landscape of lava fields. On the mainland, the Picos de Europa and Ordesa y Monte Perdido national parks offer mountain hiking, the Caminito del Rey is a walkway along a gorge near Málaga, and San Juan de Gaztelugatxe is a hermitage on a rocky islet on the Basque coast. City parks include Park Güell, the Retiro and the gardens of La Granja, and there are zoos in Barcelona, Madrid and Valencia. May–June and September–October are the best months.
Park Güell, Barcelona, Spain
Gaudí’s hillside park of 1900–1914 above Gràcia, with mosaic benches, the dragon fountain and city views; timed tickets from €18.
Volcano Teide national Park / Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
Spain’s highest mountain (3,715 m) in a UNESCO-listed volcanic caldera on Tenerife, with lava fields, the Roques de García and a cable car near the summit.
San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, Basque Country, Spain
A tiny rocky islet crowned by an ancient hermitage off the Basque coast, reached by a serpentine stone bridge and 241 steps, and famous worldwide as Game of Thrones' Dragonstone.
As Catedrais Beach, Ribadeo / Galicia, Spain
A spectacular beach on Galicia's north coast where the sea has carved the cliffs into soaring arches, tunnels and buttresses, revealed only at low tide.
Picos de Europa, Spain
A soaring range of limestone peaks and deep gorges straddling three regions of northern Spain, home to the country's first national park and some of its most dramatic mountain scenery.
Timanfaya National Park, Lanzarote, Spain
A surreal, Mars-like landscape of craters and lava fields on Lanzarote, where volcanoes born of 18th-century eruptions still smoulder just beneath the surface.
Caminito del Rey, Málaga, Spain
A vertiginous cliff-side walkway pinned to the walls of a deep gorge near Málaga, once one of the world's most dangerous paths and now a thrilling, safely restored hanging trail.
Barcelona Zoo, Spain
Barcelona Zoo in the Parc de la Ciutadella has giraffes, lions, Komodo dragons and a big reptile house; adults €23, children aged 3–12 €13.90.
Royal Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso, Segovia, Spain
Spain's answer to Versailles, an elegant Baroque royal palace in the hills near Segovia surrounded by grand formal gardens and a famous set of monumental fountains.
Madrid Zoo Aquarium, Spain
Zoo Aquarium de Madrid in Casa de Campo has more than 1,300 animals, including the only giant pandas in Spain, koalas and sharks; online tickets from €19.90.
El Retiro Park & Crystal Palace, Madrid, Spain
The Retiro Park in Madrid, part of a UNESCO site, has a rowing lake, the Monument to Alfonso XII and the glass Crystal Palace; free entry, open from 6:00.
Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park, Aragon, Spain
A UNESCO-listed national park in the heart of the Spanish Pyrenees, a spectacular world of glacial valleys, towering limestone walls, waterfalls and the great massif of Monte Perdido.
Playa de Maspalomas, Gran Canaria, Spain
A long golden beach in the south of Gran Canaria, backed by a large area of natural sand dunes.
Bioparc Valencia, Spain
Valencia’s immersive zoo in the Turia Gardens, with African savanna, equatorial jungle and Madagascar habitats; tickets from €29.50 (13–64).
Villajoyosa Playa Centro Beach, La Vila Joiosa, Spain
A sandy beach in front of a row of brightly painted houses in the seaside town of Villajoyosa, Spain.
Postiguet Beach (Platja del Postiguet), Alicante, Spain
Alicante's main city beach, a golden sandy bay right in the centre, below Santa Bárbara Castle.
Marbella Beach (Playa de la Venus & Playa de la Fontanilla), Spain
Long sandy beaches and a seaside promenade in Marbella, the famous resort town on Spain's Costa del Sol.
Lake Sant Maurici, Catalonia, Spain
A beautiful mountain lake in the Spanish Pyrenees, at the heart of Aigüestortes National Park in Catalonia.
Citadel Park, Barcelona
Public park, the only large green area in the historical center of Barcelona.
Nature spots in Spain on the map
Numbers match the ranking above. Click a pin to open the place.
Best time to visit parks & nature spots in Spain
When sightseeing is most pleasant: comfortable 18–26 °C daytime temperatures and more dry days. Averaged over the places on this page.
ERA5 climate data 2015–2024 (Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0), averaged for the places on this page.
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