This is an almost impossible question to answer, Spain offers so much! My favourites are, in no particular order:
- Barcelona - vibrant and dynamic, with influences from all over the world
- San Sebastian - incredible Basque pintxos (tapas), very cosmopolitan, beautiful beaches when sunny, festivals almost every weekend in the summer
- Santander - beautiful beaches in the summer, bustling, beautiful oceanfront promenades, well located for good daytrips. Greener and lusher than you would expect from Spain.
- Santiago de Compostela - incredible cathedral that is the end point of the Saint James pilgrimage, the entire city exudes a certain magic and energy
- La Coruna - also located in Galicia like Santiago, the highlight is the incredibly friendly people here. There are beaches, but the sand is a bit like gravel and the water is cold, but it boasts some of the most stunning, rocky coastline you could imagine.
- Toledo - beautiful and magical (especially at night) little medieval town. Most day trip from Madrid, but it's worth spending a night.
- Valencia - incredible architecture in the city of arts and sciences, like something out of Star Trek
- Granada - the vision of Spain that everyone has in their mind, desert landscapes with Moorish architecture
- The incredibly beautiful Spanish women - I was wrong above, this is without a doubt the best part of Spain for me!
Over the years, I've found that experiences in Spain become more rewarding and memorable if you can pick up some of the language and converse with locals. Almost every city in Spain has an incredible buzz at night, from earlier in the evening when locals take a paseo (walk), to when the restaurants begin to close up (midnight), to when the bars/clubs go until dawn.