Immerse yourself in Spain’s rich culture and history

Originally published April 13, 2020. Updated March of 2024

All images are courtesy of the Spain Less Traveled team, unless otherwise stated.

If you love visiting UNESCO World Heritage sites, then Spain must be on your travel list.  Did you know that there are 49 UNESCO World Heritage sites in Spain? 

This country is home to so many places worthy of this designation for their architecture, cultural significance, or natural beauty.  Here are some of our handpicked UNESCO sites in Spain that travelers shouldn’t miss!

These are only just a few out of 49 UNESCO world heritage sites in Spain. Want more? Let Spain Less Traveled help design your dream trip to Spain to include even more UNESCO places of interest!

1. The Works of Antoni Gaudí in Barcelona

Everyone knows about La Sagrada Familia as it is one of Spain’s number one attractions.  But several other Gaudí works in Barcelona are also classified as UNESCO world heritage sites in Spain.  These include Parc Güell, Palacio Güell, Casa Milà, Casa Vicens, Casa Batlló, and the Crypt in Colonia Güell.

Gaudí is not the only modernist architect with works in Barcelona with a UNESCO designation.

Architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner’s Palau de la Música Catalana and Hospital de Sant Pau are also both (rightfully) UNESCO sites as well.

Architecture lovers might want to consider a private Barcelona walking tour. to get an up-close perspective as well as visit some of the Modernista gems of Barcelona off the beaten path.

2. Córdoba’s Historic Center

The entire historic center of Córdoba, located in Andalucía Spain, is a designated UNESCO site.  Therefore, Córdoba boasts one of the largest world heritage sites in all of Europe.  

Included is the famous Mezquita Mayor, which used to be a mosque, but was turned into a cathedral in the 1200s.  Known for its mesmerizing arches, evidence of both faiths can be found in this unique building.  Make sure to also spend some time wandering Córdoba’s small streets.  You will soon understand why the whole centro histórico is included on the UNESCO list.

(This is one of the top cathedrals in Spain!)

Córdoba’s annual Fiesta de los Patios is my personal favorite festival in all of Spain.  Want to go next year?  Let’s get in touch (We are host an exclusive la Fiesta de los Patios for the Travel Spain! Community every May.

Be sure that you are a member of our community or join our email list to hear more details and to join us!)

Have a listen to the When in Spain podcast where Spain Less Traveled founder, Karen, was a guest talking about la Fiesta de los Patios!

(And finally, here are some other handpicked top things to do in Cordoba Spain!)

3. The Medina Azahara just outside of Córdoba

When we think of ruins, we usually think of Roman ruins. But just outside of Córdoba’s city limits, you can view impressive Moorish ruins.

Córdoba was the capital of the Muslim world in the early middle ages. And the Medina Azahara (or Medinat al-Zahara) is what was the capital of the Caliphate of Córdoba.

For hundreds of years, this ancient city was forgotten. But in the early 1990s, the ruins were excavated. Today they are some of the best-preserved Moorish ruins in the world.

It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

There is an informative museum explaining the history of the Medina Azahara. But the real treat is getting to wander around what remains of the palace complex and the mosque. The site is impressive and was surely fit for royalty!

Amongst these ruins, you will find old infrastructure such as roads, bridges, aqueduct systems, and buildings. While you can explore the site on your own, we recommend going with a tour guide who can explain it and make it come to life.

4. The Renaissance Architecture in Úbeda and Baeza

Both Úbeda and Baeza, in Andalucía’s Jaén province are on the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites in Spain for their Renaissance Architecture.

Back in the 1600s, both towns were renovated and rebuilt using the emerging style of Renaissance architecture, making them some of Spain’s first places to construct in this up and coming style at the time.

Úbeda’s Palacio de las Cadenas and Capilla del Salvador in Plaza de Vazquez de Molina are prime examples of this.

Nearby Baeza is noted for having some of the best Italian Renaissance architecture in all of Spain.

Úbeda and Baeza are some of Andalucía’s less traveled gems.

For more places less discovered in Andalucía, see our ultimate travel guide to Southern Spain off the beaten path.

5. The Roman Ruins at Mérida

Mérida, is not only the capital of Extremadura. At one point it was the capital of Lusitania, a province in ancient Rome. The Roman ruins of Mérida are the most impressive in all of Spain, earning it a designation as one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites in Spain.

Simply wander around Mérida, and you’re bound to find ruins in the most random places.

But there are some highly impressive sites too. Some of the highlights include the Roman bridge, circus, Arco (arch of) de Trajano, and Templo (temple of) de Diana.

If you are lucky you can even catch a performance at the Roman Theater. Imagine watching a play surrounded by that much history!

Mérida, Spain must be on your bucket list if you are the type of traveler who loves visiting Roman ruins. Unlike in Italy or even other parts of Spain, there are few crowds in Mérida, letting you get up close and personal with some of the Roman Empire’s best preserved ruins.

(Here are even more reasons to visit Extremadura Spain!)

6. The Dólmenes in Antequera

Antequera in Málaga province is home to a one of a kind series of megalithic monuments. It is one of our favorite day trips from Málaga city.

These ancient burial sites were architectural wonders from their time (the Neolithic and Bronze Ages, to be exact). Built between 3500BC and 2500BC, travelers can visit all three sites: Menga Dolmen and the Viera Dolmen are walkable from Antequera’s historic center while the newer Tholos of El Romeral is a few kilometers out of town.

The Menga Dolmen, in particular, is noted for its geographical location - during Summer Solstice the morning sun shines over the peak of the hill over the dolmen, straight along the to its entrance. This very exact positioning would have held mystical importance for the tribes who constructed the dolmen many years ago. The Menga Dolmen is also noted for its pillars, which were said to be the only ones in the world.

The dolmens are free to enter, but you need to register at the visitors’ center first After making a loop around the hills they were constructed on, visitors are free to walk into the caves. It is impressive how much of the original structure still remains.

Just a short distance from Málaga city, there are so many reasons to visit Antequera!

7. The Mudéjar Buildings in Aragón

Mudéjar is an architectural style unique to Spain. Although you can find buildings in this style in several areas of Spain, the Aragón area has so many gems that UNESCO listed “the Mudéjar Architecture of Aragon” to their list. This style was developed by the Catholics but was meant to mimic the Moorish style.  The reason behind it? Economics.  It was less expensive to design buildings in Mudéjar style.  

Some of the best places in Aragón to see these architectural gems are Zaragoza, the largest city in the province, and Teruel, a small, regional city

Furthermore, Zaragoza is convenient. Halfway between Madrid and Barcelona, it is a great stop along the popular route with travelers.

(hint: for more information about less-visited cities like Zaragoza and Teruel be sure to check out our list of top 30 cities in Spain for travelers!)

8. Old Salamanca

Salamanca, in Castilla Y León, is another city where the center earned a UNESCO World Heritage Site mention.  All within the small historic center, you can find Renaissance, Baroque, Romanesque, Gothic, and even Moorish buildings.  At night these monuments are all lit up gold and are just as impressive as they are during the day. 

Do not miss Salamanca’s stunning Plaza Mayor.  Bonus points: if you find the frog carved into the facade on of one of the buildings at the University of Salamanca, legend says you’ll have good academic and love luck.  It’s there!

Salamanca is a perfect stop on a Spain and Portugal road trip.  It is also very easily reached from Madrid via the AVE train.

9. Alcalá de Henares

Looking for an easy day trip from Madrid via commuter train? Look no further than Alcalá de Henares! 

The university in Alcalá de Henares is not only one of Spain’s best but is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

Make sure to also explore the medieval streets near the University.  You will quickly learn that Spanish writer, Miguel de Cervantes, was born here.  You can visit his birth house as well as find a lot of other tributes to the writer and his most famous work, Don Quixote in Alcalá de Henares.

The city also has a small old Jewish quarter.

(For travelers who want to see much more of Jewish Spain, check out our travel guide to Sephardic Spain.)

10. Valencia’s La Lonja de la Seda

In Spain’s third-largest city, Valencia, right in the center, you will find a Gothic-style marvel that was originally constructed to exchange silk.

Constructed between 1482 and 1533, this is where silk merchants used to barter and work out trading contracts. The intricately designed complex was the seat of the Tribunal del Mar - the first marine merchant tribunal to ever be formed in Spain.

Now a UNESCO World Heritage site, its listing says that “the site is of outstanding universal value as it is a wholly exceptional example of a secular building in late Gothic style, which dramatically illustrates the power and wealth of one of the great Mediterranean mercantile cities.”

Be sure to pay La Lonja a visit during your time in fabulous Valencia!

11. San Lorenzo de El Escorial

Alcalá de Henares is not the only Madrid day trip option with a UNESCO site.

If you want to visit a monastery fit for a king, then make sure to head out to El Escorial, or more specifically San Lorenzo de El Escorial.

One of the most important architectural monuments from the Renaissance, deeply religious King Felipe II wanted a complex for the multiple purposes of a burial place for his father, a religious monastery; and, of course a palace royal enough for a king.

Take some time to tour the complex, the library is noteworthy as some believe that the designers of the Vatican library took their inspiration from El Escorial.

Be sure not to miss this impressive UNESCO World Heritage sites in Spain.

12. Doñana National Park

Where the Guadalquivir River meets the Atlantic Ocean, you will find one of Spain’s natural UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Doñana National Park.

If trying your luck at spotting an Iberian lynx* is in the cards, you will want to head to Doñana. This vast area in three provinces (Huelva, Cádiz, and Seville) also boasts a wide variety of birds, including flamingos.

The delta creates sand dunes and a natural barrier which leads to so much biodiversity. This beautiful UNESCO World Heritage site is also one of our favorite natural landscapes in Spain.

Private cars are not allowed in most of the park, but you can book a safari-like tour and test your luck at spotting wildlife.

(*Full disclosure: spotting a lynx is difficult)

13. The Old City Walls in Ávila

And yet another possible day trip from Madrid to visit a UNESCO site. So many options, really!

Ávila’s well-preserved old city wall is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Spain. It was constructed between the 11th and 14th centuries to defend the city against the Moors. There are eight gates and 88 watchtowers.

Visitors can walk most of the walls (2.5 kilometers!), taking in great views of the old city.

Make sure to also spend time exploring the medieval city contained within these historical and intriguing city walls.

14. Oviedo’s Romanesque Churches

Asturias was Spain’s only remaining Christian kingdom in the 9th century, and thus developed its own style of Romanesque art and architecture.

Some of the very best examples of this can be seen in Oviedo, the regional capital of Asturias.

On Mount Naranco, in the lush green hills above the city visitors can Santa María del Naranco and San Miguel de Lillo, the two Romanesque churches that are classified as UNESCO world heritage sites.

Asturias is filled with interesting and historical sites. For more information about Spain’s off the beaten path north, here are some ideas for travelers in Asturias Spain.

15. The Roman Walls of Lugo

Ávila’s city walls aren’t the only fortifications in Spain to be designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

In Galicia Spain, Lugo’s walls are also a one of Spain’s UNESCO World Heritage sites. Not nearly as popular with travelers as the Cathedral (and old town) of Santiago de Compostela, also a UNESCO site in Galicia, Lugo is a real treat for those seeing more off the beaten path destinations.

The walls were built in the 3rd century and still remain very much in tact. UNESCO designated them a world heritage site as they are “the finest example of late Roman fortifications in western Europe.”

Visitors can walk the entire length these walls, nearly 2 kilometers, that loop around Lugo’s historic center. 49 of the original towers are still in tact, with another 39 that are partially in tact. There are 10 gates, 5 of these dating back to the Roman times (the other five were added as the city grew).

(There is so much more to do in Galicia and even more UNESCO World heritage sites there. Check out our guide to Galicia Spain for tips and ideas to explore the region.)

16. Vizcaya Bridge

Just outside of Bilbao in Basque Country, designed by Basque architect Alberto de Palacio, is the Vizcaya Bridge (or Bizkaia), another UNESCO World Heritage site.

Completed in 1893, the Vizcaya Bridge links the towns of Portugalete and Getxo. The bridge is considered to be one of the most outstanding representations of the industrial era. It was the first suspended gondola style bridge in the world to carry both traffic as well as pedestrians and was used as a model for this type of bridge construction worldwide.

Visitors can go to the top of the bridge by elevator to check out the views. Or even better, you can ride across the hanging bridge for as little as 50 cents each way!

17. Serra de Tramuntana

The island of Mallorca, part of the Balearic Islands, boasts a unique UNESCO World Heritage site that showcase the its rich history.

The Serra de Tramuntana mountain range, that runs along the northwestern side of the island is renowned for its stunning natural beauty. But not only that, you can see evidence of the traditional agricultural practices carried down from the Muslim times.

According to UNESCO, “an environment with scarce resources has transformed the terrain and displays an articulated network of devices for the management of water revolving around farming units of feudal origins.” Basically, they were able to make the land farmable and habitable for humans.

These days, visitors can explore quaint villages nestled among terraced landscapes and hike along ancient paths in this natural UNESCO World Heritage site in Spain!

The Serra de Tramuntana’s scenery is stunning and holds so much information about Mallorca’s rich history.

18. The Alhambra

It’s no surprise to see the Alhambra in Granada Spain included a list of our favorite UNESCO world heritage sites in Spain.

As famous as it is, the Alhambra is not overrated.  

This cornerstone of Moorish architecture always appears on every list of best Islamic architecture in the world along with monuments such as the Taj Mahal and Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Zayed Mosque. With its palaces, gardens, fortresses, and castle, the Alhambra is a must-see!

Visiting the Alhambra requires pre-planning and even some strategy. But it is so worth it to be experience its beauty. For insider tips about the Alhambra, see our comprehensive guide on how to visit the Alhambra in Granada Spain.

The Alhambra is not only the beautiful Nazrid palace. The beautiful gardens and summer palace of the Generalife is also noted as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Alhambra is one of the number one highlights of Spain and is a must-see on any Spain travel itinerary.

Granada itself is an amazing city, and the Albayzín, Granada’s old Moorish quarter is also noted on Granada’s three UNESCO world heritage sites. Here are many more things to do in Granada.

Ready to start planning your trip to visit some of the UNESCO World Heritage sites in Spain?

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