Spain is one of my all time favorite countries! From cliff jumping in Ibiza to hiking the mountains of Picos de Europa, Spain offers so much variety to experience and explore!  Where is your favorite place to visit in Spain?

What's up guys! My name is Ryan and I spent the last few years exploring the wonderful country of Spain and I want to show you my favourite places so here's my Spain top 20.

Spain has to be one of my all-time favorite countries. It's home to some of the world's most stunning landscapes, intriguing history and pure Mediterranean vibes. I've been to Spain three times now, and I just can't get enough of this country. Let's start this video off at possibly my favorite island in the world: Mallorca.

When you think of a Mediterranean paradise, this is it! Mallorca is home to crystal clear water, windy roads and some of the world's best cliff jumping spots. When I started solo traveling, this was the first place I went to, so it will forever have a special place in my heart. One of my favorite places in Mallorca is Cala Varqués. Now, to get to Cala Varqués you can walk down this long dirt road and make it down to the beach. Now, you're going to be blown away by the beauty of this place, I mean, it literally has everything: from sandy beaches to prime clip jumping spots. The combination of white limestone, green vegetation and crystal blue water, makes for one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been.

Now, when I was there I did one of the biggest cliff jumps of my life, and I gainered off this massive 60-foot arch, and it was so freaking terrifying, but to this day, it's one of my all-time favourite child memories. Another cool thing I did is me and my brother we found these underwater caves and we swam through them. I mean, I couldn't believe how clear this water was. It's my dream playground and I can't recommend it enough.

Now, on the other side of Mallorca, you can visit the famous road to Sa Calobra. Now, coming from the US, I'm used to wide roads and highways, so this blew my mind. Roads in Europe tend to be pretty skinny, but this was by far the most crazy road I've ever drove on. It was full of hairpin turns and loops that wind down the mountain. The surrounding area is absolutely gorgeous, I mean, just had massive +++ that lead down to the sea. I believe a lot of car commercials are filmed here and I totally understand why. I found a really cool lookout point to get a view of the road when I was driving down it. I was just pretty terrified. There were some spots that only had enough room for one car. Now, you can take the road down to the bottom and visit Torrent de Pareis. It's this awesome beach between these two cliffs. I had just a good time chilling. I was just amazed by all those sailboats that were just vibing in the bay there. When I was there, I wish I would have stayed for sunset because I hear it's just incredible on that side of the island. Anyways, I can't recommend Mallorca enough. It's just an amazing place.

All right, so after Mallorca we're gonna go ahead to the Atlantic ocean to visit the volcanic Canary Islands. They're located off the coast of north western Africa. Canary Islands are home to some of the world's most unique landscapes. You might as well call them the Hawaiian islands of Europe, because that's what they remind me of. The biggest and most populated island on the archipelago is called Tenerife. Now, it looks like a prime location to film the next Jurassic Park film. I mean, it's just so crazy out there. One of the craziest places in Tenerife is the cliffs of Los Gigantes. They are these massive sheer cliff walls that rise 800 meters out of the ocean. I mean, I felt like I was going to see a flying dinosaur soaring over those cliffs. You can go venture to the windy roads of the Masca gorge, or you can explore the incredible seaside views at Playa Benijo. I seriously just can't get over how beautiful this place is.

Now, you can also head over to the nearby island a Fuerteventura. Being the second largest of the Canary Islands, Fuerteventura also offers some jaw-dropping landscapes. The Playa de Cofete is an incredible isolated beach with a backdrop of desolate mountains. One of my favorite places is the Parque Natural de Corralejo. It's home to a pristine area that has sand dunes that go right up to the ocean. I mean, just how freaking cool is that! Fuerteventura is such a unique location. Aside from Tenerife and Fuerteventura, the Canary Islands are also home to islands such as Lanzarote and Gran Canaria. Canaries are a place that I haven't visited yet, but you best believe I'm going there as soon as I can.

After, we're gonna head to northern Spain. Now, northern Spain is such a stunning region. It's full of green scenery, huge mountains and incredible coastline. Now, one of the most impressive cities in northern Spain is Bilbao. Bilbao is a beautiful port city filled with stunning architecture and history. One of the crowning features of the city is the Guggenheim Museum. It's one of the most unique buildings I've ever seen. Now, just an hour's drive from Bilbao you can visit the islet of Gaztelugatxe. Now, the first church was built on the island all the way back in the 10th century. If you visit, you'll have to walk up a narrow path of more than 200 stairs. Now, you may recognize this island from game of thrones as Dragonstone. I mean, just such epic location hope you all can check out.

After, we're gonna head over to the nearby mountains of Picos de Europa. Now, located in northern Spain lies these crazy mountains that remind me a lot of the Dolomites. this is just another place that I haven't been yet and I just want to go so freaking bad. One of the most crazy and impressive places is Naranjo de Bulnes, and it's this massive rock tower that shoots straight out of the mountain and is just so freaking epic! I mean, I can't believe it. The highest point in Picos the Europa is Torre de Cerredo, at an elevation of 2650 meters. If you wanna get lost in the mountains for a few days, you'll have to add Picos de Europa to your Spain travel list.

After, we're gonna visit the famous city of Barcelona. Now, when you think of Spain, this is what you probably imagined. Barcelona is home to incredible architecture, Mediterranean beaches and an energetic vibe. All around, the most iconic attraction in Barcelona is La Sagrada Familia. It's this Roman Catholic minor basilica that began construction over 138 years ago and it still isn't finished. It's anticipated that construction will be finished in 2026, but who knows. All I know is one of the most unique building in the world and I still can't get my head around that it's been in construction since 1882.

After Barcelona, we're going to head over to the nearby mountains of Montserrat. It was just a quick hour train ride or drive from Barcelona, making it a perfect day trip. Now, Monstesrrat is really cool because it has these really unique mountains that give a view of all of Catalonia. Now, when you get there, you can go take a cable car up to the Abbey of Montserrat, which is a mountain monastery that offers some incredible views. Now, there's a ton of hiking trails that lead you to a religious relic around the mountains. Definitely do some hikes. Once you're up there, I mean, it's just such a unique location, and you know me I like my rocks. This place has a bunch of them.

After, we're going to visit the city of Zaragoza. Now, located about three hours drive from Barcelona, Zaragoza is the fifth most populated city in Spain with a population of around seven hundred thousand. One of the most impressive features of the city is the cathedral basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar. It's believed that Saint James was preaching the gospel in Spain around 40 A.D, when the mother of God appeared to him on the banks of the river, here, and instructed him to build a church in her honor. Soon after, a little church was built, but this massive church you see today began construction in 1681 and took nearly 300 years to finish. I mean I just can't believe how massive it is.

Now, while we're still on the topic of St James, we're going to head to northwestern Spain to visit Santiago de Compostela. Now, what's really cool about the city is it's the location of the shrine of the apostle Saint James. Now, since the 9th century, there has been a catholic pilgrimage route named the Camino de Santiago, or English, the Way of Saint James. During the Middle Ages it was one of the most important Christian pilgrimages to do. The beginning of the pilgrimage begins at one's home and ends at the shrine. The route passes through some stunning towns such as Logroño or Astorga. A lot of people will walk it, or you can also cycle it. I mean, it'd just be such a fun trek to make one day.

Now, afterwards we're gonna head over to the capital of Spain, Madrid. Now, located in the center of the country, Madrid is a beautiful modern city. The Plaza Mayor is a great place to visit and experience the heart of Madrid. The royal palace is another incredible spot. It's the official residence of the Spanish royal family and it's the biggest palace in all of Europe. I just can't believe how big it is.

After Madrid, we're gonna head over to visit the nearby Alcazar de Segovia. Now, located in central Spain, about an hour's drive from Madrid, I have to say this is one of Spain's most dramatic castles. It has a very distinct shape that resembles the bow of a ship. The castle was built in the 12th century as a fortress, but served as a royal palace, prison and military academy throughout the years. Today it's a museum and one of Spain's most unique castles.

After exploring the castle, we're going to visit nearby Toledo. Located about 70 kilometers south of Madrid. Toledo was a stunning ancient city perfectly placed on a hill. It's known as the city of three cultures, due to its influences from Christians, Muslims and jews. The history of Toledo is fascinating and complex. It was taken over by the Moors for several centuries, until it was conquered in the 11th century by the Castilians. Today, the city has a population around 80 000. One of the most impressive is the Alcazar de Toledo. It was once used as a Roman palace, and then it was eventually restored in the 16th century.

Another amazing city in Spain is Cordoba. It's home to more world heritage sites than anywhere in the world, with four. One of the coolest features of the city is the mosque-cathedral of Cordoba. It's regarded as the most accomplished monument of Moors architecture. It was finished in 746 A.D, and it was converted to a Christian church in the 16th century.

Another one of my favorite cities in Spain is Ronda. It's just a two-hour drive from Cordoba, and it's home to one of the most scenic bridges I've ever seen, called Puente Nuevo. It was built in the 18th century to cross the El Tajo gorge. It stands 120 meters over the canyon floor. I just can't get over the architecture of the arches. What a beautiful spot!

Now, from Ronda we're going to make the two hours drive to Granada, ++++ at the base of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Granada is an elegant Spanish city. The crowning feature of Granada is The Alhambra. It's a fortified Moorish palace that was completed in 1354. The interior of this palace is stunning. there's a reflection pool and a pillared courtyard. I mean, I totally understand why it's one of the most renowned Islamic buildings in Europe.

After Granada we're going to head over to Seville. Now, as the capital of the Andalusia region in Spain, Seville is a very historic city where flamenco dancing was born. The cathedral of Seville will blow your mind. It's one of the largest churches in the world and it's the world's largest gothic church. Another impressive site in the city includes the Plaza de España. It's a beautiful place that's the perfect combination of Baroque, Renaissance and Moorish architecture.

Afterwards, we're going to visit the nearby port city of Cadiz. It’s located on Spain's southern coast, about an hour's drive from Seville. Cadiz is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Europe, as it was founded by the Phoenicians over 3000 years ago, and I just think it's such a beautiful city, with its white buildings as they're placed perfectly on the narrow strip of land.
Now, after Cadiz, we're gonna head over to the energetic city of Valencia. Now, being Spain's third most popular city, Valencia is full of culture and history. It's located on Spain's southeastern coast. One of the most impressive attractions in Valencia is The City of Arts and Sciences. I mean, it's one of the most unique modern architectural structures that I’ve ever seen. Construction began in 1996 and it was inaugurated nine years later. It was estimated that construction costs almost one billion dollars, but anyways, you can go paddle-board on the water, or you can go watch a film in the Imax theatre there. I mean, the surrounding science museum park is also a beautiful place to walk around and enjoy the beauty of Valencia.

All right, so for my last location we're going to head over to the wild island of Ibiza. Now, Ibiza is known for crazy nightlife and party city. It also has some of the world's best beaches and cliff jumping. Me and my brother decided to go to Ibiza for Halloween because, why not? Anyways, we spent the first few days exploring the island and, honestly, I was pretty disappointed because I couldn't find any really cool jump spots. But on our last day we had just a few hours before our plane was about to take off and we found this secluded cove. We hiked down and made sure the water was deep enough, and we found this perfect cliff, and I threw some jumps off, and then my brother did a wild double backflip off the cliff.

One of my favourite places on Ibiza is this island called Isla de Es Vedrá. It's this rugged uninhabited island that shoots over 400 meters straight out of the ocean. Now, there's a lot of myths and legends about Es Vedrá, and some claim that it's the third most magnetic place in the world. I’m not sure if that's true, I just know that it's one of the most beautiful islands I’ve ever seen. You can rent a boat and go cruise around the island looking for some epic cliff jump spots, or just enjoy the beauty of this limestone island. Next time I'm in Ibiza, I’m going to make sure to go check out Es Vedrá and see if the myths and legends are true. Whether you want to go to Ibiza for cliff jumping or just partying with Kygo, it's one of the most entertaining places to visit.

Well that is it for my Spain top 20. Let me know where your favourite place is in Spain in the comments below.  I also started a relaxation channel where I post hour-long films with kai music to bring some peace and nature in your life. I'll be releasing a relaxation film on Spain very soon. You can find me on TikTok and Instagram as shirley.films. It's Ryan, and we will see you later!

HAS TO BE= (coll., esp. AmE) An emphatic way of saying "is". This expression is often used to talk about preferences (ex: my favourite colour has to be green = it definitely is green).

STUNNING= Fascinating, awesome, super wonderful.

INTRIGUING= Interesting and mysterious.

VIBES= Sensations.

WINDY= /waɪndɪ/ turning again and again.

NOW= This word is used many many times throughout the video, and every single times it is used, it is used as a gap-filler, that is, it means nothing, it is just something we say before starting a new sentence.

DIRT ROAD= A path which is not paved, but is simply covered with sand or soil.

BE BLOWN AWAY= Really really surprised.

GAINER= A dive in which the diver leaves the board facing forward, does a back somersault, and enters the water feet first. Here it is used as a verb.

FREEKING= (coll.) Just an emphasizer to give strength to the next word, in this case "terrifying", so "freeking terrifying" means "really really terrifying".

HAIRPIN TURNS= Very very closed turns, bending sharply (see hairpin to better understand the metaphor).

CHILLING= (coll.) Relaxing and doing nothing.

VIBING= Chilling, relaxing.

I CAN'T DO x ENOUGH= I emphatically do it.

MIGHT AS WELL= Used to say that something should be done or accepted because it cannot be avoided or because there is no good reason not to do it. For example: "You might as well tell them the truth" = you should tell them the truth because they are going to know anyway, or because there is going to be no difference. In this video the sentence means: you can call them the Hawaiian islands of Europe because that's what they are, so you are not going to be wrong and people are not going to react against it.

CROWNING FEATURE= Top feature, most interesting feature.

EPIC= (coll.) Incredible, fantastic, amazing.

DOLOMITES= The beginning of the Alps, in the north of Italy, famous for its incredible scenery (see picture)

VIBE= (coll.) Feeling, sensation.

CABLE CAR= A cabin suspended from and moved by an overhead cable in a mountain area. (see picture)

HIKING TRAILS= Paths for hiking (for walking along in nature).

A BUNCH= (coll.) A lot.

SAINT JAMES= James the Greater. One of Jesus' 12 apostles, and one of his 3 most loved disciples (followers) together with Peter and John.

SANTIAGO= Spanish for "Saint James".

SHRINE= A sacred place where a saint is buried.

BOW= The front section of a ship.

WORLD HERITAGE SITE= A monument or place declared protected by the UNO due to its international relevance.

SCENIC= Creating a wonderful view.

IMAX THEATRE= A kind of cinema projection where the screen is much bigger than usual and quality of image much better.

SECLUDED= Hidden.

KYGO= A very famous Norwegian DJ. Ibiza is famous for its discos.

KAI MUSIC= No idea, but if you know what that is, please leave a comment.