Catalonia, 6 days, city + coast
Barcelona earns its reputation, but most itineraries stop at Sagrada Familia and Park Güell and miss both the Gothic Quarter’s quieter corners and the coastline just outside the city that few visitors bother reaching.
Days 1–3: Barcelona
Book Sagrada Familia and Park Güell timed-entry tickets weeks ahead — both sell out daily in summer. Balance the Gaudí sites with the Gothic Quarter’s medieval lanes and the Bunkers del Carmel, a former anti-aircraft position that’s now the best free sunset view in the city, still largely a locals’ spot.
Day 4: Montserrat
An hour outside the city, Montserrat’s jagged mountain monastery is an easy train-and-cable-car day trip — the Boys’ Choir performance (weekday afternoons, term-time only) is worth timing around if it lines up.
Days 5–6: Costa Brava
Base in Begur or Cadaqués for the Costa Brava’s coves — rockier and less developed than the Costa del Sol, with Cadaqués’s whitewashed streets having drawn Dalí himself for a reason.
See also our Andalusia guide for Spain’s south.