The world, city by city, first-hand

The Mosque-Cathedral with its forest of columns, the former capital of the Umayyad caliphate, and the flower-filled patios of May.

Catalan medieval city on the Onyar: colourful riverside houses, a vast cathedral, an intact Jewish quarter and Game of Thrones filming.

Nasrid Alhambra, Albaicín viewpoints, free tapas with every caña, and Sierra Nevada snow-capped half an hour from the centre.

The capital of seven hills: tram 28, Tagus-river viewpoints, fado in Alfama and the custard tarts of Belém.

The art triangle (Prado, Reina Sofía, Thyssen), the taverns of La Latina, and a street life that keeps going late.

The Alcazaba and Gibralfaro, the 'Manquita' Cathedral, the Picasso Museum and sardine espetos on its urban beaches.

Northern capital on the Douro: the Ribeira and the Dom Luís I bridge, the port-wine cellars of Gaia, the Livraria Lello bookshop and the francesinha.

La Concha bay, pintxos in the Parte Vieja, Chillida's Peine del Viento and two festivals: Jazzaldia and the Zinemaldia film festival.

The Real Alcázar, the Cathedral with La Giralda, the flamenco of Triana, and two festivals that define it: Semana Santa and the Feria de Abril.

Sintra: the palaces of Pena and Quinta da Regaleira, a Moorish castle and the Atlantic Serra, UNESCO World Heritage 1995 and fresh travesseiros.

Modernist seaside town: 17 beaches, a historic LGBTQ+ scene, carnival and a fantastic-film festival.

Ancient Roman Tárraco: a seafront amphitheatre, UNESCO walls and human-tower castells.

Calatrava's Ciudad de las Artes, the Art Nouveau Mercado Central, the Jardins del Túria and the Fallas that set the city ablaze every March.