Best Churches in Spain

The Sagrada Família is the most visited monument in Spain. Gaudí took over the project in 1883 and worked on it until his death in 1926; it was consecrated as a basilica in 2010, and the central Tower of Jesus Christ now makes it the tallest church in the world. Go for the interior, where the columns branch like trees and the stained glass turns the nave blue on the east side in the morning and orange on the west in the late afternoon. Tickets are sold online only, from about 26 euros, more with a tower lift; buy them days or weeks ahead in summer. Allow 1.5 to 2 hours.

The Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba began as a mosque in 785 and was extended for two centuries, until its hall of red-and-white striped arches covered most of a city block. In the 16th century a cathedral was built in the centre. The mihrab, covered in Byzantine gold mosaic, is the high point. Entry costs about 15 euros. A free early-morning hour on Monday to Saturday, roughly 8:30 to 9:20, has been offered for years outside Mass; check before you go. Climb the bell tower separately for the view, and walk five minutes to the Córdoba Synagogue, one of only three medieval synagogues left in Spain.

Seville Cathedral is the largest Gothic cathedral in the world. Inside are a gilded altarpiece carved with dozens of Biblical scenes and the tomb of Christopher Columbus, carried by four figures representing the kingdoms of Spain. The ticket, about 13 to 14 euros, includes the Giralda, the old minaret, climbed by 35 ramps wide enough for a horse rather than by stairs. Book a timed slot online in spring, when Seville’s Semana Santa processions pass through the cathedral.

Toledo, 33 minutes from Madrid by high-speed train, packs Christian, Jewish and Muslim religious buildings into one hilltop. Toledo Cathedral, seat of the Primate of Spain, is the richest cathedral interior in the country: see the Transparente, a baroque altar lit through a hole cut in the vault, and El Greco’s Disrobing of Christ in the sacristy. Allow two hours. Nearby are the Synagogue of El Tránsito, now the Sephardic Museum, the horseshoe arches of Santa María la Blanca, and the tiny 10th-century mosque of Cristo de la Luz. The church of Santo Tomé holds El Greco’s Burial of the Count of Orgaz, and the monastery of San Juan de los Reyes has one of the finest Gothic cloisters in Spain. A combined tourist wristband covers several of these smaller sites.

El Escorial, an hour from Madrid by Cercanías train, is Philip II’s monastery-palace of the 1560s to 1580s: a basilica, a library with painted vaults, and the Royal Pantheon where most Spanish kings since Charles V are buried. Allow half a day and avoid Mondays, when it is closed.

Burgos Cathedral is the most complete Gothic cathedral in Spain, with openwork spires, the tomb of El Cid under the crossing, the Golden Staircase by Diego de Siloé and the Papamoscas, a clock figure that opens its mouth on the hour. In Burgos, walk or take a taxi to the Las Huelgas royal convent and the Miraflores Charterhouse, free to enter, with Gil de Siloé’s carved royal tombs. About an hour southeast, the monks of Santo Domingo de Silos sing Gregorian chant at their daily offices; vespers in the early evening is the easiest service to catch, and the Romanesque cloister is open for visits.

León Cathedral has about 1,800 square metres of medieval stained glass, so much that the walls seem to be made of light. Visit on a sunny morning. In León, also see San Isidoro, whose Royal Pantheon has 12th-century wall paintings so well preserved it is called the Sistine Chapel of Romanesque.

The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela is the goal of the Camino de Santiago, and pilgrims arrive in the square all day. The nave and the tomb of Saint James are free; the restored Pórtico da Gloria, the Romanesque portal inside the west front, is visited on timed paid tickets, and the rooftop tour is the best view of the old town. The giant censer, the botafumeiro, swings across the transept on major feast days and at some scheduled Masses; the cathedral publishes the dates.

In Asturias, Oviedo Cathedral guards the Cámara Santa and its relics. On the hill above Oviedo, Santa María del Naranco and San Miguel de Lillo are 9th-century royal buildings, among the oldest standing churches in Europe, with guided visits by the hour. Santa Cristina de Lena is a 40-minute drive south. In the mountains, the cave shrine of Covadonga stands under a waterfall below the Picos de Europa lakes; see our national parks guide. In Cantabria, Santo Toribio de Liébana keeps what is said to be the largest surviving piece of the True Cross.

In La Rioja, the twin monasteries of San Millán de Suso and San Millán de Yuso are known as the cradle of the Spanish language; Suso, up the hill, is reached by a short shuttle on guided tours that you should book ahead.

In Zaragoza, the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pilar on the river is free to enter. Look for the Goya frescoes in the domes and the two bombs dropped on it in 1936 that never exploded, now hanging by a pillar; a lift in one tower (small fee) gives the view. Two minutes away, La Seo mixes Romanesque, Mudéjar and Gothic. Teruel Cathedral has a painted Mudéjar wooden ceiling, part of a UNESCO site. In the Aragonese Pyrenees, see Jaca Cathedral and the Monastery of San Juan de la Peña, built under an overhanging cliff. In the Catalan Pyrenees, the nine Romanesque churches of the Vall de Boí are a UNESCO site, with the murals of Sant Climent de Taüll projected back onto its apse.

Valencia Cathedral has a chapel holding a stone cup venerated as the Holy Grail, and the Miguelete bell tower to climb. On Thursdays at noon the Water Tribunal, Europe’s oldest court, meets at the cathedral’s Apostles’ Door to settle irrigation disputes, in public and in Valencian. In Valencia, allow an hour.

Palma Cathedral, La Seu, stands over the sea in Palma. Gaudí redesigned its interior, and Miquel Barceló covered a side chapel in ceramic. On 2 February and 11 November, the morning sun projects the great rose window onto the wall below the opposite one, and crowds gather inside early to watch. In Mallorca’s mountains, the Lluc sanctuary has its own boys’ choir. In the Canaries, the Basilica of Candelaria on Tenerife is the islands’ main pilgrimage church, and the Cathedral of La Laguna is in a UNESCO-listed colonial town.

Most cathedrals sell tickets online and at the door, with an audio guide included. Tourist visits stop during Mass, and Sunday mornings are the worst time to visit. Entry for worship is free, but you may be confined to a side chapel. Smaller churches and monasteries often close for lunch, from about 13:30 or 14:00 to 16:00 or 17:00, and some close on Mondays, as El Escorial does. In Holy Week (Semana Santa) and on local feast days, opening hours change and cathedrals in Andalusia fill with processions; see our best time to visit Spain page for dates.