After three months travelling around Spain in our campervan, I can safely say it’s one of the best road-trip destinations in Europe. You’ve got epic mountains, historic cities, wild coastlines and some seriously good driving routes. One day you’re exploring Moorish cities and Roman ruins, the next you’re high up in the Pyrenees or parked beside a quiet Atlantic beach.
I drove thousands of miles researching my Road Trip Spain guidebook, visiting more than 100 locations to work out what’s genuinely worth your time and what isn’t.
These are the 10 cities, coastlines, national parks and road-trip stops that stood out most – and the ones I’d make a beeline for if I were planning the route again.
1. Southern Andalusia – Cádiz to Málaga
Part of the road trip from Cádiz to Málaga, Southern Andalusia is one of those parts of Spain where you never really know what the next day will look like. You can wander through whitewashed villages in the morning, drive through the mountains by lunch, then stand at the southernmost point of mainland Europe watching Africa appear across the water by evening.
The Atlantic-facing Cádiz coast around Tarifa, Bolonia and El Palmar feels properly wild, with enormous beaches, strong winds and a laid-back feel. Cádiz itself is a must-visit, spend the day getting lost in the old town, then head down to the beach for sunset. Further east, the Costa del Sol has a completely different feel, with bigger resort towns, glossy marinas and plenty going on. Make time for Estepona, with its whitewashed streets, little tapas bars and a more relaxed old fishing-town feel.
If you’ve got time, add Caminito del Rey to the route. The boardwalks sit more than 100 metres above the river through the Gaitanes Gorge, and while it can feel a bit exposed, the views are unbelievable. Málaga is a great place to finish, especially when you fancy swapping park-ups for tapas bars, beaches and city life. There’s Moorish history, the Picasso Museum and plenty going on. Just bear in mind that this whole stretch is getting more popular with winter-sun travellers, so it’s worth planning ahead
Caminito Del Ray
2. Cantabria, Asturias and the Picos de Europa
Up in the north of Spain, this was one of those parts of Spain where we kept stopping the van every few miles. It has everything you want from a road trip: quiet beaches, little fishing villages, rolling green hills and plenty of places to park up and slow down.
The coastline up here, including Asturias’ Costa Verde, feels properly green, with forests, cliffs and golden beaches tucked between caves and rock pools. The weather can be less predictable than in southern Spain, but it feels like a fair trade for landscapes like this.
Then you head inland into the Picos de Europa, where the roads get windier, the views bigger and cows with bells on seem to have right of way. The huge limestone peaks and quiet mountain roads made this one of our favourite parts of the whole trip, and it never felt overly crowded either. There are loads of hiking routes in the national park, with viewpoints across the mountains. We took the dogs along too, keeping them on the lead, but even if hiking isn’t really your thing, the drives alone make this part of Spain worth adding to the route.
Santander
3. Galicia
Galicia was never really on my radar before this trip, but it ended up being one of the biggest surprises of the whole route. I honestly wasn’t prepared for how different it would feel from the rest of Spain. One minute we were driving past wild Atlantic cliffs and empty beaches; the next, winding through green hills, forests and little fishing villages that felt like they’d barely changed in years.
Most people know Galicia as the finishing point of the Camino de Santiago, but there’s so much more to it than that. Santiago de Compostela was one of my favourite cities of the trip, with old streets, great markets and plenty of tapas bars to disappear into for the evening.
One stop I’d definitely add is the Tower of Hercules, an ancient Roman lighthouse just outside A Coruña with some seriously good views over the Atlantic. If you’ve got a full day to spare, take the 45-minute boat from Vigo out to the Cíes Islands. Rodas Beach really is as good as it looks in the photos, with clear water, pale sand and a huge crescent-shaped bay.
We also ate ridiculously well in Galicia. Fresh seafood is everywhere, but the octopus was the standout for me: simple, local and very hard not to order twice.
A Coruña, Galicia
4. Basque Country and the Pyrenees
I’ve kind of cheated with this one and rolled two parts of northern Spain into one, but they work brilliantly as part of the same trip. The Basque coast packs a lot into a smaller corner of Spain, with fishing towns, sandy beaches and San Sebastián sitting right on the Bay of Biscay. La Concha Beach is worth the stop alone, with its ridiculously pretty curve of blue water, and if you’ve got time, take the funicular up Mount Igueldo for views across the bay.
Make time for Zumaia too. The flysch cliffs here are seriously dramatic, with layers of rock formed more than 60 million years ago. Heading inland, Rioja Alavesa is a good excuse to slow the trip down: vineyards everywhere, medieval villages and no shortage of wineries for a tasting.
Then, towards the French border, the scenery changes completely. The Pyrenees are quieter, cooler and a lot more rugged, with mountain roads winding through canyons, alpine meadows and glacial valleys, so the drive is half the reason for going. Aínsa is a great place to stop for a few nights, with medieval streets and easy access to Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park, where hiking trails, waterfalls and some of the best scenery we found anywhere in Europe. If you’re after more adventure, it’s also a brilliant area for canyoning.
Northern Spain was the BIGGEST surprise of Robbie’s entire Spain road trip, discover why!
5. Granada and the Sierra Nevada
The road from Granada into the Sierra Nevada was one of my favourites anywhere in Spain. Within minutes of leaving the city, it starts to feel a lot wilder, climbing through dry hills and tiny mountain villages towards snow-capped peaks. The scenery changes around every corner, and it’s a great reminder of how varied Andalucía can be. Take your time with it: the Sierra Nevada has quiet roads, loads of viewpoints worth pulling over for and little villages scattered through the hills.
Granada was one of the biggest surprises of the trip. The Alhambra is obviously the big one, but there’s much more to the city than that. The Albaicín was probably my favourite part, with steep little streets, whitewashed houses and loads of views across to the palace. Head up to Mirador de San Nicolás around sunset too. Watching the Alhambra glow golden with the Sierra Nevada behind it is one of those views that actually lives up to the hype.
Stay into the evening if you can. Granada has lively little bars, a great atmosphere and one of Spain’s best tapas scenes, where a drink still comes with free food in plenty of places.
Alhambra, Granada
6. Barcelona
I’ll admit it, Barcelona nearly didn’t make the road trip. I’d heard all the usual stories about nightmare traffic, difficult parking and it being more hassle than it’s worth in a motorhome. But after finally visiting, I’m glad I ignored them. Stay just outside the centre and use public transport to get in. BSM Bus Garcia Fària in Diagonal Mar is ideal for vehicles between 6 and 16 metres, but book ahead.
Sagrada Família really does live up to the hype, but there’s plenty more to see. Make time for Gaudí’s hilltop Park Güell, with its colourful mosaics and sweeping city views, then wander the narrow streets of the Gothic Quarter, packed with hidden squares, little bars, art museums and centuries of history. El Born is a good shout in the evening, with great food, bars and a more relaxed feel. Barcelona also has something most big cities don’t: proper beaches on its doorstep. You can explore Gaudí’s architecture in the morning, then be by the Mediterranean a few hours later.
Check out Robbie’s guide to taking a campervan to Barcelona (when everyone tells you not to!)
7. Benidorm to Valencia coast
I’ll admit it, Benidorm probably isn’t the first place that comes to mind when you think of a Spain road trip. It has a deservedly chaotic party-town reputation, but the beach is really good, and heading north from here, you’ll find one of my favourite coastal drives anywhere in Spain. The stretch between Benidorm and Valencia has turquoise water, dramatic cliffs, hidden hot springs, colourful old towns and beaches that honestly wouldn’t look out of place in the Caribbean.
Altea is a great first stop, and feels like a world away from Benidorm, with whitewashed streets, pebbly beaches, a marina and its blue-domed church up on the hill. Then there’s Calpe, where you can stop by the beach beneath the huge rock of Peñón de Ifach. The standout for me was Playa de la Granadella. It’s one of the prettiest beaches I’ve seen anywhere in Spain, tucked into a small cove with ridiculously clear turquoise water. It’s so good it ended up on the front cover of my guidebook.
Valencia is a great place to finish the route, and definitely deserves at least a couple of days. Make time for the City of Arts and Sciences, the old town and Central Market, then slow things down with some good food or one of the city’s many dog-friendly cafés.
If you're planning a Spain road trip, this route is one you won't want to miss, check out Robbie’s guide
8. Costa Dorada
Start in Barcelona and follow the Costa Dorada south. It’s the perfect place to ease into a Spanish road trip. Tick off Gaudí’s big sights, wander the Gothic Quarter and squeeze in a beach afternoon before leaving the city behind. From there, this underrated stretch of coastline has a bit of everything: long sandy beaches, brilliant food, Roman history and plenty of campsites, all within an easy drive of one another.
Tarragona, a UNESCO-listed city, is one of the real highlights. The Roman amphitheatre sits right by the sea, and it’s mad to think gladiators were fighting there nearly 2,000 years ago. Have a roam around the old town afterwards for ancient walls, museums and a cathedral built where a Roman temple once stood.
Further along the coast, Sitges is ideal when you fancy slowing things down. There’s a long promenade, plenty of beach, and loads of cafés, galleries, boutiques and little whitewashed streets to wander around. If you’ve got kids with you (or like me, you’re just up for a bit of fun), PortAventura World near Salou is well worth adding to the plan. It has themed lands, water rides and some seriously fun coasters.
Sigtes
9. Seville
Spain’s cities are well worth building into a motorhome road trip, and Seville is right up there with Barcelona for me. It’s easily one of my favourite cities in Europe, and there’s more than enough here to fill two or three days.
The cathedral is an obvious place to start. It’s the largest Gothic cathedral in the world, and it’s properly impressive when you see it up close. Just around the corner, the Royal Alcázar is another must-see, with beautiful gardens and centuries of royal history behind it. Then there’s Plaza de España, Las Setas and the narrow, winding streets of Santa Cruz, where you can happily spend hours without much of a plan.
Seville has a brilliant buzz to it too. This is the home of flamenco, ice-cold Cruzcampo and two of Spain’s biggest celebrations: Semana Santa, with its huge Easter processions, and the Feria de Abril. Hire a bike and use the city’s excellent cycle lanes to get around, or take a cruise along the Guadalquivir River for a different view of the city.
And don’t let the motorhome put you off. There are dedicated campervan areas and campsites nearby, with cheap public transport straight into the centre, so visiting is much easier than you might think.
Sevilla
10. Cabo de gata
Cabo de Gata is about as wild as the Spanish coast gets. This protected natural park is one of Spain’s most untouched stretches of coastline, where volcanic cliffs tumble into hidden coves, the water is ridiculously clear and little whitewashed fishing villages dot the shore. Honestly, it feels like another planet.
There are landscapes within landscapes here, from mountains and dramatic rock formations to quiet beaches that still feel beautifully unspoilt. Playa de Mónsul is a must, with its fine sand and volcanic lava formations that featured in Indiana Jones. I’d also make time for the Cabo de Gata Lighthouse and nearby Mirador de las Sirenas, or Mermaid’s Lookout, where the jagged volcanic coastline is at its most dramatic.
The whole area is protected as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, and there’s plenty to get stuck into while you’re here. Hike along the coast, get out on the water by kayak or boat, or snorkel in the clear shallows. Keep an eye out for flamingos on the salt flats too. There are campsites just outside the park, so it’s easy to stay for a few days and explore properly.
Faro de Cabo de Gata, Eastern Andalucia
If you’re planning a road trip in France, have a look at my Road Trip Spain guidebook.It’s packed with brilliant places to visit, scenic drives, walks, itineraries, aires and all the practical bits to help you plan your own adventure.