Thing to do
1. Barrio de Santa Cruz
Seville's former Jewish quarter, a maze of narrow lanes, whitewashed houses, orange trees and small squares beside the Alcázar walls, best explored slowly on foot.
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2. Mercado Central de Valencia
Valencia's Modernista food market, completed in 1928 opposite La Lonja, where hundreds of stalls sell fish, meat, fruit, vegetables and local specialities.
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3. Mercado de San Miguel
A 1916 iron and glass market beside the Plaza Mayor, reopened in 2009 as a gourmet tapas hall with more than 20 stalls open until late.
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4. Mercat de la Boqueria
Barcelona's best-known food market, entered from La Rambla under a wrought-iron arch, packed with produce stalls, fishmongers and busy counter bars.
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5. Bunkers del Carmel (Turó de la Rovira)
A Civil War anti-aircraft battery on the Turó de la Rovira hilltop, now a free history site with one of the widest panoramas over Barcelona.
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6. El Rastro
Madrid's historic open-air flea market, held on Sunday and public holiday mornings around Plaza de Cascorro and the Ribera de Curtidores.
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7. Mercado de Triana
Triana's neighbourhood food market at the end of the Isabel II bridge, with around a hundred stalls of produce, fish and ham plus tapas bars and a cooking school.
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8. Turia Garden
A nine-kilometre park laid out in the old bed of the Turia river after the 1957 flood, linking Bioparc, the old town and the City of Arts and Sciences.
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9. Albufera Natural Park
A freshwater lagoon and wetland about half an hour south of the city, surrounded by rice fields, with boat trips, birdwatching and the paella village of El Palmar.
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10. Casa de la Memoria
A cultural centre for flamenco in the old town, staging nightly live shows of dance, song and guitar in a small, intimate setting close to Las Setas.
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11. Corral de la Morería
One of Madrid's oldest flamenco tablaos, open since 1956, with two nightly shows and a separate Michelin-starred restaurant led by chef David García.
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12. Tibidabo Amusement Park
A historic hilltop amusement park on Tibidabo, the highest point of the Collserola ridge, combining vintage rides with sweeping views over Barcelona.
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13. Aire Ancient Baths Sevilla
A thermal bath experience in a 16th-century Mudéjar-style house in Santa Cruz, with baths at different temperatures, massages and a rooftop bath facing the Giralda.
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14. Azotea del Círculo de Bellas Artes
The rooftop terrace of the Círculo de Bellas Artes, a 1926 Antonio Palacios building, with wide views over Gran Vía and central Madrid, a bar and a restaurant.
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15. Malvarrosa Beach
Valencia's best-known city beach, running north from the Las Arenas hotel, with a long promenade, rice restaurants and good access for visitors with reduced mobility.
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16. Tablao Flamenco Cordobés
A long-running flamenco tablao on La Rambla, staging intimate evening performances of flamenco dance, guitar and song, with dinner options from its own restaurant.
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17. Barrio del Carmen
The old town's most characterful quarter, between the medieval gates of Serranos and Quart, known for street art, small squares, museums and nightlife.
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18. Mercat de Santa Caterina
A neighbourhood food market near the cathedral, renovated by Enric Miralles and Benedetta Tagliabue and crowned by a wave-shaped roof of coloured tiles.
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19. Museo del Baile Flamenco
An interactive museum of flamenco dance founded by the dancer Cristina Hoyos, with exhibitions on the art form and live shows in an intimate vaulted space.
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20. Real Jardín Botánico
Madrid's 18th-century botanical garden beside the Prado, laid out on three terraces by Sabatini and Villanueva, with about 90,000 plants and 1,500 trees.
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