The past twenty years has seen a huge increase in city break holidays.  City breaks provide a welcome relief from the drudgery of the 9 till 5 working day which most of us have to suffer. Budget airlines like Ryannair and easyJet  have made parts of Spain previously out of reach for short stays, easily accessible.  The most popular city break destination in Spain is Barcelona.  Barcelona is the ideal place for a three or four night stay, a place where you can sample the delights of typical tapas bars. Stroll down La Rambla the famous Barcelona walkway which stretches down to the seafront and marvel at the works of the artist Gaudi of which there are many examples in the city.  There is so much to see in Barcelona that three days is barely enough. 

A fairly recent city break destination is the fascinating city of Granada.  The last bastion of the Moors, Granada is steeped in history.  The city has a mixture of modern shops and narrow streets opening onto tree lined squares.  A must see for any visitor to Granada, is the beautiful Moorish palace, the Alhambra with its stunning gardens and ornate craftsmanship. 

The capital city Madrid, is another newcomer to Spain's rapidly expanding short stay destinations. Madrid offers a huge variety of things to do in the hustle and bustle of a large city. 

Another recent addition and one I would thoroughly recommend, is the beautiful medieval city of Santiago de Compostela in the northern region of Galicia.  Galicia is Spain's seafood capital and Santiago de Compostela is a great place to sample Galician cuisine.  The wonderful cathedral which is supposed to be the final resting place of the apostle James, is the  termination of the Pilgrims Route or Camino Frances, a  series of ancient pathways meandering over much of northern Spain.  The routes are still used today, although the modern walker has things a lot easier, with hostels catering specifically for them. Alicante on the Costa Blanca is well worth a visit.  Alicante is one the main airports used by the budget airlines and there are often fantastic bargains if you travel out of season.  Alicante was the Roman city Lucentum or "city of light"  Today it is a thriving modern city with a popular harbour area and plenty of bars, restaurants and places of interest.  If you go, check out the indoor market where you can while away a good hour or so observing the huge variety of fish and meat on offer. 

Although not "city" breaks in the true sense, places like Benidorm, Ibiza town, Marbella and Puerto Banus are now within easy reach for a two or three night stay.  Ibiza town with its amazing nightlife, whitewashed houses and winding cobbled streets would make a wonderful weekend break.

City Break Specialists

Because of the popularity of city breaks, there are now many companies specialising in them.  Even the large tour operators  have sections of their websites devoted to city break holidays.  To save you the hassle of searching, we have provided links to the city break pages of some of the largest online companies. Click the logo's for more information.

Holiday Bargains

Holiday bargains have some great prices for Barcelona city breaks.

Thomson Holidays

One of the UK's largest tour operators offering city breaks in Barcelona, Granada, Cordoba, Valencia and Madrid.

Thomas Cook

Thomas Cook Cresta and Signature holidays offer city breaks to Barcelona, Palma, Madrid, Seville, Ibiza, La Coruna and other destinations

Fresh Holidays 

Plenty of bargains to Barcelona, Alicante and Malaga from Fresh Holidays. 

Travelsphere

Travelsphere have two Barcelona city breaks including a 5 star upgrade

Cresta

To get the most out of your short break, it is essential to know about the city and the places of interest.  A short guidebook will help you find the main attractions but with a more substantial book, you can discover hidden gems and make your trip much more interesting.