UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Spain

UNESCO's Description

Our Lady of Burgos was begun in the 13th century at the same time as the great cathedrals of the Ile-de-France and was completed in the 15th and 16th centuries. The entire history of Gothic art is summed up in its superb architecture and its unique collection of works of art, including paintings, choir stalls, reredos, tombs and stained-glass windows.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

History of the cathedral

Burgos became a bishopric in 1075 by the king Alfonso VI of León and Castile "the Brave" on authority of Pope Gregory VII, giving it a canonical continuation with the episcopal tradition of the diocese of Oca, whose prelate was in 589 already recorded as a signatory to the Third Council of Toledo during the reign of the Visigoths.

The monarch dedicated the construction of a cathedral to the Virgin Mary. Its design is not known, but it is supposedly Romanesque and of the type of contemporary works (of the Abbey of Santo Domingo de Silos, of the Monastery of San Pedro de Arlanza of San Martín de Tours de Frómista or the Cathedral of Jaca).

Key Facts

Facts from Wikidata Q744420 (CC0).

UNESCO's Description

Cordoba's period of greatest glory began in the 8th century after the Moorish conquest, when some 300 mosques and innumerable palaces and public buildings were built to rival the splendours of Constantinople, Damascus and Baghdad. In the 13th century, under Ferdinand III, the Saint, Cordoba's Great Mosque was turned into a cathedral and new defensive structures, particularly the Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos and the Torre Fortaleza de la Calahorra, were erected.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

Historical background

First a Carthaginian township, Córdoba was captured by the Romans in 206 BC, soon becoming the capital of Hispania Citerior with fine buildings and imposing fortifications. In the 6th century, with the crumbling of the Roman Empire, the city fell to the Visigoths until the beginning of the 8th century when it was conquered by the Moors. In 716, Córdoba became a provincial capital and, in 766, capital of the Muslim emirate of al-Andalus. By the 10th century, as the Caliphate of Córdoba it had become one of the most advanced cities in the world, recognized for its culture, learning and religious tolerance. In addition to a huge library, the city enclosed over 300 mosques and a multitude of palaces and administrative buildings.

UNESCO's Description

Seventeen decorated caves of the Paleolithic age were inscribed as an extension to the Altamira Cave, inscribed in 1985. The property will now appear on the List as Cave of Altamira and Paleolithic Cave Art of Northern Spain. The property represents the apogee of Paleolithic cave art that developed across Europe, from the Urals to the Iberian Peninusula, from 35,000 to 11,000 BC. Because of their deep galleries, isolated from external climatic influences, these caves are particularly well preserved. The caves are inscribed as masterpieces of creative genius and as the humanity’s earliest accomplished art. They are also inscribed as exceptional testimonies to a cultural tradition and as outstanding illustrations of a significant stage in human history.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

Key Facts

Facts from Wikidata Q899302 (CC0).

UNESCO's Description

This famous pilgrimage site in north-west Spain became a symbol in the Spanish Christians' struggle against Islam. Destroyed by the Muslims at the end of the 10th century, it was completely rebuilt in the following century. With its Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque buildings, the Old Town of Santiago is one of the world's most beautiful urban areas. The oldest monuments are grouped around the tomb of St James and the cathedral, which contains the remarkable Pórtico de la Gloria.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

Description

II. Witness a significant exchange of human values over a period of time or within a cultural area of the world, in the development of architecture or technology, monumental arts, urban planning or landscape design.

VI. Be directly or tangibly associated with living events or traditions, with ideas or beliefs, with artistic and literary works of exceptional universal importance. (The committee considers that this criterion should preferably be accompanied by other criteria.)

The historic centre of the city grew around the cathedral after the mythical discovery of the tomb of apostle James in 813, attracting the pilgrimage of millions of people for centuries, in one of the most remarkable phenomena of medieval history.

Key Facts

Facts from Wikidata Q12386144 (CC0).

UNESCO's Description

Laurel forest covers some 70% of this park, situated in the middle of the island of La Gomera in the Canary Islands archipelago. The presence of springs and numerous streams assures a lush vegetation resembling that of the Tertiary, which, due to climatic changes, has largely disappeared from southern Europe.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

Key Facts

Facts from Wikidata Q464942 (CC0).

Visiting Garajonay National Park

La Gomera is the second smallest island of the Canary Islands. It is an undeveloped, unspoilt, beautiful island 40 minutes by fast ferry from Tenerife that is ideal for walkers.

Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: La Gomera (CC BY-SA 4.0).

UNESCO's Description

The city's history of battles between Moors and Christians is reflected in its architecture, which is a blend of Roman, Islamic, Northern Gothic and Italian Renaissance styles. Of the 30 or so towers from the Muslim period, the Torre del Bujaco is the most famous.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

History

The origins of Cáceres were in prehistoric times, as evidenced by the paintings in the Cuevas de Maltravieso (Maltravieso Caves) which date back to the late Paleolithic period. Visitors can see remains from medieval times, the Roman occupation, Moorish occupation and the Golden age of Jewish culture in Spain. Cáceres has four main areas to be explored: the historical quarter, the Jewish quarter, the modern centre, and the outskirts.

UNESCO's Description

This Cistercian abbey in Catalonia is one of the largest in Spain. At its centre is a 12th-century church. The austere, majestic monastery, which has a fortified royal residence and contains the pantheon of the kings of Catalonia and Aragon, is an impressive sight.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

Key Facts

Facts from Wikidata Q645157 (CC0).

UNESCO's Description

A network of four Christian pilgrimage routes in northern Spain, the site is an extension of the Route of Santiago de Compostela, a serial site inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1993. The extension represents a network of almost 1,500 km: coastal, interior of the Basque Country–La Rioja, Liébana and primitive routes. It includes a built heritage of historical importance created to meet the needs of pilgrims, including cathedrals, churches, hospitals, hostels and even bridges. The extension encompasses some of the earliest pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela, following the discovery in the 9 th century of a tomb believed to be that of St. James the Greater.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

Key Facts

Facts from Wikidata Q39081159 (CC0).

UNESCO's Description

The monastery is an outstanding repository of four centuries of Spanish religious architecture. It symbolizes two significant events in world history that occurred in 1492: the Reconquest of the Iberian peninsula by the Catholic Kings and Christopher Columbus' arrival in the Americas. Its famous statue of the Virgin became a powerful symbol of the Christianization of much of the New World.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

History

The monastery had its origins in the late 13th century, when a shepherd from Cáceres, named Gil Cordero, discovered on the bank of the Guadalupe River a statue of the Blessed Virgin, which had been apparently hidden by local inhabitants from Moorish invaders in 714. On the site of his discovery a chapel was built, dedicated under the title of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

King Alfonso XI, who visited the chapel more than once, invoked Santa Maria de Guadalupe in the Battle of Rio Salado. After gaining the victory, he ascribed it to the Madonna's intercession, declared the church at Guadalupe a royal sanctuary and undertook an extensive rebuilding program.

In 1389, the Hieronymite monks took over the monastery and made it their principal house.

Key Facts

Facts from Wikidata Q750248 (CC0).

UNESCO's Description

Doñana National Park in Andalusia occupies the right bank of the Guadalquivir river at its estuary on the Atlantic Ocean. It is notable for the great diversity of its biotopes, especially lagoons, marshlands, fixed and mobile dunes, scrub woodland and maquis. It is home to five threatened bird species. It is one of the largest heronries in the Mediterranean region and is the wintering site for more than 500,000 water fowl each year.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

Geology and geomorphology

The geological profile of Doñana National Park reflects the development over several hundred thousand years of a deep aquifer and geomorphological features that have enhanced the biodiversity of the wildlife habitats presently found there. After the end of the last glacial period, the area was covered by freshwater and brackish marshes, ponds and sand dunes, with some marine intrusions caused by high-energy events such as tsunamis and large storms. A period of comparatively rapid rise in global sea level during the first part of the Flandrian interglacial was associated with the melting of the paleoglaciers, and reached its maximum level 6,500–7,000 years ago.

Climate

Doñana Park has a mild, typically Mediterranean climate, characterised by dry summers and relatively wet winters resulting from variations in the polar front and the subtropical ridge of high pressure. The rainy seasons are intermediate, occurring in spring and in autumn; the latter especially can produce torrential rains caused by the accumulation during the summer of heat in nearby large bodies of water, and the arrival of polar air masses. In winter, however, thermal anticyclones may occur locally. Temperatures are mild throughout the year, with maximum temperatures varying about 17 °C from winter to summer. The most significant feature of the climate is the three to five months of dry weather in the summer, when it is dominated by the subtropical anticyclone.

History

Although the topography of Doñana is a relatively new land feature as measured on the geological time scale, remains of Neolithic tools have been found in the area. Various ancient civilisations may have had a presence there as long as 2,800 years ago, including the Phoenicians, the Phocaean Greeks and the Tartessians, but archaeological remains attesting to such have not been found. In 1923, the German archaeologist Adolf Schulten, accompanied by Adolf Lammerer and George Bonsor, searched for the location of the ancient Tartessian capital in Almonte, where the Doñana dunes are, but found nothing of interest. These excavations were carried out at Cerro del Trigo and funded by the Duke of Tarifa and Denia, then owner of Doñana.

Key Facts

Facts from Wikidata Q463141 (CC0).

Visiting Doñana National Park

Doñana National Park is in Andalusia of Spain. Spanning marshes, dunes, and woodlands, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the park is a critical stopover for migratory birds. Birdwatchers will be in their element here, spotting species like flamingos and Spanish imperial eagles. The park's pristine beaches and shifting landscapes create a haven for biodiversity.

Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: Doñana National Park (CC BY-SA 4.0).

UNESCO's Description

Built between 1482 and 1533, this group of buildings was originally used for trading in silk (hence its name, the Silk Exchange) and it has always been a centre for commerce. It is a masterpiece of late Gothic architecture. The grandiose Sala de Contratación (Contract or Trading Hall), in particular, illustrates the power and wealth of a major Mediterranean mercantile city in the 15th and 16th centuries.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

History

Built between 1482 and 1533, the Llotja is composed of three parts (plus the Orange Garden - a walled courtyard). The main hall, Sala de Contractació (The Trading Hall), is a large lavishly decorated space supported by gorgeous twisted columns. This was the financial centre of La Lonja, where the merchants worked out contracts. The side-wing is named the Pavilion of the Consulate, and this was the seat of the Consolat del Mar - the first marine merchant tribunal to ever be formed in Spain. On the first two floors were the main rooms. The second floor had a richly decorated ceiling. These rooms still have the original furnishings. Occasionally, the Tribunal would imprison merchants for debts in the central tower of La Lonja - the third part of the structure.

Key Facts

Facts from Wikidata Q588009 (CC0).

Visiting Lonja de la Seda

Valencia (València in Valencian, pronounced [vaˈlensia], vahl-EHN-see-ah; baˈlenθja [bahl-EHN-thyah] in Spanish) is a charming old city and the capital of the Valencian Community. With just over 830,000 inhabitants in 2023, it is Spain’s third-largest city and, after Barcelona, the most significant cultural centre along the Spanish Mediterranean coast. It is the capital of the autonomous Valencian Community, and is known for tourism and cuisine. In March visitors flock to the city for the annual UNESCO-listed Falles celebration, but the city is worth visiting at other times of year for its paella, ultramodern architecture, and good beaches.

Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: Valencia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

UNESCO's Description

In the 1st century A.D. the Roman Imperial authorities began to exploit the gold deposits of this region in north-west Spain, using a technique based on hydraulic power. After two centuries of working the deposits, the Romans withdrew, leaving a devastated landscape. Since there was no subsequent industrial activity, the dramatic traces of this remarkable ancient technology are visible everywhere as sheer faces in the mountainsides and the vast areas of tailings, now used for agriculture.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

Key Facts

Facts from Wikidata Q696803 (CC0).

UNESCO's Description

The monastic community founded by St Millán in the mid-6th century became a place of pilgrimage. A fine Romanesque church built in honour of the holy man still stands at the site of Suso. It was here that the first literature was produced in Castilian, from which one of the most widely spoken languages in the world today is derived. In the early 16th century the community was housed in the fine new monastery of Yuso, below the older complex; it is still a thriving community today.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

History

There is a continuous history of Christianity at San Millán since the time of the saint. The scriptorium produced the second phase of the San Millán Beatus and remained active during the period of Muslim rule; and over the centuries, the religious community has overcome various vicissitudes which affected the monasteries (for example being sacked by the Black Prince). However the type of monastic life evolved: the original monks living at Suso were hermits, but Yuso, the refoundation of the monastery on a lower site, developed as a Benedictine community. As the UNESCO evaluation noted, San Millán shows the transformation from an eremitic to a cenobitic community in material terms.

Suso monastery has been uninhabited since the expropriation of monastic property in the 19th century.

Key Facts

Facts from Wikidata Q2284354 (CC0).

UNESCO's Description

This outstanding mountain landscape, which spans the contemporary national borders of France and Spain, is centred around the peak of Mount Perdu, a calcareous massif that rises to 3,352 m. The site, with a total area of 30,639 ha, includes two of Europe's largest and deepest canyons on the Spanish side and three major cirque walls on the more abrupt northern slopes with France, classic presentations of these geological landforms. The site is also a pastoral landscape reflecting an agricultural way of life that was once widespread in the upland regions of Europe but now survives only in this part of the Pyrénées. Thus it provides exceptional insights into past European society through its landscape of villages, farms, fields, upland pastures and mountain roads.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

Description

Monte Perdido Glacier, located on the north-facing slope of Monte Perdido, is the third-largest glacier in the Pyrenees. It is surrounded by vertical cliffs up to 800m in height. Similar to most European glaciers, the Monte Perdido Glacier has been shrinking since the Little Ice Age, and since 1981, the glacier has lost 48 hectares of surface area. The rate of retreat is continuing to accelerate due to the effects of global climate change.

Access to the mountain is easier from Spain than from France. The route starts near the village of Torla, Aragon, at the Ordesa Valley and ascends the Cirque de Soaso towards the Refuge of Góriz before the steep climb up the final, often icy snow slopes to the summit.

UNESCO's Description

The late prehistoric rock-art sites of the Mediterranean seaboard of the Iberian peninsula form an exceptionally large group. Here the way of life during a critical phase of human development is vividly and graphically depicted in paintings whose style and subject matter are unique.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

Location

The World Heritage Site includes rock art across an area which stretches from the Pyrenees to the province of Granada, falling within the territory of the autonomous communities of Catalonia, Aragon, Castile-La Mancha, Murcia, Valencia and Andalusia. It was declared a Bien de Interés Cultural in 1985.

The art is commonly found in rock shelters (protected by a natural ledge) and shallow caves in which sunlight can penetrate easily. There is no clear preference as to what part of the rock shelter is used for art, it can be placed high or half-way up the walls. The sites were not used for habitation, and lack the organic remains of hearths and rubbish deposits which would help dating.

UNESCO's Description

San Cristóbal de La Laguna, in the Canary Islands, has two nuclei: the original, unplanned Upper Town; and the Lower Town, the first ideal 'city-territory' laid out according to philosophical principles. Its wide streets and open spaces have a number of fine churches and public and private buildings dating from the 16th to the 18th century.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

Climate

Because it captures moisture from the prevailing northeasterly winds, San Cristóbal de La Laguna has a Mediterranean climate (Köppen: Csb) that contrasts with the arid climate of other cities on the Canary Islands. It receives three to five times more rainfall than falls on the southern slopes, around ten percent less sunshine, and about ten percent higher humidity throughout the year. In spite of its elevation, the maritime and subtropical influences keep the temperature above frost at all times.

History

The land upon which the city now stands belonged to the Menceyato de Anaga, which was one of nine aboriginal Guanche kingdoms on the island until its conquest by the Kingdom of Castile. The valley of Aguere (where the city lies) and especially the large lake that was in this place, was a place of pilgrimage for the aborigines of the island.

The Battle of Aguere was fought in the city in 1494. The city was founded between 1496 and 1497 by Alonso Fernández de Lugo and became the capital of the island of Tenerife after the conclusion of the conquest of the islands. Later the city became the capital of all of the Canary Islands. In 1582, the city suffered an epidemic of plague that resulted in between 5,000 and 9,000 deaths.

Key Facts

Facts from Wikidata Q54898 (CC0).

Visiting San Cristóbal de La Laguna

San Cristóbal de La Laguna, informally known as La Laguna, is a city in Tenerife. It is the oldest city on the island and has a well-preserved city centre, and in 1999 was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its elevation is considerably higher than Santa Cruz de Tenerife, making it noticeably cooler than other nearby settlements.

Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: San Cristóbal de La Laguna (CC BY-SA 4.0).

UNESCO's Description

The caves of the Sierra de Atapuerca contain a rich fossil record of the earliest human beings in Europe, from nearly one million years ago and extending up to the Common Era. They represent an exceptional reserve of data, the scientific study of which provides priceless information about the appearance and the way of life of these remote human ancestors.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

UNESCO's Description

The narrow Vall de Boí is situated in the high Pyrénées, in the Alta Ribagorça region and is surrounded by steep mountains. Each village in the valley contains a Romanesque church, and is surrounded by a pattern of enclosed fields. There are extensive seasonally-used grazing lands on the higher slopes.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

History of the frescoes of the Vall de Boí

The twelfth century was the golden age for fresco painting throughout Catalonia; the rise of military orders and victories against the Moors led to increased wealth.

The churches in the Vall de Boí were built in two stages: those of Boí around 1100 and in style are connected to Aquitaine. The second stage, the churches of Taüll, date from 1123 that reflect a Lombard style mixed with the sculpture from Toulouse. The apse of Sant Climent de Taüll is considered a masterpiece of European Romanesque painting.

During the early 20th century there was a major effort to study and catalog and eventually to purchase, remove and transfer the Romanesque wall paintings in the churches of the Vall de Boí area. This activity was driven by both the academic interests of scholars, and by art dealers.

Key Facts

Facts from Wikidata Q1091515 (CC0).

UNESCO's Description

Tarraco (modern-day Tarragona) was a major administrative and mercantile city in Roman Spain and the centre of the Imperial cult for all the Iberian provinces. It was endowed with many fine buildings, and parts of these have been revealed in a series of exceptional excavations. Although most of the remains are fragmentary, many preserved beneath more recent buildings, they present a vivid picture of the grandeur of this Roman provincial capital.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

History

The area was inhabited from the 5th century BC by Iberians, mainly in the Ebro Valley, who had commercial contacts with the Greeks and Phoenicians settled on the coast.

Tarraco is first mentioned after the arrival of Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Calvus at Empúries in 218 BC at the start of the Second Punic War which began the Roman conquest of Hispania. The Romans conquered a field of Punic supplies for Hannibal's troops near Cissis and took the city. A short time later, the Romans were attacked "not far from Tarraco". Cissis and Tarraco may have been the same city. Cissis may be equated with Kesse, the name on coins of Iberian origin from the 1st and 2nd century BC that were marked according to Roman weight standards.

UNESCO's Description

The Palmeral of Elche, a landscape of groves of date palms, was formally laid out, with elaborate irrigation systems, at the time the Muslim city of Elche was erected, towards the end of the tenth century A.C., when much of the Iberian peninsula was Arab. The Palmeral is an oasis, a system for agrarian production in arid areas. It is also a unique example of Arab agricultural practices on the European continent. Cultivation of date palms in Elche is known at least since the Iberian times, dating around the fifth century B.C.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

History

In the 5th century BCE, Carthaginian settlers in the town of Ilici planted the first date palms of Elche. After Rome’s conquest of the Iberian peninsula in the 2nd century BCE, Roman settlers introduced the first elaborate forms of agricultural water management. To irrigate their cereal and olive tree crop fields, the Romans constructed a dam at the Vinalopó River bed in the mountains north of Elche. Aqueducts then channeled the dam water to Elche.

In the 10th century CE, the Caliphate of Córdoba moved the city of Elche seven km away from Ilici to its present location. The Caliphate from the 7th to 10th century expanded the irrigation system into a complicated canal system centered on the Vinalopó river.

Key Facts

Facts from Wikidata Q930784 (CC0).

UNESCO's Description

The walls of Lugo were built in the later part of the 3rd century to defend the Roman town of Lucus. The entire circuit survives intact and is the finest example of late Roman fortifications in western Europe.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

History

During the Middle Ages, pilgrims passed through the gates of the Lugo walls, particularly Porta Miña, on their way to Santiago de Compostela.

The fortifications were added to UNESCO's World Heritage List in late 2000 as "the finest example of late Roman fortifications in western Europe." The walls have held Spanish monument status (Bien de Interés Cultural) since 1921. In 2007 the walls were twinned with the Great Wall of China during a ceremony attended by China's then-ambassador to Spain, Qiu Xiaoqi.

A walkway over the walls now allows visitors to stroll along the entire length. The town also has a visitor's centre dedicated to the walls, the Centro de Interpretación da Muralla.

Description

The city walls were built between 263 and 276 A.D. to defend the Roman town of Lucus Augusti (present-day Lugo) against local tribesmen and Germanic invaders. The walls formed part of a complex of fortifications which also included a moat and an intervallum (the clearing between the walls and the city). The entire length of the walls is around 2,120 metres (6,960 ft), enclosing an area of 34.4 hectares (85 acres). Not all of the town was enclosed by walls: much of the southeastern part of the town remained unprotected, while in other places unused areas were enclosed by walls.

The width of the walls is around 4.2 metres (14 ft) and their height varies between 8 metres (26 ft) and 12 metres (39 ft).

Key Facts

Facts from Wikidata Q2733427 (CC0).

UNESCO's Description

Vizcaya Bridge straddles the mouth of the Ibaizabal estuary, west of Bilbao. It was designed by the Basque architect Alberto de Palacio and completed in 1893. The 45-m-high bridge with its span of 160 m, merges 19th-century ironworking traditions with the then new lightweight technology of twisted steel ropes. It was the first bridge in the world to carry people and traffic on a high suspended gondola and was used as a model for many similar bridges in Europe, Africa and the America only a few of which survive. With its innovative use of lightweight twisted steel cables, it is regarded as one of the outstanding architectural iron constructions of the Industrial Revolution.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

History

The Vizcaya Bridge was built to connect the two banks which are situated at the mouth of the Nervion River. It is the world's oldest transporter bridge and was built in 1893, designed by Alberto Palacio, one of Gustave Eiffel's disciples. The engineer Ferdinand Joseph Arnodin was in charge, and the main financier of the project was Santos Lopez de Letona. Arnodin provided a solution to the problem of connecting the towns of Portugalete and Getxo without disrupting the maritime traffic of the Port of Bilbao, and without having to build a massive structure with long ramps. Palacio wanted to design a bridge that could transport passengers and cargo, and that could allow ships to go through. Palacio's shuttle bridge was adequate and could be built for a reasonable price.

UNESCO's Description

Situated on the island of Tenerife, Teide National Park features the Teide-Pico Viejo stratovolcano that, at 3,718 m, is the highest peak on Spanish soil. Rising 7,500 m above the ocean floor, it is regarded as the world’s third-tallest volcanic structure and stands in a spectacular environment. The visual impact of the site is all the greater due to atmospheric conditions that create constantly changing textures and tones in the landscape and a ‘sea of clouds’ that forms a visually impressive backdrop to the mountain. Teide is of global importance in providing evidence of the geological processes that underpin the evolution of oceanic islands.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

Geography and climate

The Teide National Park has generally a very sunny, dry and mild climate. The major climates found in the Teide National Park are the Mediterranean climate (Csa/Csb) and the Semi-arid climate (BSk).

The Izaña Teide Observatory located at 2,371 metres (7,779 ft) asl registers an annual temperature of 10.2 °C (50.4 °F) and almost 3,500 sunshine hours annually. Most summer days have completely clear skies.

History

Teide National Park held spiritual significance to aboriginal Guanches, and important archaeological sites have been discovered in the park. Teide was a place of worship for the Guanches, who believed it was the gate to hell (Echeyde).

National park status was declared on January 22, 1954. In 1989, the Council of Europe awarded the European Diploma of Protected Areas, its highest category. This recognition and conservation management has been subsequently renewed in 1994, 1999 and 2004. In 2007, UNESCO declared Teide National Park a World Heritage Site. At the end of 2007, participants in the 12 Treasures of Spain project voted to include Teide National Park as the sixth treasure of Spain.

Key Facts

Facts from Wikidata Q715124 (CC0).

Visiting Teide National Park

Teide National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional del Teide) is Europe's most visited national park with over 4 million visitors in 2016. With an area of 190 km² it occupies the highest 10% of Tenerife's land area, one of the Canary Islands which administratively belong to Spain. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007 and has since been one of the 12 Treasures of Spain.

The park is known for its 2 volcanoes, 1 El Teide (3,715 m) and 2 Pico Viejo (3,135 m), the only peaks on the Canary Islands above 3,000 m above sea level.

Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: Teide National Park (CC BY-SA 4.0).

UNESCO's Description

The Tower of Hercules has served as a lighthouse and landmark at the entrance of La Coruña harbour in north-western Spain since the late 1st century A.D. when the Romans built the Farum Brigantium. The Tower, built on a 57 metre high rock, rises a further 55 metres, of which 34 metres correspond to the Roman masonry and 21 meters to the restoration directed by architect Eustaquio Giannini in the 18 th century, who augmented the Roman core with two octagonal forms. Immediately adjacent to the base of the Tower, is a small rectangular Roman building. The site also features a sculpture park, the Monte dos Bicos rock carvings from the Iron Age and a Muslim cemetery. The Roman foundations of the building were revealed in excavations conducted in the 1990s. Many legends from the Middle Ages to the 19th century surround the Tower of Hercules, which is unique as it is the only lighthouse of Greco-Roman antiquity to have retained a measure of structural integrity and functional continuity.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

Construction and history

The tower is known to have existed by the 1st century. It was built (or perhaps rebuilt) by the Emperor Trajan, possibly on foundations following a design that was Phoenician in origin. The design was based on the original plans of the Lighthouse of Alexandria. Its base preserves a cornerstone with the inscription MARTI AVG.SACR C.SEVIVS LVPVS ARCHITECTVS ÆMINIENSIS LVSITANVS.EX.VO, ascribing the tower's design to the architect Gaius Sevius Lupus, from Aeminium (present-day Coimbra, Portugal) in the former province of Lusitania, as an offering to the Roman god of war, Mars. The original tower was shorter and wider than the current tower, as the surviving core was surrounded by a spiral ramp. The outline of this ramp is still visible in the restored exterior.

Key Facts

Facts from Wikidata Q245151 (CC0).

UNESCO's Description

Located at the heart of Andalusia in southern Spain, the site comprises three megalithic monuments: the Menga and Viera dolmens and the Tholos of El Romeral, and two natural monuments: La Peña de los Enamorados and El Torcal mountainous formations, which are landmarks within the property. Built during the Neolithic and Bronze Age out of large stone blocks, these monuments form chambers with lintelled roofs or false cupolas. These three tombs, buried beneath their original earth tumuli, are one of the most remarkable architectural works of European prehistory and one of the most important examples of European Megalithism.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

Key Facts

Facts from Wikidata Q97633694 (CC0).

UNESCO's Description

The Caliphate city of Medina Azahara is an archaeological site of a city built in the mid-10th century CE by the Umayyad dynasty as the seat of the Caliphate of Cordoba. After prospering for several years, it was laid to waste during the civil war that put an end to the Caliphate in 1009-1010. The remains of the city were forgotten for almost 1,000 years until their rediscovery in the early 20th century. This complete urban ensemble features infrastructure such as roads, bridges, water systems, buildings, decorative elements and everyday objects. It provides in-depth knowledge of the now vanished Western Islamic civilization of Al-Andalus, at the height of its splendour.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

Geography

Located 4 miles (6.4 km) west of Córdoba in the foothills of the Sierra Morena, oriented north-to-south on the slopes of Jabal al-Arus (meaning Bride Hill), and facing the valley of the Guadalquivir river, is Madinat az-Zahra, billed as the Versailles of the Middle Ages. It was chosen for its outstanding landscape values, allowing a hierarchical construction program so the city and the plains beyond its feet were physically and visually dominated by the buildings of the Alcázar (citadel).

There was also a quarry of limestone, used for the primary construction, though other stones from an area 50 km around were also used. The city's construction led to a road, water and supply infrastructure partly preserved until today in the form of remains of roads, quarries, aqueducts and bridges.

History

Abd ar-Rahman III was a member of the Umayyad dynasty, which had formerly ruled the Islamic world as head of the Umayyad Caliphate. The title "caliph" signified the political and spiritual leader of the whole Muslim world. In 750 the Umayyads were overthrown by the Abbasids, who took on the title of caliphs and established a new capital at Baghdad. In 756 Abd ar Rahman III's ancestor, Abd ar-Rahman I, managed to re-establish the dynasty's power in the Iberian Peninsula in the far western part of the Muslim world, known as Al-Andalus. Although independent from the Abbasids, the new Umayyad rulers in Al-Andalus, based in Córdoba, did not reclaim the title of "caliph" at this time.

Key Facts

Facts from Wikidata Q211252 (CC0).

UNESCO's Description

Located in a vast mountainous area in the centre of Gran Canaria, Risco Caído comprises cliffs, ravines and volcanic formations in a landscape of rich biodiversity. The landscape includes a large number of troglodyte settlements — habitats, granaries and cisterns — whose age is proof of the presence of a pre-Hispanic culture on the island, which has evolved in isolation, from the arrival of North African Berbers, around the beginning of our era, until the first Spanish settlers in the 15th century. The troglodyte complex also includes cult cavities and two sacred temples, or almogarenes — Risco Caído and Roque Bentayga — where seasonal ceremonies were held. These temples are thought to be linked to a possible cult of the stars and Mother Earth.

From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).

Description

Located in a vast mountainous area in the centre of Gran Canaria, Risco Caído comprises cliffs, ravines and volcanic formations in a landscape of rich biodiversity. The landscape includes a large number of troglodyte (cave-dwelling) habitats, granaries and cisterns whose age is proof of the presence of a pre-Hispanic culture on the island, which evolved in isolation from the arrival of North African Berbers, around the beginning of our era, until the first Spanish settlers in the 15th century. The troglodyte complex also includes cult cavities and two sacred temples or almogarenes, Risco Caído and Roque Bentayga, where seasonal ceremonies were held. These temples are thought to be linked to a possible cult of the stars and Mother Earth.