travel books spain

Top 10 Travel Guide Books On Spain

Travel guidebooks are valuable resources for anyone planning a trip to Spain.

These books offer comprehensive information about destinations, food, beaches, history, and culture, allowing you to gain a deeper understanding of the places they are visiting.

Among the top publishing houses known for their travel guides to Spain are DK Witness, Lonely Planet, Rick Steeves, and Rough Guides.

DK Witness travel guides are renowned for their visually appealing layout, combining stunning photography and detailed illustrations with informative content. These guides provide in-depth coverage of Spain's attractions , from iconic landmarks to hidden gems. With their emphasis on visual storytelling, DK Witness guides offer a vibrant and engaging way to explore Spain's diverse regions.

Lonely Planet is a household name in the travel industry, known for its extensive range of destination guides. Their Spain travel guides offer practical information, insider tips, and honest reviews. With recommendations for accommodations, restaurants, and attractions, Lonely Planet guides cater to a wide range of travellers, from backpackers to luxury seekers. Their guides also delve into the local culture, providing insights into Spain's history, art, and traditions.

Rough Guides, another respected publishing house, produces comprehensive travel guides that are cherished by adventurous travellers. Their Spain guides go beyond the typical tourist spots, uncovering off-the-beaten-path destinations and offering a deeper understanding of local customs and traditions. With detailed maps, suggested itineraries, and practical advice, Rough Guides empower travellers to create their own unique experiences in Spain.

Each travel guidebook provides accurate and up-to-date information, allowing travellers to make informed decisions about where to go, what to see, and where to eat.

Whether you're interested in exploring the architectural wonders of Barcelona , indulging in the culinary delights of San Sebastian, or uncovering the history of Andalusia, these guidebooks offer a wealth of knowledge to enhance your travel experience.

However, it's important to note that while travel guidebooks provide a solid foundation of information, they should not be the sole resource for planning a trip.

Combining them with online research, local recommendations, and personal exploration will ensure a well-rounded and memorable journey through Spain.

And if you haven't already done so, remember, by subscribing to our monthly newsletter you get to receive exclusive FREE eGuides and travel tips only available to our community members. Our Free eGuides are not openly available for download on our site so join us today and download your first free eGuide .

1)  Rick Steves Pocket Guide to Barcelona

If you are looking for a concise and practical guide to Barcelona, you might want to consider Rick Steves Pocket Guide to Barcelona. Making the most of your time and money in this exciting and cultural city is what this book is all about. It includes the must-see attractions like the Sagrada Familia, the Picasso Museum, the cathedral, and the Ramblas in addition to some local secrets and insider knowledge. Additionally, it offers helpful details on transportation, dining, and entertainment options.

The book is organized into four main sections: Overview, Suggested Itineraries, Neighbourhood Walks, and Practicalities. The overview gives you a brief introduction to Barcelona's history, culture, and personality. The suggested itineraries help you plan your time according to your interests and preferences, whether you have one day, two days, or more. The neighbourhood walks provide detailed maps and directions for exploring different areas of the city on foot, with highlights and recommendations along the way. The practicalities cover everything from transportation and money to safety and etiquette.

One of the best features of this book is its compact size and format.  It is simple to carry around and can easily fit in your pocket or shoulder bag. There are plenty of eye-catching full-colour pictures and illustrations. The book is presented in an approachable and entertaining style that captures Rick Steves' personality and background as one of the top travel writers.

Rick Steves Pocket Guide to Barcelona is not a comprehensive guide to everything there is to see and do in Barcelona. It does not cover some of the less central or more specialized attractions, such as Montjuïc or Park Güell. It also does not provide in-depth information on the history of the art of Barcelona or on the Catalan language or culture. However, it does offer a great overview of the city's highlights such as the Sagrada Familia and is a handy reference for travellers who want to enjoy a hassle-free trip to Barcelona.

Rick Steves Pocket Guide to Barcelona will help you have a memorable and enjoyable trip to one of Europe's most cosmopolitan and exciting cities.

2)  DK Eyewitness Travel Guide Spain

Check out DK Eyewitness Travel Guide Spain if you're searching for a thorough and visual guide to the country. This handy travel guide will assist you in discovering all aspects of this intriguing country, from its thriving cities and ancient landmarks to its breathtaking landscapes and cultural treasures. The guide covers all the most popular destinations in Spain including Catalonia , Andalucia, the Basque Country, and the Canary Islands .

The book is organized into four main sections: Introducing Spain, Region by Region, Travellers' Needs, and Survival Guide.

You will find plenty of information on Spain's history, culture, art, architecture, and gastronomy with detailed information about each region. The guide includes lots of maps, images, and illustrations

One of the best features of this book is its high-quality visuals that bring Spain to life.  Beautiful photos and artwork showcase Spain's diversity and beauty perfectly. The book also includes clear, simple-to-read maps that will give you confidence as you travel around the country.

The DK Eyewitness Travel Guide to Spain is not a compact or lightweight travel guide. It is a sizable, thorough reference that covers a lot of material and offers in-depth details about Spain's history and culture.

For visitors who wish to experience everything Spain has to offer, it is a terrific resource.

A visual feast, DK Eyewitness Travel Guide Spain will entice you to travel to this remarkable nation.

3) Lonely Planet Spain

Lonely Planet Spain is an indispensable guidebook for anyone planning a trip to Spain. The guide provides an in-depth look at the country's history, culture, and top destinations, making it an ideal companion for both first-time visitors and seasoned travellers.

The book offers a wealth of information on Spain's cities, including Madrid, Castilla y Leon, Castilla-La Mancha, Barcelona, Catalonia, Aragon, Basque Country, Navarra, Seville, Granada, Cantabria, Asturias, Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Valencia, Mallorca, Ibiza, Andalucia, Extremadura and more.

The guide also includes practical advice and honest reviews on everything from transportation and accommodations to food and nightlife, ensuring that travellers can make the most of their time in Spain.

One of the strengths of Lonely Planet Spain is its comprehensive coverage of Spain's unique and diverse culture. The guide explores Spain's rich history and art, its regional cuisines, and its vibrant festivals and traditions, providing readers with an immersive and unforgettable travel experience.

The guidebook also features detailed maps, suggested itineraries, and insider tips from locals, ensuring that travellers can explore Spain with confidence and ease.

Overall, Lonely Planet Spain is a fantastic resource for anyone looking to explore this beautiful country. With its insightful travel tips, comprehensive coverage, and engaging writing style, it is a must-have for any traveller’s bookshelf.

4) Rough Guide to Spain

The Rough Guide to Spain by Rough Guides is a comprehensive guidebook that offers invaluable insights and practical information for travellers exploring Spain.

The book covers a wide range of topics, including history, culture, cuisine, accommodations, and transportation.

One of the things we liked about this guidebook was its attention to detail. The book is well-organized and easy to navigate, with detailed maps and helpful tips for each region of Spain.

This guide will ensure that you experience the best of Spain, whether it be by checking off Gaud's magnificent architectural masterpieces in Barcelona , hiking in the magnificent Picos de Europa, admiring Granada's magnificent Alhambra , or participating in one of the nation's fabulously vibrant fiestas.

If you want to stay in a grand parador, sip sherry in Jerez , bar-hop in Madrid, or snag a seat at one of San Sebastian's finest restaurants, insider reviews reveal the best places to eat, sleep, and party with options for every budget.

Overall, The Rough Guide to Spain is great for anyone planning a trip to Spain. Its detailed information and insider tips will help you make the most of your time in Spain and create unforgettable travel experiences.

5)  DK Eyewitness Seville & Andalusia

The DK Eyewitness Seville & Andalusia Travel Guide will lead you straight to the best attractions  Seville & Andalucia  has to offer. The guide includes unique cutaways, floor plans and reconstructions of the city’s stunning architecture, plus 3D aerial views of the key districts to explore on foot. You’ll find detailed listings of the best hotels, restaurants, bars and shops for all budgets in this fully updated and expanded guide, plus insider tips on everything from where to find the best markets and nightspots to great attractions for children.

This uniquely visual DK Eyewitness Travel Guide also includes in-depth coverage of all the unforgettable sights and comes complete with a free pull-out city map, clearly marked with sights from the guidebook and an easy-to-use street index. The map has detailed street views of all the key areas, plus there are transport maps and information on how to get around the city, and there’s even a chart showing the distances between major sights for walkers.

6) DK Eyewitness Northern Spain Travel Guide

The DK Eyewitness Northern Spain Travel Guide is your indispensable guide to this beautiful part of the world. The fully updated guide includes unique cutaways, floor plans and reconstructions of the must-see sites, plus street-by-street maps of all the fascinating cities and towns. The new-look guide is also packed with photographs and illustrations leading you straight to the best attractions on offer.

The uniquely visual DK Eyewitness Northern Spain Travel Guide  will help you to discover everything region by region; from local festivals and markets to day trips around the countryside. Detailed listings will guide you to the best hotels, restaurants, bars and shops for all budgets, whilst detailed practical information will help you to get around, whether by train, bus or car. Plus, DK’s excellent insider tips and essential local information will help you explore every corner of Northern Spain effortlessly.

7) DK Eyewitness Barcelona & Catalonia Travel Guide

The DK Eyewitness Barcelona & Catalonia Travel Guide will lead you straight to the best attractions Barcelona & Catalonia has to offer. The guide includes unique cutaways, floor plans and reconstructions of the city’s stunning architecture, plus 3D aerial views of the key districts to explore on foot.

You’ll find detailed listings of the  best hotels , restaurants, bars and shops for all budgets in this fully updated and expanded guide, plus insider tips on everything from where to find the best markets and nightspots to great attractions for children.

This uniquely visual DK Eyewitness Travel book on Spain also includes in-depth coverage of all the unforgettable sights and comes complete with a free pull-out city map, clearly marked with sights from the guidebook and an easy-to-use street index.

The map has detailed street views of all the key areas, plus there are transport maps and information on how to get around the city , and there’s even a chart showing the distances between major sights for walkers.

8)  DK Eyewitness Back Roads Spain driving

DK Eyewitness Back Roads Spain driving holiday guide will take you via scenic routes to discover charming villages, local restaurants and intimate places to stay. Unearth the real soul of this magical region with all the practical information you could need, from road conditions and length of drive to parking information and opening hours.

And if you like driving in Spain , this book has Twenty-five themed drives, each lasting one to seven days, revealing breathtaking views, hidden gems and authentic local experiences that can only be discovered by road.

Each tour is bursting with insider knowledge and loaded with ideas for varied activities from walks to days on the beach and children’s attractions, to wine and cycling trips.

Meanwhile, the most friendly, best-value hotels and guesthouses and charming restaurants specializing in regional produce have been selected by expert authors. One of the top travel books in Spain this guide is full-colour throughout, with a pull-out map for easy navigation between tours and even postcode information for use with ‘Sat Nav’.

9)  Lonely Planet - Discover Spain

Lonely Planet's Discover Spain is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you.

Marvel at the stunning architecture, enjoy tapas and pintxos, and hike through the Pyrenees; all with your trusted travel companion. Discover the best of Spain and begin your journey now!

Their easy-to-use guide, filled with inspiring and colourful photos, focuses on Spain's most popular destinations and attractions for those looking for the best of the best.

10)  Spain Travel Guide: an Unusual and Evocative Journey Across Spain

If you are devoted, sophisticated, and passionate about living the good life, then Spain is the best place to be.

This travel guidebook on Spain is both a stereotype that has come of age and a place that is more diverse than you can ever imagine. As contained in this book, the diverse landscapes of this place will stir the mind and soul.

The Sierra Nevada and its snowcapped top rise up so high from the Andalucía’s sunbaked plains. But this is not the only hiking destination in Spain; there is also the Pyrenees and the Picos de Europa. These are listed as the best destination of hiking in the whole continent. Do not forget about the wildly spectacular Atlantic northwest cliffs. They have also been amazingly offset by the great coves of the Mediterranean.

Bonus Book: Lonely Planet Mallorca 4

Lonely Planet's Mallorca 4 travel guide is a must-read for anyone planning a trip to this beautiful Balearic Island. The guidebook is filled with insider tips, recommendations, and over 30 detailed maps.

This quality guide from Lonely Planet covers all the most popular towns such as Valldemossa, Deia, Soller, Fornalutx, Biniaraix, Pollenca, Alcudia, Inca, Arta, Cala Ratjada, Platja des Coll Baix, Cap de Formentor, Illa de Cabrera and not forgetting the vibrant capital, Palma de Mallorca .

There are also lots of details about everything from the best places to eat and drink, to the top activities and best beaches, where to sleep, sightseeing, going out, and shopping.

Plus lots of practical information, such as transportation options, and language tips.

The guide features lots about sustainable and responsible travel so there are some great tips on how to reduce your environmental impact while travelling whilst helping to support local businesses and communities.

• About Author
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Hey there! I'm Matt, your friendly neighbourhood explorer extraordinaire! For the past 15 years, I've been gallivanting around Spain, soaking up all its wonders and uncovering hidden gems like a modern-day Indiana Jones (minus the hat and whip, unfortunately). So, buckle up, amigos! It's time to dive straight into the heart and soul of Spain. Welcome to my world of Spanish wonders!

Latest posts from Matt

• 4 Days in Valencia – The Ultimate Bucket List Itinerary - March 17, 2024
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Books to Read Before Visiting Spain

Last updated on June 24, 2023 by Shannon

If you’re heading to Spain, then you should use the incredible trove of fascinating books about this beautiful country to get you up to speed on the history, culture, and people. Spain is not only big, but it has a complicated past and a similarly complicated current era.

With people alive today still remembering Franco (which is rarely, if ever, discussed), and several regions with active tensions (Basque country and Catalunya), reading well-chosen books about Spain before you visit provide context that you will need if you talk to locals.

The books below will also allow you to better understand the varied local customs, architecture, and cuisine. Depending on the books you pick, you can journey through the art, architecture, and music that have shaped Spanish culture, as well as typical customs and behaviors.

Each book promises to impart tidbits you’ll enjoy learning about the varied landscapes and regions of Spain, from the beaches of the Mediterranean coast to the mountains of the Pyrenees.

Plus, some of the unique memoirs below may even give you ideas for things to see and do while you’re traveling around Spain—and they certainly all provide necessary cultural context about Spains different autonomous regions. Plus, a few of these may even teach you basic Spanish phrases.

Ultimately, you’ll get more out of your trip—and have a more meaningful, immersive travel experience—if you dive into the many incredible authors who have written both fiction and non-fiction books about Spain.

Best Non-Fiction Books About Spain

Why read non-fiction? Well, many Spaniards alive today lived under Franco and remember life in a very different Spain. By beading recent and older historical accounts, you’ll have more intelligent conversations with locals. In Spain, not only is the Franco history important to understand, but below are several accounts that delve deeper into Catalonia and Basque country—both areas that have tricky and interesting political situations you should at least having a passing understanding of before you visit that region of Spain.

You certainly don’t need to read every book on this list, but pick two or three that tickle your fancy and choose books that represent a mix of modern and historical fiction and non-fiction stories about Spain.

1. “ Driving Over Lemons ” by Chris Stewart

Driving Over Lemons is a funny, heartwarming, and inspiring tale of one man’s journey to find a new home and a new way of life. It tells the story of his adventures and experiences living in rural Spain. After leaving his job as the drummer for the rock band Genesis, Stewart decided to move to the remote Andalusian village of Las Alpujarras, where he purchased a small farm called El Valero.

The book follows Stewart as he struggles to adapt to life in a foreign country, learn the ways of the local people, and overcome various challenges, including unpredictable weather, difficult terrain, and the various animals that he encounters on his farm. Along the way, he meets a cast of colorful characters and learns about the rich history and culture of the region. Read the reviews on Amazon .

2. “ Homage to Catalonia ” by George Orwell

This memoir chronicles Orwell’s experiences as a volunteer in the Spanish Civil War, and provides a firsthand account of the political and military events of the time. Orwell writes about his experiences on the front lines, as well as his observations of the political and social climate in Spain during the war.

I have called Barcelona home for more than five years now, so it’s interesting to read about this region’s past. Read the Amazon reviews here .

3. “ Imperial Spain: 1469–1716 ” by John Elliott

This book is a comprehensive history of Spain during the period of the Habsburg dynasty, which stretched from the late 15th to the early 18th century. It covers a wide range of topics, including the country’s political, economic, and cultural developments, as well as its relationships with other European powers and its overseas empire. Read the reviews on Amazon .

4. “ Ghosts of Spain: Travels Through Spain and Its Silent Past ” by Giles Tremlett

There are many great history books on this list, but history books can be heavy reading. Instead, this book is a thought-provoking and engaging exploration of the hidden corners of Spanish history and culture—it gives a phenomenal overview of the most pressing modern and historical issues in Spain.

The book is structured as a series of travel narratives, in which Tremlett visits various parts of Spain and delves into the country’s complex and often tumultuous past. Along the way, he encounters a variety of characters, including historians, artists, and ordinary people, and learns about the many different ways that the past continues to shape the present in Spain. The book covers a wide range of topics, including the Spanish Civil War, the Franco dictatorship, and the country’s transition to democracy, as well as more esoteric subjects like the myths and legends of the region. Read the Amazon reviews here .

5. “ The Ornament of the World: How Muslims, Jews, and Christians Created a Culture of Tolerance in Medieval Spain ” by Maria Rosa Menocal

As far as way-back history books go, this one makes for a fun ride through the details. The book explores the cultural and intellectual achievements of medieval Spain, which was home to a diverse and vibrant community of Muslims, Jews, and Christians. Menocal argues that this period, which is often referred to as the “convivencia,” was marked by a high degree of tolerance and cooperation among the three groups, and that this period of peaceful coexistence had a lasting impact on the region’s history. Read the Amazon reviews here .

6. “ The Spanish Holocaust: Inquisition and Extermination in Twentieth-Century Spain ” by Paul Preston

The Spanish Inquisition forms the fabric of history for far more than Spain, given its impact across Europe. Read this book a detailed and unflinching look at the dark period of Spanish history known as the “Spanish Holocaust.”

It covers the repression and violence that took place during the Spanish Civil War and the Franco dictatorship, including the mass killings, torture, and forced disappearances that occurred. The book also explores the ongoing efforts to come to terms with this dark chapter in the country’s history. Read the Amazon reviews here .

7. “ A Year in the World: Journeys of a Passionate Traveller ” by Frances Mayes

Sometimes you need a bit more of a lighthearted look at Spain. This book offers a collection of travel essays that chronicle the author’s adventures as she traveled through Spain and a number of other countries around the world.

Mayes writes about her experiences in a lively and engaging style, and her love of travel and discovery is evident on every page. The book includes chapters on her travels through the Spanish regions of Andalusia, Galicia, and Catalonia, as well as her visits to a number of other destinations in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East.

If you’re looking for a fun and inspiring travel narrative, “A Year in the World” is a great choice. Read the Amazon reviews here .

8. “ Discovering Spain: An Uncommon Guide ” by Penelope Casas

This book provides a unique and off-the-beaten-path guide to exploring Spain. The book is organized by region and features a wide range of suggestions for things to see and do in each area, including local festivals, outdoor activities, cultural attractions, and more. The book also includes information on local history, customs, and culture.

In addition to traditional tourist destinations like Barcelona and Madrid, the book also covers lesser-known areas of Spain, such as the Basque Country and Andalusia, offering a more authentic and immersive experience for the reader.

Overall, Discovering Spain is a comprehensive and informative guide that will appeal to travelers looking to discover the real Spain beyond the usual tourist hot spots. Note the date of publish though—it’s nearly 30 years old, so you’re really looking for the flavor offered by her book, rather than any practical trip planning details. Read the Amazon reviews here .

Best Fiction About Spain

While I love non-fiction for the cold hard facts about a country and the influences that shaped it in the place I want to visit today, novels and short fiction stories are sometimes just a lot easier to digest. The fiction books in this collection range from the classics to the contemporary, and a lot in between.

10. “ The Shadow of the Wind ” by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

Set in Barcelona, this mystery novel follows the story of a young boy named Daniel Sempere who becomes obsessed with a mysterious book called “The Shadow of the Wind” after discovering it in a secret library.

As he delves deeper into the book’s history, he becomes drawn into a web of secrets and intrigue that stretches back to the dark days of the Spanish Civil War. It’s a classic fiction read on every list of books about Spain for a reason—it’s both fun and informative. Read the Amazon reviews here .

11. “ The Last Jew ” by Noah Gordon

If you prefer to get your history lesson through a novel, then start here. This historical novel is set in medieval Spain and follows the story of a young Jewish doctor named Yankiel who converts to Christianity in order to save his life.

Despite his conversion, Yankiel finds himself caught up in the intense religious and political conflicts of the time, and must use all of his wit and cunning to survive. Read the Amazon reviews here .

12. “ Stories from Spain ” by Genevieve Barlow and William Stivers

This book features a collection of traditional tales and legends from Spain. The book includes a variety of stories, ranging from myths and fables to folktales and historical accounts, all of which are presented in an engaging and easy-to-read style. The stories in the book are drawn from a wide range of sources and cover a wide range of themes and topics, including love, adventure, magic, and more.

In addition to the stories themselves, the book also includes notes and commentary from the authors, providing background information and cultural context for the reader. Stories are presented in both English and Spanish, which is why this book about Spain is higher than other more notable fiction books—it’s the perfect book for anyone with intermediate- or higher-level Spanish who wants to brush up on it before visiting Spain. Read the Amazon reviews here .

13. “ The Sun Also Rises ” by Ernest Hemingway

Set in the 1920s, this novel follows a group of expats living in Paris who travel to the Pamplona region of Spain to participate in the annual Running of the Bulls festival. The main character, Jake Barnes, is a World War I veteran who is struggling to find his place in the world and trying to come to terms with the emotional and physical scars he has suffered. Read the Amazon reviews here .

14. “ Don Quixote ” by Miguel de Cervantes

Buckle up with this read for a book straight out of high school reading lists. It’s not the easiest book, but it’s a classic novel for a reason. It tells the story of a Spanish nobleman named Alonso Quixano who becomes so enamored with the tales of chivalry he has read that he decides to become a knight-errant himself.

Accompanied by his squire, Sancho Panza, he sets out on a series of adventures, which often turn out to be comical and absurd. Along the way, the two characters encounter a host of colorful characters and have a number of mishaps and adventures. Read the Amazon reviews here .

15. “ The Back Room ” by Carmen Martin Gaite

This novel tells the story of a group of young people in Franco’s Spain who are struggling to find their place in the world. The main character, a young woman named Beatriz, becomes involved in a secret society called “the back room,” which serves as a kind of underground resistance to the oppressive regime. Read the Amazon reviews here .

16. “ Iberia ” by James A. Michener

Celebrate some of the most fascinating aspects of Spanish culture with a master storyteller. This book is a sweeping epic that covers the history of Spain from prehistoric times to the present day. It tells the story of the country through the lives of a number of fictional characters, and provides a rich and detailed portrayal of Spain’s culture, history, and landscape. Read the Amazon reviews here .

17. “ Spain: A Traveler’s Literary Companion ” by Peter Bush and Lisa Dillman

With stories arranged by region, you can’t do much better than this book as a collection of stories written by Spaniards (rather than the couple of memoirs written here) and translated into English. The book includes stories, poems, and essays by a variety of authors, all of which explore the rich history, landscape, and people of Spain. The writers included in the collection come from a range of backgrounds and time periods, and offer a diverse range of perspectives on the country. The book is intended to provide readers with an immersive and enlightening literary experience as they learn about Spain through the eyes of its writers. Read the Amazon reviews here .

18. “ The Alchemist ” by Paulo Coelho

For a breezy read, choose Coelho. This inspiring novel tells the story of Santiago, a shepherd boy who dreams of finding treasure at the pyramids in Egypt. Along the way, he meets a series of wise and magical characters who help him on his journey and teach him about the true nature of his “personal legend.” The novel takes place in a variety of locations, including Andalusia in southern Spain. Read the Amazon reviews here .

19. “ The Time in Between ” by Maria Dueñas

This historical novel is a beautiful read. Set in Madrid and Morocco, it follows the story of a seamstress named Sira Quiroga, who becomes embroiled in espionage during World War II.

After her lover betrays her and leaves her pregnant and alone, Sira travels to Morocco, where she becomes involved in a plot to aid the Allies in their fight against the Axis powers. Read the Amazon reviews here .

20. “ The Art of Racing in the Rain ” by Garth Stein

Maybe the most unique novel on this list, which includes some fun bits about Spain and is just a great read. It’s narrated by a dog named Enzo, who reflects on his life and the experiences he has had with his human family, including a trip to Spain.

Throughout the book, Enzo offers his unique perspective on life, love, and the human condition, and provides insight into the bond between humans and animals. Read the Amazon reviews here .

21. “ The Adventures of Don Juan ” by Lord Byron

This epic poem follows the fictional character Don Juan as he travels throughout Spain and has a series of romantic adventures. The poem is structured as a series of cantos, or sections, and covers a wide range of topics, including love, politics, and religion. Read the Amazon reviews here .

The 30 Best Travel Books About Spain

Below you will find a running list of travel books about Spain. This list does not include travel guides. Instead, the books you will find in this list are literary, first-person accounts of travelers through Spain.

The article has two sections. The first is “Our Picks,” which lists our top five favorite travel books about Spain. After that, you’ll find an alphabetized list of all travel books about Spain we’ve come across.

While we are primarily interested in first-person, non-fiction travel narratives, the list has a few works of fiction and romans-à-clef that have a strong autobiographical bent (noted below). It also lists older travel books.

It is difficult to keep lists like these updated, so please email us or let us know if we’re missing something in the comments section. Before reaching out to us, please note that we do not include guidebooks or self-published memoirs/travelogues here, especially ones written about walking the Camino de Santiago, unless they are notable or of a high literary merit.

Don’t forget to see our other lists of travel books .

As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning – Laurie Lee

In the early 1930s, Laurie Lee leaves his Cotswolds home and heads for Spain, where he drifts around the country playing his violin in squares and in front of cafes. He makes his way with the small change he earns and the hospitality of Spaniards on the eve of the Spanish Civil War.

Death’s Other Kingdom – Gamel Woolsey

A heart-rending account of a Spanish village torn apart by the coming of the Civil War by a rare female voice on a war that has otherwise been dominated by male voices. Woolsey, a poet, was married to Gerald Brenan whose book “South from Granada” is listed below.

Ghosts of Spain: Travels Through Spain and Its Silent Past – Giles Tremlett

The appearance, more than sixty years after the Spanish Civil War ended, of mass graves containing victims of Francisco Franco’s death squads finally broke what Spaniards call “the pact of forgetting”—the unwritten understanding that their recent, painful past was best left unexplored. At this charged moment, Giles Tremlett embarked on a journey around the country and through its history to discover why some of Europe’s most voluble people have kept silent so long. 

Homage to Catalonia – George Orwell

In 1936 George Orwell travelled to Spain to report on the Civil War and instead joined the fight against the Fascists. This famous account describes the war and Orwell’s own experiences. 

Leaving the Atocha Station – Ben Lerner (fiction)

Adam Gordon is a smart and unreliable young American poet on a prestigious fellowship in Madrid who struggles to establish his sense of self and his relationship to art. Instead of following the dictates of his fellowship, Adam’s “research” becomes a meditation on the possibility of the genuine in the arts and beyond: are his relationships with the people he meets in Spain as fraudulent as he fears his poems are? A witness to the 2004 Madrid train bombings and their aftermath, does he participate in historic events or merely watch them pass him by?

Other Travel Books About Spain

• A Romantic in Spain – Theophile Gautier
• Barcelona: The Great Enchantress – Robert Hughes
• Driving Over Lemons: An Optimist in Andalucía – Chris Stewart
• Everything but the Squeal: A Year Pigging Out in Northern Spain – John Barlow
• Grape, Olive, Pig: Deep Travels Through Spain’s Culture – Matt Goulding
• Iberia – James A. Michener
• It’s Not About the Tapas – Polly Evans
• Madrid Tales – Helen Constantine (editor)
• My Midsummer Morning – Alastair Humphreys
• Snowball Oranges – Peter Kerr
• South from Granada – Gerald Brenan
• Spain in Mind: Three Centuries of Great Writers Entranced by Spain – Alice Leccese Powers (editor)
• Spanish Recognitions: The Roads to the Present – Mary Lee Settle
• Sunrises to Santiago – Gabriel Schirm
• Tales of the Alhambra – Washington Irving
• The Pilgrimage – Paulo Coelho
• The Sun Also Rises – Ernest Hemingway (fiction)
• The Tomb in Seville – Norman Lewis
• The Train in Spain – Christopher Howse
• Travels with My Donkey: One Man and His Ass on a Pilgrimage to Santiago – Tim Moore
• Two Middle-Aged Ladies in Andalusia – Penelope Chetwode
• Voices of the Old Sea – Norman Lewis

Please email us or let us know in the comments section below if we’re missing any travel books about Spain.

If you’re interested in purchasing any of the books listed here, please consider supporting your local independent bookstore or using our affiliate links below. At no extra cost to you, Travel Writing World will receive a small commission if you purchase an item using our affiliate links.

Buy on Amazon or Buy Used: Abebooks.co.uk or Better World Books USA

Last Updated on 13 September 2020 by Travel Writing World

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Find the Best Spain Travel Books: Plan Your Perfect Trip

There’s so much to see in Spain. Even if you get your travel inspiration from magazines and blogs, it’s also helpful to reference travel books for Spain. This curated list includes the best general Spain guide books as well as additional volumes for specific cities and regions, pretty neighborhood guides, fun books for kids, travel memoirs and travel books on Spanish food and culture.

I’m a recovering bookseller and an unrepentant book nerd, so you can trust me to give you solid recommendations for the best Spain guidebooks. Even though I write guides and itineraries for Wayfaring Views, I still sometimes use physical guide books myself for helping me figure out logistics and find cool things to do. You are obviously interested in the same or you wouldn’t be on this page, so carry on for a thorough list of suggestions.

(This article contains affiliate links. This means that if you choose to purchase, I’ll make a small commission.)

The Best Spain Guide Books for Travel Planning

All of the major guidebook publishers, such as Fodors , DK Eyewitness , Rough Guides , Frommers , have guide books for Spain. But my favorite guide books are always either Lonely Planet or Rick Steves.

Spain 2020 , Rick Steves

The Rick Steves travel guides are thorough, practical and budget-friendly. He covers all of the basics and has good advice for how to avoid tourist trap restaurants, where to find practical services such as laundry and a prioritized (if somewhat predictable) list of top sights.

In fact, I have an article on how you can disobey Rick Steves in Madrid and live to tell about it.

Rick’s Spain guide book has a useful section with advice on how to budget for your trip and a three week whirlwind tour itinerary, which, frankly is a bit too whirlwindy for me but it will give you a good feel for the highlights. Reference it and then pare it down to accommodate the time that you have available.

Spain Travel Guide , Lonely Planet

Lonely Planet guides began by targeting the budget traveler and they have remained pretty true to their original mission. I appreciate their tips for saving money, suggestions for varied itineraries and their willingness to recommend offbeat attractions.

Lonely Planet’s top pics are notable because they not only recommend places to go, but also specific experiences. For instance, the current guide specifically recommends eating pinxtos (tapas) in San Sebastián as a top experience. Another top experience that they recommend is the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage, which I’ve done twice . I like this advice because it gets you out of museums closets full of musty armor and into modern Spain.

Learn more about the Camino de Santiago : The Camino is a whole sub-category of Spain travel books. If you are looking for inspiration, check out these Camino de Santiago books and memoirs. If you are planning a pilgrimage, check out this article on Camino guidebooks and apps .

Spain & Portugal’s Best Trips , Lonely Planet

This book is not an all-around guide, but rather a set of 32 curated itineraries from seven writers who have extensive experience in Spain and Portugal. This would make a great gift for someone who is thinking of traveling to Spain, or as a tool for helping you narrow down your itinerary choices.

The Train in Spain: Ten Great Journeys Through the Interior , Christopher Howse

Howse has been traveling in Spain for 25 years. Follow along with him on ten specific train journeys where he meets troglodytes, visits a city ruined by an earthquake, runs into a dancing lion, stumbles across a body-snatching plot and tries out a recipe for acorn pie.

Spain Travel Guide , Todd Wright

This is a good basic overview guide for Spain. It’s not as thorough as the Lonely Planet or Rick Steves guides, however the author suggests a few experiences and festivals that the main guides overlook.

Getting this book is a low-risk proposition, because it’s free on Kindle Unlimited.

FREE books with Kindle Unlimited! In addition to Wright’s book, you can also get the Lonely Planet Spain guide and other books for free with a Kindle Unlimited account. Try it with a  30-day free trial HERE .

Travel Books on Spain’s Specific Regions

If you are covering the whole country, then I’d suggest getting one of the general guides above and supplementing with travel blog info for specific cities.

However, regional guides are great if you are just visiting one area or city. Most of the regional specific guides are 150-350 pages and all of them offer more than what you’ll find in the general country guide.

Madrid Travel Guide Books

• Rick Steves Snapshot: Madrid and Toledo
• Lonely Planet Madrid or the smaller Pocket Madrid guide
• Moon Guide Barcelona and Madrid

Northern Spain and Basque Country Guide Books

• Rick Steves: Basque Country: Spain and France
• Insight Guides: Northern Spain
• Basque Diary , Alex Hallat

Southern Spain Guide Books

• Rick Steves: Snapshot: Granada, Sevilla and Andalusia
• Lonely Planet: Andalucia (including Granada, Sevilla, Gibraltar, Córdoba and Malaga
• DK Eyewitness Guide: Top 10 Andalucia
• Insight Guides: Southern Spain
• Rough Guides to Andalucia (also on Kindle Unlimited)

Barcelona Guide Books

• Rick Steves Barcelona or the smaller Pocket Barcelona guide
• Lonely Planet Pocket Barcelona
• Fodors Barcolona 25 Best and also Barcelona with highlights of Catalonia
• Moon Guide Barcelona and Beyond (including Catalonia)

Artsy Design Guides for Spain

CitiX60 Barcelona Guide , Viction

Sixty designers, architects, chefs artists and other creatives show you their side of Barcelona. The guide includes a well-curated selection museums, notable architecture and sculpture, cultural icons and shops with beautiful photography.

Wallpaper City Guide : Madrid

These insider guides also heavily feature beautiful design and pretty places. It includes the “hippest nightlife, the buzziest hotels, the coolest retail, the most influential art galleries and cultural spaces, the best in local design and the contemporary architecture that defines a city.”

You can also get a Wallpaper Guide for Barcelona .

Spanish Travel Books for Kids

Theodore’s Spanish Adventure , Trent Harding, Ashlee Harding

Keep the kids busy on the plane with this cute, well-designed Spanish culture book. Theodore the Bear will help your kids learn some Spanish and get a feel for life in Spain.

Mission Barcelona , Catherine Aragon

Let your kids take you around Barcelona using this treasure hunt as their guide. Your kids will be given a spy mission and they’ll sleuth out clues at popular sites like the Sagrada Familia and along La Rambla.

BONUS: This book is also available through Kindle Unlimited. These kids books also come available as Paris travel guides in case your itinerary includes that region as well.

City Trails, Barcelona , Lonely Planet Kids

Let Marco and Amelia take your kids along a series of themed trails through Barcelona. The trails spotlight cultural and historic places of interest with 16 topics like: Animal Land, Gaudi Town, Musical Marvels, City of Art and Delicioso!

Kid’s Travel Guide – Spain , Wendy Crawford and Shiela H Leon

This is not only a Spanish guidebook for kids, but it also doubles as an activity book and diary which can be taken home as a souvenir. The book includes fun facts, juicy information, quizzes, special tasks and coloring pages.

Travel Memoirs from Spain

Castanets, Coffee & Don Quixote , Robert Noble Graham

Follow Graham as he rambles (and sometimes stumbles) around Madrid, Barcelona, Toledo and Sevilla. He shares anecdotes about his experiences and…”you will learn a lot about Spanish history and the significance of these cities. But my favorite part of the book is the author’s delightful sense of humor and amusing anecdotes.”

Driving Over Lemons : An Optimist in Spain, Chris Stewart

Because of course you buy a remote sheep farm in Soutern Spain which is lacking water, electricity or even a road. Like Mayle from A Year in Provence , Stewart and his wife dig in to create a pastoral expat live for themselves. “… He is funny, clever and talented and who knew he could shear sheep.”

My Reign in Spain , Rich Bradwell

When Bradwell was asked to give a wedding toast in Spanish, he did the only sensible thing–he went off to Spain to learn the language. His German roomate Nils was little help, but it becomes a “changing trip through this fascinating and cultured country, as he travels through the vineyards of La Rioja, surfs in the Basque Country and frantically tries to speak Spanish at anyone he can find.”

All About Spanish Food & Culture

Spain – Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture , Belén Aguado Viguer

It’s not always about where you go, but rather understating the context for what you see and experience. This guide will give you insight into Spain’s proud and passionate culture that goes way beyond Flamenco and Don Quixote.

Grape Olive Pig , Matt Gouling

On all of my many trips to Spain, I’ve consumed plenty of grapes, olives and pig (and also some delicious goat and sheep milk cheeses.) Goulding will help you fall in love with Spain, not with your heart, but with your gut. The book is presented as a series of stories about the culinary and geographical landscape of Spain through the eyes of a hungry traveler.

Cute Spain-Themed Travel Journals

My Travel to Madrid Journal

110 page travel diary with lined pages.

Sevilla Notebook

100 pages unlined. Also available for Barcelona, Bilbao, Palma de Mallorca, Malaga and Granada.

Spain Travel Journal with Pockets and Envelopes

This beautiful hand-stitched journal features a vintage map on the cover, 48 pages of journal and envelopes and pockets for treasures.

Supplemental Info from Travel Bloggers

Supplement these Spain travel guides with some itinerary advice on specific regions and cities in Spain .

• Learn more about theculture and history by reading some non-fiction, historical fiction, mysteries and novels set in Spain .
• Madrid: My own three day itinerary for Madrid .
• Andalucia: Southern Spain ten day itinerary for Andalucia .
• Valencia: Top things to do in Valencia .
• Sevilla: How to spend three days in Sevilla .
• The Canaries: Road trip itinerary for Tenerife .
• General: Here are 37 offbeat things to do in Spain .
• Here’s a 10 day itinerary for Spain focused on Madrid, Córdoba, Sevilla and Granada

READ MORE BOOKS!

Start with this list of the very  best travel books . It includes great reads about how travel is transformative, offering wacky tales of derring do, epic quests and stories of authentic travel.

You should also check out the following series of book lists for specific destinations:

Paris  |  Ireland  |  Iceland  |  Cuba  |  Scotland  |  Camino de Santiago  |  Sri Lanka | Australia | Jordan | Colombia | Spain | San Francisco

Buen Viaje and enjoy your trip to Spain.

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7 Best Travel Books About Spain

“Any reasonable, sentient person who looks at Spain, comes to Spain, eats in Spain, drinks in Spain, they’re going to fall in love. Otherwise, there’s something deeply wrong with you. This is the dream of all the world. “

The Kingdom of Spain is the second-largest country in the European Union and its fourth-most populated member. With its borders stretching from France and Andorra in the north to Gibraltar and the Mediterranean Sea in the south, it is a country dominated by breathtaking geography, vibrant cultures and over two thousand years’ worth of history.

It is also a country filled to the brim with contrasting and conflicting norms, attitudes and politics, giving each of its seventeen autonomous regions a unique identity of its own. Join us here at What We Reading as we run you through our best Spain travel books!  

The Great Book Of Spain – Bill O’Neill

Bill O’Neill is one of the most respected trivia authors of his day, and he brings some of the most interesting facts and stories from Spain’s entire history together in The Great Book of Spain . From the country’s founders, its most famous celebrities and the importance of its culture, industries and geography, it is the perfect travel book about Spain for understanding everything you need to know before a visit. Not only is it informative, but also incredibly entertaining. O’Neill’s writing manages to bring to life all of his facts and figures in an enthralling way. 

Driving Over Lemons – Chris Stewart

Driving Over Lemons: An Optimist in Andalucía is a travel memoir from Chris Stewart set in the picturesque Alpujarra Mountains in Southern Spain. The book follows Stewart and his wife Ava as they set up a sheep farm.

Though their farm lacks some basic essentials and comes with its series of exotic issues, Stewart’s unshakeable optimism coupled with the breathtaking beauty around them helps the pair set up an idyllic life that captures everything great about rural Spain. Based on his own real-life experiences, Driving Over Lemons gives readers a wholly personal look at life across the country. 

Ghosts Of Spain – Giles Tremlett

Sometimes travel books can capture the magic behind a culture by casting a light on its darker pasts. That is certainly the vibe captured by Giles Tremlett in his Spain travel book, Ghosts of Spain: Travels Through Spain and its Silent Past . In it, he explores the Spanish Civil War and how the ghost of Franco continues to mould the country and its people to this day.

Drawing on twenty years’ worth of experience living in the country, it examines the wide array of personalities present in the Spanish people, and how the country’s history has altered the way in which they mix with one another. 

Check out the Best Portugal Travel Books

Spanish Steps – Tim Moore

Inspired by a pilgrimage undertaken by one-third of Europeans back in the day, Spanish Steps is the hilarious tale of Tim Moore and his 500-mile trek with just a donkey for company. Tim and his donkey companion, named Shinto, attempt to recreate the famous pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela together.

Detailing all the hilarious misadventures the pair get up to on their gruelling travels together, Moore is also able to tap into a genuinely inspiring note at the same time across Spanish Steps, detailing all the sincerity from the many strangers he and Shinto to meet along their way. 

Slow Trains Around Spain – Tom Chesshyre

Spain is a remarkable country home to some of the most diverse landscapes in Europe. From arid deserts, and soaring mountain ranges, to lush valleys filled with olive gardens and fruit orchards, Tom Chesshyre brings the country’s vibrant landscapes to life in Slow Trains Around Spain. Rail enthusiast Chesshyre describes how the best way of seeing Spain’s beauty is from the rail tracks. From Aragon to Sevilla, he tackles the entire country by train in an effort to take readers away from the typical touristy hotspots. 

Grape, Olive, Pig – Matt Goulding

Matt Goulding established himself as one of the most pioneering foodie travel writers with his culinary book on Japan, Rice, Noodle, Fish.

In Grape, Olive, Pig: Deep Travels Through Spain’s Food Culture , Goulding attempts to take readers across the length and breadth of the country to discover its history and heritage through its wide array of culinary delights. Stirring your imagination as well as your stomach, Goulding presents the stories and inspirations behind each dish he discovers to give readers an insight into the country. Grape, Olive, Pig is a Financial Times and Amazon Best Book winner. 

The New Spanish Revolutions – Christopher Finnigan

Travelling from Madrid , across the Basque County, through Galicia and into the contested Catalonia heartland , The New Spanish Revolutions is a personal deep dive into the complex dynamics at play across Spain from Christopher Finnigan.

Meeting a diverse collection of characters along his journey, Finnigan examines how Spain’s turbulent past has shaped the country it is today. From anti-austerity activists to separatists looking to found a new country, it is an eye-opening read that takes readers across the beliefs and motivations that dominate Spain’s day-to-day lives.

Check out the Best Greece Travel Books

Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).

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22 Engrossing Books About Spain For Travelers

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Travel around the world with the best books about Spain. These Spanish books are sure to transport you to a new destination.

Are you ready to dive into our Spain books reading list with some of the best novels about Spain to take you there?

We would love to explore more of Spain.  On a trip to Portugal — think wine — we headed into Seville and Jerez de la Frontera to eat all of the Spanish tapas and spy those gorgeous horses. Blooming jacaranda trees, dancing, and sherry are life.

Since we didn’t have time to visit Spain’s other major cities, why not pick up a few nonfiction and fiction books set in Spain to travel via a comfy armchair? 

Below, find the best Spanish novels including Spanish translated literature, horror stories, historical fiction, classics, and books set in Barcelona.  Discover must-read Spanish authors, both classic and contemporary.

Of course, ‘best’ is subjective. We’d love to know what novels set in Spain you enjoy in the comments. 

As our contributing writer, Dagney, also notes, Spanish books are traditionally longer – 500+ pages. Think Don Quixote . 

Even newer novels about Spain, including Carlos Ruiz Zafón’s The Shadow of the Wind and Ruta Sepetys’ The Fountains of Silence , pass the 500-page mark. Get ready to snuggle into that chair.  

So, with so many fabulous Spanish books to read, how do you pick?  Let us help! Travel across the world with these riveting books about Spain.  Let’s get started!

Continue your travels around the world with these Books Set Across Europe .

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Table of Contents

22 Books About Spain To Read Before You Go

By Dagney McKinney

Best Spanish Books About Basque Country

All That Followed by Gabriel Urza

On March 11, 2004, 191 people were murdered and over 2000 injured when ten bombs placed across four commuter trains exploded at or near to Atocha station in Madrid. This act of terrorism devastated Spain.

Given the timing of the bombings, everyone was sure they knew who the perpetrators were: the ETA (Euskadi Ta Askatasuna), a Basque separatist militant group. But were they really guilty?

All That Followed is set in the small fictional Basque town of Muriga, Spain in the aftermath of the horrific bombings. Shaken by the tragedy, the townspeople begin to unravel as everyone’s own guilt and secrets begin to surface.

This is one of the best novels about Spain for anyone interested in the Basque region’s tumultuous past. Grab a copy of All That Followed by Gabriel Urza .

Obabakoak by Bernardo Atxaga | Translated by Margaret Jull Costa

These are the stories of the Obabakoak, the people of Obaba, a small, secluded village deep in the heart of Basque country.

One of the most famous Spain books about Basque culture, Obabakoak is an interconnected collection of short stories about the everyday lives of Obaba residents.

Meet Ismael, a young boy who rescues lizards and has become something of a cautionary tale. Then there’s Klaus Hanhn, a man haunted by the ghost of his dead brother, Alexander. Or, travel to Albania, a remote quarter of Obaba where a young girl waits for an inspector.

Bernardo Atxaga is one of Spain’s most internationally acclaimed writers, and one of only a handful of people writing in Euskara, the local Basque language, today. Buy a copy of Obabakoak by Bernardo Atxaga .

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Homeland by Fernando Aramburu | Translated by Alfred MacAdam

Lauded as one of the best Spanish books in recent years, this is a heartbreaking tale of two families caught up in a decades-long feud after a senseless act of violence.

Homeland is told from the POVs of nine different characters and jumps back and forth in time. However, driving the narratives are the two family’s matriarchs: Bittori and Miren.

One morning in the coastal Basque town of Donostia (San Sebastian in Spanish) Bittori’s husband, Txato, is gunned down for refusing to pay a commission to the ETA.

Miren’s son, Joxe Mari, is arrested for the murder. But Miren, a proud Basque nationalist, is equally proud of her son for his role in the killing.

This is easily one of the best Basque books about Spain. Homeland examines the intricacies of the Basque conflict from all sides, never painting anyone fully as the villain. Buy a copy of Homeland by Fernando Aramburu .

Best Crime Novels Set in Spain

The Whispering City by Sara Moliner | Translated by Mara Faye Lethem

Barcelona’s Tibidabo district is home to the city’s wealthy elite, one of the safest places you can be under Franco’s fascist regime. So when Mariona Sobrerroca is murdered in a burglary gone wrong, everyone is desperate to solve the murder as quickly as possible.

With her senior colleague away, beginner journalist Ana Martí Noguer is thrilled to be assigned the case. She eagerly shadows the seasoned Inspector Isidro Castro, trying her best to help solve the murder.

But when Ana Martí discovers a clue everyone else overlooks, she enlists the help of her linguist cousin, Beatriz. The two soon find themselves wrapped up in an increasingly dangerous investigation.

The Whispering City is one of the best murder mystery novels set in Spain. The book deftly navigates police and government corruption, fascism, and freedom of the press (or lack thereof). Grab a copy of The Whispering City by Sara Moliner .

The Invisible Guardian by Dolores Redondo | Translated by Isabelle Kaufeler

The Invisible Guardian is one of the most popular crime novels about Spain, and it’s easy to see why.

Inspector Amaia Salazar grew up in a small town in Basque Country. As soon as she could escape, she left for the big city and never looked back.

Now she’s a cop. Amaia is great at what she does but has to put up with a lot of sexism from her predominantly male coworkers.

When a series of ritualistic murders rock her hometown, she is given the lead on the investigation. This is a great opportunity for her career, but secrets from Amaia’s past haunt her; she is apprehensive about returning home.

If this sounds like a familiar trope, don’t worry, this isn’t a story you’ve already read. The Invisible Guardian is overflowing with Basque history, culture, and mythology. Buy a copy of The Invisible Guardian by Dolores Redondo .

Village of the Lost Girls by Agustín Martínez | Translated by Frank Wynne

Five years ago two young girls, best friends Ana and Lucia, were kidnapped while walking home from school. Their disappearance shook the Pyrenees village of Monteperdido.

But just as the village is beginning to heal, Ana’s very much alive body is recovered from the scene of a car accident.

Ana’s bittersweet return dredges up more questions than answers, though. Why was Simón Herrera, a friendly local man, with her? Where is Lucia? And why was the case never solved?

Village of the Lost Girls is one of the most atmospheric books about Spain, expertly building up to a shocking reveal with enough twists and turns to keep your head spinning.

If you love the setting of this one, you’ll get similar vibes in some of these books about Switzerland . Buy a copy of Village of the Lost Girls by Agustín Martínez .

Historical Fiction Books Set in Spain

The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys

Ruta Sepetys is most famous for her YA books about the Baltics , and The Fountains of Silence is another excellent read. This is one of the best historical novels about Spain, providing a glimpse into one of the country’s darkest chapters.

It’s 1957 and aspiring Texan photographer Daniel Matheson is visiting Madrid with his oil tycoon father and Spanish mother. Their status affords them access to a Spain most Spaniards never see under Franco’s tyrannical leadership.

It also means they can stay at one of the city’s top hotels, which happens to be staffed by a cute girl.

But Daniel wants to see the real Madrid, so he takes his camera out to try and capture that side of the city. While exploring the city he gets just the photo he is looking for, only to have his camera confiscated…

The Fountains of Silence is a beautiful book infused with fascinating history and a good dose of romance. Buy a copy of The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys .

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón | Translated by Lucia Graves

The Shadow of the Wind is one of the most popular novels about Spain in recent history, and for good reason.

A young boy named Daniel is taken to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books by his father and instructed to pick a book that calls out to him. This book will become his responsibility.

Daniel chooses a book called The Shadow of the Wind written by the obscure Catalan author Julián Carax. His father advises him to keep extra care of this book as someone has been hunting down and destroying all of Julian’s work.

After reading the book, Daniel becomes obsessed with Julian Carax. With the aid of a friend, he begins trying to hunt down as much of it as he can. But there are forces that want the works to remain hidden from history and don’t appreciate Daniel dredging up the past – and they will stop at nothing to keep it that way.

This magical book about books is a literary feast and a beautiful insight into Spanish history and culture. Although it is the first in a series, it can also be read as a standalone. Buy a copy of The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón .

The Island Villa by Lily Graham

Before Charlotte’s husband James died of cancer, he was able to track down and purchase her grandmother’s childhood home on the Spanish island of Formentera as a gift.

She wants nothing more than to grieve in peace under her duvet, but Charlotte feels drawn to this incredible gift. So she decides to grieve in Spain and try to learn more about her family history.

But what she discovers is that there are dark secrets in her family’s past, including a love affair that nearly tore apart the family.

As Charlotte learns more about her family, The Island Villa follows different family members through different time periods – even jumping as far back as the 1700s.

Although it deals with some heavier topics, The Island Villa is one of the best beach read books set in Spain. It is also perfect for anyone who loves books set on islands . Buy a copy of The Island Villa by Lily Graham .

Berta Isla by Javier Marías | Translated by Margaret Jull Costa

Berta Isla has known her entire life that she would marry Tomás Nevinson. Even after he decides to attend university in England, she waits for him in Madrid.

But Tomás returns to Madrid a changed man.

Tomás has always existed between two worlds: his mother is Spanish, his father is English; he grew up in Spain, but attended university in Oxford. Tomás’ father worked in intelligence and wants nothing more than for his son to follow in his footsteps.

So when a member of British intelligence offers him a job, Tomás accepts. But now he’s going on secret missions, lying to his wife and setting them both on a path they might not be able to come back from.

If you’re looking for exciting thriller books about Spain, Berta Isla is a refreshing take on the espionage novel. Set between the 1970s and 1990s, this is the perfect book to curl up with and get lost in the past. Buy a copy of Berta Isla by Javier Marías .

A Million Drops by Victor del Árbol | Translated by Lisa Dillman

After the tragic and suspicious suicide of his estranged sister, Barcelona lawyer Gonzalo Gil is determined to understand why. But in the process, he unearths family secrets he wasn’t prepared to find out.

Spanning over 100 years of Spanish history, A Million Drops is one of the best historical novels about Spain. Part thriller mystery, part historical political fiction, the book takes on heavy themes such as fascism, anti-semitism, and torture.

But if you’re just looking for books about Barcelona – or Spain in general – this one won’t be for you. Part of the historical sections take place in the USSR and in the Soviet gulags. Buy a copy of A Million Drops by Victor del Árbol .

The Last Jew by Noah Gordon

In 1478 Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon established the Spanish Inquisition to root out and murder, convert or expel heretics against the Catholic Church.

By 1492, Yonah Toledano, a 15-year-old Jewish boy living in Spain, has lost all of his family. They have either fled the country or been murdered.

To survive, Yonah must keep his Jewish identity a secret and goes by a Christian name. However, he refuses to convert as his Jewishness is an important part of him.

Unable to leave Spain himself, Yonah’s only real friend is his donkey Moise on whom he travels across the country.

The Last Jew is one of the only books about Spain to explore the country’s history through the Jewish lens. It is also an important reminder of how destructive the Catholic Church was for Spain at the time. Buy a copy of The Last Jew by Noah Gordon .

The Bird King by G. Willow Wilson

The Bird King is another unique book set during the Spanish Inquisition. However, this fantastical historical novel is steeped with Islamic folklore and magical realism.

Set in 1491 (896 Hijri year), the book follows Fatima, the last Circassian concubine to the sultan and her best friend, Hassan, a gay Muslim cartographer. But Hassan has a special power: he can draw maps of anywhere, and this enables him to shift reality and enter into the world of the Djinn.

When the Inquisition learns of this power, Hassan is deemed a sorcerer by the Inquisition; he and Fatima must go on the run across Spain to save his life.

Along the way, they are aided by a monk named Gwennec and a Jinn who goes by the name Vikram the Vampire (Vikram also features in Wilson’s debut novel, Alif the Unseen ).

The Bird King is one of the best historical books set in Spain, especially for those looking for a bit of escapism while still learning about one of Spain’s darkest chapters.

He might not be a real vampire, but you can find plenty more magical and immortal creatures like him in these amazing vampire books . Buy a copy of The Bird King by G. Willow Wilson .

Classic Novels About Spain

Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes | Translated by Edith Grossman*

*Please note there are different editions translated by different people

This doorstop of a novel is one of the most famous Spanish books ever written, and one of the most translated books of all time.

The book follows Alonso Quixano, a nobleman from La Mancha who fancies himself a knight errant. He is fascinated by the knights of his favorite books, so he changes his name to Don Quixote, and leaves La Mancha to go on an adventure.

In addition to being one of the best Spanish novels, Don Quixote is notable for its portrayal of madness and mental health.

Don Quixote always tries to see the magic in life, but many of his friends and family worry that he is descending into madness and try to intervene. There are some, though, who are charmed by Don Quixote and help fuel his dreams. Buy a copy of Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes .

Solitude by Victor Català | Translated by David H. Rosenthal

Written at the turn of the 20th century by Caterina Albert i Paradís and forced to use a pseudonym, it’s no surprise this is a feminist classic of Spanish literature.

When Mila marries Matias, she is taken away from everything she’s ever known to live in a hermitage high up in the Catalan mountains. This might not be so bad if Matias was a good husband, but instead, he is lazy and abusive.

Mila must find her inner strength to carry on and not succumb to loneliness. Fortunately, she is able to find some solace in the magical stories told by the nearby shepherd.

Solitude is not only one of the only feminist classic books about Spain, it is also a quiet meditation on what it means to grow up and fight for ourselves. Content warning for sexual assault. Buy a copy of Solitude by Victor Català .

The City of Marvels by Eduardo Mendoza | Translated by Bernard Molloy

Catalonian Onofre Bouvila does not come from money, but as a young boy, his father heads to Cuba to make it. Although it initially seems upon his return like he has succeeded, the family soon learns it’s all a lie and he is indebted to the Spanish mafia.

So as soon as he’s old enough, Onofre heads to Barcelona to make the fortunes his father failed to achieve. And, he’s willing to make it through any means necessary.

Set between Barcelona’s two World’s Fairs in 1888 and 1929, T he City of Marvels is one of the best Spanish books set in Barcelona.

The setting is magical and will make many wish they could travel back in time to visit. Onofre might be the protagonist, but the whole book is really a love letter to Barcelona. Buy a copy of The City of Marvels by Eduardo Mendoza .

Non-Fiction Books Set in Spain

Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell

In 1936 George Orwell traveled to Catalonia to report on the Spanish Civil War. Instead, he wound up joining the POUM militia as part of the Republican Army fighting against the fascist Nationalist party.

Homage to Catalonia is the memoir of his time with POUM, with whom he fought from December 1936 to June 1937.

At the time, he and his wife Eileen O’Shaughnessy barely escaped back to England from the communist purges of Barcelona (where she was living).

The book details his time traveling all across Spain with the militia. Orwell spent time on the front line, and the book never shies away from the realities of war.

It can be a difficult read, but it’s one of the best non-fiction books about Spain during this time. Buy a copy of Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell .

Ghosts of Spain: Travels Through Spain and its Silent Past by Giles Tremlett

Ghosts of Spain is one of the best books about Spain’s recent history and will give an invaluable insight into the country.

Part travel memoir, part history book, Ghosts of Spain tackles various difficult topics in Spain’s history through the lens of different regions and cities in each chapter.

In addition to more obvious events like the civil war and Basque separatism, Tremlett also examines topics as diverse as gender relations, tourism, corruption, and flamenco dancing.

Although the author makes some weird generalizations about Spaniards, the history is still fascinating and essential for anyone planning a visit. Buy a copy of Ghosts of Spain .

Walking to the End of the World: A Thousand Miles on the Camino de Santiago by Beth Jusino

As a general rule, you can’t really have a list of books about Spain without mentioning the Camino de Santiago. But most people have already read – or at least heard of – Paolo Coehlo’s The Pilgrimage .

Try out this humorous memoir and one of the best books for hikers .

Hoping for an adventure, Beth and her husband, Eric, decide to hike a thousand miles along the Camino from the village of Le Puy, France to the Atlantic Ocean. To say they are ill-prepared is an understatement.

And it doesn’t take long for the two to realize just how in over their heads they are. Buy a copy of Walking to the End of the World .

Horror Novels Set in Spain

Death in Spring by Mercè Rodoreda | Translated by Martha Tennent

Death in Spring is a dystopian horror novel set in a world that resembles Franco’s Spain, but is uniquely terrifying on its own.

The book is narrated by a nameless 14-year-old boy who lives in a nameless village surrounded by nameless people.

Told as a surreal stream of a conscious fever dream, the narrator is trying to understand and reconcile the violence and depravity of his fellow villagers. But, he knows nothing else of the world outside the village.

He wonders why he finds the unsavory characters and unsettling rituals that have become a part of everyday life so distasteful.

Death in Spring is one of the best horror novels about Spain, and a must for anyone who loves political allegory. Grab a copy of Death in Spring by Mercè Rodoreda .

Such Small Hands by Andrés Barba | Translated by Lisa Dillman

When Mariana’s parents both die tragically in a car accident, she is left scarred – both physically and mentally – and alone.

After several months of recovery in the hospital, she is brought to a girl’s orphanage.

Here she does not fit in. None of the other girls have ever had parents or can remember living outside the orphanage walls.

They torment Mariana, but they are also obsessed with her. And for her part, Mariana is desperate to do whatever it takes to be accepted.

Such Small Hands is a hypnotic horror novella of acceptance, grief, and peer pressure.

Part narrative, part Greek chorus, this is one of the most haunting Spanish novels available in English. Grab a copy of Such Small Hands by Andrés Barba .

Nona’s Room by Cristina Fernández Cubas | Translated by Simon Deefholts & Kathryn Phillips-Miles

Nona’s Room brings together six creepy and unsettling short stories all narrated by women.

Each woman is about to go through a transformative moment in their lives. One woman experiences a drug-induced spiritual journey with her aunt and uncle, while another must learn to accept the attention her disabled sister receives from their parents before it’s too late.

There is even a story of a woman trapped in a time warp – perfect for lovers of time travel books .

Nona’s Room is one of the best Spanish novels for horror lovers. Suffused with a weird and gothic atmosphere, these stories will stay with you long after you’re done reading. Buy a copy of Nona’s Room by Cristina Fernández Cubas.

Save Our Spain Books Reading List For Later

Thank you to TUL contributor, Dagney McKinney

Dagney (pronouns: any) is a neurodivergent writer who loves all things macabre and weird. She likes outrageously spicy food, long walks through graveyards, and historical tangents. You’ll most likely find her wandering around somewhere quiet or underground, buying salt, or whispering to camels.

What are your favorite Spanish books? What novels about Spain do you recommend?

We’d love to know which Spain-based books you love. Who are your favorite Spanish authors? Let us know in the comments!

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Dagney McKinney

Arturo Barea’s ‘Forging of a Rebel’ – a hugely influential & engrossing autobiography encompassing key cultural and political features of early 20th century Spain

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Home > Best Books About Travel in Spain

Best Books About Travel in Spain

Spain is a country that truly captures the heart of travelers. From its stunning landscapes and rich history, to its delicious cuisine and vibrant culture, Spain is a destination that offers something for everyone. Whether you’re an avid traveler or simply an armchair traveler, reading about Spain is a great way to immerse yourself in this captivating country.

Reading about travel in Spain is not only a way to explore the country from the comfort of your own home, but it’s also a way to gain a deeper understanding of its many wonders. From the vibrant cities of Madrid and Barcelona, to the charming villages of the countryside, Spain is a destination that is truly one-of-a-kind.

So if you’re looking to get a taste of Spain, why not start by reading about it? Whether you’re an avid reader or just looking to pick up a good book, there are plenty of great books out there that offer an inside look at this fascinating country. In this blog post, we’ll take a look at some of the best books about travel in Spain, and why they’re a must-read for anyone looking to explore this amazing country.

“A Year in Provence”

“A Year in Provence” by Peter Mayle is a classic tale of life in the French countryside that takes place in the south of France. 

The book describes the author’s experience of moving from London to Provence and the adventures he has while adapting to the new lifestyle in a small village in the region. The author offers a unique perspective on the culture and customs of Provence, as well as the challenges of living in a foreign country. 

It is a charming and humorous account of life in the French countryside that is sure to captivate readers and provide insight into the region’s rich history and culture. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in travel to the south of France or anyone looking to learn more about the French way of life.

“Driving Over Lemons”  

“Driving Over Lemons”by Chris Stewart is a travel book that tells the story of the author’s journey to Spain and his adventures in the Andalusian countryside. The book is a memoir of Chris Stewart’s life in Spain, starting from his search for a simpler way of life and his discovery of the traditional Spanish countryside, to his struggles with farming and learning the ways of rural life.

The book is a delightful read, filled with humor and a sense of adventure. Chris’s writing style is engaging and light-hearted, making the reader feel as if they are right there with him, experiencing the joys and challenges of life in the Spanish countryside. The author’s love of the land and its people shines through in every page, and he provides an insightful look into the customs and traditions of rural Spain.

One of the highlights of the book is the way Chris describes the natural beauty of the Spanish countryside, from the rolling hills dotted with olive groves and vineyards, to the stunning landscapes and hidden villages that dot the region. He also shares his passion for the local food and wine, and provides a glimpse into the unique culinary culture of Andalusia.

Overall, “Driving Over Lemons” is a wonderful travel book for anyone who loves adventure and exploring new places. The author’s wit and humor, combined with his love for Spain and its people, make for a delightful read that will inspire and entertain readers of all ages. Whether you’re planning a trip to Spain or just looking for a good book to escape to, “Driving Over Lemons” is a must-read for anyone who loves travel, food, and the joys of rural life.

“The Sun Also Rises” by Ernest Hemingway

“The Sun Also Rises” by Ernest Hemingway is a classic novel that captures the essence of Spain’s landscape and culture. Set in the 1920s, the story follows a group of American and British expatriates as they travel through Spain, visiting cities like Pamplona and Madrid. Through Hemingway’s vivid descriptions of the country, readers can get a sense of the stunning beauty of Spain’s natural landscapes and the richness of its cultural heritage.

One of the highlights of the novel is Hemingway’s depiction of Pamplona and its famous bullfighting festival. He describes the excitement and energy of the city during the festival, and the reader can feel the thrill of the bullfights through Hemingway’s writing. But it’s not just about the bullfights. Hemingway’s writing style is also able to capture the beauty of Spain’s cities, from their historic architecture to their bustling streets.

In addition to its beautiful landscapes, Spain is also renowned for its rich cultural heritage. Hemingway captures this aspect of the country through his descriptions of the local cuisine, music, and festivals. For example, he describes the delicious food and wine that can be found in the country’s taverns and restaurants. He also writes about the lively flamenco music and dance that is a staple of Spanish culture. Through his writing, Hemingway showcases the diversity and richness of Spain’s cultural heritage, making it clear why so many travelers are drawn to this beautiful country.

Overall, “The Sun Also Rises” is a must-read for anyone who is interested in Spain’s landscape and culture. Through Hemingway’s vivid descriptions and masterful storytelling, readers can experience the beauty and excitement of the country in a way that only a great work of literature can provide.

“Under the Tuscan Sun” by Frances Mayes

Famously a memoir about the author’s experiences renovating and living in a villa in Tuscany, Italy. However, there are also several references to Spain in the book.

In the early part of the book, Mayes mentions her travels to Spain and how they inspired her to buy the villa in Tuscany. She writes about visiting cities like Granada, Seville, and Cordoba, and experiencing the beauty of the country’s landscapes and architecture. She also mentions the delicious Spanish cuisine and the vibrant culture of the country, praising its flamenco music, tapas, and sherry.

Later in the book, Mayes also mentions a trip she takes to Andalusia, Spain with a friend. During this trip, she visits the Alhambra, a stunning palace and fortress complex in Granada, and writes about her awe at its beauty and intricate details. She also writes about the impressive cathedrals and the stunning countryside of Andalusia.

These Spanish elements in the book serve to highlight the rich cultural heritage of both Italy and Spain, and how they can be experienced through travel. They also demonstrate Mayes’ love for and appreciation of different cultures and her willingness to embrace new experiences. Through her descriptions of her travels in Spain, readers can get a sense of the country’s beauty and unique character.

Inspiring Your Own Journey Through Spain’s Stunning Landscape and Culture

These novels offer readers a unique perspective on travel in Spain. Whether it’s through Hemingway’s vivid descriptions of Pamplona’s bullfighting festival or Stewart’s charming anecdotes about life in Andalucía, these books offer a wealth of information and inspiration for anyone considering a trip to Spain.

For those who have already visited Spain, these books serve as a reminder of the beauty and excitement of the country, and for those who have yet to visit, they provide a glimpse into what they can expect.

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36 Books Set In Spain That Will Make You Feel Like You’re There

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Admittedly, Spain isn’t the top of my bucket list.  However, after reading a few books set in Spain, I know it will crawl its way up my list.  I’ve compiled this list of Spain travel books, Spain memoirs, novels set in Spain, Spanish non-fiction, and more. 

Basically, everything you could look for in books about Spain.  So grab a pot of coffee, sit back, and get that Kindle out (or however you read, no judgment here) and get reading!

By The River Piedra, I Sat Down And Wept

Young love doesn’t always work out, but what happens when they reunite eleven years later?  Pilar has grown to be a strong and independent woman and her childhood friend has become a charismatic spiritual leader. 

She learned how to bury her feelings and he turned to religion as a refuge from inner conflicts. They are now on a journey together full of difficulties after blame and resentment resurface after more than a decade, but their relationship is examined by the waters of the River Piedra. 

This is one of those classic books set in Spain that you just have to read.

The Queen’s Vow: A Novel of Isabella of Castile

Isabella is barely a teenager when she and her brother are taken to live with their half-brother King Enrique and his sultry, conniving queen.  Before she knows it, Isabella is thrust into a plot (unwittingly) to dethrone Enrique. 

She is torn between loyalties until, at seventeen, she is the heiress of Castille, the largest kingdom in Spain.  She is plunged into a deadly conflict to secure her crown and marry the one man she loves but is forbidden – Fernando, Prince of Aragon.

They unite their two realms and face an impoverished Spain.  Her throne is at stake while she resists the demands of the inquisitor Torquemada even as she is seduced by the dreams of an enigmatic navigator named Columbus. 

Soon, the Moors of the southern domain of Granada declare war and Isabella’s resolve, courage, and belief in her destiny are tested.

Odelle Bastien gets a job at the Skelton gallery in London in 1967 and knows her life will change forever.  She struggled to find her place in London after moving from Trinidad five years before, but she knows her life is about to change when she accepts the job as a typist under the glamorous Marjorie Quick. 

While Marjorie helps her unlock her confidence and find her place, she becomes lost again when a masterpiece with a secret history is delivered to the gallery.

Back in 1936 in rural Spain, we find out the history of the painting with Olivia Schloss, the daughter of a renowned art dealer, has secret ambitions of her own. 

Soon we meet Isaac Robles and his half-sister Teresa who weave themselves into the Schloss family with explosive and devastating consequences.  This is one of my favorite books ever.  I had no idea what it was when I got it in a mystery book box, but I love it!

Winter in Madrid

It’s September 1940 and Madrid is in ruin as the Germans continue their march through Europe.  General Franco of Britan is debating on abandoning neutrality and entering the war. 

Enter Harry Brett, a reluctant British Spy traumatized by his experience in Dunkirk.  He is sent to gain the confidence of Sandy Forsyth, an old school friend, now a shadowy Madrid businessman.

Meanwhile, Barbara Clare, Sandy’s girlfriend an ex-Red Cross nurse, is on her own mission: to find her ex-lover Bernie Piper who disappeared on the battlefields of Jarama thanks to a love for Communism.

The Prisoner of Heaven

It’s Christmas in Barcelona in 1957 and Daniel Sempere and his wife Bea have a new baby, Julian, and a close friend, Fermín Romero de Torres, that is soon to be wed. 

But that is all disrupted soon when a stranger shows up in the Sempere bookshop threatening to spill secrets from the city’s dark past.

Soon Fermín and Daniel are plunged into an adventure back in the 1940s, during the dark days of Franco’s dictatorship.  Their lives are transformed on this journey fraught with jealousy, suspicion, vengeance, and lies.  This is a great choice if you’re looking for a book set in Barcelona.

Until the Curtain Falls

Jack Telford is a foreign correspondent on the run from a territory controlled by Franco’s fascists in northern Spain in October 1938.  Telford is a hunted man after killing someone close to the Generalismo’s heart.

Jack will learn a lesson about mortality and survival in a climactic chase from Madrid to the Republic’s last outpost in Alicante during the closing days of the Spanish Civil War.

The Time In Between

Sira Quiroga is left penniless in Morocco by her lover when she forges a new identity for herself.  Before she knows it, she is the most sought after couture designer for socialite German Nazi officer wives. 

Soon, she is embroiled in a dangerous political conspiracy as she passes information to the British Secret Service through a code stitched into the hems of her dresses.

Camino de Santiago In 20 Days

Maybe it was middle-age.  Maybe it was diet cola.  Whatever it was, Randall St. Germain found himself called to the 500-mile long Camino de Santiago in 2010.  His trip was a dedication to his mother, a personal challenge, and historical enlightenment. 

A million steps and a few pounds of gauze and tape later, he finds himself in Santiago de Compostela with a better understanding of himself.  Oh, and he did it all in 20 days.

This is perfect for anyone looking for a book set in Spain that also likes books about walking long distances!

A Late Dinner

In this book, we get to hear the stories of the people who grow, cook, and eat the hugely varied and little-known foods of Spain. 

We are immersed in coastal foods, ancient shepherd cooking, and modern cuisine from cities like Madrid, Barcelona, and San Sebastian where chefs are setting trends across the globe.  If you’re a foodie, this is a must-read.  If you’re looking for a good foodie book set in Barcelona, look no further!

Alberto’s Lost Birthday

Alberto is old, but he doesn’t know how old.  He doesn’t remember anything before his arrival at an orphanage during the Spanish Civil War. 

He doesn’t think about his childhood.  Well, not until his grandson Tino discovers he’s never celebrated a birthday. Together, they set out to find Alberto’s birthday so they can change that. 

The search takes them deep into the heart of Spain, a country that pledged to forget it’s painful past.  He realizes he lost part of himself as he hears the stories of courage, cruelty, and love, but with Tino’s help, they might just find that part again.

The Way Is a River of Stars: A Buddhist’s Journey Through Northern Spain on the Camino Pilgrim Route

Helen finds herself walking through Northern Spain along the picturesque Camino Way, a Christian pilgrimage revered since the medieval times. 

Ancient towns and villages with their own cultures and cuisines dot the Camino and her memories and miles intertwine the countryside, her Christian upbringing, and her later life as a Buddhist. 

Helen contemplates the heart of two religions on a quest for a deeper meaning that can unite us all with recollections of meditation and monasteries.

With the Fire on High

Emoni Santiago, a high school senior, faces tough decisions while caring for her daughter and supporting her Abuela, but she has to do what must be done. 

Thankfully, in the kitchen, she can let her responsibilities go a little and add some magic to everything she cooks. Still, she knows she doesn’t have time for her school’s new culinary class, much less the class trip to Spain, and that she shouldn’t still be dreaming of working in a real kitchen. 

Even with all the rules she has for life, her only choice in the kitchen is to let her talent break free. This one os still hanging out on my TBR.

The Ornament of the World: How Muslims, Jews, and Christians Created a Culture of Tolerance in Medieval Spain

María Menocal is showing us a new portrait of a medieval culture where literature, science, and tolerance flourished for 500 years to undo the familiar notion of it being a period of religious persecution and intellectual stagnation.   

It starts with a young prince in exile when he finds a new kingdom on the Iberian peninsula: al-Andalus. The new kingdom and its successors, with its combination of the best of Muslim, Jewish, and Christian cultures, influenced the rest of Europe in dramatic ways. 

The Glory of the Andalusian kingdoms lasted until the renaissance when Christian monarchs forcibly converted, executed, or expelled non-Catholics from Spain.

No Turning Back

In Barcelona, in 1986 the dictatorship is over, but Elisa can’t forget what happened in the seventies.  Her past comes back to trouble her in the form of her ex-husband Arnau, who needs her help exonerating an old comrade.

Elisa relives her Catholic childhood, her marriage, her blind loyalty to the Communist party, her experiments in feminism, and her prison time to create an emotional history of the political Left in Spain. 

The women who faced all of this with her weave their stories together making it more than a novel and give a voice to the silenced.

Shadows, Shells, and Spain

Jamie Draper is searching for his estranged wife, Pam, who left him without explanation or warning, on the island of Mallorca. 

He finds himself looking in her last known location when he comes across a letter she left behind promising a full explanation, but to get that he has to find a series of letters hidden along the Camino de Santiago in Northern Spain.  Now that he has clues, he starts to track her down and meets plenty of colorful characters along the way.

Granada: The Light of Andalucía

Steven Nightingale wants change so he moves his family to the ancient Andalucian city of Granada.  However, as he explores the hidden courtyards, gardens, and plazas, he realizes that Granada’s past and present can’t be separated.  This begins his eight-year quest to discover more.

At one time Christians, Muslims, and Jews lived harmoniously and arts and sciences flourished, but soon places of worship and books were burned to the ground. 

It had a turbulent rise over the next three centuries as deterioration worsened.  Nightingale shares a portrait of the now thriving city and all the joy he discovered there.

Roads to Santiago

If you want a book about traveling in Spain, this is for you.  This is the story of Cees’ thirty-five years living in Spain, his second home.  He shares the architecture, art, landscapes, villages, and people of little-known Spain.

He presents a version of Spain not easily seen by tourists through the spirits of El Cid, Cervantes, Alfonso the Chaste and Alfonso the Wise, the Hapsburgs, and Velazquez.  He writes with the depth of a historian, the bravado of an adventurer, and the passion of a poet.

Follow That Arrow: Notes on Getting Here From There

Gwen lost everything at once: her center, her marriage, and her future.  This inspires her to find a new path and she sets off on the Camino de Santiago, a journey that redefines her life.

The Basque History of the World

The Basques are Europe’s oldest nation without ever being a nation, tucked into a corner of France and Spain marked on no maps but their own.  No one has been able to determine their origin and even their language, Euskera, the most ancient in Europe, doesn’t resemble any other language on Earth. 

However, their influence has been felt for centuries.  Human stories are flawlessly blended with economic, political, literary, and culinary history in this rich heroic tale.

The Shadow of the Wind

In 1945, Barcelona was a city slowly healing from its war wounds.  Daniel is the son of an antiquarian books dealer mourning the loss of his mother when he finds solace in a book called The Shadow of the Wind by Julian Carax. 

When he sets out to find his other works, instead he finds someone has systematically destroying every copy of every book Carax has written.

Daniel may have the last of his books in existence and his quest opens the door into one of Barcelona’s darkest secrets.  This is another classic book set in Barcelona that everyone needs to read.  I keep seeing it on Facebook and everyone loves it!

The Drago Tree

Ann Salter is a geologist being haunted by demons of her past and present that seeks sanctuary on the island of Lanzarote.  Once there she meets Richard Parry, a charismatic author, and Domingo, an indigenous potter and they explore the island together. 

Ann struggles to figure out who she is, was, and wants to be as she encounters the hidden treasures of the island.

The Tale of Senyor Rodriguez

Thomas Sebastian is an English Conman on the run, hiding out on an old Spanish Finca in Mallorca in the 1960s.  He discovers the house is untouched since the death of its last owner, Senyor Rodriguez.  There is fine art on the walls, a library full of books, and a cellar full of wine.

Thomas easily slips into his new life and falls in love with his new neighbor, Isabella Ferretti, but once he slips into Rodriguez’ white linen suit and heads into the city, things start to get out of hand.

The Obedient Assassin: A Novel Based on a True Story

Ramón Mercader was picked from the frontlines of the Spanish Civil War by the Soviets to murder Leon Trotsky, the great intellectual leader of the Bolshevik Revolution, exiled in the 1920s for opposing Joseph Stalin.

While he is training for the task, he adopts a new identity and lives a lush life in Paris befriending famous artists, like Frida Khalo.  He is ordered to seduce a left-leaning Jewish woman to get at Trotsky, but falls in love with her instead.

Happy as a Partridge: Life and Love in Madrid

Evie Fuller is approaching her thirtieth birthday and is fed up with her life in London.  Soon she heads to Madrid at the offer of a free month of language lessons, the perfect escape route. 

She blossoms from being a shy English girl under the Spanish sun and learns the hardest part about moving abroad is deciding to go home.  If you want a book about moving to Spain or living in Spain, this is a good choice.

Leaving the Atocha Station

Adam Gordon is a brilliant, unreliable, young American Poet on a prestigious fellowship in Madrid struggling to establish his sense of self and relationship to art. 

Instead of following the dictate of his fellowship, his research becomes a meditation on the possibility of the genuine in the arts and beyond.

Driving Over Lemons: An Optimist in Andalucia

The easy part for Chris Stewart was handing over a check.  The hard part was telling his wife Ana that they were now the proud owners of a sheep farm in the Alpujarra Mountains in Southern Spain.

While the farm may be lush in olive, lemon, and olive groves, it is quite lacking in running water, electricity, and an access road.  Then there’s the problem of the previous owner that won’t leave, Pedro Romero. 

Pedro is a perpetual optimist and Chris has an unflappable spirit that nothing can diminish.

As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning

In 1934 a young man walked from the Cotswolds to London to make his fortune where he would play the violin and work on a building site.  At least until he decided to see Spain when he knew one Spanish phrase.

He spent a year traveling through the country, even with signs of civil war clearly visible.  Thirty years later Laurie Lee captured the atmosphere and beauty of the Spain he saw as a young man.

Lieutenant Nun: Memoir of a Basque Transvestite in the New World 1st Edition

Catalina dee Erauso escaped a Basque convent in 1599 dressed as a man and went on to live one of the most wildly fantastic lives of any woman in history. 

She was a soldier in the Spanish army, traveled to Peru and Chile, became a gambler, and even accidentally killed her own brother in a duel.  This is one of the oldest known autobiographies of a woman and is a translation of her own work.

Chickens, Mules and Two Old Fools

Joe and Vicky moved to a tiny village in the Alpujarra Mountains, but would they have if they knew what it would really be like?  They reluctantly become chicken farmers and happen to have the most dangerous cockerel in Spain.

They are befriended by an 85-year-old spliff-smoking sex-kitten and are even rescued by a mule.  Life is never dull on this five-year plan, but at the end of their five years, they have to decide: stay or go?

Two Old Fools in Spain Again

After their year in the Middle East, Victoria and Joe return to their Spanish mountain village, ready to return to their normal life, but the village won’t allow that, especially with Lola Ufarte’s behavior and a new millionaire neighbor.

Ghosts of Spain: Travels Through Spain and Its Silent Past

The “Pact of Forgetting” was broken more than sixty years after the Spanish Civil War ended when mass graves containing victims of Fransisco Franco’s death squads were found. 

When this happened, Giles Tremlett started off on a journey around the country and it’s history to see why some of Europe’s most voluble people stayed silent for so long.

Tremlett delves into emotional questions like who started the civil war and why Catalans hate Madrid while offering observations on modern life in Spain, like why Spainards dislike authority figures but are cowed by a doctor’s white coat and how women have embraced feminism without men noticing.

It’s Not About the Tapas: A Spanish Adventure on Two Wheels

Polly Evans is single and stressed in the hustle and bustle of living in Hong Kong meanwhile having visions of mountains, orange groves, and matadors on a hassle-free journey across Spain by bicycle.

While the dream was perfect, the reality was less so as she began to experience thighs screaming in pain, goats trying to derail her, strange local delicacies, and overzealous suitors.  We are taken on her journey across the country from the towering Pyrenees to the vineyards of Jerez de la Frontera.

The Yellow Rain

The last living inhabitant of Ainielle, a village high in the Spanish Pyrenees, is at death’s door, but he lingers on in the deserted village ruins. 

As the “yellow rain” of leaves fall around him and the first snowfall of the year happens, he recalls the life he lived and the ghosts of his friends and neighbors who have take possession of his solitude.

Off the Road: A Modern-Day Walk Down the Pilgrim’s Route into Spain

Jack Hitt walks the Camino de Santiago, visiting and exploring the sites that people believe God once touched like the fortress said to contain the real secret Adam heard when he bit into the apple, the sites associated with the Knights Templar murdering monks, and the places home to the relics including a vial of the virgin Mary’s milk and a sheet of Bartholomew’s skin.

He finds himself on this journey with a strange group of fellow pilgrims: a Flemish film crew, a drunken gypsy, a draconian Belgian air force officer, a one-legged pilgrim, and more. 

Along with a few good meals and some dry shelter, they find some fresh ideas about old-time zealotry and modern beliefs.  This is a good choice if you’re looking for a book about the Camino de Santiago.

Only in Spain: A Foot-Stomping, Firecracker of a Memoir about Food, Flamenco, and Falling in Love

One day, Nellie Bennett falls in love with Flamenco in a dance studio in Sydney, but that’s not enough and she’s bored of her retail job so she packs her bags for Seville, Spain to get closer to the real thing.  Soon she realizes Flamenco is a way of life, not just a dance and she finds herself in love three times before discovering it’s the country that held her heart all along.

Into the Thin: A Pilgrimage Walk Across Northern Spain

It was a bad year.  A father figure passed.  A friend and mentor suffered a mental illness.  One child entered psychosis.  Another took his life.  And a 14-year marriage ended. 

As a new life began, he was called to the Camino de Santiago halfway across the world.  This is the story of following the same trail as Saint James with its miraculous and mysterious ways.

Other book posts you may like:

• Mexico books
• Italy books
• Spain books
• India books
• Lake Powell books
• Mount Everest books
• North Korea books
• Amazon Rainforest books
• Thru-hiking books
• Spooky books
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Have you read any of these books set in Spain?  Which ones?  Anything I should add?

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10 of the best novels set in Spain – that will take you there

Hemingway and Cervantes are among the great writers who traverse Spain in pursuit of thrills, spills, detective sagas and sagacity

More literary trips … to Italy and France

I grew up in Montreal – and London owns a big piece of my heart – but my home is Barcelona, where I’ve lived for 20 years. Spain is a varied country, in its landscapes, languages, culture and cuisine, but in compiling this list I became aware that so much of its literature comes from Madrid and the north of the country. Perhaps it’s too hot down south for novel writing? The list is personal and not at all definitive, and in a few cases dictated by what’s available in translation. But each of these books will transport you to a time and place in this fractious, variegated, infuriating but endlessly lovable country.

Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes

Social commentary, comic novel, tragedy: Cervantes’ masterpiece has been called many things, and 400 years on is still pertinent about the human condition. Quixote is a minor noble, an hidalgo , literally the son of a something. It’s a status that resonates in modern Spain where enchufe (being connected) is still what really counts. Quixote reinvents himself as a chivalrous knight and, in what could be seen as the original road movie, has a series of misadventures as he travels across La Mancha, a landscape that seems little changed today. There are even some windmills left. Both the book and the land feel indelibly, timelessly Spanish.

The City of Marvels by Eduardo Mendoza

This book expertly captures Barcelona at the turn of the 20th century, as it transformed itself from a mediaeval warren into a booming, modern city. There are echoes of Quixote in Onofre Bouvila, the central character, but the days of knights errant are over; Bouvila is a chancer and a hustler who graduates from being a gangster to become a property speculator. He then has a failed career as a Barcelona version of a Hollywood mogul. Mendoza conjures the mercantile spirit of the city, where hustlers and arrivistes perpetually collide with old money and entrenched power.

Offside by Manuel Vázquez Montalbán

Vázquez Montalbán and his gourmand detective, Pepe Carvalho, chronicle the seedy side of 1980s Barcelona while at the same time taking a caustic look at the machinations of the Catalan bourgeoisie, the so-called bones families . Originally titled The Centre Forward Was Murdered at Dusk, Carvalho is called on to investigate death threats made against FC Barcelona’s latest English signing. There are several Pepe Carvalho novels but I chose this one because I happened to be at a Barça match the day Montalbán died and there was a minute’s silence before kick-off. It’s not every day football salutes a writer. Andrea Camilleri named his Sicilian detective Inspector Montalbano in honour of Montalbán and Carvalho.

Outlaws by Javier Cercas

Outlaws is set in the late 1970s, when Spain was in transition from dictatorship to democracy, depicted through the activities of a group of young quinquis (delinquents) in a shanty town in Girona. They, like Cercas himself, are among the hundreds of thousands of Spaniards who moved from the poor west and south to Madrid and the industrialised northern cities. Based loosely on the true story of El Vaquilla, a quinqui who became something of a celebrity in the 1980s, the protagonists are three young Spaniards, shunned by mainstream society, living precarious lives defined by drugs, petty crime and prison.

The Baztán Trilogy by Dolores Redondo

Redondo’s lean narrative style sets the pace for these thrillers based in rural Navarra. In a departure from the detective as hard-boiled male loner, Inspector Amaia Salazar is a married woman with a mentally-ill mother, who may indeed be a witch. Salazar is called back to the village she grew up in to investigate the apparently ritual murder of a teenage girl. Redondo evokes the gloomy, sodden beauty of the Baztán valley, a corner of north-east Spain with a long association with witchcraft and the dark arts.

In Diamond Square by Mercè Rodoreda

One of Gabriel García Márquez ’s favourite books, this is also the most successful novel written in Catalan. Rodoreda relates the struggles of Natàlia, better known as La Colometa, a young working-class woman, during and after the civil war, although none of the historical events is specifically named. Narrated in the first person, it is a departure from the more heroic accounts of the war. La Colometa’s struggle is with poverty, with a husband whose passion is breeding pigeons, and with trying to feed her children while working as a cleaner. It is, above all, about the human spirit and the ability to overcome adversity.

Homeland by Fernando Aramburu

If a better Spanish novel than Homeland has appeared in the past 10 years, I’d like to hear about it. Set in a fictitious village near San Sebastián, it’s the story of two families and, above all, two women: one whose son is serving a long jail sentence for a killing he carried out as a member of the Basque terror group Eta, and the other whose husband was murdered by the group. It is a story of personal and tribal loyalty, of oppression by the state and by Eta, and ultimately of people trapped in a story from which they can’t escape. And yet, in spite of that and the constant rain, it is an uplifting tale, beautifully crafted and full of feeling.

A Heart so White by Javier Marías

Sometimes cited as Spain’s greatest living writer, Marías’s A Heart so White begins with a shocking suicide but, while it uses some of the devices of a thriller, its themes are marriage and betrayal, while the narrator discovers things he’d rather not have known about his father’s past. The stylised and parenthetical writing can be tiring and sometimes irritating but the story is gripping and readers should persevere through some of the slower passages. Juan, the narrator, is a UN interpreter and, inevitably, the book has much to say about the nuances of language.

The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway

For better or worse, Hemingway probably shaped the English-speaking world’s idea of Spain more than any other 20th-century writer. The macho culture, the blood and dust of the bullring and the civil war all appealed to his idea of manliness. However, Jake, the central character of The Sun Also Rises, is sexually impotent, and his manliness is defined by his work ethic. This is in contrast to his wealthy companions of the “lost generation” for whom the running of the bulls in Pamplona is, like Paris, just another backdrop on which to project their ennui. Thanks largely to Hemingway, every July thousands of young American men travel to Pamplona for the festival, with much the same idea of Spain as a land of wine and blood, though perhaps their own version of ennui.

Obabakoak by Bernardo Atxaga

Originally written in Euskera – the Basque language – and a huge success in Spanish, Obabakoak is a series of stories narrated by the inhabitants of Obaba, a Basque village. A geography teacher discovers that a series of life-changing letters from a young woman in Hamburg were in fact written by his father; a tattered and barely legible manuscript written by a priest tells the story of an unloved, illegitimate boy who went missing in the woods and returned to haunt the village as a pure white boar. Atxaga’s writing is intimate and there is always a touch of humour, even as the tales shade into darkness.

• Literary trips
• Spain holidays
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More on this story

My favourite memories of Spain: readers' travel tips

How a writing retreat in Spain got my creative juices flowing

Picasso’s lost paradise: how a corner of Catalonia brought inspiration

Spain’s best young chefs – and the restaurants where you’ll discover them

‘My soul is dancing’: Spain comes out to play after Europe's strictest lockdown

Barcelona without the tourists: ‘We've reclaimed our city but inherited a ghost town’

Beyond Seville: three ancient towns to visit in Andalucía

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