Wander through Montmartre and make the climb up to the famous Sacré-Cœur Basilica. Be sure to linger over the spectacular view at the top; at sunset, you'll get the best light as the sun dips below the city skyline.

Take a trip out to the Jardin Albert Kahn and immerse yourself in orchards, rose gardens and forests that combine French, Japanese and English garden design. They were originally created by banker Albert Kahn before the Wall Street Crash, after which he lost his bank and his fortunes – including this garden.

Visit the shop of Patrick Roger, the famous Parisian chocolatier, who takes the art of chocolate to another level. Marvel at his sculptural creations and taste some of France’s most unusually flavoured and exquisitely crafted chocolate.

There are a number of beaches in and within easy reach of the city. Barceloneta is the closest to the city centre and both the most famous and most popular. There's plenty of beach volleyball and ping pong on offer, as well as places to find fresh seafood. Head to Nova Icaria if you're after something a little more sedate, with the same range of beach activities on offer on a smaller scale. For something altogether quieter, make your way north to Platja d'Ocata, a pristine, tranquil stretch of beautiful golden sand.

Overlooking Barcelona, Montjüic is a hilltop vantage point a world away from the labyrinthine streets of the city below. Explore the castle and botanic gardens, and see the grand Olympic Stadium originally built for the 1929 Olympics and refurbished for the 1992 Games.

Discover Barcelona's rich heritage in this vast living museum, with its main building on Plaça del Rei. The Museu d'Historia de Barcelona (MUHBA) contains the remains of Roman villas, an underground winery and the largest Roman excavation outside Rome.

A short hop down the coast from Tarragona, the wetlands of the Ebro Delta are a haven for birdlife and offer a great opportunity to spot rare and migrating species in a wild environment. Explore coastal lagoons, rice paddies and exceptional dune landscapes. 

Discover Tarragona's Roman amphitheatre overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. It was once used for gladiator fighting and gruesome public displays but now provides a fascinating window into the past.

Cross Tarragona's medieval Pont del Diable, the 'Devil's bridge', once used to supply the city with water from the Francolí River.

Visit the Teatre-Museu Dalí (Dalí Theatre-Museum) and uncover the world's largest and most diverse collection of works by the Surrealist artist. The building alone is worth seeing, a wildly inventive reimagining of a 19th-century theatre which was left in a state of ruin after the Spanish Civil War.