Spain’s trending, but Greece is still the mood

Viva España? Ok, but there is no other European country that leaves us more ambivalent

Spain’s tourism sector is seeing a significant boost, with Destinia reporting holiday bookings 50% higher than last Easter, driven by both domestic and international travelers. The increase is partly due to travelers favoring destinations perceived as safer amid regional conflicts.

At the same time, the Bank of Greece reported that Greece’s tourism revenue rose more than 58 precent year-on-year in January 2026.

Overall though, Spain is at least perceived as benefiting more from a combination of geopolitical shifts. To put in bluntly: Cyprus, 160 miles to Lebanon. Rhodes, some 300 miles from Cyprus. Spain is clear on the other side of the Med.

But we are not, and never have been, huge fans of Spain.

We don’t agree with Alexandre Dumas that “Africa begins at the Pyrenees” but hey, Picasso was from Malaga and traded it for Paris as soon as he could.

Rarely have we seen such ugly cities as Bilbao (with or without the addition of a relatively pointless museum) or parts of Barcelona. Gaudí? More like gaudy! Madrid is in the center of nowhere. Barcelonís? Snooty. We liked Cádiz because it’s far from all that ersatz Iberian city slickery.

But the Spaniards eat too late. And when they do eat, it’s all jamón and paella, and frankly when you think about it both of those are pretty gross. Spanish wine? Meh. Spanish glories? Mostly in the past.

Didn’t much care for the the Inquisition. Can’t trust the trains. Spanish isn’t as mellifluous as Brazilian Portuguese. Too many Brits. Ibiza isn’t big enough. And bullfighting, in 2026, seriously? No way, José. Spain? Low-key pass.

Oh, and read here why we hated overhyped Porto. And for how tourism in Greece remains robust despite the turbulence in the Middle east, here.