Beautiful beaches, stunning landscapes, exquisite cuisine, picturesque towns, and vibrant metropolis are among the many reasons to visit Spain.
In effect, Spain is one of the most visited countries in the world. According to the site Statista.com, tourism is one of the main drivers of the Spanish economy, reaching 126 million visitors in 2019, before pandemics hit the sector.
Nevertheless, nowadays, tourism in Spain is showing solid signs of recovery, surpassing pre-pandemic numbers, which confirms the strength of the sector and its ability to overcome a global crisis.
Tourist still chooses Spain because of its beauty, its cuisine, and also as a destination to learn Spanish. Many people arrive to the country to learn Spanish Barcelona or Madrid.
Spanish schools for ex-pats, such as Expanish, offer programs specially tailored for each visitor’s needs and expectations in both of the mentioned cities.
But, aside from the reasons mentioned above to visit Spain, there are other Spanish attractions less known by most people.
We are talking about science or tech-related spots or activities that are attracting a new and unprecedented kind of visitor.
Spanish tech hub
Even though it sounds unlikely, the truth is that Silicon Valley is no longer the one and only place geeks can visit.
Many metropolises have become tech hubs and are attracting visitors from around the globe who enjoy combining their traveling experience with science and tech-related activities.
Spain is no exception, with Barcelona and Madrid topping as new tech hubs with many companies and startups settling there.
If you consider yourself a geek and would like to travel to Spain, keep reading this article to learn which Spanish spots you shouldn’t miss when arriving there.
1. Vintage Arcade Videogame Museum
Located in Ibi, Alicante, the Vintage Arcade Videogame Museum has recently opened its doors and is already receiving international visitors’ attention.
The museum is aimed at reconstructing videogames’ history and evolution through a huge exposition that includes more than 300 videogame machines.
Games such as Tetris, Star Wars, Pac-Man, Tron, Donkey Kong, and Asteroids, among others, are available to play at this fantastic place packed with entertainment.
Aside from the main exposition, the museum programs temporary exhibitions on different themes according to its thematic calendar. Also, many activities and tournaments take place at Vintage Arcade Videogame, frequently attracting many visitors from around the world.
Vintage Arcade Videogame Museum is located in Fábrica Rico, Carrer les Eres, Alicante, and it is open Saturdays and Sundays for a morning session (from 10:00 hs to 14:00 hs) and an afternoon session (from 16:00 hs to 20:00 hs).
2. Parque Minero Riotinto
Located in Huelva, the Parque Minero Riotinto is one of the weirdest places in the world. Characterized for its reddish landscape, this place resembles Mars sceneries, with its coppery grounds and completely red rivers.
NASA and the European Space Agency have been exploring the Parque Minero to research life on Mars.
There are many activities to do at the park, such as visiting mines, the mine museum and train, and Mars-like landscapes. Also, within the park, you can access restaurants within the park to enjoy a meal at an unlikely spot.
Tickets are available at the Parque Minero Riotinto website, where you can purchase your way to any activities offered at the park.
3. Cosmocaixa
Located in Barcelona, the Cosmocaixa is a massive museum dedicated to science, with many exhibitions that worse visiting.
Within the museum, you can access expositions about the universe, Antarctica, a Math Lab, or a geological wall. Also, presentations about the sun and many workshops, courses, and conferences are available.
Furthermore, a planetarium is available, which provides access to one of the best places to explore the universe through an innovative projection system.
Cosmocaixa is located in carrer Isaac Newton 26. Tickets cost 6 euros and are open from Mondays to Sundays, from 10:00 hs to 20:00hs.
4. Robot museum
The Robot Museum is one of the most visited places for tech and robotics fans in Madrid.
Created in 2013, the Robot Museum has attracted many visitors from all over the globe. Among its expositions, you will find some of the most famous movie robots and the most varied specimens of robots, including retro robots or machines that interact with the public.
The museum offers tours that, aside from guiding you through the exhibitions, are a complete spectacle.
The Robot museum is open from Thursdays to Tuesdays (from 16:20 hs to 19:20 hs). On Fridays, it opens from 16:20 hs to 20:20 hs, and Saturdays from 12:20 hs to 20:20 hs.
5. Torres Quevedo Museum
The Torres Quevedo Museum is located in Madrid within the Tech School Ingeniero Caminos, and it has a collection of machines created by the late Leonardo Torres Quevedo.
Within the collections are analogic and digital calculation machines, airships, and a telekino, all aimed at preserving Torres Quevedo’s works and his contribution to the development of innovations during the XIX century. Nevertheless, within the objects exposed at the museum, there are pieces that Torres Quevedo did not create.
Leonardo Torres Quevedo is considered the Spanish Da Vinci, and their works are proof of the era of the machines, where many of the leading technical innovations were developed, creating the conditions for further investigations.
The Torres Quevedo Museum is located within the campos of the Higher Technical School of Civil Engineers in Calle del Profesor Aranguren 3. The entrance is free, but visitors need to program their visit with anticipation. In order to do so, visitors must write an e-mail to museotorresquevedo.caminos@upm.es or call the institution’s phone number: 910 674 008.
The museum offers a 1 hour and 15-minute visit with a guide that walks visitors through all the exhibition parts, providing historical and technical information about each machine.