The European capital of summer, Spain has never been hotter—literally and figuratively—than it is now: with close to 90 million tourists expected, it’s challenging its next-door neighbor France for the title of most-visited country this year.
Needless to say, there is growing demand for Spain vacations among Americans, who are not only craving a sunny getaway across the pond but also some much-needed culture: the Caribbean may have pristine beaches, but for the most part, it lacks Europe’s ancient allure.
Lucky for U.S. travelers keen on Spain, they can fly to not only to the capital, but five Spanish destinations this summer, without the long layovers:
Mallorca
The trendiest destination in Spain this summer, Mallorca is both a resort island and cultural hotspot most Americans are yet to discover, though they’re certainly invited to now that nonstop flights have relaunched from Newark.
The island’s charming capital, Palma de Mallorca, is dominated by an imposing medieval cathedral, resting on the Mediterranean harbor-side, while all around the coastline, there are quaint historic towns, secret coves, and powdered-sugar, white sands embraced by teal seas.
Mallorca also lays claim to one of the most beautiful beaches in Spain, Cala Deià, the breathtaking Banyalbufar, a UNESCO-protected medieval village nestled in the mountainous inland, and the lively Port Sóller, famous for its ornate Gothic church and heritage tramway.
Nonstop Flights From The U.S. To Mallorca
United Airlines is the only carrier to offer nonstop flights from the U.S. to Mallorca this season, with outbound flights operating twice a week.
On both Sunday and Tuesday, outbound flights leave Newark (EWR) at 7:05 PM, landing in Palma (PMI) the following morning at 9:10 AM; return flights depart on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, always at 11:10 AM, landing back in Newark at 2:20 PM on the same calendar date.
Basic fares start from $764.
Malaga
It only took them a couple of decades, but Americans have finally woken up to the marvels of Malaga and its adjacent Costa del Sol (literally translated as Sunny Coast): the hottest beach city in Spain, thanks to its proximity to the African continent, it sees temperatures soar above 100°F in July.
This shouldn’t be an issue for beachgoers flocking into the trendy Malagueta, with its honey-colored sands and warm waters, the quaint resort zone of Marbella, with its bougainvillea-adorned streets and modern seafront promenade, or the offbeat beach town of Torremolinos.
Though it mostly serves as the gateway to the Sunny Coast, Malaga should not be bypassed: its 1st-century Roman ruins, Arab-built citadel, lush Mediterranean gardens, and Old Town criss-crossed by picturesque narrow streets are definitely worth exploring.
Nonstop Flights From The U.S. To Malaga
As of this season, you can fly nonstop to Malaga (AGP) from United’s Newark hub, with daily outbound flights scheduled for 5:55 PM, leaving from Newark, and touching down in the Spanish hub 7:35 AM the next day.
Return flights leave Malaga at 9:35 PM, reaching Newark 12:15 PM local time, and tickets for the most restrictive Basic Economy fare, which does not include free flight changes, nor free seat allocation beside friends or family, start from $843.
Madrid
That’s hardly news, but it’s worth reiterating, anyway:
You can of course fly to the capital of Spain from a host of different departure points in the United States, and no, it isn’t coastal, and the nearest beach is hundreds of miles away, but it’s the Mediterranean that wishes it had Madrid, not the other way round:
This is one of Europe’s ‘grand’ cities, with wide boulevards lined by Belle époque buildings, verdant city parks, hidden leafy plazas flanked and world-class museums galore—the most famous, Museo Nacional del Prado is second only to the Louvre in grandeur and vastness of its collection.
Other Madrid landmarks include El Retiro, a regal garden centered around a beautiful Glass Palace, the Royal Palace, official residence of the monarch, and Gran Vía, the city’s main thoroughfare, home to heritage theaters and luxury hotels, often referred to as the Spanish Broadway.
U.S. Cities With Nonstop Flights To Madrid:
- New York (JFK)
Iberia—every day, two flights per day
American Airlines—every day, one flight per day
Delta Air Lines—every day, one flight per day
Air Europa—one flight every Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday
- Miami (MIA)
American Airlines—every day, two flights per day
Iberia—every day, two flights per day
Air Europa—every day, two flights per day
- Orlando (MCO)
Iberojet—one flight every Sunday, starting 06/23
- Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW)
Iberia—every day, one flight per day
American Airlines—every day, one flight per day
- Atlanta (ATL)
Delta Air Lines—every day, one flight per day
- Washington D.C. (IAD)
United Airlines—every day, one flight per day
Iberia—one flight every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday
- Newark (EWR)
United Airlines—every day, one-two flights per day
- Los Angeles (LAX)
Iberia—one flight every Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday
- San Francisco (SFO)
Iberia—one flight every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday
- Philadelphia (PHL)
American Airlines—every day, two flights per day
- Boston (BOS)
Iberia—every day, one flight per day
- Charlotte (CLT)
American Airlines—every day, two flights per day
- Chicago (ORD)
Iberia—every day, one flight per day
Barcelona
Barcelona is the historical capital of Catalonia, a nation-like region of southwestern Spain with its own culture, language and tradition, and as it straddles the azure Mediterranean, it gets typically chosen over inland Madrid.
It’s so much more than beachfront resorts and Sitges beach clubs, however, as it concentrates several of Gaudí’s masterpieces, from the world-renowned Sagrada Família to Casa Batlló, and the maze-like Gothic Quarter, dating back to the Middle Ages, remains one of the best preserved in Europe.
Barcelona has developed a reputation for being crowded and openly ‘anti-tourist’ in recent years, with its infamous restrictions on Airbnb rentals and disproportionate fines for women walking in bikini, or bare-chested men outside beach zones, but it’s still a well-loved summer escapade.
U.S. Cities With Nonstop Flights To Barcelona:
- New York (JFK)
American Airlines—every day, one flight per day
Delta Air Lines—every day, one flight per day
Iberia—every day, one flight per day
- Chicago (ORD)
American Airlines—every day, two flights per day
United Airlines—every day, one flight per day
- Philadelphia (PHL)
American Airlines—every day, one flight per day
- Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW)
American Airlines—every day, one flight per day
- San Francisco (SFO)
United Airlines—every day, one flight per day
Iberia—one-two flights every Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday
- Los Angeles (LAX)
Iberia—everyday, one flight per day
- Miami (MIA)
American Airlines—every day, one flight per day
Iberia—one flight every Sunday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday
- Newark (EWR)
United Airlines—every day, one flight per day
- Washington D.C. (IAD)
United Airlines—every day, one flight per day
- Boston (BOS)
Iberia—every day, one flight per day
- Atlanta (ATL)
Delta Air Lines—every day, one flight per day
Tenerife
We’ve saved the best for last.
The Island of Eternal Spring, Tenerife is located thousands of miles away from the Spanish mainland, in the autonomous Canaries archipelago, just off the coast of West Africa, and as it is not technically in the European continent, it has a milder climate.
It’s never too hot, nor too cold in Tenerife, and while temperatures can get unpleasantly warm in Southern Europe over summer, it’s always a pleasant 75°F on the island; on top of that, there is a plethora of all-inclusive resorts to pick from.
Though the concept is not as widely diffused in Europe as it is in Mexico or the wider Caribbean, Tenerife is the cheapest all-inclusive destination across the pond, with one-week stays starting from only $1,356—it’s no wonder middle-income Brits and Germans flock in here year-round.
Nonstop Flights From The U.S. To Tenerife
Similarly to Mallorca and Malaga, Tenerife (TFS) is served by nonstop United flights leaving from Newark, with outbound Stateside flights leaving Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 9:40 PM, before landing in Tenerife-South at 9:45 AM the next morning.
Returning home, flights are set for Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and Americans should expect to take off from Tenerife-South at 12:00 PM, and arrive back in Newark at 2:55 PM local time, on the same day; one-way tickets cost $742.
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