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99 free Spain trivia questions with answers — geography quiz, new questions added Aug 2026.
50 free Spain trivia questions with answers. From the sun-soaked beaches of the Costa del Sol to the snow-capped Pyrenees, Spain is a country of extraordinary contrasts. This quiz spans centuries of history — from the Moorish golden age of Al-Andalus through the Reconquista, the rise and fall of the Spanish Empire, and Franco's dictatorship to modern democracy. You'll be tested on iconic landmarks like the Sagrada Família and Alhambra, beloved traditions like tapas and flamenco, sporting legends from La Liga, and the artists and writers who shaped Western culture. Whether you've walked the Camino de Santiago or simply love a good paella, see how much you really know about España.
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Q 01What is the capital city of Spain?
Madrid
Madrid has been the capital of Spain since 1561 when King Philip II moved the court there. It is located in the geographic center of the Iberian Peninsula.
Q 02Which Spanish architect designed the Sagrada Família basilica in Barcelona?
Antoni Gaudí
Antoni Gaudí took over the Sagrada Família in 1883, a year after Francisco de Paula del Villar began it, and devoted the rest of his life to it until his death in 1926; construction has run well over a century.
Q 03What is the traditional Spanish rice dish typically made with saffron, seafood, or meat?
Paella
Paella originated in Valencia and is one of Spain's most iconic dishes. The word comes from the Old French 'paele' (pan). Traditional Valencian paella uses rabbit, chicken, and green beans.
Q 04Which football club plays its home matches at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium?
Real Madrid
Real Madrid has played at the ground since it opened in December 1947; it was renamed in 1955 for Santiago Bernabéu, the club president who drove its construction, and gained a retractable roof in a 2019–2024 rebuild.
Q 05What is gazpacho?
A cold vegetable soup
Gazpacho is a cold soup originating from the Andalusia region of southern Spain. It is made from raw blended vegetables including tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, garlic, and olive oil.
Q 06Which Spanish artist painted Guernica, a mural-sized work depicting the horrors of war?
Pablo Picasso
Pablo Picasso painted Guernica in 1937 in response to the bombing of the Basque town of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War. The painting is now housed in the Museo Reina Sofía in Madrid.
Q 07What pilgrimage route across northern Spain ends at the shrine of the apostle James in Galicia?
Camino de Santiago
The Camino de Santiago (Way of St James) is the network of pilgrim routes converging on Santiago de Compostela cathedral in Galicia, where the apostle's relics are said to rest; the Camino Francés crosses northern Spain from the Pyrenees.
Q 08Which island group off the northwest coast of Africa is an autonomous community of Spain?
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands are a Spanish archipelago located about 100 km off the coast of Morocco. Despite their African proximity, they are fully part of Spain and the EU. The islands include Tenerife, Gran Canaria, and Lanzarote.
Q 09Which festival in the Valencian town of Buñol is a giant one-hour food fight?
La Tomatina
La Tomatina is held in Buñol, Valencia, on the last Wednesday of August: trucks dump well over 100 tonnes of tomatoes for a one-hour fight. It dates from 1945, reportedly born of a street brawl near a vegetable stall.
Q 10Which river, reaching the Atlantic at Lisbon, is the longest in the Iberian Peninsula?
Tagus
The Tagus (Tajo in Spanish, Tejo in Portuguese) runs about 1,007 km from the Montes Universales to the Atlantic at Lisbon, the longest river in Iberia; the Ebro, Spain's longest river wholly within the country, is about 930 km.
Q 11The Nasrid kings built the Alhambra in which city?
Granada
Granada's Alhambra is a UNESCO site and one of Europe's best-preserved pieces of Islamic architecture.
Q 12Which cured ham's top grade, labelled 'de bellota', comes from acorn-fed black-hoofed pigs?
Jamón ibérico
Jamón ibérico's top grade, labelled de bellota, comes from acorn-fed pigs; by law the pigs must be pure Iberian or at least half Iberian crossed only with Duroc.
Q 13Which annual festival in Pamplona features the running of bulls through the streets?
San Fermín
The San Fermín festival takes place in Pamplona every July. The encierro (running of the bulls) covers an 875-meter course through the old town. Ernest Hemingway's 1926 novel The Sun Also Rises brought international fame to the event.
Q 21Which process in Spanish history began at Covadonga around 718 and took nearly eight centuries?
Christian kingdoms retaking Iberia from Muslim rule
The Reconquista was the Christian kingdoms' retaking of Iberia from Muslim rule, conventionally dated from the Battle of Covadonga (c. 718–722), a decade after the Muslim conquest began in 711, and it took nearly eight centuries to complete.
Q 22Which Spanish city hosts Las Fallas, where giant papier-mâché figures are burned?
Valencia
Las Fallas takes place in Valencia every March. Neighborhoods spend months building elaborate ninots (figures) that can be several stories tall. On the final night (La Cremà), all but one winning figure are set ablaze.
Q 23Which strait, just 14 km across at its narrowest, separates Spain from Morocco?
Q 14Which tennis player from Mallorca has won a record number of French Open titles?
Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal, born in Manacor, Mallorca, won 14 French Open titles between 2005 and 2022, earning him the nickname 'The King of Clay.' His total of 22 Grand Slam titles ranks among the most in tennis history.
Q 15Which language is official throughout the whole of Spain?
Castilian Spanish
Castilian Spanish (castellano in the 1978 constitution) is the one language official across all of Spain; Catalan, Valencian, Galician, Basque and Aranese are co-official only within their own regions.
Q 16Which museum in Madrid houses works by Velázquez, Goya, and El Greco?
Museo del Prado
The Museo del Prado, opened in 1819, is Spain's main national art museum; Goya is its most extensively represented artist, and it holds the principal collections of Velázquez and El Greco.
Q 17What type of dance and music originated in the Andalusia region of Spain?
Flamenco
Flamenco is an art form combining singing (cante), guitar (toque), dance (baile), and handclaps (palmas). It developed in Andalusia among the Roma (Gitano) communities and was designated a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2010.
Q 18Which Spanish region has Barcelona as its capital and has a strong independence movement?
Catalonia
On 27 October 2017 the Catalan Parliament unilaterally declared independence after a referendum the Constitutional Court had ruled unconstitutional; Madrid responded by suspending the region's autonomy.
Q 19What is sangria?
A wine punch with fruit
Sangria is a wine punch with chopped fruit, usually made with red wine; the name means 'bloodletting' in Spanish, a nod to its colour, and under EU rules only Spain and Portugal may label a drink 'Sangria'.
Q 20Who wrote Don Quixote, considered the first modern novel?
Miguel de Cervantes
Miguel de Cervantes published the first part of Don Quixote in 1605 and the second in 1615. The novel follows the adventures of a man who loses his sanity reading chivalric romances and sets out as a knight-errant. It is one of the most translated books in history.
Strait of Gibraltar
The Strait of Gibraltar links the Mediterranean to the Atlantic; at its narrowest, between Point Marroquí in Spain and Point Cires in Morocco, just 14.3 km (8.9 miles) of water separate Europe from Africa.
Q 24What is a tortilla española?
A potato omelette
A potato omelette, thick and round, made with eggs and potatoes and often onions; despite the name it is nothing like the Mexican tortilla.
Q 25Which surrealist artist, known for melting clocks, was born in Figueres, Catalonia?
Salvador Dalí
Salvador Dalí (1904-1989) was born in Figueres, where his self-designed Dalí Theatre-Museum now stands. His painting The Persistence of Memory (1931), featuring melting clocks, is one of the most recognizable works of surrealist art.
Q 26What is the name of the Spanish parliament?
Cortes Generales
The Cortes Generales is Spain's bicameral parliament, consisting of the Congress of Deputies (lower house) and the Senate (upper house). The name 'Cortes' has been used for Spanish legislative assemblies since medieval times.
Q 27Which Balearic island is known for its electronic dance music nightlife scene?
Ibiza
Ibiza became the global capital of electronic dance music in the 1980s and 90s, with superclubs such as Pacha (opened 1973) and Amnesia drawing millions of summer visitors; the island is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Q 28In what year did the Spanish Armada attempt to invade England?
1588
In 1588, King Philip II of Spain sent a fleet of about 130 ships to overthrow Queen Elizabeth I of England. The campaign ended in disaster due to English fireships, storms, and tactical errors, marking a turning point in European naval power.
Q 29What are tapas?
Small snacks served with drinks
Tapas are small snacks served with drinks at bars; tapa means 'lid', and the custom is said to come from covering a glass with bread to keep flies out. Granada is famous for a free tapa with each drink.
Q 30Which Argentine FC Barcelona forward is widely considered one of the greatest footballers ever?
Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi spent 21 years at FC Barcelona (2000-2021), scoring a club-record 672 goals. He won 10 La Liga titles and 4 Champions League trophies with the club before departing for Paris Saint-Germain and later Inter Miami.