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Dance until 6am at this fashionable club to the sounds of DJs or live music in a range of different styles (Thu–Sun).

This 90-room hotel is excellent value given its location, near the Rastro and Plaza Mayor, and its spotless rooms furnished with antiques. There’s a restaurant and an airport shuttle on request.

This state-of-the-art science museum has been an enormous success since it opened in 2000. It aims to stimulate, surprise and provoke with plenty of interactive displays and hands-on gadgetry. Younger children (4 to 11 years) are especially catered for in the Toca Toca zone where they learn all about plants and animals and get to stroke giant tortoises, iguanas and snakes. The highlight for older children is the planetarium, which has a virtual tour of the planets.

Espadrilles are not usually associated with high fashion, but this Spanish designer has turned them into an art form. All colours and styles from casual to evening wear.

Spanish croquettes are made with a thick béchamel sauce and chopped ham, chicken or cod then deep fried.

This delicatessen is the place for top-quality cured meats and cheeses. Spanish cheeses include Queso Manchego, made from sheep’s milk, and the blue cheese, Cabrales. For the finest cured hams, buy jamón Ibérico or Pata Negra – a breed of pig fed only on acorns.

After ruling Spain with an iron fist for 36 years, General Franco died in November 1975, leaving power in the hands of his designated successor, Prince (later King) Juan Carlos. The first democratic elections were held in June 1977.

The dictator’s death in 1975 marked the end of more than 35 years of authoritarian rule.