Southern Europe
Italy, Spain, Portugal
Southern Europe is the region comprising the countries along the Mediterranean Sea and the Iberian Peninsula—typically Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, and neighboring states.
The term carries cultural and climatic associations: warm weather, olive cultivation, Catholic or Orthodox traditions, and Romance or Greek languages.
We spent a month traveling through Southern Europe.
Southwestern European peninsula
- BalkansSoutheastern European peninsula
- PyreneesFranco-Spanish mountain range
- AlpsEuropean mountain system
- ApenninesItalian mountain chain
Adriatic · Aegean · Ionian · Gibraltar · Andalusia · Catalonia · Peloponnese · Dalmatia
Shaped wheat dough
- olive oilFruit-pressed culinary fat
- tapasSpanish appetizer assortment
- paellaSaffron rice with shellfish
- risottoCreamy Italian grain dish
prosciutto · feta · espresso · gelato · polenta · gnocchi · pesto · tiramisu
Land-water boundary
islands · sailing · fishing · seaside · anchovy · sardine · lagoon · marina
Leisure time away
- sightseeingVisiting places of interest
- backpackingSelf-supported wilderness travel
- landmarksDistinctive, recognizable locations
- resortsLeisure travel destinations
beaches · leisure · exploration · excursion · destinations · Amalfi · Santorini · Barcelona
Italy's capital city
- GreeceBalkan peninsula nation
- ByzantiumEastern Roman civilization
- CarthagePhoenician colony that challenged Rome
- AthensGreece's capital city
Sparta · democracy · republic · senate · gladiators · legions · aqueducts · Colosseum
Iberia
Southwestern European peninsula
- BalkansSoutheastern European peninsula
- PyreneesFranco-Spanish mountain range
- AlpsEuropean mountain system
Apennines · Adriatic · Aegean · Ionian · Gibraltar · Andalusia · Catalonia · Peloponnese · Dalmatia · Provence
pasta
Shaped wheat dough
- olive oilFruit-pressed culinary fat
- tapasSpanish appetizer assortment
- paellaSaffron rice with shellfish
risotto · prosciutto · feta · espresso · gelato · polenta · gnocchi · pesto · tiramisu · souvlaki
coastline
Land-water boundary
coastal · islands · sailing · fishing · seaside · anchovy · sardine · lagoon · marina · harbor
vacation
Leisure time away
- sightseeingVisiting places of interest
- backpackingSelf-supported wilderness travel
- landmarksDistinctive, recognizable locations
resorts · beaches · leisure · exploration · excursion · destinations · Amalfi · Santorini · Barcelona · Florence
Rome
Italy's capital city
- GreeceBalkan peninsula nation
- ByzantiumEastern Roman civilization
- CarthagePhoenician colony that challenged Rome
Athens · Sparta · democracy · republic · senate · gladiators · legions · aqueducts · Colosseum · mythology
Renaissance
European cultural reawakening
- BaroqueOrnate artistic period
- frescoesPaintings on fresh plaster
- CaravaggioRenaissance-era Italian painter
Michelangelo · Da Vinci · Raphael · Titian · Giotto · mosaics · Byzantine · sculpture · Gaudí · El Greco
- European geographyAustria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia
- World RegionsAsia, Africa, Australia, Oceania, East Asia
- Southern PlacesDixie, Patagonia, Antarctica, Southland
- European RegionsBavaria, Scandinavia, Balkans, Baltic States, Baltics
- EuropeAlbania, Andorra, Austria, Belarus, France
- regionsregion, regions, area, areas, zone
Southern EuropeNorthern Europe
Continent's arctic-adjacent region
Scandinavia · Nordic countries · Lapland · Iceland · Norway
south, southern, Europe, Southern, southward, southerner, southwards, southernness