No, it isn't the same as "always". It is closer to the meaning of "once" or "at least once". For example, "Have you ever been to Washington?" is like saying "Have you been to Washington at least once?" ["Alguna vez has estado en Washington?"]. Please note that saying "at least once" in this sentence does not sound very natural in English - I am just using it to convey the meaning. I hope this is helpful!

Ever is a flexible word. It broadly means "in the whole of time" but is often used personally to indicate "the whole of *your* time". It is closely related to the word "never" which would mean "not ever" or "not in the whole of time" As Jeannine has said it is often used in a question to ask whether you have done something before. "Have you ever been to Spain?" "Have you ever done a triathlon?" "Have you ever worked as..." "Have you ever seen..." But it (along with "never") has many other uses. If you put in the meanings I have suggested above it should make more sense. "Has anyone ever ran 100 meteres in less than 9 seconds?" "Has anyone ever climbed to the top of that mountain?" "It feels like I have been waiting here for ever!" "Those big trees must have been here for ever!" "I have never been able to run very fast" "I have never tried to learn a foreign language" "No one has ever survived that jump" "you are the rudest person i have ever met"