Sunshine, sangria and siestas; just three of the many things which make Spain one of the most popular European destinations for a care-free summer getaway.
While some parts of the country have gained a reputation for their Brits Abroad style holiday resorts, there’s actually far more to do in Spain than simply sit by a pool sipping on all-inclusive cocktails all day or spend you’re time wandering the restaurants of Malaga.
If beaches are your thing, you can head to the beautiful Costa Brava on the country’s Mediterranean coast, or offshore to one of Spain’s exciting islands. Majorca, Mallorca and Ibiza make up the Balearic Islands, while further south you’ll find the always sunny and ever popular Canary Islands.
Or if you’re more of a city traveller, you won’t want to miss taking a stroll down the vibrant La Ramblas and admiring Gaudí’s colourful modernist architecture in Barcelona or eating your way through the street food markets of Madrid.
Plus don’t forget about the many other exciting cities to visit in Spain, including the modern architectural gem of Valencia, historic Seville and Malaga in the southern Andalusia region, or Bilbao, the capital of Basque Country.
But my number one tip for visiting Spain is to be sure to check which local festivals are taking place during your trip.
No matter when you visit, there’s almost guaranteed to be some type of cultural or religious celebrations happening somewhere in the spirited land of ‘fiestas’, with all the wine drinking, flamenco dancing and traditional costumes you could possibly ask for.
A friend: What are you going to do in Malaga this time? Me: Eat. And eat I did. It was my third trip to Malaga, the Andalucian city that keeps surpassing my every expectation and having ticked off most of the sights, I was ready to work my way deeper into the city’s culinary scene. … Read more
I confess: I was so underwhelmed at the idea of visiting Malaga the first time, that I considered paying more for a flight so that I didn’t have to touch down in what I assumed was Brits Abroad Central on the Costa Del Sol. Fortunately, an enduring desire to get the best flight deals possible was … Read more
Malaga. Uurgh. I let out a soft sigh. I was planning to spend a month in Andalucia and the cheapest flight into the region would land me in Malaga. Brits Abroad Central. Brits Abroad: The (embarrassingly accurate) stereotype It’s fair to say that I’m not a fan of my countrymen and women who meet the sadly stereotypical … Read more
Have you ever visited a place expecting no more than your average tourist interaction but came away with something much more profound? It happened when I visited The Gambia and it happened once again when I went to Ronda, Spain. I went to this small Spanish mountain town to see Tajo Gorge. And I expected … Read more
Last night I boarded the Grimaldi Barcelona to Rome ferry which leaves from the port at the end of La Rambla in Barcelona heading to Civitavecchia, a place about 45 minutes outside Rome. When I say ferry, really I mean a small crusie (think I’ve picked up the last leg of a holiday cruise which, … Read more