SPAIN travel advice

Renting a car will also cost more than $15 USD daily, or at least it did last year.

I would stan for Andalusia - Seville, Ronda - but only because that's the bit I'm most familiar with. Don't know the Blanca/Dorado/Brava bits that well. My parents speak highly of Northern Spain though - Leon, Oviedo, Bilbao, San Sebastián might make a good roadtrip?

Hiking in the Pyrenees in Torla was one of the highlights of my trip -- gorgeous medieval village in the middle of a national park/nature area. AMAZING.

la lechera otm, GO TO SAN SEBASTIAN.

and yeah Bilbao is lovely too, great people in both San Seb and Bilbao.

there are good pencions (spanish people using their flat/house as a guesthouse) in most places.

in fact if you go san seb i can recommend one, unless you intend to stay somewhere fancy. it was very very basic but safe, central, and clean, and the owner made us basque custard tarts and stuff, really fun.

san sebastian is like a food paradise.

toooootally a food paradise
easy to get around on foot too, amazing beach, bizarro amusement park on top of a religious monument

so bummed that the funicular was closed the day i tried to go to that amusement park.

this is but one of the amusements

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6134/5976905378_f43801484e.jpg

and the food was amazing. but honestly the food was amazing everywhere i went in spain.

yeah, p much

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was fuego negro open when you guys were there? a tapas bar up near the church in the old town but markedly different from the older bars, really swanky in a sort of naff way apart from the fact the food is this insanely good fusion type tapas, it was really incredible.

other than that it's nice having foie gras everywhere, and those squadrones of spanish men singing opera songs as they go from bar to bar. best way to get drunk ever...

we mostly went to local places, just kinda skipped around. there are a LOT of super fancy restaurants in spain, but i didn't go to any of them. i love the grazing aspect of spanish eating -- just kind of grab what you want, eat it, drink a little, go somewhere else, have something else, sit by the water a while, la ti da, eat/drink some more, etc.

i'll tell you what, if i disappear, san sebastian would not be a bad place to look for me.

now i really want to go to san sebastien but it seems on the opposite end of the country from where i need to end up (murcia)!

next time! i didn't make it south or west at all on my first trip; it's not a place you can cover reasonably in one short trip, i think.

btw if i disappear, please don't look for me.

this was the best tapas place we tried in barcelona. one of the best restaurants I've ever been to. cleaner and brighter than many, not too expensive. two long bars laden w/amazing jamon seafood etc. in the eixample area near ave diagonal, passeig de gracia and some cool gaudi buildings.

Cervecería Catalana
C/ MALLORCA, 235, 08013 Barcelona, Spain
+34 932 16 03 68 ‎

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some of the tapas places were a little greasy/heavy; not here

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please try to get yourself to san sebastian
that is my #1 suggestion

― La Lechera, Tuesday, January 24, 2012 2:24 PM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

YESSSSS

I wound up there sort of by accident and only for a day during a trip to France and it was amazingly lovely. I really want to go back. I have no other advice about Spain because S Sebastian is actually the only place I've ever been to there. LL otm though. If you can go there definitely try to.

now i really want to go to san sebastien but it seems on the opposite end of the country from where i need to end up (murcia)!

― bene_gesserit, Tuesday, January 24, 2012 3:43 PM (22 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Oh shit, only just saw that now. Bummer. I'm sure the rest of it is great too though.

well i can recommend cartagena as a beautiful town, heavy roman influence still v apparent, they're currently doing up the amphiteatre and the harbour area is spectacular

i live in madrid and know galicia, castilla y leon, extremadura, and andalucia pretty well, but nothing of the basque country or catalonia. how long are you going to be in spain, bene?

about 9-10 days! i'm definitely spending some time in madrid, and flying in/out of there, so madrid recommendations are welcome!

No-one repping for Lanzarote? It's great.

I don't know the eastern side of the country at all, but if you head south-then-east you can visit some superb towns - Toledo, Cordoba and Granada are all excellent, and places like Seville and Malaga would be just about within reach too. Gibraltar's really interesting and spectacular.

Stay in a ye olde parador if you can afford it. They're converted historic buildings and some of them are really amazing. Jaen (east of Granada) is a castle perched on a crag above the town.

I loved driving in Spain because it's big and empty, like a mini-America. This may be less impressive to an American, granted.

Gibraltar's really interesting and spectacular.

really? my parents have an apartment about an hour from malaga and a trip to gibraltar is always an option when i go with friends, but all i've heard about it is that it's one of the worst shitholes in the universe.

The bay and the rock and the view of Africa are incredible. Historically and politically it's pretty interesting. There are apes. No doubt it's full of tat - but I didn't really notice tbh.

God, yes, Gibraltar is awful. We hare down there, pick up cheap fags and booze and get the hell back out. The caves and that are ok, I guess, but I wouldn't recommend going out of your way to visit it.

my tip is: avoid Gibraltar

go to the rock, get out

a few days in and around madrid then visiting a couple cities in andalucia (i second cordoba and granada!) before ending up in murcia sounds awesome. not sure renting a car would be much cheaper or worthwhile though. you're going to have to pay for gas and parking and will be driving around half the length of the iberian peninsula. you don't necessarily have to take the ave everywhere--if you like seeing the countryside then the avant trains are a lot cheaper and go through random towns. and there's always the bus. you could also just rent the car in granada and drive to murcia. cabo de gata natural park is between them (on the coast) and a car would be handy there.

in madrid i highly recommend you visit goya's tomb.

i went to goya's tomb, it was cool

rip

thanks craigorio that is all really helpful! i'll look into costs of train/bus from madrid to granada. cabo de gata looks lovely!

alsa will be the bus line you want. it's about 20 euros, 5 hrs across la mancha, and there will be a bus leaving pretty much every hour all day long from madrid.

ok, i've just worked out some of the details, and i think we are going to take the bus to granada as you recommended! is there a specific town on the coast between granada and murcia that you would recommend spending a night in? we definitely want to spend some time in cabo de gato and take are time going up the coast.

alright - i've fully booked all my hotels so i could use some itinerary specific advice:

days 1-3 madrid - staying at a pension in the the universidad neighborhood, i definitely want to visit the prado but otherwise i could use advice on what to see/eat!

day 4 granada - staying in the downtown area but closer to the alhambra. definitely want to visit the alhambra but not sure what else. planning on renting a car here for the rest of the trip.

days 5-6 - cheaping out everywhere else on hotels, but splurged a little and booked two nights at parador de mojacar (http://spainparador.com/parador-mojacar.htm) which was still not all that expensive (came out to ~$70 per person per night) this is close to cabo de gata but could use advice on other towns to explore in the area)

days 7-8 - murcia - we will probably be at the music fesitival (watching PULP) most of the time

day 9 - need to find a budget accommodation near the madrid airport for an early flight home

Jely

I'm considering going for a week in March. I was going to do Madrid and Barcelona, but my friend is trying to convince me to concentrate on one city, and not try to do too much. Thoughts? I am leaning toward Madrid. Also, is it an okay place to travel alone in?

you should come in march instead and hang out with me!

i mean may

I wish I could; your trip sounds amazing.

xpost if you have a week that should be sufficient for two cities... but I say that as someone who's generally happy with a few days per city when I travel, guess it depends on your own travel style!

Personally Barcelona was far more memorable for me than Madrid but either of them will be okay for solo travel.

It takes 8 hours to get from Madrid to Barcelona by bus

my travel advice is eats lots of food because it will be delicious

my advice is take the train.

I have never been to madrid but I suggest you don't miss barcelona

it is cool

Thanks for the advice. I just jumped the gun and went for both Madrid and Barcelona, with a high-speed rail connection in-between. I'm going to start fasting now so that I can eat way through.

^^although San Sebastian sounds like my cup of tea

I was underwhelmed by Madrid (and never made it to Barcelona)

Flying out this week for a 2-week sojourn that will include Madrid, Rioja, Barcelona and points between. Happy for any/all recommendations. We won't make it to San Sebastian or Bilbao sadly, the itinerary just won't stretch that far

Important advice: book in advance to go to the Alhambra, otherwise you won't get in.

The Reina Sofia art gallery in Madrid is well worth a visit, particularly the civil war section.

Lots of things close on Mondays, museums an ting.

saying you're in a notorious city for crime and therefore you should just know and it's silly if you don't is quite a privileged take. tbh.

besides, the people I'm referring to aren't daft and it doesn't even matter if they were daft!

idk if it's privileged to say that you should have a general understanding of your surroundings

oh, jesus christ.

privileged was a stupid word for me to use

it's not "not hard" - how's that? people are on holiday with their kids. it's pretty fucking hard.

and of course, it's not hard to not have your phone stolen from your ear while you're talking to someone (me)

Sometimes when people talk about going to a tapas bar I think they are saying topless bar and I have to mull it over why they would suggest it.

Taps Aff Bar.

well played, Yerac :)

in buenos aires multiple locals came up to me to warn me about theft, what to do and not do, where to go and not. it was thoughtful...i guess? kept me on edge the whole time though

They were all probably trying to rob you.

I was sitting outside a café in Paris and a guy warned me about dodgy looking character who'd just sat behind me and the guy scarpered. Not that he'd have got anything other than my £1 reading glasses.

Taps Aff Bar.

Excellent LOLz there which only people from the West of Scotland would understand.

... Paris, last month, that is.

Barcelona is basically now just an almost disney-level tourist destination with a major sideline in robbery/theft/ pickpocketing/scams.

i know you qualified it but come on.

I haven't been to Andalucia in 20 years but I'm planning a trip there this spring, thinking Sevilla->Granada->Córdoba. a one week trip. I've been to the first two, Sevilla in fact several times, but never Córdoba. I've been to Morocco too and think the architecture in the south of Spain is yet more beautiful (I think the Moors valued it more than Morocco even). I remember being a bit let down by the Alhambra after having spent all day in the Alcázar of Sevilla, but tbh I was "backpacking through Europe" at the time & was getting burnt out.

Just more personal opinion to add to the pile, but I've not had any problems in Barcelona the couple of times I've visited, and didn't feel it anything like as sketchy as is often portrayed. I'd be as cautious with my valuables in almost any big, popular city as I would be there.

Córdoba definitely worth a visit. Mezquita is incredible and one of a kind, a mysterious mashup of mosque and cathedral. Alcazar gardens are beautiful, though Alcazar itself a little underwhelming. The old whitewashed section of the city is wonderful to walk through with interesting moorish and Jewish sites. Modern city has a bit of grit but is a real place not a tourist trap. Good tapas, drink Montilla Moriles sherry. Fried shrimp, ajoblanco.

Seville and Cádiz are both fantastic. worth visiting Vejer and the beach and roman ruins at Tarifa if you get down to Cádiz.

Never had a problem in Barcelona though it’s undoubtedly busier than it used to be.

tbh I dont think i've been to Barcelona in the August/July in over 10 years and i'm sure it can be a lot more crazy those times.

I’ve been to barcelona 5+ times and only lost my passport to pickpockets once so make of that what you will

I was there in July last year. I hadn't been in several years (maybe 5-6?). Some parts were definitely throbbing, like the beach and around Las Ramblas. But most other parts were totally normal.

I've only been to Barcelona once, and had a fine time, but I find the focus it gets from tourists annoying and I've spent much more time elsewhere in Spain for that reason. Probably people feel that way about Paris too though...

I like this piece about tourism and Barcelona a lot. https://roadsandkingdoms.com/2018/the-battle-for-the-boqueria/

Nobody remembers who was the first to sell smoothies at the Boqueria. Or if they do remember, nobody seems eager to take credit for it.

The idea, undoubtedly, came from a very simple realization: Tourists don’t buy vegetables. They don’t buy fish or pork chops, snails or mushrooms. They sure as shit don’t buy monkfish or mollusks, chicken or chickpeas or chicory. They need something they can hold in their hands, consume in the moment before they move on to the Sagrada Familia or the sands of Barceloneta. Sure, savvy travelers know that a market is the perfect place to build a picnic of local products, and an ideal spot to find gifts for friends and family, but most visitors aren’t thinking beyond their next bite. For them, smoothies gave them a simple way to connect to the Boqueria.

Today, much of the Boqueria runs on liquefied fruit—an ever-growing army of plastic cups that paint the market a psychedelic swirl of orange and green, pink and purple. At Sprimfruit, near the market’s main entrance, they sell so many smoothies that they run them through giant plastic tubes like some marginally-healthier version of the Wonka factory. Some have bet the entire farm on pulverized produce; others have tried to keep selling fresh apples and bananas and strawberries alongside their fluid counterparts, but with diminishing returns. I’ve watched over the years as the fruit itself is subsumed by its byproduct.

More than replace much of the market’s supply of fresh fruit, the smoothies set off a chain reaction across the market. Vendors, already suffering from a lack of local clientele, looked for ways to transform their raw staples into processed profit. At first it happened in small doses: charcuterie stands sold skewers of jamón and chorizo, a few fish stalls offered oysters ready to be shucked and slurped. But the economics are such now that if you don’t have something to offer the tourist, your days in the Boqueria are probably numbered.

Fizzles OTM - Cadiz definitely worth a visit, Seville is one of my favourite places in the world.

Visits to Andalucía were always a total delight but have become even more pleasurable since I developed a taste for sherry.

My wife's family are Catalans that have been in the city for generations so i have a pretty deep appreciation for the town and territory. They are very understanding of the importance of tourism and even though they live in the center of the city it's not too hard to avoid the more insane places .

sorry for being bolshy about Barcelona etc. I dunno what's going on with me. Barcelona is a nice place to visit. Put that on TripAdvisor.

sorry if i came across wide yesterday, jed

No problem Jim! I do know what's wrong with me, tbh, in spite of what I just said. It's alcoholism...

happens to the best of us!

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

alhambra is good

YASSSS

All I can say is that we spent one night in Merida on our way back from Portugal and it was a total delight. Merida has it all: A Roman aqueduct and stone walking bridge, multiple archeological sites, a Roman amphitheater, a coliseum, army barracks, a pre-Roman fort with an unforgettable subterranean well, and a fancy hotel that's a converted Moorish palace, with a rooftop pool right on the utterly charming main square. Where you can sit at your choice of cafes and watch the storks perched on the peaks of the town hall and the cathedral, nests silhouetted against the sky.

The hotel had a small fenced courtyard off the plaza, so I took my wine and my book and read late into the night. It probably doesn't need more than 2 days to see the sights but I could have stayed at that hotel forever.

don’t half ply you with food in granada

had a nice conversation with a taxi driver in french today tho so that was a highlight 👍🏻

Ronda is killing me, my god. Hard to get your head around the fact that it actually really exists.

You should get a load of Setenil de las Bodegas!

Wowee! It's only 15 minutes away by bus...