My first impressions of Spain… and why I went in the first place!
Quick to counter the post-travel blues from my incredible three months in Central America, I decided to jet off to somewhere a bit closer to home for a few weeks. Spain. As someone who had been to Barcelona a few times for short breaks, and Ibiza for a more hedonistic experience, I didn’t know what to expect from the rest of the country.
My trip began in Madrid and took me south to Seville, Ronda, Nerja then round to Granada, Córdoba and finally Barcelona. I was visiting in January – officially low season, and aware that perhaps these cities wouldn’t be as buzzing as in the summer months, but perhaps this would give me a more realistic view of the country.
So, I’m back… and first things first, Spain has surprised me. Surprised me A LOT! Perhaps naïve of me, but I didn’t know that in January I would be able to see a sun-drenched beach and snowy mountains in the same view. I didn’t realise that Madrid was a beautiful, charming city full of old-fashioned character and not a bustling, dirty, commercial capital. I didn’t realise that Barcelona could easily be worthy of the title ‘the culinary capital of the world’. Or that driving in Seville would scar me for life (I’ve never seen streets so narrow!)
For a country in the midst of an economic and employment struggle, it’s seemed to be well hidden. For me, Spain is a country that is still enjoying itself, and has a big, bold sense of humour. The people are friendly, feisty and extremely positive towards tourism.
Over the next few weeks I’m looking forward to reliving my time there through a series of blogs and reviews of the fabulous places I discovered, explored and will never forget.
I am planning a trip to Spain in May and was wondering if you would be able to recommend the most efficient way to see the most in 3 weeks. Thanks.
Hey Ashley,
Spain isn’t as huge as you may think. If you drive, then hiring a car is the simplest way to get around. If not though, the train system in Spain is excellent. If you fly in to Madrid, you can get to Barcelona or Valencia in just over 2 hours. Seville and Granada are beautiful and are easily accessible by train. I think tickets are around 20 or 30 Euros, so if you are in a group, travel by car will work out cheaper. I had two weeks and managed to fit in Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Ronda, Nerja, Cordoba and Granada, so with three weeks it will be easy! Have fun. 🙂 Chloe
As a self proclaimed expert on Spanish tourism and travel, I have to say that many of the popular destinations aren’t really that great, while many of the non-touristic destinations are far better in Spain. My top recommendations for visiting Spain are (from north to south) Santiago de Compostela (great architecture, great culture, green countryside), Cantabria (beautiful countryside, charming villages, spectacular coastline) San Sebastian, Pamplona and Western Pyrenees (Great food, Beautiful villages, Elegant seaside resort, great festivals), Burgos/Old castille (Spain’s first capital city) Segovia (Great Architecture, Lots of history, Beautiful mountains) Salamanca (Great architecture, University town, Lots of history) Madrid (Dynamic nightlife, Beautiful downtown, Royal palace) Toledo (Great Architecture and History), Cuenca (Amazing location, Authentic) Sevilla (Spain’s most beautiful city, quintessential Spain, Lots of History) Granada (Great History) Barcelona (Lots of History, great Architecture, Great Food) Majorca and Menorca (Beautiful islands with nice beaches and great weather). Avoid the following places that are very overrated : Malaga, Valencia, Alicante, Bilbao, Murcia, La Mancha and Canary islands). Hope this helps!
Hey Felipe, Thanks for your comments! Lots of great tips there. I’d agree on Malaga – not my favourite, but I absolutely love Granada and Barcelona. It’s a great country isn’t it? Can’t wait to see more of it! Cx