Top 9 Places to Go in Spain
Source: Alaskan Dude at flickr
I don’t claim to be an expert, but having spent several weeks in Spain earlier this year, here are the places I would recommend you visit if you have a chance:
1. Barcelona
Barcelona is a magical city. If you only have time for a few days in Spain, spend the whole time in Barcelona. It has excellent restaurants, bars, shopping, and other tourist attractions. Stay on La Rambla, the main shopping street, if you can. The energy is incredible. The subway is a great way to travel in Barcelona.
2. Valencia
Valencia is a relatively young city. The government has invested a lot of money in new and exciting buildings and sites like the City of Arts and Sciences complex. There was a river that used to run through the city (that used to flood too often). They diverted the river around the city and reclaimed the land where the river used to be. That has freed up a lot of space for parks and recreational areas.
3. Madrid
I had a mixed experience with Madrid. It’s an old city – one of the oldest that we saw. But there were not a lot of things to do as a tourist. There’s the Plaza Mayor, the Royal Palace… and not much else. But I think Madrid takes more than a few days to really grow on you so I’m willing to give it another chance.
4. Nerja (Andalucia)
Andalucia is where my heart is. We stayed in a lovely villa in Nerja, and found the entire area easily accessible by car. There’s a highway that runs down the length of the province, and it’s relatively quick to get from place to place. Nerja itself is a nice place to shop, walk around in, hang out at the beach.
5. Sevilla
Sevilla is another place that has a rich history, with a nice mixture of relatively new architecture. It hosted the World Fair of 1992, and the government invested a lot of money in new buildings and bridges for that event. Sevilla is known as the home of Flamenco.
6. Marbella
Marbella is the home of the rich and famous of Spain. When millionaires tire of the French and Italian Rivieras, they head their yachts down to Marbella. As hard as I tried, I could not find where these yachts were parked – my GPS refused to take me there. But the shopping and lunch was fun.
7. Ibiza
Ibiza – the world famous capital for partiers. The boat ride from Denia is a bit rough at times – choppy seas. I recommend flying there if you can. But there’s a nice little town, some good shopping and sites during the day. It’s really known for the bars and restaurants that make up the night life. No matter your age, it’s worth going to see Ibiza.
8. Granada
Granada is known for the historical site called Alhambra. It’s a beautiful (and large) Moorish palace. The real trick for Alhambra is you have to buy your tickets in advance. We tried to just show up and say “four tickets please”, and they were sold out. Ever hear of a museum that you show up to before lunch time that says it’s sold out? This is that museum. Buy your tickets online a few days in advance. Even if you don’t get in to see the Alhambra, there are nice gardens and other areas you can see that aren’t as busy. One’s called Generallife.
9. Ronda
Ronda is a spectacular place. The drive to Ronda is wonderful, as it is mainly on roads along side of cliffs and mountains. Ronda is in the mountains, and the town actually straddles a huge canyon down the middle – half of the town on one side and half of it on the other. It’s a beautiful city to walk in, and one can only imagine how it was 300 years ago when the town was in its infancy.
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