Spain Holidays 10

Valencia is one of the largest cities in Spain, and also one of the most visited places in the country. It lies on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, so it has many beaches close to the city centre.


Its cultural offer is almost endless, with its Cathedral, el Miguelete or the Lladro museum. But what is probably most impressive is The City of Arts and Sciences (La Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias), an architectural and cultural complex destined to the entertainment. This complex is formed by eight buildings.


These buildings are: L’Hemisfèric, a planetarium, laserium and an IMAX cinema; el Museu de les Ciències Príncipe Felipe, an interactive museum of science; l’Umbracle, which contains alien plant species; l’Oceanogràfic, an oceanographic park; el Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia, a performing arts centre and an opera house; el Pont de l’Assut de l’Or, an impressive bridge; l’Àgora, a covered square; and finally the Torres de València, which is still only a project of three skyscrapers.


For those who are very keen on gastronomy, in Valencia they will find one of the most famous and appreciated dishes in Spain: paella. This is a rice dish with vegetables and meat, offered in most Valencian restaurants, if you travel there, you can’t forget to try it!


One of the most famous festivals in Valencia is celebrated in March, and it is called the Falles. During this festival, each neighbourhood builds a kind of construction which is known as falla and in the end it is burned.


For those interested in going to parties, there are many music festivals during the whole year, especially in the summer. Besides, there are also a huge number of discos for all tastes.
So, if you travel to Valencia, make the most of this experience, eat in the best restaurants and get immersed its interesting culture and atmosphere.





Continue reading a new post on Spain Holidays 10: Things to do on holiday in Mallorca

In the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, with an excellent location, we can find the wonderful Balearic Islands, each one of them with its own appeal. The biggest one is Mallorca, an island where you will be able to enjoy a sundown in the sea, sunrises and heavenly beaches, among other amazing things, and its capital is called Palma.


Palma is a coastal city, warm and cultural, a city that will touch your heart for sure. It is one of these cities that have it all: beaches, party, places to relax, architecture, good gastronomy, culture...


One of the emblems of the city is its cathedral, a Gothic style building that lies right next to Palma’s beach. On its side, we can find the Royal Palace of La Almudaina, one of the Spanish Royal Family’s residences.

Palma’s beach is not famous for being one of the most wonderful beaches in the island, since there are other heavenly beaches with clear water that cannot be compared with this one. However, this beach does stand out for being right in the capital, and for the great number of play activities that it offers.


Another interesting point in Palma is its historical city centre. There we will see narrow medieval streets with characteristic buildings where we will be able to disconnect for a while from the busy streets in the city centre.

For those who love to go partying, we cannot forget to mention the Paseo Marítimo (the Boardwalk), the nightlife area par excellence. It is a long street with a great number of pubs, restaurants, bars and discos. Especially in summer nights, in the Paseo Marítimo there is an atmosphere of party and fun, with opened discos until the early hours of the morning.


In conclusion, then, we can say that Palma is a city full of life, in the summer on in any other season of the year, that is really worth visiting and a great place to spend some time.


Continue reading in Spain Holidays 10: Top 5 must see in Nerja, Málaga

Granada is a Spanish city placed in Andalusia, and it lies next to the Sierra Nevada, what conditions its weather: very cold in winter and very hot during the summer.


There is probably one building that makes it really worth to visit this city. This building is the Alhambra, a palace and fortress complex built in 889 by Arabs in Granada. Besides the Alhambra, it is also really advisable to visit the Albaicín and Sacromonte neighbourhoods.
From the Albaicín neighbourhood you will be able to see what it has been considered the best sunset in the world. If you visit the Alhambra in the morning, in the evening you can go to San Nicolás viewpoint in Albaicín, watch the sunset, and then go to visit the Sacromonte neighbourhood, with its typical Arabian music and dances.


Another interesting place in Granada is the Sciences Park, where you will be able to get into sciences in a fun and dynamic way.


As we have said, the Sierra Nevada is near the city, so, if you go to Granada during the winter, you can make the best of it, and go there to ski. However, if you go there in the summer, the visit is also really advisable and impressive.


Another place of interest of Granada is its cathedral. It is a building from the Spanish Renaissance, and perhaps it is not as amazing as other cathedrals in Spain, but it is worth the visit.

Finally, if you travel to Granada you cannot miss its gastronomy. It is formed by Andalusian dishes, mixed with different contributions of the new towns, for example beans with ham. The confectionery is really wide, with huevos moles, sponge cakes and San Jerónimo’s Puff pastry.


Granada is an amazing Spanish capital, with plenty of thing to do and see. Streets, mountain and the sea are really close in this amazing city.


Continue reading in Spain Holidays 10: Malaga Spain Travel Guide

Malaga is the birthplace of Picasso, which seems right since the historical architecture of this city along with the beautiful landscape would be inspiration for any artist. Malaga is by the Mediterranean Sea and is in the Spanish region of Andalucia. The temperatures stay hot all year through, making Malaga a great getaway for those tourists who are hoping to escape the snow and freezing cold of winter.


Getting to Malaga is not only easy, but can be inexpensive as well. You can take a plane there and land at the airport that is the third largest in all of Spain. This airport also caters to budget airlines, so you don't have to worry about an expensive flight over only to land at some crummy, out of the way airport. The AGP makes sure you can get to Malaga since there are buses, taxis, or trains. If you want to rent a car, don't worry. If you rent a car at the airport, you will find that this a very inexpensive thing to do as well. However, make sure you book a car in advance because even though the rates are cheap, thnking ahead not only ensures that you have a car waiting for you, but you can get discount rates, too.


There are many things to see and do in Malaga. There are the Moorish castles called the Alcazaba and Castillo de Gibralfaro. When visiting these castles, you will have a great view of the entire city of Malaga. If you have a health problem, are handicapped or can not walk far distances then it would be best to only visit Alcazaba. It is a long hike up the moutain to get to the Castillo de Gibralfaro.


You can also visit the birthplace of Picasso, called the Plaza de la Merced. There you will find tons of things that Picasso used when he was a child as well as some paintings. After this, check out the Picasso Museum to see more exclusive exhibitions of Picasso's artwork.

If you like to cycle, try going on the Malaga Bike Tour. It is approximately four hours long and will take you down many narrow back streets. While biking through these small streets, you will get to see lots of hidden places that are great to see and that many tourists miss when they don't take this tour.


There are many beaches in or near Malaga where you can spend a quiet day just sunbathing and taking in the beauty of Malaga while getting a tan. There is also an amusement park to be found in Arroyo de la Miel. It is called the Tivoli World Theme Park and is the oldest park on the coast. This park has beautiful gardens and fountains as well as many rides. There is a fee to get in the park that lets you see the gardens, visit the restaurants and bars and see the shows where there are theater performances as well as a comedy and western show. If you want to have unlimited amounts of times riding the 30 plus rides, then you need to purchase the Supertivolino. You can also purchase single tickets.

The food and drink in Malaga is wonderful. The restaurants serve the traditional andalusian dishes like fish, croissants, soups, baguettes and much more. The speciality of Malaga is espetos which is sardines on a stick. These have been grilled over a fire. You can also try pescaito frito. Basically this is a variety of deep-fried fish ranging from squid to anchovies.


There are several chiringuitos, or beach restaurants, in Malaga. El Tintero is a very popular chiringuito. You will find no menus at this restaurant. Instead, the waiters carry dishes through the restaurant, singing about what they are carrying around. If you want what they are offering you signal to them and they will bring you the food. A different way of ordering food to be sure! Another famous restaurant is La posada de Antonio. Why? Because it is owned by Antonio Banderas. Here you can taste some of the dishes from his home town and they are priced at very reasonable prices.

The best drink to try while in Malaga is their wine. Malaga wine is very sweet but be careful not to drink too much as it has a kick to it despite the sweetness of the taste. If you want to find a nice bar where you can try to meet some visiting celebrities then try El Pimpi.


From museums to amusement parks and from restaurants to chiringuitos, you will be sure to have a wonderful experience in Malaga no matter what type of budget you have for your vacation.


Continue reading in SpainHolidays10: Tourism in Córdoba, Andalucía

Cadiz is a Spanish city placed in Andalucía. Probably, one of the most remarkable features of this city, and also the reason why it is best known, is its history. Or, let’s say it, its eternal and important history.


Cadiz was an important roman city, which stood out for its commercial strategies. It still preserves some of its roman heritage that today we can visit and enjoy. Of all this roman patrimony, we can highlight the roman theatre in Cadiz, one of the biggest and oldest roman theatres in the whole peninsula.


If we get into the historic city centre, we will be able to discover some of the most magical and nice corners in Cadiz, such as the Plaza de España (Spain Square) or El Pópulo district, the old medieval neighbourhood. We can also go for a walk along the Paseo Marítimo (the Boardwalk) without losing sight of the sea. Moreover, it is also really important to highlight the Cadiz cathedral, an impressive building right next to the sea, which mixes the baroque and neoclassic styles.

Cadiz has four beaches: la Cortadura beach, la Victoria beach, Santa María beach and la Caleta beach, each one with its own peculiarities and charming. For example, la Caleta beach may be one of the most picturesque corners in the whole city, since it is placed right in the middle of the old city of Cadiz, or la Victoria beach, which is considered to be the best urban beach in Europe.


Apart from all these, it is also almost compulsory to visit the Genovés Park, which is full of trees, and among them, we can find a centenary dragon tree.

To conclude, we must say that, as we have seen, Cadiz is a wonderful place, appropriate for families who go there to relax and to visit a legendary city, as well as for young people who want to have fun day and night, since the capital has a great number of pubs and discos close to the sea.



Continue reading in Span Holidays 10: Tourism in Cordoba

Continue Reading: Tourism in Oviedo

Nature has a feel that is incomparable to the best we humans can offer each other. The serenity and rest of mind it boasts is second to none. Without wasting words, it would just be wholesome truth to add that Mallorca presents this stunning picture perfectly. Little wonder it ranks as one of the most fashionable holiday destinations in the whole of Europe.


There are lots of lovely holiday apartments, holiday villas, rural homes, cottages and houses on this Mediterranean island which are put up for rent directly by their owners. This island is the largest of the Balearic Islands and this makes for limitless houses available for rent all year round. Couples come to sniff a bit of the blessed environs called Mallorca by putting up in these homes.


Mallorca boasts a good balance between the average summer sun and cool sea breezes. A mild weather graces the winter period characterized by chilly nights. The islands are perfectly placed where weather is concerned as both periods pleasantly allow for habitation.


Asides just looking around and appreciating the natural beauty of Mallorca, hiking in the mountains provides a new and exciting experience for tourists. The north east coast also contains a bay which is popular for the hangouts of Alcudia and Can Picafort. Some tourists chose to pitch their tent here throughout their stay in Mallorca. Birdwatchers and cyclists make the environment around here a lot friendlier.

You can also travel to the interior of the island finding alfalfa for animals, pick fruit and vegetables, enjoy walking trails, all in different farms and rural hostels. We can recommend a good place to find food for animals online: www.grupooses.com/en


Interestingly, all classes of people are accommodated on this island. Depending on your pocket, you can pick up a reasonable and sizable villa to enjoy yourself. Many websites are littered with several of these short term rentals for all categories of people.

Cloistered coves and bays which also characterize Mallorca provide a sort of protection and security which attracts tourists. Suffice to add sun-bathing and other enticing indoor and outdoor activities that combine to make visits memorable. The sun shines averagely for 300 days a year, added to a dry winter. The varied landscape of Mallorca, principally due to its geological formation completes the intriguing puzzle and conundrum that is Mallorca, the home of nature in Europe. The mountain ranges run parallel to the North West coast and end in coastlines which looks like it's being guarded by them.


The number of people that make it across to Mallorca for holidays is a testament to the unbelievable nature of this part of the world. Get yourself to Mallorca today, and consign yourself to an unavoidable routine.

We spent eight nights in Spain recently. From Madrid we had planned to do a day trip to Toledo. I highly recommend this. We took the high speed train to Toledo. This is a train that President Obama wants to see in the United States. It goes 180 miles per hour which feel like 20 and the seats were so comfortable. There were tables (like an airplane), foot rests, and rather than 1 hour and 15 minutes it took us ½ an hour to get to Toledo. The cost was about 16€ (Euros - multiply by 1.3% to $).


We didn't think the walk to the Old City would be hard but we could tell immediately that it was too far so for 1.25€ we caught a tourist bus. The roads are steep and as all the information said, the city is a maze. Plan on getting lost and having fun with the journey. We literally couldn't find things we wanted to see but people were very friendly so eventually we got to where we were going. The streets are so narrow they are called "the donkey and me" streets. Cars zoom by so you will want to be extra careful on these cobblestone roads.


The two items I would suggest buying are marzipan (delicious candy) and Damascene Jewelry. It is reasonably priced, beautiful and you can't get it any other place. Swords and scissors are popular as well because of the steel used.


If you want to go to a Sephardic Synagogue- the Sinagoga de el Transito- do not go to Toledo on a Monday because it was closed. We should have picked up on that but we didn't and were disappointed.

Pick up a map at the tourist information center. You may then want to go to the free museum, Museo de Santa Cruz. You will see a famous Greco painting of the Ascension.

Walk to Mezquita del Christo de la Lux (Mosque of Christ of the Light), which we chose not to go into. You must go into the Catedral, the most elaborate church in which I have been. The many rooms, each with its own personality, the architecture, and the ceilings were worth the 7€.


You may want to see The Toller del Morro, which is the only surviving, non-religious building in Toledo which dates back to the fourteenth century. After going in circles we found the Sinagoga de Maria La Blanca. We paid 2€. At the time there was a special exhibit but it once was a Synagogue.

We found a great place to eat called Los Lopez de Toledo, which we were told was good at the information center. It was hard to find but it was worth it. We had tapas there. I had goat cheese, lettuce, bread, a few chips and prawns with nuts and guacamole and my husband had razor clams and a salmon sandwich. The dining room wasn't open until 4:00p.m. so we sat at a somewhat uncomfortable wood table with benches and low stools.

You will then get on the bus, which runs regularly, and take the train back to Madrid.


Continue reading: travel to Toledo

Oviedo is a city in the north of Spain, and it is the capital of the Principality of Asturias. It is a place that, in short, leaves an impression on those who visit it. Oviedo is surrounded by mountains, and it can be visited by land or from its mountains.


Just by walking along the city we can discover hundreds of sculptures made by internationally-famous artists, which play tribute to other important characters, such as the one dedicated to Leopoldo Alas “Clarín” or to Woody Allen. We can also find many parks and gardens, green areas where we will be able to go for a walk and to relax.


One of the most central squares in Oviedo is the Escandalera Square, surrounded by historical buildings. From there, we can find the main pedestrian and commercial streets in the capital. Close to the Escandalera, there is the historical city centre of Oviedo, where you will be able to get lost while you travel in time along its wonderful streets.


In this city we can visit the cathedral of San Salvador de Oviedo as well, which is placed right in the middle of the town. It is a gothic cathedral which includes the Holy chamber of Oviedo, a building that hosts the most appreciated jewellery of the cathedral, and it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

As we said previously, Oviedo can be visited from the air by the Monte Naranco, which surrounds the city and where we can find the Naranco Christ.


Another one of the strong points of Oviedo, as well as of Asturias itself, is its gastronomy. The city hosts a great number of bars and restaurants where you will be able to enjoy the greatest “fabada” from Asturias, and also the best regional meals of Asturias, such as escalopines al cabrales, cachopo or chorizos a la sidra.

If you visit Oviedo, you will find that it is a magical and charming city. It is a small and elegant place with large green areas and hundreds of monuments, with plenty of bars where you will be able to relax and enjoy the city.



You can visit near Oviedo:  Bilbao  or  Santiago de Compostela

The city of Cordoba is found in the south of Spain, in Andalucia, and is located within the basin of the Guadalquivir River which crosses the city, it has a continental Mediterranean climate that makes the summers are very hot.


Cordoba can boast that became capital of Hispania Ulterior during the Roman Empire and, later, the capital of the Umayyad Caliphate, when Muslims controlled the Iberian peninsula. This makes the city have a great prestige. In addition, if you join the folklore typical of the area, it makes a unique center for tourism, in relation to this we should mention that, as in all the country there is a bullfighting tradition that displays its history in a museum dedicated to this practice.


The historic quarter of Cordoba is made up of small squares and streets, special and unique courtyards more known as the Patios de las Flores considered of national interest, very recommendable to visit in the spring, all of this leads to the great mosque of Cordoba, this is the real symbol of the city. The forest of columns, with more than a thousand, make this building something magical, is both their power that when the Muslims were expelled, it was decided to retain for its beauty and built the cathedral of the city annexd to the mosque by creating a space with an unprecedented cultural mixture.


Cordoba also has a Jewish quarter with streets adorned with facades covered in tiles and grilles, a landscape very curious. Nearby you will find the only synagogue in the city.


As in the rest of Andalusia, one of the most prized activities of Cordoba is a stroll through the gastronomy, the great fondness for the tapas where the neighborhoods of San Lorenzo and San Andres, are the key points. The typical dishes of this place are several different types of fish, casseroles, salmorejo and bull's tail and for dessert we should taste the famous pastel cordobes.

"Sevilla has a special color", as the song says, that is because its great historical and cultural mix that hosts this city and leaves you amazed. It consists of very important vestiges of Moorish legacy and from when America was discovered, this made that was the main commercial port par excellence between Spain and the new continent.


This city is ready for the tourism, consists of a large number of hotels, plans for all tastes and events of international interest. In Seville we have from museums and art centers to thematic parks, theaters and other. You can go to visit two natural parks too, Sierra Norte and Doñana, considered a World Heritage Site.


Thanks to its historical legacy, Seville has a large number of palaces and noble houses to visit, also churches and convents. It is almost an obligation to visit the Cathedral, el Patio de los Naranjos, los Reales Alcázares and the famous Giralda Tower, it is very curious to see how the Arabic architecture and christian are melted in a same scenario filling the city in a special beauty.

In Seville, there are several neighborhoods characterized each one by something special such as for example, the Arenal where you can find the great bull ring of the Real Maestranza de Caballería; in the Macarena quarter we will visit the basilica of the Macarena and the church of San Lorenzo, important for the Sevillians due to their faith and devotion shown on the feast of Easter Week, feast of international interest. On the other hand we have the neighborhood of Triana, of great seafaring tradition.


The feasts that characterize Sevilla are two, the above-mentioned Easter Week and April Fair where it mixes the devotion and the folklore, the two are considered to be of international interest and attract thousands of tourists from all over the world each year.

Seville's gastronomy and, in general, in Andalusia, is incredibly rich and consists of a great variety of dishes and products. The pinchos and the tapas are the order of the day, and in the hotter months is perfect accompanying it with a cold beer, a fino or a Jerez manzanilla. The popular tapas are the fried fish, embutidos, cheeses and tortilla de patatas. In summer the main dish is gazpacho.