SPAIN

Barcelona

Valencia

Alicante

Granada

Tarifa

Madrid

Salamanca

Barcelona

Barcelona was my first destination in Spain. The two other girls I was travelling with, were making their way from Berlin to Ibiza, so I did this one alone. Lucky for me I stayed in a fantastic hostel where everyone I met was so friendly and helpful. My first night in Barcelona I participated in a hostel bar crawl and it really was a lot of fun. We met some locals and other travellers during the night and got to see how the Spanish party.The next few days I spent with another girl I met in the hostel. Together we explored some of the beaches, took a cable car up to Castell de Montjuïc, watched the Magic Fountain light up, and admired the Arc de Triomf amongst many other things like trying Paella for the first time, and drinking sangria. For the last couple days I was alone again and content with what I managed to see. I went to see the Sagrada Familia and walked around Park Güell but also had plenty of time to laze around on a beach. It was nice to catch the sun again after Summer in the UK was coming to an end.

Valencia

As I was making my way south Spain along the coast, my next stop was Valencia. Here I was reunited with my kiwi girls again. To commemorate being reunited again the city let off fireworks on our first night (or maybe it was the fact that it was a public holiday). Our stay in Valencia was short so we used our one full day to just get lost in the city. We walked along the Garden of the Turia. The Turia is a river that ,after a catastophic flood in 1957, was divided in two and has been diverted south, along a new course that skirts the city, before meeting the Mediterranean sea. The old riverbed is now a sunken park for cyclists and pedestrians and made the perfect location for a lazy stroll in the sunshine. On our expedition we found a traditional march under way and stopped to watch. Apparently each year on this public holiday the people of Valencia put on a march. The costumes were fantastic! (pictures above). That evening we decided to find out why Valencia was so famous for it's Sangria. We found a quiet little bar where the bartender made Sangria right in front of us and it probably was the best I've ever tried. Definitely the strongest too ;)

Alicante

Onwards from Valencia we headed further South to Alicante. I have to say I wasn't expecting a lot from Alicante so I was really pleasantly surprised. As we climbed up to Santa Barbara castle we noticed a lot of people set up along the walls with picnics and wine, as we looked down we noticed a lot of yachts out on the water. Apparently we had timed our climb perfectly and were in time to watch some of the Volvo Cup racing from the highest point along the harbour. The view of the sea was just spectacular. After the hike up we spent the rest of the afternoon cooling off on the seaside.

Granada 

Further south we headed to Granada. One thing we noticed upon arriving here was that there was a lot more of a Moroccan influence, with a lot more shisha bars and Moroccan stores lining the streets. Limited to just 1 full day here, we decided to forgo the visit to the La Alhabra itself, instead we walked up to Abadia del Sacromonte and San Nicolas where we got a glimpse of it and even the snowy mountain peaks behind. I think looking at it was more picturesque. We then went hippie hunting in the hills and finished the day off with a couple glasses of Sangria and free tapas. Of all the places we went to so far, I definitely would've liked to stay here longer. 

Tarifa

Last stop before Africa! As the bus drove down from the mountains, towards Tarifa, we were greeted with the most breathtaking view. From here, Africa only looked a stones throw away. Tarifa itself is a small town known as a great wind surfing spot. Whilst we didn't have enough time to try the sport out ourselves, we did learn a bit about the history of the town. We explored the old town, which is closed in by medieval walls, some still remaining. We then visited the Guzman El Bueno Tarifa Castle, a well preserved castle overlooking the port with an amazing view of the African continent just across the sea.

(MOROCCO post click here)

Madrid

From Marrakesh I flew into Spain's capital, Madrid. I was alone again as the girls went back to England for work. Whilst I was in Madrid I was recommended to go to Toledo for a day. Unfortunately I didn't plan enough time to do any trips so I just explored the capital's city centre. I did a free walking tour, which was interesting and full of a lot of information, but the tour guide spoke a bit too quickly so I didn't retain much of what he said. I also walked along the Grand Via, and did a walk to the Buen Retiro, which was a really lovely park where I spent the afternoon. If I was to go back I would visit some of the museums, there are so many to choose from and a lot of them are free on certain days of the week. I'd also try make it to Toledo.

Salamanca

Salamanca was my final stop in Spain before heading across to Portugal. Going from the capital, where everyone spoke English, to a more traditional Spanish city, was a bit of a challenge. Even the receptionist, where I was staying, had to use google translate to answer some of my questions. Because of this, I did feel quite alone. I also arrived during what appeared to be 'siesta' time. I walked along the main strip of shops, deserted and mostly shut. It wasn't till later that evening when I walking around that the streets came alive again. Shops were all open and streets bustling with people. There was a literacy festival going on in the Plaza Mayor too so there were stalls full of books, if only I could read and understand Spanish! The old city was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988 so walking amongst all the old buildings was just beautiful. Photo opportunities everywhere. My favourite part was probably the Old 12th Century Cathedral. The view overlooking the old town and then over across the Duero river (pictured above) was incredible. Would definitely recommend adding Salamanca to your list of places to visit, especially for people wanting to learn Spanish. The University is the oldest in Spain (founded in 1134) and supplies 16% of Spain's market for the teaching of the Spanish Language.