Spain in 12

So you picked Spain as your next destination. Thats the easy part 😉 now you have to decide what vibe you are going for. There is so much to see and do in Spain it can be hard to decide. For instance, you have the trendy seaside city of Barcelona, the historic sites of the Alhambra palace in Granada, or the vibrant and upbeat capital city of Madrid!

This time around, I was able to get away for 12 days – and I know I didn’t even scratch the surface. If you have less time than I, definitely adapt the below to fit your own time frame and of course your interests!

As this being my first official solo trip I wanted to plan a loose itinerary – I wanted to be as flexible as I could while still hitting a good amount of cities through this magnificent country.

Travel Tip (TT): download the free Rick Steves Audio Europe App – some really cool audio city walks, with lots of extra info!

Day 1 – land Madrid – checked into the Safestay Madrid – this hostel is in an awesome location – it has the perfect balance between budget friendly accommodation, with cool events & a chill rooftop bar.

Since I arrived before check-in, I dropped my bags and took the free city walking tour offered by the hostel – and had the most amazing time, not only getting introduced to the city but making new friends in the process!

Day 2 –
the plan was originally to take a day trip to Avila – but I woke up really late after having the best night out that I have had in a really long time! So I decided to spend the day in Madrid – ahh the beauty of solo travel 🙂 . Definitely make sure to check out the Crystal Palace in the majestic Retiro Park. With around 300 acres to discover – this lush green park is the perfect way to gain respite from the hustle and bustle of Madrid.

Day 3 – another day spent exploring Madrid, this city just does not disappoint! I wandered through the streets around Puerta del Sol – Madrid’s city center. Also visited the Reina Sofia museum (note: they are always closed on Tuesdays – plan accordingly) this museum is Spain’s national museum with plenty of 20th century Spanish artists like Dali, Picasso, and Palazuelos to witness in person. Hands down worth the visit!

Day 4 –
Took the morning train to Seville with a ½ day stop in Cordoba.

I wish I had more time in Cordoba – you could easily do two nights here – the one thing I wanted to do was to head inside the Mezquita – one of the most beautiful and unique mosque in the world dating back to A.D. 784. This monument/temple was once the center for Western Islam and now is also a world heritage site – but it was closed due to a private wedding (major bummer!!) So I wandered the courtyard that was still accessible to the public – before walking over to the Roman bridge to snap a couple of pics – then headed to the Jewish Quarter and visited the old Synagogue that was built in 1314 – which is beautifully preserved and worth the visit (free entry too!) after getting lost in the streets, I found my way back to the Old Wall and the bus terminal so that I could make my way to Seville! Definitely check out Cordoba if you get the chance – and spend longer than my half day there you won’t be disappointed!

I arrived in Seville just in time to drop my bags and stroll the streets while watching the sun say goodbye to the day. This has been such a rewarding trip so far – I sometimes can’t believe I am even able to experience something like this.

Day 5 –
Seville is the capital of southern Spain’s Andalusia region and it is also the 4th largest city in Spain! Famous for their fire-y flamenco moves, tasty tapas and of course the bullfighting! You can cover Seville in 2 days – but you must visit these places in this rich and soulful city – trust me you won’t be disappointed!

Royal Alcázar of Seville – is the oldest royal palace still in use, regularly hosting state officials and dignitaries, and since 1987 it has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. This centuries old complex of palaces and fortifications, with lovely courtyards and extensive gardens that you can literally get lost in – plan to spend the majority of your day here.

Seville Cathedral – is the 3rd largest church in Europe – after the Vatican in Rome and St. Paul’s in London. This cathedral is in the center of the city and its 343ft bell tower “The Giralda” can be seen from any part of the city (free admission on Mondays) I spent way more time in the Alcázar than originally planned so I missed out in visiting the cathedral but I strolled by it both nights I was here – and was seriously entranced!

Take a free city walking tour – take a tour or download the Rick Steves Europe app and under Spain you will find a 6 min walking tour plus others!

¡Catch a flamenco show! – I did mine in Madrid but Seville is a much better place to catch this beautiful and soulful dance.

Later that night I met a friend from Couchsurfing and grabbed drinks and went dancing – there is nothing better than hanging out with the locals and see what real life is like in their city! My new friend got a chance to practice his English and I got to practice my Spanish – even with a language barrier we still found a way to communicate and had such a great time!

Day 6 –
On this day I was excited to catch the train and head to my last Andalucia city!
I was even more excited because I met this beautiful soul in Madrid and we had kept in touch and made plans to meet up in Granada together so I was excited to spend more time with her. I took the morning train to Granada and checked into the cutest Airbnb – she arrived shortly thereafter – then we set out to see where the day would take us.

Did you know that Granada has a population of 80,000 college students, with 10,000 of them being from abroad? You definitely get this youthful, eccentric and culturally diverse vibe when you come here, definitely my favorite of the 3 in Andalusia.

We ended up walking over to a friend of hers hostel and chilled and met a bunch of cool people. We decided to follow an impromptu walking tour given by a local – we embarked on a hike to the top of Sacromonte which is basically a gypsy community – we learned their history and was even allowed inside to take a tour of their “home” (abandoned caves). Most of the caves have electricity, either from solar panels or grid power wired in from outside. Some have TVs. Running water and outhouse-style toilets are often shared between a few neighbors.

After touring a home they were kind to bring us chairs to let us all sit and watch the sun set over the city. They shared with us a local tea with “medicinal benefits” 🙂 (it was pretty terrible tasting) and they rolled us a blunt that we shared amongst us. It was a pretty amazing first night in Granada – sitting there with 6 strangers that had now become friends – watching yet another glorious sunset in Spain. Pinch me. I am forever thankful.

Day 7 –
Today was all about the Alhambra. You don’t want to miss this enormously beautiful fortress which was the last stronghold of the Moorish kingdom in Spain. After the Moors were driven out of Spain in 1492, the Christians continued to use it as a palace.  Washington Irving lived in the Alhambra and wrote about it in the 19th century, and it later became a UNESCO World Heritage site. We visited all 4 sections; Palacios Nazaríes, Charles V’s Palace, The Generalife Gardens and the Alcazaba.

TT: you must book these tickets in advance! at least 3 months in advance! You can do so here at their official site.

Day 8 –
Spent the day in Granada wandering through the Albayzín – Spain’s best old Moorish quarter, with countless colorful corners, shady lanes and flowery patios – this area is definitely worth the visit. Climb high to the San Nicolás church for the best view of the Alhambra.

Late afternoon, I hugged tightly my new forever friend and we vowed to meet up again in the world somewhere. I was going to miss her but our journeys had to go separately but I am infinitely grateful for the time that I got to spend with her – we are still friends to this day!

I made it back to Madrid after canceling Toledo (big mistake) but I got to visit Retiro Park again because I just couldn’t get enough. Before the sun said goodbye to Madrid I headed over to the Temple of Debod; an ancient Egyptian temple that was dismantled and rebuilt in Madrid in 1970. Just beyond the temple you can see sweeping views of Madrid and the Royal Palace of Madrid (the first picture in the article) After sun fall on the city, I met up with some friends I made earlier in my Madrid travels for tapas and drinks then called it a early night. Since I decided I just couldn’t miss Toledo – so I made plans to take a day trip tomorrow.

Day 9 –
The train ride to Toledo was only 32 minutes! Spent the afternoon shopping and strolling the streets, and of course the visit would not have been complete without laying my eyes on the stunningly beautiful Toledo cathedral – here are a few of my favorite pictures from inside. So worth the 10eur entry fee. Grabbed my first real solo meal here I realized I had met people at every turn that I was never really alone for a meal until now, and quite frankly I wasn’t mad at it – a little nerve racking but I pushed through the stares of a single POC female eating alone, but solo travel pushes you out of your comfort zone and from that you will always grow.

Day 10 –
took the afternoon train to Salamanca – and stayed at the Los Angeles Plaza hotel. It was hands down one of the worst lodging experiences I have had in all my years of travel. I would highly recommend anyone to stay clear of this establishment.

I always want to be honest in my writing – I will not lie this part of the trip definitely didn’t run as smoothly as I thought and hoped it would. Every trip has their hiccups and pits – the trick is to roll with the waves.

Maybe it was the incredibly cold and dreary weather, it could have been I simply hyped this town to something more than what it really was, but really I blame it on my lodging – in hindsight I probably should have looked for another place but it was so cold and rainy that I stuck it out.

Salamanca tested every part of my patience. I am now able to look back and somewhat laugh at my experience but I also realized that the experience – showed me I am stronger than I thought.

Day 11 –
woke up this day and the weather started out beautiful and I took full advantage by dining al fresco at this lovely restaurant in the middle of Plaza Mayor. After people watching and eating for several hours I headed to La Clerecía – I really had my eyes set on discovering this historic baroque Catholic church featuring bell towers with sweeping views of the city.

Day 12 –
Took the early train back to Madrid for the night – I was so thankful to get out of Salamanca and out of those terrible conditions I endured for two nights. I grabbed a hotel near the airport – Sercotel Alcala 611 – good hotel, clean, nice staff – heater didn’t work in my room – so I was pretty frozen and staff didn’t know how to turn on thankfully there was plenty of hot water which was nice.

The next morning I walked out of hotel and turned right & walked up about 5 min -then hopped on bus #200 and took me to terminal 2 at the airport and it cost 1.5 euro…much better than spending 15eur for a taxi from that same area.

Overall my experience in Spain is one I soon won’t forget – this trip challenged and pushed me to new and encouraging beliefs within myself. There is nothing more short of amazing than self discovery – eternally grateful Espana ❤

safe travels
x
miss intl

Tell me below – have you been to Spain? What city did you like most? Any questions shoot me an email via my contact page!