Spain for the Travel Gurus

I just went to Spain for two weeks and it was incredible.

My family and I traveled to Madrid, Segovia, Cordoba, Carmona, Seville, Granada, Valencia, Morella and Barcelona within two weeks. It was amazing to see the bustling cities, smaller towns and countryside as we drove across Spain. 

For anyone traveling to Spain, these are my recommendations:

If you want to see the more current culture of Spain, I would recommend visiting Madrid or Barcelona. Both cities are bustling and full of life, but you can still see relics of the past. 

Madrid

You can visit the palace where the royal family lives or see the Prado Museum, which houses some of the most amazing (not to mention ancient) art. There’s a great shopping district on La Gran Via. 

Barcelona

You can visit the Sagrada Familia, an incredible cathedral designed by the intricate and unique architect Antonio Gaudi. This cathedral looks like a drip sandcastle and the stain glass windows are incredible and fill the inside with prismatic colored light. There are many houses that Gaudi designed that I would also recommend seeing. Las Ramblas is a fabulous street full of shops and restaurants.

If you want to visit an ancient city, Segovia is that. An old roman aqueduct, castle and cathedral are just three of the relics you can explore here.

If you want smaller cities with lots of historical significance, head to Cordoba, Seville or Granada. 

Cordoba is the home of Le Mezquita, a cathedral that was built inside of a mosque. This structure itself is very impressive, but the historical significance and Moorish influence in this area is fascinating. 

Seville is home to another smaller, but still impressive castle, or “alcazar." I recommend exploring it if you have time! Seville is a fun city with many activities to partake in, and you could easily stay there for a few days and explore the city. 

Granada was one of my favorite places we traveled to. It is the home of the Alhambra, an old church/castle combo atop a huge mountain overlooking the city. In addition, Granada has many twisty little roads and was one of the most picturesque towns we visited, in my opinion. 

If you want to travel back through time to a medieval town on the top of a mountain, Carmona and Morella are the places for you. 

Carmona is an old fortress built upon a mountain looking over the plains of Spain. We stayed in the Parador, which is the castle and fort that sits atop of the hill.

Morella is a tiny town that you can see all in one day. It is at the very top of a group of mountains and reflects the more medieval aspects of Spain.

If you are traveling to Spain or just want to go there someday, these are some spots I recommend! Buena Suerte! (Good Luck!)