Spain Travel Guide — Travel Blog | A Tourist's Travel Guide to Spain — Mariam Shibly

Spain Travel Guide

Spain Travel Blog | Barcelona - The Modern City

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Barcelona is unexpectedly my favorite city we visited in Spain. I love how the city has so many different areas with diverse vibes and activities to do. You could be in a historic and artistic park, in a commercial high end shopping area similar to the Magnificent Mile in Chicago, or on the best beach you can find in Spain! I adore the fact that it’s a humongous city, which can be explored through on foot.

Honestly Barcelona is the perfect city for me! The beach is the best and SO fun, the shopping is AMAZING and their efforts in moving towards a healthier lifestyle by offering such healthy and delicious food is the BEST part. You can find the best food options here from vegan to late night tacos. We stayed for 3 nights and 3 days and it still wasn’t enough to see everything. I would recommend 4-5 days especially if you’re into shopping and spending time at the beach! Unfortunately, we did experience a little bit of racism here, but it did not take away with how much this city has to offer.

How do you get here? Barcelona is one of Spain’s biggest and busiest cities. It is very easy to get here whether it’s by flight, with one of the largest and commercialized airports in Spain, train or by renting a car. If you do decide to go with a rental car, make sure you show up on time because they can easily cancel your reservation and most of the time they’re sold out of rental cars.

Park Guell is an artistic and family friendly park situated on Carmel Hill in Barcelona. The whole park is designed by Gaudi who was hired by Guell to enjoy nature artistically and the best views of Barcelona. I would definitely visit especially if it’s a nice sunny day, there is a lot to see and do. We were blown by the art structures and creativity by Gaudi, this is definitely not your typical park. If you’re interested in seeing Gaudi’s house who lived within this park, you’ll need to buy tickets and they sell out the day of so you’ll need to purchase them in advance!

  • When: Open year-round from 8:30 am - 6:15 pm

  • Cost: Outdoor park entrance is free, Gaudi’s House Museum tickets are about 30 Euros (buy them in advance, they sell out quickly the day of).

  • Duration: A walk around the park can take up to an hour or less depending on your stroll. Many people bring their kids and pets, and explore the park at their own leisure.

  • Tips: It’s not a stroller friendly park, I recommend using baby carrier if you are bringing your kids. If it’s a sunny day, bring lots of water since it’s on a hill it gets hot fast. Bring sunglasses, SPF, walking shoes, and your camera!

    Personal experience: My camera died right when we got here so I wish I could show you all of it’s beauty! It’s worth visiting when you’re not in a rush, so you can truly enjoy the park’s purpose. My 3 year old son loved it since there was little vendors here and there creating large bubbles for kids to play with, even a unique bird to sit on your shoulder or arm (make sure you discuss price before letting the guy put it on you, they haggle FAST)! Our stroller kept getting stuck on our rocky steps, so unless you plan on walking to other areas afterwards—I’d stick with leaving it at your hotel. The whole park is gorgeous, clean and well-kept giving you the best views of Barcelona.

La Sagrada Familia is an unfinished basilica also designed by Gaudi. You can easily run into it as you roam Barcelona, and it’s not too far from Park Guell. It’s an intricate structure that you will stun you as you walk by.

  • When: Open year-round from 9 am - 7 pm

  • Cost: It’s free from the outside (which many people do) if you’d like to purchase tickets to go inside it’s about 18-22 Euros.

  • Duration: Outdoor it’s up to you how long, but indoor tours last usually about 45-55 minutes.

La Rambla is the most poppin’ area of Barcelona. You’ll always find a lot going on. For starters, located on this street they have the largest shopping stores, cute floral stands, and a diverse seafood and fresh food market. Among all this, there are music festivals, small protests, school activities and concerts constantly being performed here. It’s perfect for all ages from kids to adults.

  • When: Open year-round (most shops close at 9 as well as they’re closed on Sundays)

  • Cost: Surprisingly everything is usually free (of course not the shopping or food) unless it’s a specific music festival

  • Duration: You can spend a whole day here or as little as time for shopping or a meal at the fresh market.

  • Tips: On the weekends it gets crowded very quickly. It’s a hot tourist spot, so bringing a sleek stroller is your best bet. Try to watch the news before heading over just in case there’s a protest going on and to avoid the walking traffic on those streets (you cannot get through). I recommend bringing a chain/hook for all the shopping bags, you’ll find the biggest selection at these stores only!

La Pedrera also known as Casa Mila is the last private residence designed by Gaudi and built in 1906-1912! It is a magnificent structure still standing in great condition. We were honestly impressed with how well Spain has maintained all their historic sites and still use it to this day for certain activities, in my opinion that’s the best way to maintain it.

  • When: Open year round from 9 am-6:30 pm & 7-9 pm

  • Cost: 22-34 Euros, purchase your tickets here

  • Duration: At your own leisure until closing

Barceloneta Playa is the most interactive and poppin’ beach out of all the cities we visited. It’s also my favorite beach! The pier has a little French style market with delicious fresh empanadas, corn and other foods to eat, little trinkets shops and also a bunch of cute restaurants like Brunch and Cake. There’s also a little amusement park on the side for kids, it’s seriously amazing! It doesn’t stop there, there’s a outdoor gym on the beach and the closer you get to the W hotel — the more fancy restaurants and lounges you find. Ok, but ‘et’s talk about the actual beach now. The waves are so much fun — they’re very strong, enough to surf on so I’d be very careful with young children, holding their hands and interacting with the waves from far. Sometimes the waves go pretty deep onto the sand, where everyone’s sunbathing. Don’t be alarmed to see nudity here, you’ll see plenty of it. All beaches in Spain are public and nudity is allowed. It’s different and can be entertaining.

MORE SITES TO SEE:

FOOD RECOMMENDATIONS: (I LOVED the fact that Barcelona offered healthy and vegan food at their restaurants, so that’s what we did 99% of the time and it was outstanding!)

Spain Travel Blog | Malaga - The Beachtown

Join us as we take you around through Granada and Malaga, Spain! We spent a day in Granada and a day in Malaga -- here's what we did and click below if you want to know everything there is to see in both cities!

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Malaga is known to be the beachtown of Southern Spain. It reminds me a lot like California, you have the higher end areas like Marbella, which is very similar to Malibu, the family area called El Playo, and the main busy center, Malaga Centro. In my opinion, it’s a cool city to drive through or for some beach time, but not much to offer otherwise. I would say you could check out Malaga’s main areas in a day as well as get some beach time in. Two days is plenty.

How do you get here? You can fly in through their huge and commercialized Malaga airport, which I find to be one of the cheapest airports you can fly into for Southern Spain, take the train, or drive in. It’s very easy to navigate through the city using a car and parking is very accessible. If you do decide to go with a rental car, make sure you show up on time because they can easily cancel your reservation and most of the time they’re sold out of rental cars.

Pureto Banus Marbella Beach is a beautiful and secluded public beach. If you’re looking for some relaxing quiet time during the day, you’ll find it at this beach along with maybe some famous people, which are spotted often here. At night, everyone gets ready for dinner and a night out with modern restaurants and clubs lined up along the side. I recommend walking or taking a taxi because there is limited street parking.

El Palo Beach is a fun loving public beach. It’s very friendly for families and wheelchair accessible. Parking is very easy to find here and only for 1 Euro. There’s a lot to do on this beach as they’ve got playgrounds for kids, an outdoor workout area, massages and local casual restaurants literally right there.

MORE SITES TO SEE:

FOOD RECOMMENDATIONS

  • El Zagal - It’s a charcoal grill outdoor restaurant located right on El Palo beach! Espeto is what everyone eats, I’m not a fan of sardines. I loved the shrimp, the salad and the paella was definitely the best here!

  • More food recs by Spanish Sabores.

Spain Travel Blog | Granada - Urban City in the Mountains

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Granada is surprisingly a big and busy, urban city located in the mountains. It’s about 2 hours or so from Seville and worth checking out for it’s main monumental site, the Royal Alhambra Palace.

They are heavily influenced by Arabs and Morocco since it’s so near by and the Moorish history. I would take advantage of the mint tea lounges and some of the best Doner kebab in Spain! We also took advantage of how cheap the spices are and loaded up on saffron. It’s much more cheaper than what it would be priced in the states. I recommend staying in Granada’s busiest area because of it’s central location and how much will be accessible to you on foot. Unless you’re staying at a hotel which is right off the main driving street, be prepared to lug your baggage through cobblestone streets. Granada is pretty easy to check out at minimum you can get a good idea of Granada in a day and probably see everything in two days! Enjoy sampling and bazaar shopping!

How do you get here? You can take the train as most locals do, fly through one of the smallest airports, or drive! If you decide to drive you’ll have to park up your car because most of the city is easier to navigate on foot and forget driving to the Alhambra, there’s alleys only taxis can take and they are the best ones to take you to there. If you do decide to go with a rental car, make sure you show up on time because they can easily cancel your reservation and most of the time they’re sold out of rental cars.

The Alhambra Palace is the fantasized palace we all read about in romance novels. Its beauty is indescribable. It’s purpose is forever mystified since all the books of its history have been burned. It’s a definitely a site you can’t afford to miss.

  • When: Open all year round (book your tickets as soon as you book your flights ASAP because tickets get booked MONTHS in advanced) I recommend visiting during sunset hour to see the palace glowing over Granada.

  • Duration: 1 hour inside the palace and you are open to roam the gardens and Kasbah until closing.

  • Cost: Purchase directly from the Alhambra’s website otherwise you can find more tickets that might be more expensive, but includes an informational up to 3 hour tours.

  • Tips: Strollers are not allowed, wear your cutest outfits as there are the most royal photo opportunities available, bring your camera — it’s impossible not to photograph its beauty.

  • Personal experience: I’ve heard the hype about this gorgeous palace. I totally agree it is a sight that we could not miss. It’s breathtaking. I was blown away when I actually stepped into the palace. The fountains, the courtyards, the endless intricate and embellished details on every corner and rim, fulfills anyone’s dream of what a royal palace should look like. Fortunately we were able to book sunset hour as that was the last time slot available for the day we were spending in Granada, and it was perfect. I recommend booking the last time slot not only for golden hour and the best photography, but also because there is a less of a crowd and you have a high chance of seeing the palace empty and all to yourself. Totally worth every moment of it. You’re left stunned and mesmerized, as I still am. Enjoy!

Mirador San Nicolas is the most famous view point right across from the royal Alhambra Palace, giving you the best skyline views of the city and the palace itself.

Granada Cathedral is Spain’s second largest cathedral and was actually built on top of a mosque. What I found most neat about this cathedral is that you run into it unexpectedly among Granada’s alleys and bazaar shopping.

MORE SITES TO CHECK OUT.

FOOD RECOMMENDATIONS:

Spain Travel Blog | Seville - The Charming City

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Seville is one of the most Spanish and charming cities to definitely visit in Spain. It’s my husband’s favorite and my second favorite after Barcelona. It’s both family friendly and perfect for a youthful night life. Once you go there you’ll fall in love with this cute little city. This city is extremely easy to walk through, you can walk from one end to the other in an hour or less. Be sure to check out the different menus they offer to the standing bar and sit downs in each restaurant. They strictly follow it and the food is amazing for both! I would say to save at least 2 full days to see Seville, but 3 full days will allow you to enjoy everything!

How do you get here? There are many options to getting here either directly by flight at Seville Airport (SVQ), driving by renting a car or by a train, which is most preferred by the locals. Driving through Seville is not recommended since it’s hard to distinguish the roads and correct alley ways. You can walk through most of the city and there are taxis easily available if need be. If you do decide to go with a rental car, make sure you show up on time because they can easily cancel your reservation and most of the time they’re sold out of rental cars.

The Real Alcazar is a royal palace situated near the Sevilla’s Cathedral and built for the Christian King. Game of Thrones was also filmed here! It’s a two minutes walk from our stay at Luxury Seville Apartments and very easy to get to as it’s right in the middle of Sevilla’s old town.

  • When: Open year round except holidays (Monday reservations are generally free during a certain time- more information available here) I recommend visiting it on Sunday when it is the least busiest, when most locals and tourists are busy with the Cathedral and religious activities.

  • Cost: 13 Euros per adult (You can find online tour groups that can provide a variety of pricing based on what you want to see and how. Students and Elderly have discounted rates)

  • Duration: Most tours last about 75 minutes long and you are welcome to pay the entrance fee and go on your own (as we did and it took less time).

  • Tips: I recommend visiting the palace during day light for optimal photo opportunities. It’s not very stroller-friendly as there are a ton of steps, but the first floor is manageable.

  • My personal experience: Since this was one of the first palaces I saw in Spain, I was blown away. I recommend seeing this palace prior to Alhambra (which is in Granada) so that you can really appreciate it’s beauty. It’s a gorgeous palace with Moroccan textiles and designs throughout. In retrospect, I wish we had gone with a tour guide because there is not much information available throughout and there is a ton of history this beautiful palace carries. The designs and architecture really makes you curious as to what went on in these courtyards and halls.

Catedral de Seville is an outstanding Gothic Roman Catholic Cathedral. There are a few famous burials here such as Christopher Columbus and it’s apparently the third largest Gothic church in the world. There’s stairs (lots of them) that you can take to get to the bell tower and have the most gorgeous view of Seville from the top. It’s located right next to the Real Alcazar and right in the center of old town Seville.

  • When: Open year round (for hours and more information click here)

  • Cost: General admission is 9 Euros (there is discount pricing for students and the elderly)

  • Personal Experience: We were only able to check out the Sunday praying room and the Cathedral from the outside because we had my toddler and stroller with us. I would totally pay to see the inside as well if we were able to go climb up to the bell tower, but with a kid that’s more than just a workout haha. If you’re able to I highly recommend checking it out! The gothic architecture is mesmerizing both at day and night. I suggest adding this area to your nightly stroll around town.

Barrio Santa Cruz is the heart of Seville’s old town and located right next to the Real Alcazar and Cathedral. You’ll find a ton of tiny alley shops selling toasted, caramelized and creamy nuts with dried fruit as well as tapas bars in the narrow old Jewish quarters. It’s a gorgeous picturesque little area and if you do Seville right, then you will get lost. Eventually you’ll find your way, but definitely have lunch or dinner in this area before proceeding to finding your way.

  • When: During daylight is best, preferably during lunch time (around 1-3 pm)

  • Cost: You’ll find casual sit-down restaurants to really fancy restaurants all along the same area

  • Tips: It will get hot getting lost in the little alley ways, there’s some shade, but not much. Bring sunglasses and a hat if you’re going in the hotter months. Buy your dried fruit and toasted nuts in this area!

  • Personal Experience: We were lost and came across this area unintentionally, although it was on our itinerary, this was the best way to discover this cute location. The food is really good here — so you can try the authentic Tapas or keep it safe with the more familiar foods. We ate at a casual sit-down since we were on a mission to look for the Real Alcazar (which ended up being 2 minutes from our Seville Apartment, we’re geniuses we know). I absolutely loved the orange and lemon trees. We found adorable little oil paintings by young artists in the alley ways as well as the best toasted nuts. Buy your nuts here! I would not skip this area for sure. It’s the cutest part of Seville.

Plaza de Espana is a historical plaza located next to the largest park in Seville, Maria Luisa Park. It’s gigantic and gorgeous architecture is a mix of Moorish textiles, Baroque and Renainassance revival. Today it serves as Seville’s government centers. There’s a little river throughout the plaza, which brings Venice vibes as you can canoe through it for less 10 Euros!

  • When: Open year round, but we found it to be the least busiest on weekday mornings.

  • Cost: It’s free to walk around outside (both main floor and top floor). The adorable canoe ride is less than 10 Euros.

  • Duration: You don’t need a whole lot of time here, it takes about under an hour to walk through the whole plaza.

  • Tips: If you’re going in daylight, it will get hot as the sun blazes on you. Wear hats and sunglasses for sure. Plan to eat prior to the plaza or after because in this area you’ll find all the overpriced restaurants and food stands.

  • Personal experience: It was an incredible sight to see, especially all the intricate details that make up this gorgeous architecture. I appreciate the fact that Spain still uses their historic buildings and through that it’s been maintained very well. I loved the little balconies and pillars they have throughout. It was very easy to do with our son and stroller.

Metropol Parasol is in the urban and local part of town. This giant waffle structure is neat to check out in person. They’ve got steps for you to walk up and check out the city from the top as well. There’s a whole urban restaurant scene located near by, children’s playground, and even shisha lounges underneath the structure! It’s an easy 15 minute walk to get to from the old town of Seville, especially from the Luxury Seville Apartments - Alcazar.

  • When: Open year round

  • Cost: It’s free

  • Duration: It takes about a half hour or less to check out the whole structure.

  • Tips: There’s a historic restaurant called El Rinconcillo, near by that serves the best Tapas at the standing bar or if you would like to sit down, the tasty Salmon Tartar and other entrees.

  • Personal Experience: The structure was gorgeous to visit during golden hour (right before sunset). It’s great location for photo ops and checking out the nightlife in the newer part of town. We came here more than once, because it’s such an easy walk to get to and as well as a very lively scene to people watch and eat.

MORE SITES TO CHECK OUT (we ran out of time, but I wish we got to see these!):

FOOD RECOMMENDATIONS

  • El Rinconcillo - One of the oldest restaurants in Seville, they have the freshest salmon & avocado tartar and their tapas menu is what they’re known for! Authentic and delicious Spanish food

  • Bar Pelayo - Their tapas and specialties dishes are great. I can’t pick a favorite since everything tasted so delicious!

  • More by Eater.

Spain Travel Blog | Seville Luxury Apartment Rentals (Gifted)

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If there’s anything I can recommend, it is definitely where you stay in Seville. The location matters because this is where you’ll be doing most of your walking from. We were blessed to be able to stay in the most spacious stay (out of all our Spain stays) and most convenient location, The Alcazar by Seville Luxury Rentals. Literally everything is within 2-15 minutes walk from all the monumental sites you need to see in Seville, how amazing! The best part is, the apartment made us feel like we were right at home, in a beautiful and charming city.

  • When: Available year round (September is one of their high seasons)

  • Cost: Anywhere from 115 Euros - 325 Euros. I’ve got a discount for you guys - Use promo code MARIAMSHIBLY and get 10% off your stay (minimum of 3 nights)! This promotion is exclusively available through Mariam Shibly.

  • Duration: We stayed here for 3 nights and 2 full days. I would say 2 full days at minimum is best to view Seville and 3 full days should be enough to enjoy everything!

  • Who: Very friendly and personable staff. They take care of you from the moment you land! They provide you with a staff’s Whatsapp number to constantly speak to if you have any questions or concerns and they respond almost immediately!

  • Duration: In order to see Seville completely, 3 days and 3 nights will be plenty. We were able to see almost everything in Seville in 3 nights and 2 full days.

  • Tips: Book as soon as possible as these apartments are almost always booked due to their convenient location and super spacious apartments. Not to mention it’s SO CLEAN and elegantly decorated. I recommend bring laundry detergent if you’d like to wash and dry your clothes in their machines. They have everything you would be able to use in your home and even better, including bidets in the bathroom, towel warmers, security pass-code for your apartment only, microwave, oven, fridges, cooking utensils and so much more.

  • Personal Experience: Since we stayed in Seville’s Luxury Apartments - The Alcazar, we were spoiled by our fabulous and best stay. We loved how the apartment was so clean and really had EVERYTHING a family would need with a kid. It’s not easy finding accommodation that would be suitable for a family especially in a such a historic and tight city. The location is one of the best features, I can’t stress enough how everything was RIGHT there. It’s either a 2 minute walk or 15 minutes from our very central apartment. We stayed in their 2 bedroom apartment with 2 full bathrooms, a fully equipped kitchen, elevator and a gorgeous balcony that would look out to the main street of Seville’s old town. They have 20 apartments to choose from ranging from one bedroom apartments to many more and different locations. The Alcazar apartment could’ve easily fit two families or two couples without invading each other’s space! Regardless if you’re a big group or not, the Seville Luxury Apartments are key to your stay in Seville. Take advantage of my discount by using promo code or mention MARIAMSHIBLY for 10% off your stay (minimum of 3 nights).