Travel blogs, travel photos and features from Spain
Europe is one of the most dynamic and interesting places to visit in the world—from the picturesque villages of southern Spain to the arctic villages in Scandinavia. Europe’s charms lie not just in the big metropolis cities but also in the small-town villages, the nature trails, the ski resorts and the Mediterranean beaches. There’s truly something for every type of traveler and in every season, too. Whether it’s Europe’s best gay cities or travel tips for Europe’s secret hotspots, get the juiciest and coolest tips here. Start here with my basic travel tips, or jump down below to read my latest Spain travel blogs.
More coming soon!
Here’s the thing about Spain—it’s a year-round destination. Huge tourist crowds flood the country in the summertime when European backpackers flock to Madrid, Barcelona and Andalusia. But the sweltering heat in southern Spain makes summertime travel in Spain challenging (unless you book a hotel with a pool!), so winter in southern Spain is recommended. There are also even ski resorts up in northern Spain, just a few hours drive from Barcelona in the Pyrenees Mountains—so if ski travel is your thing, head that way. Big events in Spain include the gay pride festivals in Madrid, Sitges and Barcelona (Madrid’s is one of the biggest in Europe), La Tomatina Festival outside of Valencia and a series of amazing music festivals in Barcelona such as Sónar Festival, Primavera Sound and Cruilla Summer Festival.
You could easily plan a handful of individual city trips to Spain, but why not book a longer holiday to take in more of the sights, enjoy more of the sunshine and take in that Spanish culture to the fullest extent. Here are a handful of my suggested two week itineraries for Spain.
Learn Spanish! Spain is a great place to learn the language. I’ve taken a few different Spanish language courses in Spain, but my favorite was the month I spent learning Spanish in Andalusia. The Andalusian accent is a bit different than other Spanish regional dialects, but Seville is a great place to base yourself for studying. I recommend the Clic Spanish Courses in Seville.Spain is one of the easier countries to visit as a tourist, thanks to the friendliness of its people. But a lot of people don’t realize just how easy (and enjoyable!) it is to visit Spain. I think that’s what makes it such a popular choice. But be careful: once you visit Spain the first time, you’ll want to return. There’s so much to this country than Madrid or Barcelona, so much more than paella and tapas, so much more than hunky men and flawless flamenco dancers. Spain is as diverse as anywhere else (probably more so), but it’s also quite surprising as a travel destination. That’s what keeps tourists coming back for more, whether it’s on annual holidays to the beach, on cruises, or city breaks to Spain’s sexiest cities. For LGBT travel in Spain, look out for some of Europe’s biggest gay events, parties and festivals in LGBT hotspots such as Madrid, Barcelona, Sitges and Maspalomas on Gran Canaria.
During peak tourist season in Spain, it might be a challenge to find quality, affordable accommodation — but there’s usually decent deals to be found on search engines Booking.com or Agoda.com. The trick is to finding a room that’s not directly in the city center, but in one of the less central neighborhoods (often where you’ll find cool hipster places to stay, anyways!).
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I’m in Spain! My trip has finally begun. The past month has been a bit of a whirlwind. Thirty-one days…
