Spain Cities Travel Guide
ALMUÑÉCAR
SUMMARY
FOOD & DRINKS
La Tralla
Port of Mar Beach -- Boardwalk
ACTIVITIES & SIGHTS
Castillo (Castle) de San Miguel
Peñones de San Cristobal
Playa Caletilla
Parque el Majuelo
COMMENTARY
FOOD & DRINKS
La Tralla
· Cute little restaurant right by the beach
· I got the marinated salmon toast and the avocado and seasoned tomato salad; both were delicious and super fresh
· Great spot for a quick bite or meal before or after the beach
· Really convenient spot and it was pretty cheap
· We went for lunch before we hung out at the beach and since it was February it wasn’t crowded at all; got seated super quickly
Port of Mar Beach – Boardwalk
· We sat on the boardwalk area of this beach and got drinks from one place and picked up hot dogs for another
· Since it was like 5 PM when we got drinks, the place wasn’t serving food besides cheese and chips, so we grabbed hot dogs from another carry-out stand
· Really pretty spot to sit and take in the sights of the beach
· Lots of locals were out because it was a beautiful day! Super lively
ACTIVITIES & SIGHTS
Castillo (Castle) de San Miguel
· Really pretty ruins of an Arab castle
· Most of it is still intact and it has a beautiful view
· Doesn’t take too long to go through, and the views alone are worth it
· The walk up to the castle is also really cool; would definitely recommend setting aside time for a stroll up through the city
o The buildings are super charming and colorful
Peñones de San Cristobal
· Beautiful lookout spot with gorgeous views of the water, beaches, and the city
· There’s a giant cross at the top that’s a pretty significant monument in the city
· Right next to one of the best beaches
Playa Caletilla
· One of the best beaches in the city!
· We went in February but it was a beautiful day so we sat here for a few hours and did a lunch picnic and ended up swimming for a bit
· Water is super blue and pretty
· There’s a cool rocky outstretch into the water as well
· Great spot to swim!
Parque el Majuelo
· This little spot has ruins from a long time ago and a ton of beautiful plants
· I think technically it’s a garden
· We stopped here on the way up to the Castillo and I’d definitely recommend doing that before you start the trek up!
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CÁDIZ
SUMMARY
FOOD & DRINKS
Atxuri
Nëbula
La Tertulia
Charlotte
O’Connell’s
ACTIVITIES & SIGHTS
Playa Santa María del Mar
Cádiz Cathedral
Plaza de San Juan de Dios
Paseo del Vendaval
COMMENTARY
FOOD & DRINKS
Atxuri
· This was one of the BEST restaurants I went to while abroad
· It had Basque food and was amazing (technically “Basque-Andalucían fusion on the website)
· I got the sirloin steak, which was seriously some of the best steak I’ve ever had; they sprinkled it with sea salt and it was to die for; absolutely recommend it!
· I also got the cheesecake for dessert; very good! I just don’t remember it being like out of this world
· Atmosphere is great; it’s cozy but upscale, and if it’s warm sit outside!
· If you go to Cádiz you have to go here
· We didn’t have a res and had 6 people and got in almost right away! But that was in March so if you’re going later in the spring, make a reservation
Nëbula
· So, funny story…
· We went here because they had reservations open and we needed something last minute
· Turns out it was a Marvel-themed restaurant and a little bit more geared toward kids; we showed up in nice going out clothes and there were literally kids in Marvel costumes hahaha
· SO we got a quick cheap drink and left to go to Atxuri
· If you are in dire need of a place to eat, go ahead, but know what you’re getting into lol
La Tertulia
· Cute little café that we grabbed breakfast at!
· I was deathly hungover so I think I would’ve appreciated it and liked it more if I wasn’t hahaha; it was super cute anyways and a good spot
· The avocado and tomato toast was delicious; my croissant was just okay but again, see above point about being hungover
· Cheap and on the way to the beach! Would recommend this place, especially if there’s seats outside
Charlotte
· Great place with beautiful outdoor seating right across from the beach
· Got delicious strawberry daiquiris that really hit the spot! (didn’t taste like there was any alcohol in them though, so they might’ve been virgin hahaha)
· We also ordered some potatoes which were meh, but the nachos were delicious
· Perfect spot for some food and drinks after the beach with a pretty view!
O’Connell’s
· I’m pretty sure that this was the name of the place we went to, but not entirely sure lol
· Fun Irish pub in the city center!
· This was a really lively spot and I had enough fun, but probably would’ve had way more fun if I didn’t have a stomach bug that hit right before we got in and that I made worse by doing Jäegerbombs…
· I’d recommend going here for at least a drink and some fun! They also had karaoke when we went
· We went to another bar too nearby, but I left too quickly to remember what it’s name was because I felt sick
ACTIVITIES & SIGHTS
Playa Santa María del Mar
· This beach was BEAUTIFUL
· The water was super blue and the sand was lovely and white and fine, NOT like the rocky Mediterranean sand in other places I visited (Cádiz is technically on the Atlantic, so that’s why)
· It was a big beach, so we had lots of room to spread out and be by ourselves; but there was also a good amount of other people because it was a surprisingly really warm day in March
· We left another, not great beach to come here and were super happy with this one
Cádiz Cathedral
· We didn’t end up going in but the outside was beautiful and I wish we would’ve, at least to just see it quickly
· Worth a quick hop in!
· Located along one of the main stretches of a path along the water
Plaza de San Juan de Dios
· One of the main town squares in the city center
· There’s lots of pretty buildings and some lovely fountains
· Super cute! Definitely walk through
· Also lots of restaurants, cafés, and souvenir shops located right around here
Paseo del Vendaval
· I wasn’t exactly sure what this was called, but after a little research, I’m pretty sure this is the name
· This is a walkway up on street level but right next to the beach!
· The views were absolutely beautiful with the pretty buildings and the beaches and the water!
· Definitely take a stroll down here! It was just lovely
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CÓRDOBA
SUMMARY
FOOD & DRINKS
Empanadas place
Ice cream place
Tapas place
ACTIVITIES & SIGHTS
Medina Azahara
· Museo Medina Azahara – Madinat Al Zahra
Judería (old Jewish neighborhood)
Córdoba Synagogue
Grand Mosque of Córdoba
COMMENTARY
FOOD & DRINKS
Empanadas place
· I don’t have the name of this place but it was just a little empanadas restaurant right near the Mosque-Cathedral
· The empanadas were delicious and it was a really convenient spot to grab food from and then sit outside of the mosque
· Pretty cheap too!
Ice cream place
· Again, I don’t remember the name hahaha
· This was also a place near the Mosque-Cathedral and there were definitely others nearby too!
· Grab some ice cream after you eat and sit outside
Tapas place
· We also stopped into a restaurant nearby the Mosque-Cathedral
· I don’t remember the name, again, hahaha
· Regardless, stop and grab a tinto! It was delicious here and a great pit stop before more sightseeing
ACTIVITIES & SIGHTS
Medina Azahara (Museo Medina Azahara – Madinat Al Zahra)
· This place was SO COOL and SO beautiful
· The ruins of the royal palace/compound where the king ruled from
· There’s also a museum along with the ruins
· Super cool and definitely a less-visited spot
· There’s also a really interesting and informative video that you can watch before you go in that talks about life in the palace
Judería (old Jewish neighborhood)
· We just walked through here on the way to the synagogue and it was really pretty
· There’s a bunch of cute, aesthetic walls and vignettes to take photos of too
Córdoba Synagogue
· One of only 2 synagogues in Spain today
· It’s really small but a cool spot to swing through!
Grand Mosque of Córdoba
· Oh my God I LOVED this place
· It’s technically the “Mosque-Cathedral” because when the Spaniards conquered Córdoba they built a cathedral right in the middle of the mosque (it’s the only cathedral built inside a mosque in the world!)
· The mosque is also the largest mosque outside of Mecca
· It is just BEAUTIFUL and all the arches are stunning to see in person
· My favorite part of the day in Córdoba!
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MÁLAGA
SUMMARY
FOOD & DRINKS
Taberna Casa Lola (on Calle Strachan)
Bun and Coffee (also potentially just called Bun)
Casa Lola (on Calle Granada)
ACTIVITIES & SIGHTS
Malagueta beach
Museo Picasso Málaga
Centro Histórico
Centre Pompidou
Parque de Málaga
COMMENTARY
FOOD & DRINKS
Taberna Casa Lola (on Calle Strachan)
· This place was delicious!
· We got in pretty quickly at prime dinner time on a Thursday without a reservation
· The “tomate casalola” was really good and the “pinchito gamba” was delicious! The kinder brownie dessert was also delicious
· The food was really good, we split a bunch of things; I split with one of our guy friends who had a huge appetite and I still had more than enough to eat hahaha, so the portion sizes were good too; great find!!
· We all got drinks and a bunch of things to share (everything probably made up more than a full dinner for each person) and it was just under 90 euros for 5 people; so a super good deal
Bun and Coffee (also potentially just called Bun)
· We stopped here for a quick snack during our program trip here and it was good
· My coffee was nothing special but I don’t remember it being bad
· They had specialty donuts and mine was pretty good! I got like the salted caramel chocolate pretzel and it was really good, but a little too sweet (even though I’m not one to normally say that)
· The inside is really cute and it’s a good spot for something quick! Also located in a really convenient spot in the city if you’re walking around and sightseeing
Casa Lola (on Calle Granada)
· I’m not sure if this place was connected to the other Casa Lola, but the menu was different
· Also SO good here!
· The “tomate casa lola” was sooo good, and the “pinchito gamba” was amazing, honestly some of the best shrimp I’ve had, and the aioli with it was to-die-for
· The tinto was really good too! Not too expensive
ACTIVITIES & SIGHTS
Malagueta beach
· One of the main beaches in Málaga
· It was too cold to go in but it seemed like this would be a fun beach!
· The water isn’t the clearest or prettiest, but it also was cloudy in April when we went
· Still seems like this would be a good beach!
Museo Picasso Málaga
· This museum was really cool and also had a lot of history (Picasso was born in Málaga)
· I really enjoyed it!
· It didn’t take a super long time to go through, and was definitely worth the visit
· Near lots of other fun sites too
Centro Histórico
· We just walked through here in between sightseeing and there was tons of shops, restaurants, cool traditional buildings, etc
· Hung out here for the majority of our time here; one group did a lot more sightseeing and hit some big spots but I was super tired and hungry and kind of just wanted to hang out and stay around the center where we had to meet later
o Wish I would’ve seen some of the sights though!
Centre Pompidou
· This was a pretty cool art museum with more modern art
· I enjoyed it! The exhibits were unique and it didn’t take too long
· The art was interesting and I hadn’t seen anything like most of it before
Parque de Málaga
· Not exactly sure this was the right name hahaha but seems like it is based on my research
· We just walked through at the end of our trip and it was really pretty! The fountain we were close to was lovely
· If you’re in the area it’s worth it to walk through
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NERJA
SUMMARY
FOOD AND DRINKS
Calahonda
Portofino Bar & Restaurant
Vitaliano
ACTIVITIES & SIGHTS
Balcón de Europa
Calahonda Beach
Las Cuevas de Nerja
HOTELS
Hotel Marissal
COMMENTARY
FOOD AND DRINKS
Calahonda
· Just a little bakery/ice cream shop right up the stairs from the beach
· I grabbed a smoothie and sandwich from here while on the beach
o Both were DELICIOUS
o Surprisingly fresh and just hit the spot
· Great spot for a quick bite while you’re at the beach
Portofino Bar & Restaurant
· Italian restaurant right above Calahonda Beach with an absolutely stunning view
· I got caprese salad which was delicious and then the Bolognese for my entrée; the Bolognese wasn’t super hot when it was served to me but it was still good
· Great dinner spot!
· Make a reservation if you can and try to sit outside; it’s just so pretty and such good vibes
Vitaliano
· Another Italian restaurant that I went to for dinner
· The food here was delicious and the service was great
· Really pretty spot; you can’t quite see the beach, but you can see the water and the horizon, and the part of town has some gorgeous views of the water
· I went here by myself and the wait time was super quick! Like less than 10 minutes without a reservation on a weekend night!
· Cheap! I got 2 glasses of wine, an appetizer, an entrée, and a dessert for less than 25 euros
ACTIVITIES & SIGHTS
Balcón de Europa
· Really pretty lookout spot that’s a well-known sight in Nerja
· It’s right above Calahonda so they’re super convenient
· There’s also some super cool rocks down below that make such a cool and interesting view/picture op
Calahonda Beach
· The BEST beach
· I was in Nerja for 3 full days and I literally just went to this beach all day every day
· It’s really small but SO beautiful; I was perfectly content here every day
· The view was literally unbeatable and it was a great spot to swim; also great to explore! You could walk through some rocks/sand and get to another beach
· Not too crowded, and it felt really safe here; I went in the water and left my stuff and was not remotely worried about it being stolen
Las Cuevas de Nerja
· I didn’t actually go here but everyone else in our group who went to Nerja did and said it was super cool!
· Like 30ish years ago some local boys were playing soccer and literally just stumbled into discovering these caves
· Would definitely recommend going if you have time based on what I heard
HOTELS
Hotel Marissal
· This was a great find for a little hotel
· It was literally right next to Balcón de Europa and a 1 minute walk from Calahonda Beach
· I felt safe by myself and the room was a perfect size; queen bed and a big bathroom and my own balcony that I could see the water and the town square from!
· My room was clean and the bed was comfy – no complaints!
· Great spot for a short stay for a few people or even by yourself!
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SEVILLA
SUMMARY
ACTIVITIES & SIGHTS
Cathedral of Sevilla
Fine Arts Museum
Plaza de España
Las Setas de Sevilla (The Mushrooms)
Royal Alcázar
La Giralda (bell tower)
COMMENTARY
ACTIVITIES & SIGHTS
Cathedral of Sevilla
· Sevilla’s famous cathedral
· It’s really pretty and definitely a main spot to see
· The area outside is also GORGEOUS; there’s a lovely little garden of orange trees that I loved strolling through
· This is definitely a darker, more baroque style and I liked the Granada cathedral but it was still super pretty and I would definitely recommend going
Fine Arts Museum
· This place was such a gem!
· The art was beautiful and there was a great variety
· Located in the city center so it’s a great spot
· I’d definitely recommend going!
Plaza de España
· This place was SO COOL
· Such a lovely plaza with beautiful views; take photos here!
· We didn’t have time to do so, but rent one of the row boats if you can!
· A scene in Star Wars was actually filmed here which is pretty cool
Las Setas de Sevilla (The Mushrooms)
· I didn’t go up to the top but these are still really cool to see
· Good photo opportunity and I’ve heard the views from the top are great
· Might as well go up to the top if you have time
· Lots of cafés and shops around this area too
Royal Alcázar
· This place is SO beautiful
· Former palace where the royals would live
· The architecture is just so pretty and there’s also outdoor areas that are just picture-perfect
· Absolutely have to stop here
La Giralda (bell tower)
· This tower is attached to the cathedral and absolutely worth the climb up
· The view is STUNNING; you can see the entire city
· So so pretty and I actually really enjoyed walking up
