Spain

Official Language: Spanish Currency: Euro

Andalucía Barcelona Madrid Valencia

Located in the Iberian Peninsula in Southwest Europe, and the second largest country in Europe, is Spain. To the East is France, to the West is Portugal, and to the South across the ocean, is Africa. With coastlines on both the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea (Straight of Gibraltar), water lovers like myself have bountiful options on where to go and explore here. The official language in most of Spain is Spanish, though Barcelona’s official language is Catalan – what seems to be a mix of Spanish and French. 

Spain has a ton of history that is evident in the architecture, food, places of worship, and many historical sites. The vibe in Spain is unlike much of Europe. It is generally much more laid back, with most shops and restaurants closed in the afternoon hours. As annoying as this was at first, within a few days, I really started to embrace and appreciate the ‘siesta’ time. 

With this said, siestas (naps), fiestas (parties), tapas (small share plates), paella and sangria are the words I would use to describe this incredible country. Spain very quickly made its way to the top of my list of favorite countries in Europe, so if you’re thinking of going to Spain – book it. Check out the info and galleries below on each of the cities for my highlights!

Andalucía

In southern Spain lies Andalucía – an area of 8 provinces, and some amazing cities including Seville (the capital), Granada, Malaga, Cordoba and Cádiz. Tapas, flamenco, and even bullfighting to some extent are all largely Andalusian in origin, and all have had a significant influence to make Spain what it is today. The Andalucían area very quickly became my favourite in all of Spain. It was under Moorish rule during the 8th to 15th centuries before the Spanish inquisition in 1478. As a result, Moorish influence is dominant in its historical architecture, including notable sights such as the Alhambra and Generalife in Granada and the Real Alcazar Palace in Seville. From the tapas, drinks (sangria anyone?), nightlife, beautiful beaches & sunsets, the surf, and the weather — everything you are looking for can likely be found in Andalucía.

Andalucía is one of the hottest areas of Europe, with some cities averaging 36°C+ in high summer temperatures. Europeans flock to this area during their summer vacations, and it’s easy to see why once you get there. The laid back ‘siesta’ lifestyle, incredible tapas, delicious (not to mention cheap) wine, and historical landmarks around every corner all make Andalucía an amazing place to visit or live.

Check out the links below for highlights on different cities within Andalucía!

Seville

Granada

Barcelona 

The historic city of Barcelona, is a must see when visiting Spain. The history, vibe, and amazing architecture throughout will leave you wanting more. Barcelona is one of Spain’s major port and commercial centre’s and is known for being abundant in museums, cathedrals, old historical monuments, and rich history. 

When you visit Barcelona, there are a ton of things to do to fill up your days. Explore the infamous ‘La Rambla’ shopping street and food market, visit a museum or art gallery, get lost in the old gothic quarter streets, visit the Barcelona Cathedral, watch the magic fountains, take a stroll through Ciutadella Park to the Arc de Triumph, go to the beach, hike up to the Bunkers for the sunset over the city, eat all of the tapas and drink a lot of wine, or admire one of many architectural masterpieces designed by Gaudí like the Basilica of La Sagrada Família or Park Güell. There are really no ‘bad’ ways to spend your time in Barcelona, but if you want to see and do as much as you can here, I would recommend staying at least 4-5 days.

The architecture in Barcelona is unlike anything I’ve seen. Everything from a gothic quarter with a maze of tiny cobblestone streets, arches, and an impressive gothic Cathedral, to some very creative buildings and cathedrals, most notably designed by Antonio Gaudí. With the quick expansion of Barcelona, came huge problems with the little space that people had to live back in the day, causing many sicknesses and deaths as a result. The government needed to look for a solution, and fast - In comes Catalan engineer Ildefonso Cerdà and his utopian-socialist views. The buildings outside of the old city walls (which were mostly demolished for health reasons in 1844) are patterned in a unique way, called Eixample (meaning expansion). This design kick started the entire world of Urban development as we know it. Example is still in place in Barcelona today, and is characterized by 45° corners, creating wide, octagonal street blocks, within a geometric grid pattern. The chamfered corners was a creative idea to better deal with increased traffic and improve visibility, even though vehicles were not yet prominent here. From a bird’s eye view, the buildings look like a postage stamp repeated over and over again. This pattern also helped to prevent large gaps of inequality, spreading out populations equally, helping with both ideological and public health concerns. Credo’s idea catapulted Barcelona to the huge urbanization success story that it is to this day.

Another major difference between Spain and Barcelona itself is that Barcelona is an autonomous, Catalan community. In the late 1970s, the Catalan language was recognized as an official language and with new regional self-government; a new Catalan cultural was revitalized, bringing with it a new understanding of the variety and complexity of Catalan culture that is very prevalent today. A few weeks prior to my arrival in Barcelona, there were violent protests throughout the city calling for the independence of Barcelona from the Spanish government. 9 separatist leaders had been jailed, sending hundreds of thousands of Catalans into the streets with independence flags. What started out as a peaceful protest quickly turned ugly, for days on end. This kind of rally goes to show how a community can unite and fight for what it really wants – though it still has a ways to go in order to get there.

With the incredible sights and many tourists in Barcelona comes one bad thing worth noting, and it is especially bad here — pickpocketing. I had been warned about it before getting here by basically everyone, so was well prepared for it and got lucky that nothing of mine was stolen. When you’re in the tourist traps (La Ramblas, Gaudí architecture areas, cathedrals, etc.) be extra careful with your belongings. The people here are experts in what they do, and it can happen SO quick. Be weary of anyone with a clipboard – they’ll tell you that you dropped something (as what they tried to do with me), ask for a signature, etc. and pick anything up that they can – sometimes going to the extreme of a slash and grab. Don’t leave your cellphone sitting out on the table when you’re eating at a café outside during a meal, and have your wits about you when you’re out at night. Most importantly though, if it does happen to you – don’t try and fight back, as these people can turn violent if challenged. Hopefully as a traveler you would know not to have too many valuables on you, and the ones that you do carry should be spread out so that if it happens you don’t lose EVERYTHING that you have on you. Here, you have to be willing to lose it if you carry it around with you. During the day, I generally travel with my PacSafe daypack, which is slash proof, and comes with a unique lock that at least can buy me some time in the event someone does try anything. PacSafe has a great reputation and you can get different bags in all shapes and sizes depending on your needs! Keep your bags in front of you, closed, and don’t flaunt any serious cash in front of people. Following these tips should help prevent you from falling into their ‘traps’, but ultimately use your street smarts and you should be a-okay to explore the diverse city.

Gaudí - the genius behind it all

Antoni Gaudí is a legend in the architecture world, and Barcelona is home to many of his masterpieces. A man that challenged the norms of architecture, he quickly rose to fame with his unique building styles and extensive symbolism in his work. The Sagrada Família is one of his most impressive works of art, which is still being built to this day. Construction began on the Basilica in 1882 and they hope to be finished construction in 2026 – nearly 150 years later. His design focused on nature and light, which were his 2 main sources of inspiration throughout his career. He spent 12 years dedicated to designing the Basilica and its towers before Gaudí was hit by a tram and killed in 1926, only a quarter of the way into the project.

Other notable works that Gaudi did was the Park Güell and two houses along La Rambla – Casa Batlló, and Casa Milà. You can visit all of these sites within a day in Barcelona, but it would be a full day, and it isn’t cheap to do so. You can buy tickets to each online, and it is a good idea to pre-book all of these if you want to be able to see them all. Tickets for the Gaudí sites sell out well in advance, so to avoid disappointment, get them early!

Sagrada Família

Everything in the Basilica design was carefully thought out and planned, as he used symbolism in all of his works. They have currently completed the central cathedral and have completed 8 out of the 18 towers (The 8 towers of the Passion & Nativity facades). Once complete, 12 towers will represent the 12 Apostles (creating the 3 facades), 4 towers symbolic of the Evangelists, one designated for the Virgin Mary, and the highest, central one representing Jesus Christ. 

Gaudí did significant research in order to design the Basilica and its support system. The result of his research is a branched, tree-like column structure, once again, symbolic of a nature. What you will walk into is a cathedral resembling a stone forest, with expansive amounts of natural light streaming through the vault and large windows. The layout is the shape of an expansive Latin cross, created using 5 naves. Columns inside representing the trees are made of different materials – the biggest columns are made of red porphyry, a hard volcanic rock.Basalt creates the dark, somewhat smaller pillars, and granite columns supporting the lightest and outermost row of pillars in the church, are from the mountain of Montjuic, in Barcelona. 

In the same way that each one of the façades is powerful symbolic, the layout of the central church is also full of symbols, very evidently inspired by light and nature. The stained glass windows were planned with colors depicting the different times of day lighting up the central nave with amazing colors and reflections. Behind the nave, in the apse, is the altar, in the light of the many windows of the apse and naves around. Every door, column, window, and almost every area has its own symbolic significance. This symbolism refers to the individual Catalan and Spanish dioceses, to the apostles, to the pronounced religious founders and saints, the sacraments and virtues, and to nature.

The oldest, Nativity façade (face or side) represents Life, with the focus on the Birth & Childhood of Jesus Christ. The façade design depicts stories with the Virgin Mary and growth of Jesus, and was intentionally designed to face the rising sun in the NE as symbolic of the birth of Jesus Christ. Gaudí was still alive to see 1 of the 4 towers completed on this façade, and the façade was completed in 1935.

The passion façade is the newest set of towers and was only recently completed in 2018. This side has a completely different look than the original Nativity. This side was designed purposely by Gaudí, and was carved from simple stone, using straight, firm lines to form boney and rigid shapes symbolic of a skeleton. He wanted to lend the idea of death and despair on this façade, showcasing the brutality of Jesus’ death, the complete opposite of the Nativity façade.

The 3rd façade once complete will be called the Glory façade, representing the Glory of Jesus and the Road to God: Death, Final Judgment, and Glory. Once complete, the Glory façade will have the tallest of the towers.

Over 5 million tourists visit the Sagrada Familia every year, making it the second attraction in the world (2nd only to the Great Wall of China). A ticket into the Sagrada Familia starts at 17€, and if you want to climb either the Passion or Nativity façade and have an audio guide or tour, goes up to 32€. They only give you an option to climb one of the two sets of towers per ticket – and you have to decide which façade to go up in advance when booking online. With 5 million a year visiting, its best to pre-book your ticket in advance to ensure you get the package that you want – and that it’s not sold out on the day you plan on visiting (a common thing in summer high season).

Casa Batlló, Casa Milà, & Park Güell

More monuments with Gaudí’s ingenious behind their design include Casa Batlló, Casa Milà, and the Park Güell. All of these are worth a visit while in Barcelona, as they are all very different.

Casa Batlló, is a creative house and easy stroll down La Rambla. Its nickname is the house of the bones, or masks, and was completed in 1906. The building is characteristic of the Example, but allows more natural light into the building. His design is quite colourful and textured on the outside, and at night has lights shining over the exterior lighting it up for an interesting perspective. The house is likely to have a decent size crowd in front of it so you’ll have to be patient to get those IG worthy shots.

The interior of the house is also quite impressive, so if you want to see some very unique interior design work, it’s worth the ticket inside. The cost starts at 25€. 

Although Gaudí’s next noteworthy house is officially called Casa Milà (a family initiate in real estate), it is commonly known as La Pedrera, a nickname derived from the buildings exterior similarities to an open quarry. The building took 6 years to complete, and was finished in 1912. Visiting Casa Milà will bring you inside the Gaudí Interpretation Centre where you can learn about his many works, and his inspirations behind them. You get to visit the Warrior rooftop, Whale attic, see the Flower & Butterfly courtyards, visit the Milà family apartment, and more.

Park Güell was a private, garden city originally planned on covering 15 ha, where Gaudí designed the infrastructure and services throughout. Sadly, the city was never completed — only 3 out of the 60 residential plots were sold, one of which he bought himself. What was built, was 2 porter lodges and a large staircase up to Hypostyle Hall (city market planned location). Beautiful benches line the boardwalk above, and provide a spectacular view over the city of Barcelona. An entry ticket here will cost you 10€ (22€ if you want a guided tour). Outside of the main ‘Gaudí’ area at the park (the part that you have to pay for), you can see many other interesting works that are certainly worth a visit. Plan to spend a couple hours in the park, especially if you want to have time to check everything out!

Gaudí has many other works throughout the city, so these are just some of his most popular pieces. You can check out many more all around the city, so don’t be afraid to check out more, or different ones than just these to get a true sense of what Gaudí was really about.

Sitges, Spain - A day trip from Barcelona

Here’s the sitch – Sitges (pronounced Sit – yes) is a small town on the coast just outside of Barcelona, Spain. This town is known for Bacardi, its nightlife, and its laid back vibe. An easy 30-minute train ride from Barcelona (or a few hours from Valencia) will get you here for the day or weekend. Sitges is small enough that you can easily walk throughout the cobblestone streets and historical buildings into the wee hours of the morning.

Sitges is one of a kind. It is also known as the ‘gay capital’ of Spain, but you’re in for a great time here. The ‘bar’ streets are in the center of town, and offer up tapas, cocktails and beers. The main square (Plaza del cap de la Villa) and streets that connect to this are full of cafes and restaurants to stop for a drink and snack. Generally these bars are less likely to solely cater to the LGBTQ+ community, instead welcoming all. 

If you are looking for bars that are more specifically gay, head to Career Primer de Maig. To give you an idea of what it is all about - It is known by the locals as the street of sin. During the day it is lined with people sitting outside the bars, eating tapas, and watching the world go by, and at night it is the busiest street in Sitges.

Another connection to Sitges is Bacardi Rum. The founder of Bacardi was originally from Sitges, and in 1862, founded Bacardi in Santiago de Cuba, before moving production to the world’s largest distillery in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where it still remains today. In homage to the founder, they have built Casa de Bacardi, a ‘museum’ if you will, in Sitges where you can go to learn more about the company, see how the rum is made, and discover how to make some great Bacardi cocktails, before making your own. The tour cost starts at 15€, is a great way to spend the day and tickets can be ordered online in advance or purchased there. They also offer tours in different languages, and welcome kids to join, so everyone has the ability to check it out.

Madrid

As the Capital City of Spain, Madrid is a powerhouse in the International world. A visit to Madrid could be short, but the longer you spend, the more you will come to enjoy the city. Take in all the sights and get the history about the Spanish Empire that was dominant in the 16th and 17th centuries.  

Take a walk to the Royal Palace, the largest Royal Palace in Western Europe, or visit the Temple of Debod, an ancient Egyptian temple that was (re)built in Madrid. 

Puerta del Sol, a huge square next to the Post Office, is where you will find many street performers, people dressed up for photos (like the ever popular ‘Casa De Papel’ masked robbers) and is a central hub to get around the city. For nightlife and shopping, head to Gran Vía, Madrid’s cultural, shopping, and entertainment district, and stumble onto a square that resembles Time Square in NYC. 

Madrid is home to one of the World’s most popular art museums in the world – the Prado – and Retiro Park sits directly to the East. This park is a stunning green space (with the trees full of shades of reds and yellows in the fall) that is home to the oldest tree in the city (planted in 1633), as well as the Crystal palace; an iron and glass pavilion in the heart of the park. 

For the foodies – grab a cup of (overpriced) coffee in Plaza Major to soak in the atmosphere and people watch or read a book, before heading over to the Mercado San Miguel for some tasty food. The market is not your traditional food stall market, but rather a culinary feast to try out some of the best that Madrid offers. Tapas bars are set up inside, with everything from beer, cheese, meat & seafood, coffee & pastries, and traditional tapas like patatas bravas. For dessert — head to Puerta Del Sol to the Chocolatería San Ginés for some churros con chocolate — a classic Spanish treat for your tastebuds.

 Valencia

La Tomatina, Paella, and the 3rd largest city in Spain ... sound familiar? It should, and it all revolves around Valencia. Located on the Mediterranean coast of Spain only a few hours by train south of Barcelona, is the meca known as Valencia. Originally founded as a Roman colony in 138 BC, it was occupied by the Moors in 714 introducing many valuable systems, customs and traditions to the area. In 1238 the Christian King conquered the city, split the land between the people who helped him overthrow it, and created the ‘Furs of Valencia’ - new laws to govern by. Taking after Barcelona, the city of Valencia also resembles much of the Eixample design, but to a lesser extent.

The City has such a long history and has many things to enjoy when you arrive, such as Paella or Orxata (it’s where they born, after all), the new City of Arts and Sciences (Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències), beautiful blue flag beaches, and if you can time it right - La Tomatina, a tomato throwing fight/festival held every August just outside of the city, in Buñol, or the Falles festival held in Valencia in March. 

Historic sights in the city are plentiful and can easily be walked between most. Take a stroll by the Valencia Cathedral, which was built from the 13th-15th centuries and stop by the Basilica of the Virgin next to it. The Torres de Serrans & Torres de Quart towers were part of the wall that once surrounded the city, and climbing any of the towers within the city can give you great lookout points over the old town. The Llotja de la Seda (the Silk Exchange market) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the Central Market here is one of the largest in Europe. For a bit further of a walk, head over to the bull fighting ring, and the railway station, Estació Del Nord, which was built in a Spanish version of Art Nouveau style and is rather impressive architecture. Get lost in the old streets of the Barrio del Carmen neighborhood where you will find historic buildings that date back to the Arab and Roman times. Grab a cup of coffee in any of the old squares (or at Dulce de Leche café) and watch the world around you as time flies by here! 

If you want to take in all the Valencia has to offer, you can do so in anywhere from 3+ days, depending on how in depth you want to see it and how quickly you want to move around. Its better to stay central to the old town and walk or Uber to the City of Arts & Sciences or to the beach, as this is where you’ll likely spend most of your time.

If you’re into the Arts & Sciences or modern (or futuristic) architecture for that matter, definitely plan to spend a day (or 2) at the new City of Arts & Sciences. It was designed by Valentian Santiago Calatrava and Félix Candela and is home to an opera house/arts center, L’Hemisfèric, an IMAX cinema & planetarium, a science museum that resembles a whale skeleton, and the largest oceanographic park/aquarium in Europe. Next to the ‘city’ is a bridge named after Calatrava himself that fits right into the theme of the buildings nearby. The complex is on the former Túria riverbed that was drained and redirected after a severe flood in the late 1950s, which has now been converted into a city park. The buildings first started construction in 1996, and the last building opened in 2009. The city is made up of the following:

L’Hemisfèric is the IMAX Cinema & planetarium, built to resemble a giant eye, as in ‘the eye of knowledge’. It was the first building completed, in 1998.

El Museum de Les Ciències Príncipe Felipe is an interactive science museum resembling the skeleton of a whale, completed in 2000. On the main floor is a basketball court and a view of the Turia Garden that surrounds the building while the second floor is the ‘Legacy of Science’ exhibit. The third floor is known as the Chromosome Forest as it shows the sequencing of human DNA, as well as is where the Zero gravity, Marvel superheroes and Space Academy exhibits can be found.

L’Umbracle, completed in 2001 is an open-air structure with a landscaped walkway surrounded by indigenous Valencia plants as well as an outdoor art gallery.

L’Oceanogràphic, is an open air park and the largest oceanographic aquarium (most of which is underground) in Europe. It was built in the shape of a water lily, is reminiscent of Gaudí’s work, and each building represents different aquatic environments from around the world. It is home to over 500 different water and wetland bird species.

El Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia was completed in 2005 and is a performing arts and opera center dedicated to theatre, opera and music. It has 4 areas within it; the main hall, master hall, Martin y Soler theatre, and the auditorium.

L’Àgora was completed in 2009 and was the final piece of the city. It is a covered plaza that sporting events, conferences, and concerts are held. 

Within the center of the city is a long pool of water, with sculptures within featuring 7 women designed by Jaume Plensa (anyone from my home in Calgary may recognize his work from the ‘Wonderland’ statue in front of the Bow Tower). The women’s gazes are all inward, creating an introspective moment walking past.