Madrid
Pick up a rental car at Atocha Station — it's a great central starting point, and there's a beautiful vertical garden by Patrick Blanc right nearby.
Church of Saint Jerome the Royal, situated between the Prado and Retiro Park
Vertical garden by Patrick Blanc — near Atocha Station
Giant baby head sculptures at Atocha Station
Yummy bakery — Calle de San Pedro, 9
Enjoying jamón on our Airbnb rooftop, yum!
Retiro Park
Retiro Park
Broccoli trees in Retiro Park
The Prado Museum
Entrance to the Prado Museum
An artist on site!
One of Da Vinci's Mona Lisas is in the Prado
Royal Palace of Madrid
Plaza Mayor — Caluana restaurant nearby is recommended
Picasso's Guernica is in the Reina Sofía Museum, near the Prado — a must see!
Bodega de los Secretos
A cool wine cellar transformed into a restaurant near our Airbnb. The duck was amazing! In the 17th century this winery sat at the border of Madrid. Restorers discovered 3 clandestine passageways used to smuggle goods into the city to avoid taxes — and later to escape troops during war.
The duck was amazing!
Mercado San Miguel
Mercado San Miguel — so fun!
We are not beer drinkers but LOVED cerveza limón
Also recommended near the Airbnb: madrid1 — a great local spot
Toledo
Quick Takeaways
- If driving to Toledo, stop at the Mirador del Valle overlook on Carretera de Circunvalación — fabulous view of the city, and there's a restaurant for drinks and snacks
- The cathedral and audio guide are a must — there are two lines: one for your ticket, one for the free audio guide. Bring your own headphones or they'll charge you
- You MUST eat at Botero — best meal ever! Book reservations, it fills up fast
- Free parking: go to Incurnia Street near the river — look for the orange lines (not green, those are for residents). About €5/day; weekends after 2pm are free
- Other restaurant recs: Embrujo, Clandestina, La Orza, La Cabala, Venta de Aires, Cardenal, La Cave, Entre 2 Fuegos
The view from the Mirador del Valle — stop here on your way in
Toledo Cathedral
Begun in 1226 under Ferdinand III, built on top of a Muslim mosque. A magnificent example of medieval Gothic architecture.
Our Airbnb, "The Cave" on Calle Pozo Amargo 20, right near the cathedral.
Botero — Best meal in Spain!
We let the chef cook for us and had the most amazing dishes and drinks — all for about €100.
Goat cheese salad from Fazula
Good bakery by the cathedral
Follow our street down to the river for free parking
Granada
Quick Takeaways
- Om Kalsum at C. Jardines, 17 — wonderful small restaurant serving Moroccan & Middle Eastern tapas. Order the meatballs!
- Only city left in Spain where you get a free tapa with each drink you order
- Stayed at "The Lover's Workshop" at C. San Juan de los Reyes, 80 in the old Moorish quarter near the Alhambra — getting there with luggage was tough on the winding cobblestone hills
Córdoba
Hotel
The Mezquita
Ronda
Our favorite small city in Spain.
View from our back deck
Driving through the narrow streets to our apartment — second door on the right
Front door to our Airbnb — Calle Virgen de los Remedios 36
Back deck with view of the Puente Nuevo
Interior view of the Puente Nuevo
View from bedroom
Night view of the Puente Nuevo
View from apartment below
View from opposite side of bridge — we even captured the rainbow!
Casa del Rey Moro Gardens
Outside the Casa del Rey Moro gardens entrance
We saw a peacock roaming free!
Evan really liked it here!
Check out the funny figures on the facade
Iglesia de Santa María de la Encarnación la Mayor — converted from a former mosque
As we were leaving Ronda — gorgeous countryside
Las Maravillas — Yummy Paella
Yummy paella at Las Maravillas at Carrera Espanel, 12. Tragatá at Calle Nueva, 4 was highly recommended too but was closed the night we were there — will have to go back!
Sevilla
Quick Takeaways
- Alcázar is a must see — bring a bag lunch to eat in the gardens. We thought it was even more impressive than the one in Granada
- Mercado El Postigo — an art market on C. Arfe, perfect place to buy gifts
- La Brunilda Restaurant — be sure to make a reservation
- Bar Alfalfa — tiny restaurant on C. Candilejo with great vibe and good food
- You must see a flamenco show while in Seville — we got tickets to La Casa de Flamenco, a 15th-century home-turned theater
- A bike tour is a great way to cover a lot of ground in this big city — we used SEEBYBIKE Tours and our guide was fantastic
The Alcázar
The Alcázar is surrounded by this impressive wall
Once you go through the Puerto del León entrance you see this second entrance ahead
The Patio de las Doncellas looks similar to the one in the Nasrid Palace in Granada
A celebration of Mudéjar architecture
Amazing ornate plaster work
Green Jewish stars in the tile work — evidence of Jews and Muslims working together in the Umayyad Caliphate
As you enter the gardens, hanging wisteria greets you
Bring a picnic lunch to enjoy in the lush gardens — you can't do this at the Alhambra!
There is a maze in the gardens! Much trickier to find your way out when you're shorter than the hedges
Right next to the Alcázar is the Santa Cruz area — the oldest part of the city
If you look closely, tile work is everywhere!
Evan enjoying Tinto de verano — red wine mixed with lemon soda and orange & lemon slices. Really refreshing on a hot day!
Seville Cathedral — Largest Gothic Cathedral in the World
Replica of the 4,500 lb bronze weathervane atop the Giralda tower — "Giraldillo" means "she who turns"
You can climb to the top of the Giralda — there are ramps instead of stairs so that horses could be ridden up. No building in Seville is allowed to be taller
You will see flamenco on the streets — but you should also see a proper show!
Interior of the cathedral
Columbus' tomb is in this cathedral (forgot to take a pic, lol!)
Exit of cathedral with Moorish architecture
These red marks were discovered when the exterior was cleaned — archaeologists believe they date from the 14th century. Rumor has it they were made of blood!
Our Airbnb & the Neighborhood
On Calle Santa María la Blanca in the Santa Cruz district — perfect location, and the deck was a great place to relax and take in the city.
View from lower roof deck
View from upper roof deck
Façade of our Airbnb — ours was the top two floors, you can see me waving from a balcony!
Church directly across from us — couldn't help but hear church bells, lol!
Calle Mateos Gago — the tree and cafe-lined street leading to the Giralda from our Airbnb
Semana Santa
We were in Seville a few days before Semana Santa — the week leading up to Easter. Huge statues representing the Passion of Christ take to the streets in processions lasting up to 12 hours. Others in the procession wear robes with conical hoods which bear a striking resemblance to the K.K.K. We were assured there is no connection!
School children do mock parades to learn about the tradition
A bit scary!
Display in a store window
Bike Tour Highlights
Plaza de España
Colorful tile work — Art Deco style with Moorish touches
Tobacco factory turned University — our bike tour guide goes to school here!
Interior of a random church
Plaza Salvador
Plaza Alameda de Hércules
Using existing column in building
We saw those round "wheels" everywhere — they used what they had to create walls
Random courtyard
Another beautiful random courtyard
Typical yellow and white used throughout Seville
Street across from our Airbnb
Exterior of our Airbnb with the yellow and white accents
Restaurants
Bar Baratillo — great meal with interesting decor!
Taberna del Alabardero, C. Zaragoza, 20
Excellent meal at La Brunilda — C. Galera, 5
List of recommended restaurants from our bike tour guide
Algarve, Portugal
Quick Takeaways
- Boat ride of the caves is a must — make sure the boat is small with rubber sides so you can go inside the caves, or better yet, kayak. We used AllBoats
- Albufeira was convenient because we could walk to the marina, but I wouldn't recommend the town itself — it was touristy
- If you end up in Albufeira have a meal at Prazeres
- Tavira is a small town on the coast definitely worth a visit
The Caves!
Inside Benagil Cave with AllBoat tour
It's important that the boat has rubber sides so you can go into the caves
Albufeira
Bar Portas da Villa — fun place to stop for a drink
Owner decorated the exterior and interior with shells he collected on the beach!
View of the old town from on top of the tunnel leading to Praia do Túnel (Tunnel Beach)
View of the Albufeira Marina
View from deck of Airbnb
Our street with colorful tourist "train"
An elevator takes you down to the beach!!
Paella and the most amazing monkfish ever! (Prazeres)
Wonderful family-owned restaurant
That's Sophia, the owner's daughter — she was lovely and the seafood cataplana was delicious
Tavira — Worth a Stop
We stopped in Tavira for lunch on our way from Seville to Albufeira. Beautiful!
Lisboa
Quick Takeaways
- Download the Rick Steves audio walking tour to get the lay of the land
- Have lunch at one of the booths in Praça da Figueira — get pastel de nata from Confeitaria Nacional across from the market
- Purchase the 24-hour bus/train pass so you can hop on and off with a swipe of the card — buy it at a small tobacco shop
- Wander the maze of cobbled streets in the Alfama district in the evening to hear Fado music
- LX Factory — great place to shop and have lunch
- The Museu Nacional do Azulejo (Tile Museum) is a must see, located in the Alfama district
- Ginja — a sweet cherry liqueur off Rossio Square, served in chocolate shot glasses by old women all over the Alfama
The Rua Augusta Arch celebrates the reconstruction of Lisbon after the 1755 earthquake
Commerce Square
The bronze statue of Joseph I of Portugal, King during the Great Earthquake
Church of St. Dominic
Star of David outside the church of Sao Domingos — honors the hundreds of Jews killed in the 1506 Easter Slaughter
Praça da Figueira
The gorgeous facade of the Rossio Railway Station
A beautiful square where a street musician was playing a Damien Rice song!
Ruins of the Carmo Convent — destroyed in the 1755 earthquake, now an archaeological museum
The Santa Justa Lift — gets you from the Baixa neighbourhood to the Bairro Alto district
Traditional Lisbon street lamp
Night view from our Airbnb in the Alfama District
You can see the Tagus River in the background
Near the Sao Jorge Castle — great shops, restaurants and peacocks!
Orange trees are here too!
About to take the funicular — it beats walking, and you can use the day pass
Castelo de São Jorge up on the hill in the background
Admiring the sights during our Rick Steves walking tour!
The yellow trams are one of the best ways to move around Lisbon
24-hr train/bus pass — a must!
LX Factory
Portuguese Pavement (Azulejo)
These tiled streets and sidewalks are in danger of disappearing — not only can they be incredibly slippery, but there are fewer and fewer tradespeople interested in learning the backbreaking art of maintaining them. The word azulejo stems from Arabic roots, meaning "small polished stone."
Tile Museum — Museu Nacional do Azulejo
Tile is everywhere you look!
Food & Drink
Ginja bar off Rossio Square — a sweet cherry liqueur. Old women sell it in chocolate shot glasses all over the Alfama section
Pastel de nata — yum! Monks used egg whites to starch the nun's habits and needed a use for all the egg yolks — so these were created!
We got Pastel de Nata at Confeitaria Nacional bakery
Bacalhau — dried salted cod. Doesn't look appetizing but once soaked in milk and prepared it is delicious!
Cod fritters — another tasty treat!
Wonderful stand at the Praça da Figueira Market
Best sandwich of the trip!
Great cheese that we bought at the market
Lovely meal at tiny Mozambique restaurant Roda Viva in the Alfama section