12 Day Spain Solo Trip
I LOVE Spain. I love most all of the places that I have traveled to in Europe but there’s just something about Spain. It’s cool to be able to understand the language and the food is delicious but the people are amazing, every place seems to be more beautiful than the next, and it just feels so familiar to me. Back in October I visited Barcelona (which i adored because it reminded me of California) and I have been itching to get back to Spain since.
This trip was 12 days and I visited Valencia, Sevilla, Madrid, and Santiago de Compastelo (Galicia). Honestly, there are still so many places I want to visit in Spain but you can only do so much in 12 days. This is how I split my time:
DAY 1 Fly to Valencia
DAY 2 Valencia
DAY 3 Valencia
DAY 4 Train to Sevilla (4 hour long trip)
DAY 5 Sevilla
DAY 6 Flight to Madrid (midday 1 long flight)
DAY 7 Madrid
DAY 8 Madrid
DAY 9 Flight to Santiago (1 hour flight)
DAY 10 Santiago
DAY 11 Santiago
DAY 12 Flight to Madrid then back to Brussels
Most people, I don’t think, would spend that long in Santiago especially in February because it is rainy 24/7 but my best friend is from Galicia and I was meeting her and her cousin so naturally, I wanted to spend ample time with them. This itinerary can def be adapted to be longer or shorter. Some day trips I would have done if I had more time: Alicante from Valencia, Toledo from Madrid, Granada from Sevilla. All of Spain is incredible so you really can’t go wrong.
VALENCIA
I stayed right next to Valencia North train station with a friend and it was such a great location. Valencia isn’t a huge city but there are a few different neighborhoods and you will be walking a lot. The bus and metro system is great though if walking isn’t your thing.
TO DO:
- explore Russafa, El Carmén, Benimicalet
- Climb up the Micalet Bell Tower (only 2€ for amazing views)
- Mercad Central
- Paella Cooking Class
I took a fantastic traditional paella Valenciana cooking class at Escuela de Arroces y Paella. We took a trip to central market to pick up fresh ingredients for the paella, learned step by step how to make it, and ate alottttt. It was delicious and surprisingly simple but a sacred Spanish dish/technique that I’m happy to know now. I highly recommend this class to anyone visiting Valencia. - Bioparc (great for a run/walk/picnic)
- City of Arts and Sciences
- Head to la playa (the beach!)
RESTAURANT RECS:
- Panaria (chain with decent sandwiches)
- Monterey Disco: chilorio, al pastor, taco el mexiquense, tostada chilanga – taco night wednesday and thursday
- Horchateria Santa Catalina
- La Rentaora Bodega (tapas)
- Cafecito (lunch in russafa quesadillas juice etc)
- Bluebell Coffee Roasters (russafa i got a blueberry kombucha)
- El Carabasser (in benimicalet)
- La Mosqueta (cozy place for a drink and snack in benimicalet)
- Berlin Club (russafa)
- XL playground
- Radio City (Carmen - diff live music throughout the week)
Oh, a note about the train so you don’t almost miss it like I did...get there early! If you’re leaving outside of the SJO station, you’ll have to go thought a security type thing and scan your ticket so it’s better to leave a little time just in case it’s really busy.
SEVILLA
A bit about my hostel because I’m not sure I’ll ever stop raving about it. I stayed at Hostel One Catedral right in the heart of the historic Santa Cruz neighborhood. About a 5 minute walk to the Alcázar and Catedral of Sevilla...GREAT location. I felt welcomed into the Hostel One community from the minute I walked into the door. Not only are the accommodations really nice for a hostel but things like dinner, morning snack, daily walking tours, and bar crawls are all included as well FOR FREE. It almost seemed too easy to make friends here. Everyone that I met, staff and guests, were so welcoming friendly and just open to new friendships. I think this hostel is what made my time in Sevilla.
TO DO:
- wander the beautiful streets of Sevilla (seriously...i had the best time just wandering and admiring the beautiful colors and blue sky)
- Head to the river to watch sunset
- Real Alcázar de Sevilla
- Las Setas
- Catedral de Sevilla
- Flamenco Show at Museo del Baile Flamenco
RESTAURANT RECS:
- Bodega Santa Cruz
- Salt and Sugar (tea and cookies - i got sweet squash jam pastry and a traditional sugar cookie)
- Milk Away (smoothies, açaí bowls, etc.)
- Mercado Lonja del Barranco (food hall on river)
- Herbolario Esensias de Sevilla (amazing tea)
- Jester coffee and juices (Açaí bowl!)
- La Bartola (tapas hipster vegan options) - triptico de salmorejos vegana (typ cold Andalusian veggie dips), chipirones con verduras (squids with vegetables)
- La Cacharreria (cheap yummy and healthy breakfast)
I really loved Sevilla. I wish I could have stayed longer to be honest. There were some things (going up to the top of the cathedral, visiting the Triana neighborhood, and taking a trip to Granada) that I wish I could have done. But no regrets over here...I’ll just have to visit Sevilla and Hostel One sometime again soon :)
MADRID
You can buy a tourist transportation pass when you get to the airport for the days that you’re in Madrid. Although Madrid is easily walkable, the public transportation is really really good and I found it nice to have the option to take buses or metros especially after walking so much.
TO DO:
- Walk and shop around the Malasaña neighborhood
- Plaza Mayor and Plaza del Sol
- La Casa Encendida (free contemporary art museum)
- Retiro Park / Crystal Palace
- La Real Palace / La Catedral Alumena
- The Prado Museum (i didn't go but I heard it's amazing)
- Museo Reina Sofia (free entry if you're a student!)
- Watch the sunset at Parque del Oeste
RESTAURANT RECS:
- Oven Mozzarella Bar (homemade linguine with pesto and shrimp, good pizza)
- Mercado de Anton Martin
- Mercado San Miguel
- Federál Cafe (good breakfast and lunch, very hipster - i got green juice and porridge bowl)
- Mür Cafe (really cute looks good for breakfast, homemade cake, good tea)
- Tiki taco (Comparable to Takos Al Pastor aka cheap GOOD tacos but way less crowded)
- Honest Greens (not Spanish at all but by far my favorite restaurant I've been to in all of Europe...I dream about this place.)
- Chocolatería San Ginés (BEST churros I've had in Spain)
- Pum Pum cafe (really hispter; good eggs bennie)
- El cambalache (empanada)
- Delic Cafe
- Salon des Fleurs (the cutest tea shop filled with flowers and delicious cake)
- Ojalá (this is a MUST. the decor is so cute and the food is delicious; great for drinks)
Madrid reminded me a lot of New York. It was fast paced, filled with restaurants and tons to do, and a place that would never get boring. I liked it, don’t get me wrong, but it reminded me of any other big city. I really loved Retiro Park. I also really loved Malasaña because of all the cute boutiques.
Santiago de Compastelo
There’s a bus that runs every 30 minutes from the airport to center of Santiago. For a round trip ticket, it’s €5.50 and take about 30-45 minutes. Plus you get to see some of the Spanish countryside :)
TO DO:
- Plaza de Galicia
- Catedral de Santiago
- Museo de Podo Gallego
- Mercado de Abastos (make sure you go in the morning)
- Walk around and peep into all the cute boutiques
RESTAURANT RECS:
- Airas Nunes (cute café with good combos of tea + juice + biscotti, etc - cakes look good)
- La Flor Cafe (the CUTEST PLACE EVER YOU HAVE TO COME HERE)
- La Pepita Burger Bar
- Blú Cafe
- Mercado la galiciana
- TS - A Casa (really great vegetarian food)
- Benboa (good breakfast combo really cute but food was nothing amazing)
- Bar La Tita (free tortilla with a drink)
- Amazonia (really cute tropical cocktail bar)
- Tertulia (Cafe breakfast)
- Viezo Enxevre (good traditional Spanish food)
Going into this trip, seeing Galicia was probably what I was most excited for. My best friend, Gaby, is from Louro which is about an hour from Santiago de Compastela and in the past three years of our friendship, being in Spain together only seemed like a distant dream. But it finally happened :) While I didn’t get to visit her town (just means I’ll have to go back again!), it was so fun getting to hangout with her family and see her in her element. And since we are living in different countries this year, it was great to spend time with her as always.
My trip to Spain seemed to last forever and go so quickly at the same time. I am leaving a bit of my heart in Spain. For some reason, it just feels like home. I feel like I am meant to be in Spain. Each city showed me something new and I truly have no complaints about the trip. I loved solo traveling. I loved meeting up with old friends and making new ones. The food was incredible. Every person that crossed my path was so kind. And i had a blast practicing my Spanish. Now back to Belgium AKA back to real life haha! I am excited to get back into the swing of things but these past 12 days have felt so effortless and a bit like a dream so of course I don’t want it to end.