Hey y’all! It’s about time that I spilled some of the details from our Spain trip. I wasn’t quite sure how to best structure the blog post, but I decided to start with a brief overview of the entire trip.
We were in Spain 10 full days, so I am planning to split out each city into a separate post to give you more of the meat. I think would be overwhelming to read a novel from our entire trip, so stay tuned for a few more posts and more pictures!
This post covers a schedule of what we did each day and a brief synopsis of the day. I think this would be helpful for anyone who is planning a 1-2 week trip to Spain. This way, you can get an idea of our schedule and what worked for us!
Table of Contents
SUNDAY // MADRID
We fit A LOT in during our first day in Madrid. The weather was pretty cold and a little rainy, but we made it work. We did end up taking a little cat nap in the afternoon while we waited for some of the rain to pass. We did a lot of eating and drinking while in Madrid due to the weather being pretty crummy.
- 9 AM: Checked in @ Circulo Gran Via Hotel
- 10 AM: Walked to Puerta del Sol
- 10:30 AM: Explored Plaza Mayor
- 11:00 AM: Grabbed a bite to eat @ Mercado San Miguel
- 3:30 PM: Checked out the rooftop @ Circulo de Bellas Artes
- 5:00 PM: El Tigre for tapas and vino tinto
- 8:00 PM: Headed back to Plaza Mayor for more vino tinto
- 9:00 PM: Ended the night at Mercado San Miguel
MONDAY // MADRID
Our second day in Madrid was tainted by some bad weather, but we tried to roll with the punches. It started pouring and hailing when we were in the middle of the park, so that was really unfortunate. If the weather wasn’t terrible, we definitely would have been able to see more of the city.
- 10:00 AM: Breakfast churros and chocolate at Chocolateria San Gines
- 11:00 AM: Walked through the Sabatini Gardens
- 11:30 AM: Visited the Royal Palace of Madrid
- 1:00 PM: Grabbed a bite at Mercado San Miguel
- 2:00 PM: Walked through El Retiro Park
- 5:00 PM: Checked out Mercado de San Anton
- 8:00 PM: Ate an Italian Dinner @ Oven Mozzarella Bar
TUESDAY // MADRID
Our last day in Madrid was the nicest day we had, so we tried to make the most of it. Even though it was still a little chilly, we had a great time. My favorite part of the day was the boat ride in the park.
- 10:00 AM: Row boats @ El Retiro Park
- 11:30 AM: Visited Palacio de Cristal in the park
- 12:00 PM: Grabbed a quick tapa and coffee
- 1:30 PM: Walked to Plaza Mayor for a glass of vino tinto
- 2:30 PM: Another visit to Chocolateria San Gines for churros
- 4:00 PM: Grabbed a few other drinks and tapas at various places
- 7:30 PM: Ate dinner with Alex’s host mom
WEDNESDAY // SEVILLE
Our first day in Seville was absolutely gorgeous. The weather was perfect and we spent most of the day walking around the city and soaking in all the sights. Seville is such a beautiful city with so much culture and beautiful architecture. Even if you don’t have a lot on your agenda, you will enjoy walking around the city.
- 10 AM: Checked in @ AC Hotel Ciudad de Sevilla
- 11 AM: Walked to Plaza de Espana
- 12 PM: Ate a quick lunch
- 1 PM: Visited Torre del Oro
- 2:30 PM: Rooftop Drinks @ Hotel Dona Maria
- 4:00 PM: Walked around the Triana neighborhood
- 6:00 PM: Drinks @ Hotel Alfonso XIII
- 7:30 PM: Flamenco Show @ Casa de la Memoria
- 9:00 PM: Italian Dinner @ Osteria L’Oca Giuliva
THURSDAY // SEVILLE
Our second day in Seville was very similar to the first, except that we had plans to visit El Real Alcazar. It was very challenging to get tickets, but I am so glad we got in! We also went inside the cathedral and climbed up to the top of the bell tower. We definitely squeezed a lot in on our second day.
- 10:30 AM: La Azotea for Coffee
- 11:15 AM: El Real Alcazar
- 1:15 PM: Lunch @ Bar Catedral
- 2:15 PM: Visited Seville Cathedral and Bell Tower
- 3:00 PM: Gelato @ La Abuela
- 4:00 PM: Rooftop drinks @ La Terraza EME
- 6:00 PM: Walked around and did some shopping
- 8:00 PM: Dinner @ El Pasaje Bar
FRIDAY // MALAGA
We scheduled a couple days in Malaga because we felt like we may need some time to relax. We thought it would be fun to sit by the pool or beach for a couple of days! Malaga is quite touristy, but we still enjoyed our time in this beautiful city.
- 10 AM: Arrived in Malaga
- 10:30 AM: Pool time at Hotel Gran Miramar
- 11:30 AM: Lunch @ Chiringuito Tropicana
- 3 PM: Checked in at Hotel Gran Miramar
- 4 PM: Pool time
- 7 PM: Walked into town and explored the area
- 8 PM: Ate Indian food @ Amigos Grill
- 9 PM: Drank wine @ La Taberna del Obispo
SATURDAY // MALAGA
Our second day in Malaga was amazing because we were scheduled to visit the Arab Baths. This was a really unique experience, and I am so glad that we decided to partake. We also explored the beach on our second day and it was quite nice!
- 9 AM: Breakfast at a cafe (the only cafe that was open – haha!)
- 10 AM: Arab Baths @ Hammam Al Andalus
- 12 PM: Lunch @ Lepanto
- 1 PM: Pool time at Hotel Gran Miramar
- 4 PM: Walked along the beach
- 6:30 PM: Drinks at rooftop of Hotel Gran Miramar
- 8 PM: Ate an Italian dinner @ La Pala D’Oro
SUNDAY // BARCELONA
Our last stop in Spain was Barcelona. We took a 5-hour train from Malaga, so we didn’t arrive in Barcelona until the early afternoon. We were able to walk around the Gothic Quarters on our first day and visit Park Guell. My observations from our first day in Barcelona was that everything was so crowded! It was definitely the busiest city we visited the entire trip.
- 3 PM: Checked in @ Hotel Arts Barcelona
- 4 PM: Walked around the Gothic Quarters and grabbed a tapa
- 6:30 PM: Visited Park Guell
- 7:30 PM: Drinks at hotel cocktail bar – P41 Bar
- 8:30 PM: Dinner @ Arola
MONDAY // PENEDES WINE REGION
We spent all of Monday in the Penedès wine region of Spain, and it was the best day ever. Alex pre-booked a tour through Spanish Trails, so we didn’t have to figure this out on our own. It was really nice having an English speaking tour guide who was knowledgable of this area. It was well worth the money spent! It also ended up being a private tour since no one else had booked that specific tour on this day.
- 8 AM – 5 PM: Spanish Trails Wine Tour
- 6 PM: Cocktails @ P41 Bar
- 7 PM: Room service at the hotel (we were exhausted!)
TUESDAY // BARCELONA
Our last day in Barcelona was perfect! We were able to see one of the main attractions, La Sagrada Familia, and we walked several miles around the city. We also found a great brunch location, so it was a great ending to our time in Spain. We took a late afternoon train back to Madrid so we could catch our flight the next morning.
- 10:30 AM: Visit La Sagrada Familia
- 12:30 PM: Brunch and Cake
- 1:30 PM: Walked around Barcelona all afternoon
- 5 PM: Train back to Madrid
- 8 PM: Dinner @ Atocha Tandoori
Our last night we basically just got dinner in Madrid and then went to bed! We were so exhausted from all the travel. It was an amazing trip though.
I think if I did it again, I would spend a little more time in Seville and possibly do another day in the wine region. Those were by far my favorite parts of the trip. I could do without Barcelona if I am being completely honest – it was kind of like the NYC of Spain. To each their own though!
Have y’all ever been to Spain? If so, what was your favorite thing about the country? I would love to hear your opinions!
As always, please leave a comment with any questions you may have!
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