Explore Spain
Discover the beauty of Barcelona, Granada, Seville, and more, on a budget
What we loved most about Spain: gorgeous historical cities and buildings so well preserved! The beautiful gardens! The friendly Spanish people! The affordable and delicious Spanish food! The culture! We could go on and on.
Granada:
Historic Charm in the heart of Andalusia
Granada was hands down, my favorite part of Spain. I had been told not to visit Granada in the summer is it was too hot, and to head to the beaches of Malaga and Marbella instead. However, I couldn't rule out Granada because I had waited a lifetime to see the Alhambra, ever since I had learned about it in my Spanish class in school. So, off to Granada we went. I knew we had made the right choice as we wandered through the Alhambra complex. Gorgeous, intricate Moorish designs in the Nasrid Palace so well preserved from centuries ago made us feel as excited as kids in a candy store. Every room of the palace was just another beautiful treasure to be discovered. The Generalife gardens, also part of the Alhambra, were no less impressive with incredible flower gardens, manicured trees, and amazing views of the Nasrid palace.
After exploring the Alhambra, we took a bus to the narrow, winding streets and whitewashed homes of the the Albaicín. This beautiful neighborhood, across the valley from the Alhambra, has been around for centuries as well, and still retains the same medieval street plan since it was constructed. There you can enjoy gorgeous views overlooking the city and the palaces. Being the old Arab quarters, delicious Middle Eastern cuisine can be found at a variety of restaurants in the Albaicin as well. Highly recommend!
Inside the Nasrid Palace
Cordoba and Sevilla:
Madrid
OUR STORY
Barcelona
We have
Where to stay, how to get around
Flights: Download your Hopper App to watch for deals, and be flexible about the cities you fly in and out of. We were able to get non-stop tickets from Miami to Madrid, Spain for only $500 per person round trip, on AirEuropa through the Hopper App.
Accommodations: I highly recommend AirBnbs in Europe for families, as European hotels generally are much smaller than hotels in the states. I booked each of our AirBnb stays for under $100/ night, for accommodations that slept 5+
Transportation: I used the Omio App and the Trainline App every time we needed to book intercity travel. I found the Trainline App usually tended toward better deals, but sometimes the Omio App did. FlixBus was also one of the cheapest ways to get around.