Spanish Tourist Attractions
Vacation Ideas

La Sagrada Familia is one of the most extravagant though. The building actually tells the story of the coming of Christ and is supposed to look like the wax dripping off of a candle.

Churches dotted every corner and were plastered with hundred year old stained glass that was absolutely beautiful. The people in Spain were also very friendly and helpful, especially compared to other vacations I've been on.

One thing that I really loved about Spain was the subway. It is extremely affordable and easy to use. Spain is just packed full of culture, history, and beauty. A trip to Spain would definitely be worth every penny.

Food is a top Spanish tourist attractions. Spanish food was in full force and the seafood that was available was to die for. Tapas bars were a must and I was consistently finding myself ordering patatas bravas. Then came the nightlife! Barcelona is certainly a place that exemplifies the European party spirit.

Downtown, the beaches, and bars were alive far into the night. When you think of a bar that is crawling all night long, Barcelona is the city to find them. If you have the opportunity to visit, take a day and hit the beach, soak up the sun and enjoy the beautiful Mediterranean.

Enjoy the hot chocolate and churros, try your hand at the best Spanish you can muster, and take in the Gaudy and modern art the city has to offer. Barcelona is a modern, progressive coastal town with all of the food, wine, beer, beach, and art that you need.

I'd always been somewhat of a bookworm, and after reading various novels and short stories by Ernest Hemingway, I'd fallen in love with Spain without ever having been there. The culture, the passion, the romance - all of these aspects drew me in.

My adventure began in Madrid, the capital of Spain. I was initially disappointed. Madrid looked like any other city I'd been to, except with signs showing the kilometers to destinations opposed to miles.

Once I reached the Centro district, the heart of Madrid, I realized that I had been too quick to judge. The architecture of the city was beautiful. Buildings older than American cities stood in stark contrast to the modern stores and people that occupied them. I could have easily spent three weeks walking around central Madrid, home to the famous Puerta del Sol and Plaza Mayor. Before moving on to other cities in Spain, I also visited the Museo del Prado.

Although I've never been a very artistic person, seeing paintings by Francisco Goya and El Grego - among hundreds of other artists - was truly extraordinary. With a few souvenirs in my suitcase, I packed up and headed north to Pamplona. For anyone who watches the news from July 7-14 each year, the city's name must ring a bell. It's home to the festival of San Fermin, made famous by Ernest Hemingway in his novel "The Sun Also Rises."

San Fermin is known largely for the Running of the Bulls, which I experienced during my stay. The festival is very fun Spanish tourist attractions and something that everyone should attend at least once.

Although the streets become littered with trash and the weather can be less than spectacular, it is by far the most outrageous event I've attended. Advice to women, please be careful there! You will almost certainly attract unwanted attention. Aside from this, San Fermin was indescribable. It is one of those things that you have to see to believe.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, including my trip to Spain. For anyone who hasn't been, I recommend going there without a doubt. It is a country with a strong, vibrant culture that is unique to Spain. Every day, I think of another memory from my vacation, and look forward to returning someday in the future.

We booked our trip for mid August flying into Madrid, Spain. Spain, in August, happens to be the hottest place in Europe and Morocco is typically 10 degrees hotter than Spain. My travel companion, it turned out, got sick from the heat. Morocco was out of the question. None of the quaint places we had booked to sleep in were air conditioned.

Air conditioning isn't common in Europe and most Europeans go to the coast In August. My travel companion incapacitated, it was up to me and my handy little netbook to make alternate arrangements. I canceled Morocco. Unfortunately, we lost a bit of money due to the short notice. We hadn't budgeted for both nice hotel stay and travel throughout Spain.

I sure as heck didn't want to watch my pal suffer either. Our answer was Hotel Europa (recommended by the Rick Steve's travel guide). I literally left the Hostal (note in Europe Hostel is a dorm style very cheap place poor students and hip people go to, Hostal is more like a family run bed and breakfast/hotel, still cheap, but more private) we were staying in, carrying our luggage and dragging my pal and walked into the lobby with no reservation.

Hotel Europa is located in the Plaza Del Sol, the center of Madrid life. Not only were the clerks super nice, they spoke English wonderfully (apparently my Mexican based Spanish is complete gibberish in Madrid). We settled in to a nice (reasonably priced room) with a Balcony that overlooked the plaza and an air conditioner. Get a room with a balcony if they have one.

Watching the Spanish people walk through the plaza at night was a sight. Worth it! The breakfast they have at the Europa is the most reasonable and tasty I found while there. The orange juice and coffee are worth the money- cafe con leche is what you say, or you get a very thick black coffee.

If you decide to go to Madrid in August, there are options other than staying in your hotel to hide from the heat. Nearly next to Hotel Europa is La Mercado, a huge shopping complex. It's a combination Bestbuy/Macy's/Grocery store. If you go into the grocery store level you can buy a reusable bag for about a dollar. Everyone who is from Spain uses these when they shop. Having one while you wander around will make you stick out a lost less.

Madrid is home to Spanish tourist attractions like the beautiful Palace and three amazing museums (The Prado, the Reine Sofia, and the Thyssen) all of which are air conditioned. You simply cannot see art like this in the states. Bring your camera because the staff allows you to take pictures. I regret not having my camera in the Dali exhibit I went to.

The Palace offers tours as well, but get there early. The lines are long, but the wait id worth it. Especially for the Palace apothecary stop. It still has most of it's original 'potions' and 'remedies' on the shelves. Finally, don't eat out every meal. Madrid is known for it's amazing Ham. Seriously, it is NOTHING like any ham you have had in the states.

Go to a shop, buy some bread and meat and go to one of the many, many royal gardens open to the public. The scenery is beautiful and the perfect place for a picnic. Even though we hadn't planned on staying in Madrid our entire 'Spain' week, this turned out to be the best leg of our trip. There are plenty of Spanish tourist attractions to enjoy.

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