5 Attractive Destinations in Spain

When we mention a trip to Spain, most often we mean popular Barcelona, which seems to be the epicenter of the unrivaled culture, genius art, and amazing cuisine. Of course, this is true, but what about the rest of the country? Don’t forget that rich and diverse Spain is not limited to Barcelona. We recommend five other not less attractive directions to put on your wish list.

Where: Madrid
What: museums, shopping

The capital of Spain, fabulous Madrid, is quite far from its Catalan sister. It has its own distinct atmosphere, energy, and nightlife, which makes this noisy metropolis one of the most interesting cities in Europe. Madrid is endless. We can describe its architectural marvels and cathedrals or sing the praises of its nightclubs and bars for hours. Each of the items of this program deserves to be a single destination. But now, let’s draw focus on art and shopping. You should definitely dedicate an hour or two to see the Prado Museum collections. No need to visit all exhibitions, but be sure to see the works of famous Spanish artists such as Goya and Velasquez. True art lovers recommend coming on weekends before 5 pm when there are almost no visitors. You will perceive the works of art in a completely different way.

But don’t be limited by art alone. Put on your best outfits, set straight gently the crown of your self-confidence, and head to Barrio de Salamanca. Its special architectural style, beautiful facades, trendy passers-by who seem to leap from the pages of glossy magazines, as if hint that this is the area where the elite live. And where the upper crust live to take toots, expensive shops and restaurants always appear so that these creme de la creme will not turn sour from sheer boredom. Remember the address: Serrano street.  This is the place you go if you dream of shock shopping therapy. Running through Dior, Giorgio Armani, Loewe, Gucci, Bulgari, and Tiffany, pause in the boutique of the famous Spanish jeweler Chus Bures. By the way, his Matador hair ornament created for Pedro Almodóvar’s film made the Bures brand famous. Let the Manolo Blahnik store be a beautiful finishing point of your shopping promenade in Salamanca. Especially since the famous shoe designer has Spanish roots.

Where: Sevilla
What: flamenco

Andalucía, kissed by the southern sun, is famous for many things that have become synonymous to Spanish culture, such as a matador, bullfight, tapas and, of course, flamenco. Moorish rule, which lasted 700 years, could not but affect culture, architecture, cuisine and more than hot morals and dances. You don’t have to travel all over Andalucía. It is enough to visit Seville. It’s a city where you can feel the burning passion in its pure form. If you’re lucky, you may even experience duende (a special state, emotions of the highest intensity).  You never know what you may need for this: a glass of good Jerez or flamenco.

Seville is the unspoken capital of this passionate dance. Although flamenco can not be called just a dance. These are emotions, music, song, performance, and a kind of Spanish tantra in one. They dance flamenco everywhere: in clubs, special bars (called “peñas”), restaurants, cabarets, and concert venues. But our Spanish friends showed us the best places where the dance of passion is performed. There will be a lot of spectators at Los Gallos. They offer a glass of wine here in order to better feel the duende, the state of raised emotional excitement. Famous artists dance here and the show is considered the best in the world.  Only the dancers born in Seville perform at Casa De la Memoria. Allegedly, only the aborigines of the city can dance the most heart piercing flamenco.

Where: Costa Brava, Costa del Sol
What: beaches, resort joys, and wonders

When Salvador Dali was still a very young artist, the Costa Brava coast fully warranted its name. Wild Coast – this is how the name of one of the most picturesque parts of the Mediterranean coast is translated. The coastline is enframed by long pines and the sea air is mixed with the pine smell. But the Costa Brava means not only the sea and the beaches. Here you can find ancient ruins, fishing villages, restaurants where the best chefs cook, and botanical gardens. One can enjoy at Lloret de Mar, full of bars and nightclubs, and the blue-flag beaches of Platja d’Aro. The gastronomic capital of Catalonia is Girona with its famous three-Michelin star restaurant El Celler de Can Roca of the Roca brothers and Montserrat mountain with its Benedictine monastery. They keep the sacred statue of  Black Madonna and have the boys choir where José Carreras began his career.

Costa del Sol, or the sun coast, stretches from Malaga to the Strait of Gibraltar. Resorts here are considered to be the most prestigious and fashionable ones. Celebrities and simply wealthy people have chosen the Costa del Sol as the place where they build their villas. But they were not the first to appreciate the beauty of this area. A thousand years ago, the Moors founded the city of Cordoba here, made it the capital, and built a fairy-tale palace as if from Shahrazad’s tales. Traveling along the southern coast of Spain, you should obviously see their creation – the Alhambra Palace and the beautiful Generalife gardens near Granada.

Where: Mallorca
What: hiking, bicycles and much more

Mallorca can offer a “dish to any tourist’s liking”. It has a collection of postcard views of the Tramuntana mountain range in the west, tropical oases in the north, and deserted picturesque beaches in the east… But if you are fond of adventures, take a bike or even rent a car and go exploring the Sierra de Tramuntana range. This place was added to the UNESCO list in 2011 for its historical, landscape, and ethnic values. Stop in picturesque villages, meet interesting people, try fantastically prepared seafood and local wines, and you will have just the perfect trip.

Let the starting point of your adventure be the city of d’Andratx with its narrow streets and baskets of palm leaves skillfully made by local craftsmen. Drop in two picturesque villages of Banyalbufar on the way to the next point of your program, Valldemossa, just for the unusual house: tall and narrow, with shutters painted green. When you get to Valldemossa, make a small detour to Cartuja, where the famous couple, Chopin and George Sand, had rested in the 15th-century monastery. Before continuing your way, try le coques de patata (potato buns) at Panaderia Can Molines.  Drive further to Port de Pollenca, have a snack at one of the restaurants along the embankment, and you can end your journey on Cape de Formentor, which looks like the land’s end.

Where: Ibiza
What: joy under the sun

If Majorca can be compared to an elder, calm, and cool-headed brother, Ibiza is a younger, thoughtless, and reckless one. If you want to drink, dance and go to bed at sunrise, this is the right place for you. Well-furnished beaches, tennis courts, golf courses and finally – the most attractive – dense rows of bars, restaurants, and discos. The daily routine of holidaymakers looks something like this. Diving, windsurfing, fishing, spa and some fashionable beach during the day. For instance, Playa de las Salinas. You will never find such a concentration of fashion-persons with perfect bodies anywhere else. The most interesting things in Ibiza happen in the late afternoon, which we recommend to start enjoying a beautiful sunset at the famous Cafe del Mar and continue at a nightclub.

Top 5 Most Joyful and Popular Clubs

Pacha is the most famous and popular one. It was the first in Ibiza, and now there are 70 branches of Pacha discos. Several dance floors with different styles of music can accommodate a total of five thousand people. If the names Frankie Knuckles, John Digweed, David Morales, Paul Oakenfold mean nothing to you, remember that this is a list of star DJs who are practically regulars here.

Privilege was put on the Guinness Book of Records for a record number of visitors. 10,000! If you get tired of physical activity, you can relax in the pool or with a cocktail in a chill out area under palm trees.

Es Paradis is popular with its glamorous design and music programs. Do not miss the Fiesta Del Aqua, when the lower dance floor is filled with water and dances smoothly turn into swimming.

Amnesia organizes a Manumission on Fridays when the club is overcrowded. This is understandable as no other clubs arrange such shows. By the way, not only dancers and jugglers are worth looking at, but also freaky and incredibly colorful characters in the crowd.

El Divino is a very worthy place where celebrities like to spend time. So if you want to meet a “cover face”, come here.

Ibiza is definitely a place to relax. Just everyone has a different idea of relaxation. For someone, it’s dancing till you drop, for others, it’s peaceful idling on the beach. What we want to tell is that the island has a quieter northern side, where sun-drenched secluded beaches and villas are hidden by flowers and lush greenery.