What should I see,
where should I go,
where should I stay?
Portugal is an option too… any Doper travel hints?
Thanks!
If Spain I recommend Benalmadena, Costa del Sol.
Find The Zodiaco Complex which is near Pepes Bar about 800 yds from the front.
It is a large complex of about 6 apartment blocks named after various Zodiac signs, ask for a guy named Les Parker at the main desk.
With a bit of luck he’ll find you an apartment for about £50 per week but you have to pay him with UK£ or US$
Pools galore, nightclubs, bars, restaurants and ahem one or two ladies.
Best of luck
Oh yes, Les will also drop you off at the airport when you vacate.
Cadiz (in the southwest) is a lot of fun. Beautiful beaches, a zillion bars, and bus ports to everywhere. You’re not far from Gibraltar, either, so if you’re anxious to spend some time with the British, you can.
I could speak at length about Portugal, but it really depends on how much time you have there and what your interests are. It’s hard to beat Lisbon for a walking/tram tour. You can see most of the architectural and historical sites in a few days, including Belem, Geronimos, Sao Jorge Castle, etc. Lisbon has an old-world feel to it. You can eat fairly cheaply if you stay out of the tourist traps in the Fado District.
There are plenty of small sidewalk cafes, but the food was pretty iffy when I lived there. The Portuguese are regrettably poor cooks for a nation of fishermen. Some of the best red wine, cheese and bread on the planet, however.
With a little luck, I may be able to spend a week in Portugal… hopefully a few days in Lisbon & a few days in the countryside. Thanks for the insights!
Barcelonaaaaaaaaaaaa!
I do envy you.
I second Barcelona.
However, if you´re going to Portugal, you might want to check out the west of Spain - Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña… beautiful, and you can have great fish and incredible wine on a low budget. But it´s not your typical sunny Spain, it´s lush and green and rainy.
The south of Spain is a lot cheaper than the north, you can usually dine on the tapas you get with your drinks. I could certainly recommend a trip from Galicia (in the north) through Portugal to southern Spain; Sevilla, Córdoba, Cádiz…
oh, I agree with gouda on the envy, too…
There are many cheap pensions (B&Bs) in Portugal, as well as posadas, which are converted castles and monasteries. If you are going outside of Lisbon, I would highly recommend the hilltop walled city of Obidos and a trip to the Serra da Estrela mountains. Close to Lisbon are Queluz, which is a wonderful example of Manueline architecture and the Moorish castle, which is a fine old ruin. The castle at Belem is a beautiful gingerbread thing sitting on the Tejo River just outside of Lisbon. This site describes many of the above locales.
Ignore spogga. Stay off the Costa del Sol completely, unless you want to spend your entire holiday around extremely drunk and obnoxious English speaking tourists.
Sevilla is fantastic. Go there.
The Alhambra for sure, if this is your first trip. It would be really easy to spend all two weeks in Spain, but if you’re determined to make it to Portugal as well, I’d go for a roughly D-shaped loop starting in Madrid, heading south to Sevilla and Granada and then up through Portugal toward Santiago de Compostela, and then back to Madrid. (The downside of this route is that it doesn’t take you anywhere near Barcelona, of course, but there’s a limit to what is humanly possible in two weeks.)
Oh, and about accommodations, there are tons of cheap guesthouse / pension-type places. As a bonus, they tend to be run by chatty old ladies who know everything about the city you’re visiting, although this may not help you much if you don’t speak Spanish.
Many restaurants have a set menu del dia (usually three courses and wine) which is a fantastic bargain, so keep an eye out for ones that look tempting.
Toledo, Barcelona, Seville. Only hit Madrid long enough to see the Prado (start on the third floor with The Garden of Earthly Delights and work your way downstairs).
I was there last year, and my parents just got back!
No, you have to stay in Madrid long enough to experience the nightlife. I’ve lived in London and New York and I was still astonished.
If you’re on a limited budget, speaking Spanish is a big plus.
When are you going? Spain has the most fascinating, and even bizarre festivals! One is a tomato fight. One has thousands of drums playing at the same time. Then there is the Easter festival: Semana Santa. Running of the bulls. Lighting lots of temporary structures on fire simultaneously in a town. Etc. If you can include one of these events, you’d have more fun, better photos, and get a better feel for the people and cultures.
Locations depend on your interest. Beaches? History? Night life? I agree that Madrid has an awesome night life.
Check out Eurotrip. com for ideas, budget stuff, etc.
Barcelona is my favourite. I also stayed there completely free since I’m an Esperantist.
I can give you the address of a cheap and very good hostal in Madrid if you like.
An invaluable resource: