Spain Travel Guide

Spain travel guide flagSpain is situated on the Iberian Peninsula of Europe and has been the home of humans for 35,000 years. The Iberian culture developed independently, but also have influence from the settlements of the Phoenicians, Greeks and Carthaginians. Then in 200 BC the Roman Empire took over and ruled the land for 7 centuries. Once the Western Roman Empire fell in the 5th century AD, the Visigoths ruled until the beginning of the 8th century when almost the entire peninsula was conquered by the Moors of Morocco. The Moors ruled parts of Spain for 800 years, but from the beginning the Reconquista of Spain was started by the Christian rulers in the north.

Spain travel guide - Cordoba - Mezquita

Mezquita in Cordoba is a mosque turned cathedral

The Reconquista was completed on 1492 and corresponded with the Spanish Inquisition and Christopher Columbus’s grand voyage. All of these things combined to shape the modern Spanish culture and resulted in Spain become the world leader in the 16th and 17th centuries. During the 18th and 19th centuries the county regressed in power and by the 20th century had lost all its colonies and European holdings outside the country. This cumulated into the 1936 Civil War that brought Francisco Franco to power, where he was the dictator until 1975. Since then democracy and the Spanish Monarch have been restored.

Helpful Info
Population – 46,700,000
Money – Euro (as of Sept 2018 US$1 = 0.85; current rate available at XE.com)
Language – Spanish
Religion – 66% Catholic & 29% non-religious
When to go – Anytime but July & Aug can be busy
World Heritage Sites – 47 – Alcalá de Henares, Alhambra, Antequera, Antoni Gaudí works, Aranjuez, Aragon, Atapuerca, Ávila, Azahara, Burgos Cathedral, Cáceres, Cave of Altamira, Cordoba, Cuenca, Doñana NP, Escurial sites, Forests of the Carpathians, Garajonay NP, Ibiza, Las Médulas, Lugo, Mercury, Mérida, Mont Perdu, Oviedo monuments, Palau de la Música & Hospital de Sant Pau, Palmeral of Elche, Poblet Monastery, Rock Art of the Med, Routes of Santiago, Salamanca, San Cristóbal, San Millán Yuso, Santa María de Guadalupe, Santiago de Compostela, Segovia, Siega Verde, Serra de Tramuntana, Seville, Tárraco, Teide NP, Toledo, Tower of Hercules, Úbeda & Baeza, Valencia, Vall de Boí, Vizcaya Bridge
Country formed – unified under the Catholic Monarchs on 20 January 1469
Spain travel guide - Granada - Alhambra

Part of the Alhambra in Granada

My Visit

I got the opportunity to visit Spain in 2017 with my girlfriend. Since we only had 2 weeks and were coming from Morocco, I choose to have us concentrate on southern Spain (known as Andalusia) before entering Portugal. We later spent 4 days in Barcelona.

Likes, Dislikes, and Recommendations

Spain travel guide - Barcelona - Gaudi - Parc Güell

Parc Güell by Gaudi in Barcelona

There is so much to like in Spain and the Andalusia is filled with Moorish inspired architecture and history. The cities of Malaga, Antequera, Granada, Cordoba, and Seville are not to be missed. Barcelona is quite special, with the renowned architect Antoni Gaudí having several buildings and adding to the Barcelona landscape.

Spain travel guide - Seville - Cathedral - Columbus Tomb

Chistopher Columbus’s tomb in the Seville Cathedral

One thing to be aware of is the siesta and how late the Spanish eat! For breakfast they will simply have toast and coffee and lunch should be eaten around 1-2pm. After that it seems like the entire town shuts down for several hours. It is very difficult to find a restaurant that will serve food before 8pm.

Soon you can get even more helpful hints by watching the travel videos I am making for Spain. Also, you can read what all I did during my time in Spain in my blog posts below..

All Blogs From Spain

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