by Wendy
Lots of us have limited vacation days at our jobs, or restrictions on how many days we can take off at one time. I’ve heard friends say it’s not worth it to go to Europe for one week. I strongly disagree! There are many wonderful itineraries you can put together for a one week trip (really 9 days, if you count both weekends).
In a series of upcoming posts, I’m going to write about three different and equally awesome week-long vacations my husband and I took in Spain. We spent a lot of time researching and considering different routes and destinations, so I wanted to share a summary of our results with you.
1. Madrid – Seville – Cadiz – Madrid
2. Madrid – Barcelona – Cadaques – Madrid
3. Madrid – Cordoba – Valencia – Barcelona – Madrid
Gorgeous Madrid was our gateway to Spain
You’ll notice a couple things right off the bat. First, Madrid is always part of the equation. It’s the easiest city in Spain for us to fly into, offering a nonstop from the states that was within our budget. Try to build your week-long Europe trip around a major city that you can fly into with two or less stops. We fell in love with Madrid on the first visit, so we were always psyched to go back.
Second, we never left Spain once we got there. There were a few moments during the trip planning when we let our imagination run loco and think, I’ll visit a city a day in Spain and then hit Gibraltar, take the ferry to Tangiers, or maybe I can go to Portugal for a weekend…but this kind of rushed travel is often logistically unrealistic, and not really our style. Try to build some time into your itinerary to walk around and see what catches your eye – this can truly be as fun as visiting the tourist spots, if not more. Wherever we go, we try to stay at least 2-3 nights per stop. And always end up wishing we were staying longer.
So, trip #1 Madrid – Seville – Cadiz – Madrid
Outside our Seville hotel room
In 2010, we visited Spain for the first time and were smitten. This route takes you though the Southern part of Spain known as Andalusia. We spent one night bar hopping in Madrid before taking the high-speed train (about 2½ hours) to Seville (Sevilla).
When you picture Spain in your mind, chances are you are envisioning something like Seville. Narrow cobblestone streets, the lush gardens and intricate architecture of the Alcazar palace where Columbus met with Queen Isabella and where Amerigo Vespucci worked, the old cathedral where some say Columbus is buried, the Plaza de Espana, the Guadalquivir river running through the city, the whitewashed buildings, the bullfighting ring, the sweet churros, the incredible tapas, and the paella. You can smell the oranges and olives as you walk through the city. The opera Carmen and story Don Juan have scenes here. And Seville was the setting of one of my favorite dinners ever in a quiet, romantic courtyard, sitting with my sweetheart at a little table under the trees and starry sky, drinking wine, enjoying amazing paella and feeling so happy to be in such a special place together.
Plaza de Espana
The coastal city of Cadiz
Another view of the Cadiz waterfront
After 2 days in Seville, we rented a car for a road trip to Cadiz, one of the oldest cities in Europe. This coastal city is about 90 minutes from Seville, and it was interesting to drive through the country at our own pace. We learned it’s worth it to pony up for a navigating device – we got lost looking for our hotel, which was outside of Cadiz in an area called Chicana de la Frontera. We split our time here relaxing by the pool and exploring the port city. We watched the fisherman hauling in fresh seafood, wandered around the markets selling the daily catch (incredible selection), looking at the Moorish architecture, gazing at the fortification walls, and pointing out colorful tropical birds. We learned this area was a popular spot for British tourists, and noticed many a hotel and restaurant bedecked with the Union Jack flag.
After two nights in Cadiz, we drove back to Seville and dropped off the rental car. (Again, get the navigation device. Give yourself extra time and ensure you know where to refuel the car before returning it, to avoid a fine. Trust us.) We caught the train back to Madrid for the rest of the trip. I love big cities, and Madrid is a sophisticated, lively city. Old churches, beautiful buildings and busy plazas, great museums. Be sure to spend some time at the Prado, and definitely make an effort to see Picasso’s Guernica at the Reina Sofia (tip: most museums have English websites where you can research the free admission times, and many are closed on Monday). We stumbled upon the eclectic CaixaForum, with rotating free exhibits (we saw one one about the Italian film director Fellini).
The cool wall of greenery at CaixaForum
And the Madrid food scene – oh man, I get kind of misty-eyed and nostalgic thinking about it. We highly recommend the Mercado San Miguel, an indoor market lined with tapas stalls and other vendors. This place gets seriously crowded, but the energy is part of the charm. We grabbed a couple of huge glasses of wine, perched on a corner of the building, and took turns going to purchase various tapas to share. Stop by one of the Museo del Jamon locations (Ham Museum!) if you are not a vegetarian. Spanish serrano ham is famous, and you can crowd around the long counter underneath ham hanging from the ceiling, order a delicious ham sandwich and glass of wine for a few euros, and watch locals shopping the stalls for groceries. We loved walking around, bar hopping and people-watching near the Plaza Mayor, Plaza del Sol and the Grand Via.
Hotel info
Madrid, I love you!
Note: we stayed at these places in 2010. I’m sharing their info because they were all excellent and if I were to go back, I would check if they were available (and if current reviews/price were comparable).
Hotel Atlantico in Madrid – this place was an amazing bargain. It was part of the Best Western chain when we stayed there. Not sure if it still is, but we’ve tried to book this hotel on subsequent visitis to Madrid, and it’s always been full. So they’re doing something bueno. Very comfy bed, simple but decent size bathroom, tons of complimentary toiletries (even Hotel Atlantico brand perfume and cologne!), friendly staff, rooftop bar with beautiful views. The location is GREAT. Very central, and though you might see a few shady characters here and there, we never felt uncomfortable. We walked and took the subway everywhere except for taxis to and from the airport. Lots of excellent shopping options up and down the historic Grand Via.
Alma Sevilla Hotel – Hotel Palacio de Villapanes – we splurged a bit on this one, but it was worth it. This is a former mansion turned into a hotel, and it was so unique, peaceful and elegant. It’s tucked away on a side street, but still fairly close to most of the sites if you don’t mind walking a bit. Our room door opened out to a balcony overlooking a tiled courtyard. Designer toiletries (ours were Bulgari). Everything in the minibar was complimentary. As we were getting ready to go out one evening, I heard a quiet knock on our door, and opened it to a kind women from housekeeping delivering a package of sweets.
Barcelo Sancti Petri Spa Resort – As it was September, and the end of their busy summer season, we got a good deal on this resort outside of Cadiz. Great pools, beachfront, a couple of restaurants on-site – including an Irish pub and bowling alley! The room had the weird combo of twin beds pushed together to make a king bed – I guess this is fairly common in Spain. There were not a ton of dining options in the off-season, and we didn’t see much within walking distance. However, after staying in Madrid and Seville we liked having a couple of days to slow it down a little. The hotel bar serving tapas was fine, and the pub with the bowling alley and pool tables was very fun. We bought pints and burgers, and learned their hamburger was truly a “ham” burger.
Would love to hear from others who have designed cool week-long itineraries in Spain – or other countries! Stay tuned for the next two installments of my Spain for one week series.