Local Tips for 10 of the Best Places to Visit in Spain

Of all the countries I've explored on my travels, Spain is the country I've visited most often. During my time there I’ve had a stab at Flamenco dancing (it wasn't pretty), tried cooking tapas (which was very tasty) and enjoyed lots and lots of sunshine.

I've also picked up tips for lots of different destinations, 10 of which I’m going to share with you right now.

1 Barcelona – Explore the Gracia neighbourhood

Photo courtesy of Oh Barcelona

Neighbourhoods like Eixample, Barri Gotic and El Raval (all close to Las Ramblas) are all worth visiting, but if you want to experience Barcelona like a local, you need to visit Gracia. It wasn’t until 1897 that this part of the city became part of the Barcelona, but even though it is now connected, it still maintains a village feel. The best places to soak it all up are its squares – this neighbourhood has around 15 of them. Notable ones include Plaça Rius I Taulet where the town hall stands and Plaça de Sol where the locals like to party.

2 Granada – The best place to catch a sunset

Photo courtesy of Thomas Munter

Granada is where you will find one of Europe’s most stunning attractions, the Alhambra. If you want to visit, take note that you'll need to buy your ticket in advance – two weeks in peak season. If you forget, you can always visit the ticket office at the crack of dawn on the day you want to go. But that isn't my tip. My insider tidbit is to go to the lookout known as Mirador de San Nicolas for the best view of the Moorish masterpiece. It looks particularly stunning at sunset.

3 Malaga – Soak up some culture for free

Photo courtesy of Mario Sanchez Bueno

The majority of people who fly into Malaga leave again for one of the resorts along the Costa del Sol. But they’re missing one of Spain’s most beautiful cities. The Centro Histórico is where you’ll find the Roman Theatre, the Cathedral and Calle Alcazabilla with its cafés and bars. But if culture is your thing and funds are low you’ll be happy to know that you can explore Museum del Patrimonio Municipal, the city’s heritage museum, and the city’s Centre for Contemporary Art for free.

4 San Sebastian – Surf’s up in Playa de Zurriola

If you want to avoid the tourists who flock to the centre of San Sebastian (known as Centro), go to the top of Monte Igueldo for the views and watch the surfers (or even join them?) in Playa de Zurriola. Located in the Gros neighbourhood, newbies are catered to with a number of surf schools.

5 Alicante – Holiday with some Spaniards

Photo courtesy of David Wiley

The aforementioned Costa del Sol is where thousands of holidaymakers flock to every summer from Ireland, England, Germany, Scandinavia and other European quarters. If you also want to enjoy the sunshine but want somewhere a little more authentic, the beaches in and around Alicante are where to set your sights on. Then as the sun goes down, you’ll love the atmosphere at night in the bars and pubs around Plaza San Cristobal, Calle Labradores and Calle San Pascual.

6 Madrid – Invest in 10 metrobus tickets

Photo courtesy of LC

As you would expect since it is the capital of Spain, Madrid is a big city. It’s a very big city in fact. And while there are beautiful, small areas packed with the quaintest tapas bars, there is a lot of ground to cover, meaning you’ll need to utilise public transport. A single journey will cost you between €1.50 and €3, depending on what zones you’re travelling. But before buying a ticket, do your homework and see if you’d be better off buying a book of 10 tickets which will bring down your transports costs.

7 Valencia – Don’t pay into the city’s modern art gallery

Photo courtesy of KΛ13

My favourite type of art gallery is a modern art gallery, especially a free one. Valencia’s Institut Valencià d’Art Modern isn’t always free…just on Sundays. Located on Calle de Guillem de Castro, this fascinating gallery houses both permanent and temporary exhibitions that focus on photography, abstraction, sculpture, pop art and more.

8 Ibiza – It isn’t all partying and clubbing

The island of Ibiza, not far off the coast of Spain from Valencia, has a reputation for being a hedonists’ heaven. It's is where the world’s hardest partiers come to go crazy each summer. While there is an element of truth in this, most of the revellers spend their time in and around San Antonio. But visit Ibiza Town, and you’ll spend time with locals.

9 Seville – Get a short-term subscription for the ‘Sevici bikes’

Seville has an extremely convenient local bike service similar to Dublin’s ‘Dublin Bikes’ and Paris’ ‘Velib Bikes’ known as ‘Sevici’. How they operate is pretty simple – you buy a short-term subscription valid for seven days for €13.33 (or long-term for €33.33 that’s valid for a year) at one of the stations, then use them to explore the Andalucian city. Once you’ve subscribed, you can use the bikes, which are dotted throughout the city, for free for the first 30 minutes. If you stay on it longer, the first hour is €1.03 and the second is €2.03. But plan your journey well, and you’ll never be on a bike for longer than half an hour.

10 Cordoba – Explore some international cuisine in Jewish quarter of Juderia

Photo courtesy of Monika

Just like Josefov in Prague and Kazimierz in Krakow, Cordoba has its own Jewish neighbourhood which (like the quarters mentioned above) is the perfect place to witness a more local side of the city. If you’re sick of tapas bars and want to try a different ethnic cuisine, wander down streets such as Calle Tomas Conde and Calle Romero for restaurants dishing out Lebanese, African and other specialities.

Locals have the best tips!

Stay with a local in Spain.

See Spanish homestays