Spain is a wonderful destination in Europe, particularly because there’s many destinations which still relatively warm during the European winter. The Spanish are also very social: it’s extremely common to head out to dinner at 10pm and to stretch your evening through to the wee hours of the morning. If you love complimentary tapas with your vino or sangria, stunning towns with impressive cathedrals and enjoy some time on the beach, then Spain may be your perfect destination. Here are my top 3 places you should visit in Spain:
1. Malaga
If you’re desperate to escape the cold weather, the Malaga could be a wonderful option for you. This cute seaside town enjoys comfortable weather during the winter months. While you’re here, be sure to try to some paella made with fresh seafood. Whatever your reason for visiting, you’ll be spoiled for choice. Malaga is home to the Alcazaba, Museo de Picasso Malaga, numerous gorgeous cathedrals and churches, and even a fashion and automobile museum. If you fly into Malaga, you can hire a car at the airport and get started exploring this wonderful destination.
2. San Sebastian
This is a smaller town in the north of Spain that is a wonderful place to visit for a few days. I’ve been to so few places in the world where the beach is meters away from the city centre, and San Sebastian is one of them. Lifestyle is big here, as it is in much of Spain, and one of the most popular things to do in the evening is to hop from restaurant to restaurant, standing up, eating only the most famous tapas from each location before moving onto the next. The beach is stunning, there’s a beautiful walk up to Monte Urgull, which will give you striking views of the beach and city.
3. Granada
This is a lovely small town not too far from Malaga (around two hours) that is home to one of the most impressive historical buildings in all of Europe: the Alhambra. It’s one of those places that becomes extremely busy, especially in high season, but once you enter the grounds and begin to explore for yourself, you can see why. Buy your tickets in advance and try to go either in the morning or later in the afternoon to avoid the mid day sun. Be sure to check out the Jewish Quarter in Granada, as well as Basilica de San Juan de Dios. Part of the charm of visiting Granada is quite simply wandering down the lovely narrow streets and seeing where you end up.
