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Seville : Popularity as a tourist destination
Jul 7th
Seville is home to a number of monuments that reflect its long and rich history. It is home to the minaret of La Giralda, which is located in the Cathedral of Seville, one of the biggest cathedrals in the Christian world. The cathedral was built between the years 1401 and 1519. It contains the longest nave in Spain and is built in a medieval and Gothic style. It was built where the city’s mosque was situated and it used parts of the mosque in its construction. It also features large amounts of gold in its extravagant decorations. It is a must-see from an architectural and historic point of view. The minaret is now the bell tower of the Cathedral and is a symbol of Seville.
The city also houses the Alcazar Palace which was a Moorish palace whose building began in the 14th century. It is worthwhile to visit the Casa de Pilatos, the beautiful 16th century palace; the Torro del Oro, the 13th century tower whose top, it is rumored was once covered in gold; the old Town Hall; the Archive of the Indies and the Museum of Fine Arts. One of the most charming areas of Seville is the old Jewish Quarter. Full of small winding streets, it surrounds the area of the Cathedral. The Parque Maria Luisa was built in 1929 and contains many delightful monuments and museums. There are many other monuments and beautiful buildings in Seville that are worthwhile to visit.
The nightlife in Seville is vibrant and fun. No other city in Europe has as many bars per capita, as Seville does. If you are visiting during the summer months, you should visit Isla Cartuja at night and you can find many open-air discos. There are a number of annual festivals and other entertainment that happens during the year in Seville.
Due to Seville’s popularity as a tourist destination, there are many accommodation options available and tourists to the area can choose from a traditional hotel to a modernized palace. There are approximately 20,000 accommodation options for visitors so it is likely that you will find the ideal accommodation to suit your budget and style.
Finding Accommodation In Madrid
Jul 5th
Hotels in Madrid are rated by a star system from one to five stars. The quality of the hotel and the amenities that it offers improve the more stars it has so that if you stay in a five star hotel, you can expect some form of luxury accommodation.
Aparthotels are a relatively recent addition to the holiday accommodation scene in Madrid. They are essentially an apartment that is found within a hotel complex. As they are an apartment, they offer more space, privacy and freedom, but also offer some of the amenities that you can expect from a hotel, such as wake-up calls, breakfast in your room and reception and laundry services.
Rented apartments are also available in Madrid and they are an excellent choice for those who want privacy and space. These are self-catered accommodation options which give you privacy, as well as the chance to get the feel of really living in the city. They are an especially good choice for those people who are coming to Madrid for mid- to long term visits.
If you are a backpacker or you are traveling on a tight budget, you should consider staying in a youth hostel. It is worthwhile to choose a youth hostel that is registered with the International Youth Hostel Federation (IYHF) as this will mean that they have agreed to abide by a certain level of standards.
At a youth hostel under the IYHF, you can expect to find clean linen, security and a general level of cleanliness and hygiene. Other hostels generally also abide by these levels and standards, but it is not guaranteed.
There are many different areas to stay in while you are in Madrid. Once you have decided what sort of holiday accommodation you’d like to stay in, you have to decide where you would like to stay. The center of Madrid is an ideal location if you plan to visit the attractions that the city has to offer.
Gran Via Road is very convenient and central, but is also extremely busy and noisy. Paseo del Prada and its surrounding streets are also central and you will find them to be quieter. Another prime central location is Las Huertas. It boasts some modern classy hotels in an area full of old, interesting buildings. It also has a lively night life for those who would like to see the town at night.
Atocha, behind the station has the cheapest accommodation options that are available in Madrid. It is not the most pleasant area at night, but is fine for those on a budget who will not be spending too much time in their hotel rooms.
Barcelona Through The Ages
Jul 2nd
Barcelona is Spain’s second largest city, both from a geographical perspective and from a population perspective. It provides a fascinating juxtaposition of old and new. Its rich history and culture have strong Mediterranean influences, setting it apart from other cities in Spain. This influence, along with its exciting history, makes Barcelona a fascinating holiday destination today.
Barcelona has made an effort to preserve its historic Gothic center and this adds to the juxtaposition of old and new that is evident in the city. You can find an old maze of narrow streets that contrasts with the modern grid-like layout of the new infrastructure in the Eixample which is Barcelona’s enlargement and urban planning project. Many buildings in Barcelona provide evidence of those who once inhabited the land. You can see many monuments to the Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance periods of the city. However, Barcelona is also a center of Modernist architecture and it is at the forefront of international trends. These contrasting styles that can be found side-by-side in Barcelona make it a fascinating city.
Barcelona experienced a major economic revival during the onset of industrialization and since the mid 1800s it has continued to grow. It hosted the World’s Fair in 1888. Today, Barcelona is one of the economic leaders in the area. It is a modern cosmopolitan city with a large variety of entertaining and vibrant night time activities. The city is home to many discos and pubs, concerts and terraces. It also hosts a number of popular fiestas and shows.
Barcelona boasts a large variety of holiday accommodation options. You can stay in hotels which range in quality and price. Hotels in Barcelona have 85% room occupancy throughout the year, so if you choose to stay in a hotel, you must make sure to book your room well in advance. Another option, that is not widely taken advantage of in Barcelona, is holiday rental apartments. These are a very worthwhile choice as they offer you privacy and space. As they are not widely chosen as an accommodation option, there are many available throughout the city including areas where it is very difficult to find hotel accommodation, such as near the beach.
Other accommodation options include aparthotels. These are apartments that are attached to a hotel. They offer more space and privacy than staying in the hotel would, however they do not offer all the amenities that would be available in the hotel itself.
The One Place Everyone Goes
May 21st
Extending from Nerja in the east to Sotogrande in the west, the Costa del Sol now enjoys good road communications between the various main towns along the coast. This enables a couple from Marbella, for example, to visit the Cervantes in Malaga and later savour some traditional tapas in the historical city centre. Or a group from Torremolinos to join the carousing along Fuengirola’s promenade.
In theory, that is because generally not everyone likes to venture far from their borne territories – be it because no one in the party is willing to volunteer for driving duties and thus not drink (the Coast’s public transport facilities are ample and efficient during the day and early evening, but non-existent after midnight, except for taxis) or simply because they are happier remaining on familiar ground.
There is, however, one exception: Benalmadena, and specifically the port and Plaza Solymar, which have become the favoured and trendy night-life choices for young people (and young at heart) from along the entire Coast.
Barely 15 years ago, the port was just that: a port, or marina, inhabited by yachts and sailors. Residents and visitors were able to take a leisurely Sunday stroll along the beach from La Carihuela, or down from Arroyo de la Miel, wander among the handsome maritime vessels and dream of pulling up anchor and sailing off to the Caribbean – before waking up, returning to reality, looking for a kiosko for a rejuvenating ice-cream, then moving on up to Benalmadena Costa for more substantial refreshment.
Much has changed. First, the new apartments took shape, then a few bars, restaurants and shops opened. Next came the special attractions such as Sealife – and gradually more apartments (all tastefully designed in commune with the seafaring atmosphere of the area), bars, restaurants, shops and la movida. Benalmadena Port became the in place to go on a Friday and Saturday night – and even on the weekdays in summer. And for those who occasionally wanted a small change of scene (though not location) there was always the Plaza Solymar 24-hour square on the main road through Benalmadena Costa, a popular leisure area that heaved with weekend revelry even before the port came into existence.
If this all sounds a little exhausting for those with less frenetic tastes, it must be said that the port – and Benalmadena Costa in general – is not just about noisy nightclubs and discotheques after-hours. There are piano and flamenco bars for dancing. Live jazz bars and other music bars where you can relive the 60s or 70s. Or terrace bars where you can sip on a beer or cocktail while indulging in that favourite Spanish pastime: watching the world go by. And then, of course, there are the town’s other entertainment amenities a little further afield.
In Arroyo de la Miel, on the way up to Benalmadena Pueblo, the Tivoli World amusement park has become a Costa del Sol institution – and not just for the children. The rides and attractions are unrivalled anywhere on the Coast, but Tivoli offers much more. Live stage performances at the western and Andalucian plazas are held throughout the afternoon and evenings, and many of Spain’s finest singers and groups have performed in the amphitheatre.
Areas Of Barcelona: Where To Stay In The City
Mar 26th
Being situation along the Iberian Peninsula it also contains natural beauty in the form of a beach with stunning accommodation options.
Barcelona is made up of many quarters, but there are four that would be of most interest to visitors to the city. Ciutat Vella is Barcelona’s old town. Barcelona prides itself on the preservation of its old Gothic Center and it is a treat to visit this area. It contains the old Barri Gotic where you will find many medieval buildings. Here you will see Barcelona’s famous maze of narrow streets and dark little alleys. The architecture of the buildings in this area typically dates to the 14th and 15th centuries. Here, you will also find the Cathedral which is considered Spain’s most remarkable Gothic building. The fortress wall that surrounded and protected Barcelona has been preserved in the Barri Gotic. The buildings of Ajuntament and the Palau de la Generalitat can be viewed here. The large square that the Gothic area is set around is an interesting place to visit and here you will find a lively market and may be lucky enough to catch some of the weekly dances of the sardana.
The Eixample is another of Barcelona’s quarters that is worth visiting. It is the modernist quarter and here you will find the large grid layout of Barcelona’s new infrastructure, as well as many examples of art nouveau-styled buildings. Barcelona is at the forefront of international tendencies and this area is an excellent place to see where the world is headed in terms of modernist architecture.
Gracia was once a working class neighborhood. It is now a very lively and somewhat gentrified area. In the middle of August there is a festival that takes place in this neighborhood. The streets are decorated and are filled with food, live music and parties that last through the night. Many restaurants are available in this quarter.
Barceloneta is historically a fisherman’s quarter and is interesting to visit. Barcelona contains many excellent museums and art galleries. If you are looking for a bit of culture, the museums are rich in Barcelona’s history and heritage and they have been modernized with many hands-on activities. Picasso Museum can be found in Barcelona and it houses some of the artist’s works.
If you prefer a relaxing holiday, Barcelona boasts over four kilometers of beautiful coastline. The city recently undertook a seafront recovery program and the beaches are now well worth a visit.
Most forms of holiday accommodation are available in Barcelona. From top quality hotels, to budget hotels, aparthotels and rental apartments. The cheapest accommodation options can be found in the old Barri Gotic quarter.
The hotels along the coastline book up very quickly and it may be difficult to find a room there unless you book well in advance. Fortunately, there are many Barcelona holiday apartments that can be found in the beachfront area, as well as in other areas of the city.
Options For Accommodation In Granada
Mar 14th
As such, Granada is a popular holiday destination in Spain and it has a number of various accommodation options to house all the tourists that it sees annually.
You can sleep in the majestic hotel that can be found in the grounds of the Alhambra Palace itself. It has a stunning view of the Sierra Nevada peaks and offers all the amenities and conveniences that you could dream of. There is another architecturally pleasing and impressive hotel nearby, named the Alhambra Parador. It is housed in a part-palace, part-mosque that was built in the 1300s. It is an extremely popular holiday accommodation option and you will need to book a room months in advance if you want to stay there.
There are many three to four star hotels in the modern part of the city of Granada. You can also find a number of hostals and pensions which are cheaper options than the hotels. These themselves, vary greatly in price depending on how much you plan to spend. They also vary in quality and it is worth checking them out before you book or following a recommendation from some-one you trust. Some are clean, modern and comfortable, while others may be grimy and rather unpleasant.
There are a number of pensions in the old Arab-Jewish quarter of Albaicin. The 17th century Casa de Alijarife is one of the most charming of these and it is fast becoming a sought-out accommodation venue. It is a fully modernized building, but it features an old-style interior courtyard with a Moorish fountain. It also has gorgeous views of the Alhambra. It is worth booking well in advance if you’d like to stay here as it is very small, but popular.