Spain: Budget Travel Guide

An easy jaunt from Madrid with good rail connections, the charming city of Toledo makes an ideal day trip destination. Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986, the city’s shared Christian, Jewish and Muslim roots are particularly evident in its mountaintop old town with its striking monuments and traditional shops. Once home to Spanish King » Read more

Anyone interested in Spain’s Moorish history must spend some time in Granada. Home to Europe’s most important Moorish fortress complex, the Alhambra, the city is packed with traditional Moroccan tea houses, not to mention Flamenco tablaos and restaurants in caves hacked into the soft rock of the mountain upon which the city is built. Then » Read more

Although it’s not necessary to be fluent in Spanish, it’s certainly worth taking some time to learn a few words and sentences in the language before your big trip. Spaniards age 30 and under have had plenty of English language lessons at school—generally more than enough to help you order lunch or find your size » Read more

With its stone walls carved with elaborate arabesques and Islamic calligraphy, meticulously laid out gardens, bubbling fountains and ramparts with sweeping views of Granada and beyond—the Alhambra palace and fortress complex is easily Granada’s most famous monument. So it’s not surprising that sometimes the lines go on for days and ticketing technicalities can be somewhat » Read more

Gran Canaria is one of Europe’s most important mass tourism destinations, one of the few places accessible within a few hours’ flying time that can just about guarantee warm weather all winter long. (Sharm el-Sheik, where tourist traffic has fallen precipitously this autumn, is another.) Upwards of 50 airlines fly to Gran Canaria from various » Read more

Spanish food and wine is en vogue all over North America at the moment. And with good reason! The nosh in Spain is as diverse as the many unique territories that make up the country, from tapas in the south, to paella in the east, to pintxos in the north, there is so much good » Read more

Do you really need more than one reason to visit Spain? Its beaches, an incredible culinary scene, friendly citizens, and a plethora of UNESCO World Heritage Sites have long enticed travelers from all around the globe. Made up of islands, rugged mountains, bustling metropolises, and quiet hill villages, there is a little something for everyone within » Read more

Salvador Dalí, the super-famous surrealist painter who spent his later years in Cadaqués once said: “I settled here for the light breeze, the uneventful landscape and the absence of wild boars.” Really? No, he didn’t say any of that. But he did build quite the seaside house and workshop on the banks of this magical » Read more

Many first-time visitors (myself included) to Spain have this idea that the country is a warm, perhaps semi-tropical land of sunshine, sangria and siestas. It is. And then it is not. Spain is a big country, and yes, many areas are lucky to have great weather year-round (the Canaries), while other regions are cold and rainy » Read more

I’m sometimes asked why I chose to live in Barcelona instead of Madrid. A big part of my reasoning was Barcelona’s proximity to things I love: the Mediterranean Sea, France, wine regions and the stunning Pyrenees Mountains on the border of Spain and France. To get out of Dodge (or Barcelona, in this case) and » Read more

Think Mallorca, and cultural heritage is not the first thing that springs to mind. Three months ago, we examined—in an article here on EuroCheapo—how Mallorca is a favored spot for Z-List celebs to hang out their tired careers to dry. So those in search of fine landscapes and cultural history might be inclined to look » Read more

Our travels have just brought us to Mallorca. With a population of almost 900,000, this large Mediterranean island struggles with its image. Tarnished by four decades of mass tourism, Mallorca has long been regarded as the vacation choice for those who simply cannot afford anything better. For 25 years, Brits went to Mallorca to party » Read more

The second largest and least tourist-ridden of Spain’s Balearic Islands had been on my holiday wish list for years. An untouched paradise of pretty coves, virgin beaches, historic cities and laid-back Spanish culture, Menorca awoke my curiosity, especially in the face of its rowdier, glitzier and better-known sister islands, Ibiza and Mallorca. I also had » Read more

Back in the summer, we had a solemn moment over our evening tapas as we marked the tenth anniversary of the invasion of the island of Perejil. In July 2002, a small Moroccan force invaded this fragment of Spanish land off the coast of North Africa, only to be ousted a week later when Spain » Read more

While Barcelona and Madrid get all the hype, Tarifa, Spain is a worthwhile destination for any Cheapo looking for adventure, culture, history and relaxation. The narrow streets of the city center make it almost impossible for cars, allowing for a laid-back pedestrian town. For those looking to experience the lesser-known side of the country, here » Read more

I didn’t know much about this volcanic island when I booked my flights. In fact, while the name “Lanzarote” is pretty well known, since returning to London I have discovered that very few of my friends know much about what it’s really like. I’ll be honest—I expected Lanzarote, the easternmost of the Canary Islands, located » Read more

Early one morning last week I got up and headed straight for Palma de Mallorca’s train station. Well, not the city’s main commuting station, but rather the station serving the Ferrocarril de Soller, a vintage, 100 year-old train. The picturesque old train, comprised of half a dozen wooden cars dating back to the railway’s opening » Read more

The Canary Islands are the prime euro vacation spot for those eager to break from the winter. Not only is the weather warm, water gorgeous and beaches sublime, but the volcanic topography is naturally wonderful. This southern Spanish archipelago is a hotspot throughout the year, so here are some tips to help steer clear of » Read more

Madrid’s museums, Barcelona’s nightlife and Andalucia’s architecture attract throngs of tourists to Spain. The Basque region, on the other hand, has curiously remained off the tourist radar outside of Europe. Gorgeous landscapes, sumptuous food and unique cultural heritage are but just a few of the reasons to trek up north. I spent two glorious weeks » Read more

The unveiling of Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Museum in 1997 may have inserted Bilbao into international hipster consciousness, but the Basque city on the river clearly knew it was cool long before Gehry’s agenda was realized. Bilbao is an immediately attractive city with green parks and a pleasingly well-heeled atmosphere. There are so many exciting things » Read more

Andorra La Vella, the capital of Andorra, may be Western Europe’s most maligned capital. A huge duty-free shopping hub, it tends to be written off as an outdoor mall only good for short shopping adventures. Its commercial bluster may indeed shock those emerging from a weeklong mountain journey through the Pyrenees. And in fact, some » Read more

The coastal city of Valencia, the third largest locale in Spain, is an ideal destination for a long, relaxing weekend or an action-packed adventure. We asked Heather Cowper, travel blogger extraordinaire, how to make Valencia a cheapo-friendly spot. Here, her insight for an inexpensive getaway: Cheapo activities in Valencia- Head to the Mercado Central: The main fruit and » Read more

Summer’s almost here in southern Spain, which means Feria season is upon us once again. From Malaga to Cadiz, every town along the Costa del Sol will take their turn hosting civic celebrations that turn every plaza, street, and alley into a bar, dance floor, or both. From now until October, the coast will supply » Read more

Tarifa, perched on the southern tip of Spain, is a major windsurfing center. We’ve shared our take on a top budget-friendly Tarifa hotel in the past. Now we’re expanding the network. Read on. Misiana is another standout on the Tarifa hotel scene. It is not only one of the town’s more stylish (and affordable) places » Read more

Órgiva, the main town in Spain’s western Alpujarras, is a small—though bustling and slightly crunchy—place. Since the publication of Chris Stewart’s book Driving Over Lemons in 1999,the town has absorbed a large influx of Brits. Be sure to be around on a Thursday, market day, when locals and the sizable expat community gather to buy » Read more