Top destinations in Spain and Portugal

Apart from being a Spaniard myself, I had the pleasure to live in such an amazing country for nearly 30 years. I love exploring and discovering new places and I think Spain is perfect for that. I have also visited Portugal at least 5 times and it is also an amazing country with great people, culture and places. Not to mention the food…

Since I moved to America, there have been plenty of people that asked me about a trip to Spain and Portugal, what they should do, where they should go, when, etc. This post is dedicated to all those people and to anyone looking to visit Spain (my dear motherland) and Portugal, our neighbor country.

There are hundreds of different itineraries that you can do in Spain and Portugal. Depending on the time of the year, what type of person you are (i.e. more cultural, more outdoorsy, etc.) or what you are looking to get out of your trip, you may want to head to very different places. I really couldn’t name anything major you can’t find in the Iberian Peninsula.

To help your brainstorming process, I have included below some recommendation that I hope will help you to make the right decision.

Madrid and surroundings

• For who?

  Good for everyone no matter what you are looking for

• When to go?

  All year round. Possibly better to avoid July and August as it gets extra warm but at the same time, it’s a perfect time to visit Madrid when it’s less busy as all Madrilenos escape the city!

If you are looking to get the most out of a 3-4 days plan, go for Madrid and its surroundings. Madrid is the capital of Spain and one of the most amazing European cities where you can eat literally like a king, visit some of the best museums, check the Real Madrid stadium or simply enjoy the beauty of the city and all it has to offer. On top of that, you can do some really cool getaways to “upstate” Madrid to have a delicious steak inside a cave in the mountains and check one of the most remote, middle-age looking towns in the area (Patones de Arriba). On top of that, there are two gorgeous cities at about an hour drive, Segovia and Toledo, where you will feel like you have been teleported to a Game of Thrones site. This option is good all year round.

For all the details on this destination check our post Madrid – The city that will conquer your heart!

Lisbon and surroundings

• For who?

  Good for everyone no matter what you are looking for

• When to go?

  All year round. In Summer it’s a bit fresher than in Spain and the Lisbon getaways are right by the sea with some nice beaches!

Similar to the previous option but in Portugal, make a 2-3 days trip to Lisbon and surroundings to get the most out of a short Portugal trip. Lisbon is a very charming and beautiful city and you can discover two quick getaways from Lisbon. Sintra, where you will see the gorgeous Quinta da Regaleira castle and Cascais, where you can enjoy a charming beach and fishermen town on the Atlantic coast. Both getaways within 30 minutes of Lisbon.

For all the details on this destination check our post Lisbon, Sintra and Cascais – Travel to the heart of Portugal

 

Barcelona and the Catalan coastline

• For who?

  Good for everyone no matter what you are looking for

• When to go?

  All year round. Barcelona is possibly less crowded in winter when the weather is worse. The coastline is nicer during the warm months.

If you are looking for one of the most amazing cities in Europe, by the sea and with amazing architecture and food: Please visit Barcelona!!! It is possible the most visited city in Spain and it has loads of things to offer. Hidden gem recommendation: eat at Passadis del Pep restaurant (https://passadis.com/). Also, check out the coastline. Towns like Sitges or any other in El Garraf Coast are definitely worth visiting. I love Cadaques too, which is not far.

For all the details on this destination check our post Barcelona – The city that has it all

 

Andalusia, the south of Spain

• For who?

  Cultural and foodies

• When to go?

  I’d possibly avoid July and August as it gets very warm

If you are looking for a cultural and gastronomical trip where you can get the absolute most of what Europe can provide you, head to Andalusia, the most southern region of Spain. Head to Seville, explore this amazingly beautiful city and rent a car to initiate a road trip that will take you from Seville to Cordoba and finally to Granada, where you will visit the Alhambra palace and eat vast amounts of food at ridiculously low prices.

For all the details on this destination check our post Andalusia (Seville, Cordoba and Granada) – The Land of the Thousand Cultures

 

The Balearic Islands – Ibiza, Formentera, Mallorca and Menorca

• For who?

  Crystal water, white thin sand beaches, great food and a lot of parties

• When to go?

  June through September are the best months

If you are visiting Spain in summer or late spring and you are looking for amazing beaches with white thin sand and crystal clear waters go to the Balearic Islands. Largest and best-known islands are Mallorca and Ibiza. No matter which one you chose, if you go for Mallorca add Menorca as well and if you go for Ibiza, please don’t miss Formentera!

 

The Canary Islands

• For who?

  Great weather, beaches, water sports and a big variety of things to do

• When to go?

  All year round. It gets quite busy and more expensive during the summer months and the weather contrast with the rest of the northern hemisphere is lower so I personally like visiting during the colder months.

If you travel to Spain in winter and you are seeking sun and beaches, check out the Canary Islands. On top of good weather and beaches, these islands offer a ton of things: hiking, windsurf and every possible water sport, the tallest peak in Spain, great food and wine, etc.

 

El Levante – The east coast of Spain

• For who?

  Nice weather, beaches, and food

• When to go?

  June through September are the best months

If you are visiting Spain in spring and are looking for some reasonably good weather, nice beaches in the Peninsula, great paella and sangria go to the east coast of Spain. Check out Valencia and some of the pretty towns in the area. I personally like Javea and Altea a lot but there are a ton of nice towns in the area.

La Rioja and Valladolid

• For who?

  Wine lovers

• When to go?

  Autumn and spring

If you are a wine enthusiast, I suggest you make a winery hopping tour in either La Rioja or Valladolid, both located in the mid-northeast of the country.

 

The Basque Country

• For who?

  Wine lovers

• When to go?

  All year round. A bit humid during autumn and winter especially.

If you are a real foodie and you want to try some of the finest cuisines in the world, I strongly recommend you to take a trip to the Basque country. San Sebastian has one of the largest Michelin star counts in the world. The food in this region is incredible and so are the views, the flora, and the culture. There are some outstanding gems like San Juan de Gaztelugatxe (If you check out pictures of this place, you may find it familiar from an extremely famous TV show…).

 

Northwest Spain – Galicia and El Camino de Santiago

• For who?

  Lover of the outdoors, hikers and spiritual/religious people

• When to go?

  All year round. A bit humid during autumn and winter especially.

If you are a religious or spiritual person that loves nature and hiking, a unique life experience is to do the Camino de Santiago in the North West (Galicia). This is one of the most famous pilgrimage trails in the world. I’m sure you have heard about it.

 

Atlantic Coast – Asturias. The heart of Spain

• For who?

  Lover of the outdoors, hikers, foodies, and cultural lovers.

• When to go?

  All year round. A bit humid during autumn and winter especially. During the summer you can enjoy both the mountains and the beaches.

A region that I personally love is Asturias, which is on the North Atlantic coast. They have amazing beaches, great food in unreasonable amounts (beware of food comas) and some amazing mountains to hike. Did I mention rivers for kayak descent? The weather here is quite humid, but if you are looking for a less known hidden gem region, you won’t go wrong with Asturias, the mother of Spain (I suggest you read some history here…).

 

South of Portugal – The Algarve

• For who?

  Nice weather, nice beaches, and great food

• When to go?

  Best during the warm months but nice all year round

If you want to extend your Portugal experience and you are visiting during the warm months, I’d recommend you pay a visit to the Algarve, the south coast of Portugal. It is about 2 to 2.5 hours from Lisbon. The food is delicious and the beaches and the atmosphere are extremely charming.

 

Portugal for surfers

• For who?

  Surf lovers

• When to go?

  All year round

If you are looking for surf, check one of the surf camps in the South of Portugal or near Lisbon. I haven’t personally been, but all the feedback I got from my friends who have was outstanding.

 

Ski and snowboarding in Spain

• For who?

  Winter sports lovers

• When to go?

  November through April. Some years the snow season is a bit longer or shorter.

If you want to visit Spain and also do some skiing or snowboarding I would propose two options: the Pyrenees, where may top pick would be Baqueira Beret ski station or Sierra Nevada, in Granada (i.e. this is one of the closest ski stations to the Equator and arguably the largest and nicest at such latitude).