Palma, Mallorca
After so much exploration of my other destinations around Europe I was due for a trip away that involved a whole lot of nothing. That destination so happened to be in Majorca one of the Balearic islands in the south of Spain near the infamous party island of Ibiza.
In the UK – Majorca is a popular destination amongst young British teens who run amok in the beachside town of magaluf in the summer time. Often this is their first overseas destination according to the TV show ‘Sun, Sex & Suspicious parents’. When you combine teenagers, sun and booze your sure to end up with an ‘explosive’ trip away. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z18a34PliiU
But thankfully I had conducted some research and chose to stay in the main town of Palma city. That particular weekend it was in the peak of summer. Temperatures hovered around 35 degrees during the day and marginally cooler during the evenings. For those who hail from warmer climates, you will know that anything above 30 degrees makes it difficult to get out and explore as your energy levels are instantly drained by the heat. 
The main tourist attraction in Palma City is the cathedral, which you cannot miss. For some reason we couldn’t go inside… but with the combination of the sapping heat, it was actually very relaxing to sit outside the cathedral in the shade with the warm breeze coming across your face and a cool drink in hand. To top it off there was a Spanish guitarist playing beautiful melodies in the background – pretty special in my opinion
Palma has a great vibe about it, there are little side streets all over the town and you can quickly get lost and discover an array of side streets. It came across to me as a relaxation destination for holidays makers. There are some quality restaurants in town and we checked two highly rated restaurants on tripadvisor. The first night we checked out Misa Bar and Brasserie, the chicken here is the signature dish and highly recommended – however I was craving something a little more fancy (see pictures below)! http://www.misabraseria.com/en/location.php
The second night we went to Bunkers which I would describe as a Fusion/European restaurant. The food is delicious, artistically presented and with generous portions to keep the all hungry hippos satisfied! What is most appealing about this establishment is that it is a family run business and it is made to feel very homely with the use of communal tables and an ‘open styled’ kitchen where you can see the chefs work their magic! https://www.facebook.com/BunkerPalma
For those seeking some nightlife I can recommend Titos club which was great fun. Not the cheapest night out.. but it is a very posh club with pumping beats and a beautiful crowd to go with it! The other popular option is the well known club Pacha with multiple locations around the globe.
Yet another place I’ve fallen in love with in Spain…. if only there was a way to stay there permanently! Gracias Mallorca – I’ll definitely be back!
JD
Granada, Spain
Known for: The last Moorish state to be reconquered by the Spanish, the super impressive Alhambra, getting free tapas with your drinks!
How to get there
To get to Granada from Malaga it is a short 1.5 hour bus ride away from Malaga and will set you back roughly €13 one way. The bus stop is a little out of town, however one can either get into town by catching a bus (I think costs €2 or thereabouts) or taking cab like I did which will set you back another €13.
A quick history lesson…
Something that I did not know prior to visiting Granada is that much of southern Spain have been influenced heavily by the Moors as they inhabited much of the Iberian coast prior to the reconquistion of Spain in the 15th century. The Emirate of Granada was the last state to be reconquered by the Christians, during the Granada war.
As a result of the Moorish rule, Granda’s iconic Alhambra was built during this time and is today one of the most famous palaces in the world (and the most visited sight in Spain). It was recently a finalist in the New 7 wonders of the world. The grounds are vast, and is split into two main areas…. The royal palace… the nazri palace and generalife (the summer retreat for the royals).
The word Alhambra in Arabic means “the red fortress”. Now this references the clay surrounding the building. Additionally it was said that during the night when torches were lit within the Alhambra it would give the palace a red glow to those looking at the palace from afar.
What makes it so special….
The detail inside is unlike any other palace I have seen before. Firstly, the architecture is very different to other castles/palaces I’ve seen in continental Europe. Obviously being built during Moorish rule, the architecture is Arabic influenced and I think officially known as Nazrid architecture.
There is what I think to be Arabic scripture beautifully carved into one of the many rooms. The decorative arches and windows found all throughout the palace gives in a very ‘aladain style feel to it’. In fact when I first saw it, all I could think about was the prince of Persia game I used to play as a child lol.
There are many interior courtyards with water features and perfectly kept gardens found throughout the royal side of the palace. During the summer, a pop up concert hall is erected within the grounds of the Alhambra and classical concerts performed in the amazing surrounds. I wish I had a little more time and maybe could have experience the concert as it would have been simply spectacular listening to a live concert and have the sunset and Alhambra in the background!
I think instead of boring you with Wikipedia facts it might be more appropriate to show you just how stunning the inside is.
Useful tip on booking……
Now because this attraction is so popular with tourists it is highly recommended to book well in advance. You can only visit the Nazri palace based on pre specified time. The way I went about it was using Spain’s ticketmaster website. The Spanish (as well as being gifted with guitar skills and salsa abilities) have come up with a way whereby if you purchase tickets using a any European bankcard, you can pick up tickets from a number of ATM/cashpoint machines around the city. This is especially useful when you are always running late (guilty!).
Nearby neighbourhoods
Sacromonte
The nearby neighbourhood of Sacromonte is home to the gypsy community in Granada. The area is most famous for the gypsy style flamenco which incorporates traditional flamenco with some less traditional elements such as belly dancing.
Now Granada during the summer can reach temperatures of 40 degrees for days on end. With the extreme heat (and lack of sea breeze) as Granada is set up in the mountains, gypsy families dug caves within the mountains. This way they could deal with the heat by retiring to a natural cool room! Pretty neat huh
To get to Sacromonte I would suggest either cabbing or going on a bike tour ebike tours which can be found on Tripadvisor. The guide we had was so knowledgable and friendly and is to date the best bike tour I’ve been on. It may have something to do with the fact that electronic bikes makes it so easy to cover ground!
As I passed through the street of sacromonte on my ever so easy ebike I noticed that some house had plates on the walls of the houses. It is said the more plates that a house has, the wealthier they are. I guess this lady must be the richest lass in town!
Same Same but different
One of the unique customs in Granada surrounds the humble tapas. Now previously I wrote that san Sebstastian has the best tapas (pinxtos) I have tasted… that still remains, but unlike san Sebastian and like the rest of Spain in Granada, tapas come free everytime you buy drinks!
That’s right people, if you order a round of drinks, don’t be surprised if you find that you’ve scored a decent dinner as well! Though I don’t think the tapas will win any awards… still decent for a €2 beer and a few sides to boot
What better way to finish an epic day in Granada by visting two of the most happening places.
Bellagio
A new chic bar serving up delicious cocktails. Entry is €10 but includes a drink… not bad value if you ask me. If you are planning to bust a move probably not the best place to do it, however I can suggest…
Mae West
Rocking nightclub for the young and free. Two big rooms, various terrace areas rocking party anthems and Spanish pop songs. Good fun! And also includes a free drink on entry.
Accommodation
Granada had some of the cheapest 4 star accommodation I’ve seen… ever. £38/night twin share!? I could have been lucky and scored a sale but that’s insanely cheap! The place I stayed at was the Senator hotel, which was slightly out of town (about a €5 cab ride into the centre square. Not the newest hotel going around but has everything you need in terms of facilities. Be warned though the pool is not included in the price and unavailable during siesta time 2-5pm!
Granada has been spoken highly of by many friends and other travellers alike. I couldn’t’ understand the appeal until I experienced it first hand. The beautiful Alhambra with the mountainous backdrop , friendly locals, hot weather, Free tapas with drinks and the laid back Spanish lifestyle pretty hard to come up with a better formula for a weekend getaway! Once again Espana you’ve done it again another city I’d highly recommend.
JD
Malaga, Spain
Known for: The Airport to fly to, in order to reach Marbella, Antonio Bandereas, Pablo Picasso
Hola from the Andalusia region of Spain. This is my second time to Malaga having visited their early October 2012.
On my last visit, the weather was slightly cooler and less busy as it officially the offpeak season. I met some very cool peeps in my hostel (Oasis hostel for those looking for a good clean place to stay. On the top of the hostel is a uptown chic rooftop bar which you should definitely check out).
I also explored a few of the main sights (moorish castles), went on a walking tour (see below for details), tried some tapas and went on a 2 man pub crawl with one other person who didn’t’ drink at all. A ‘Wild’ holiday you could call it & Real character building stuff lol.
So a disclaimer that this post is kind of boring I’ll admit, but probably useful if you are wanting to get some a rundown of the main sights in Malaga!
One tip I can give is to take the subway into town, it’ll cost you less than €2 and will have you in town in less than 15 minutes (much quicker than the cab). A cab ride into town will set you back €15. To get to the train station from the airport as you come out of arrivals head toward you left and cross the two streets in front of you. There you should see a subway sign.
http://www.gomarbella.com/malaga-airport/trains/trains.htm
Click on the link should you wish to view more detailed directions
Main Attractions
I managed to track down a site which summarised what I thought to be the main sights. Instead of re-inventing the wheel I’ve included the link below.
http://www.spain-holiday.com/blog/photographical-journey-through-malagas-top-15-sights.php
Some of the highlights for me.
Teatero Cervantes:
Antonio Banderasis rumoured to come back to his hometown once a year and this theatre is where it all began for Mr Bandereas. Though he has been away from the big screen for a while now (though I could be completely wrong as I hardly watch movies) he’s still one of the cities favourite sons. Now adays the theatre hosts opera’s and other popular events.
Plaza de Constitution:
One of the main squares in the city centre. The distinguishing feature about this square is the renaissance styled fountain to the left of the square. Now if I remember correctly my walking tour guide mentioned that the fountain has travelled the world more than most of the city’s citizens. It was built in Italy and later shipped to Malaga, however during the first voyage the ship was attacked and the fountain was lost. It was then re-commissioned and ship again to its final destination. Now if anyone goes on the walking tour, please feel free to comment so that I have the story right! I tried googling the history but couldn’t get anything!
http://www.panchotours.com/tour/7/malaga.php
Magaluetta Beach
The City’s local beach. Not the cleanest beach, as the sand is quite dirty but hey a beach’s a beach. Don’t be surprised if you see more flesh than you would at the beaches back home as female beach goers tend to sunbake “euro style” (tops off)
There also a pier on near Magueletta beach which has high street fashion shops as well as quality restaurants to view the sunset.
Malaga is often a forgotten destination as it is the gateway to other popular tourist destinations such as Marbella, Torremolinos and Granada. It’s a town where you can relax, enjoy some good food, weather and mix in and amongst the local crowd. Once again Spain has another city that I would happily come back to!
JD
San Sebastian, Spain
Known for: Tapas (pintxos), Real sociedad,
Ola from San Sebastian’s Spain situated in the north east of España which also extremely close to the French border (as many people fly to the nearby town of Biarritz and then catch a bus toward the township).
FOOD / PINXTOS
The main attraction of San Sebastian is the food, the town has several Michelin starred restaurants however budget constraints did not allow me to scope out those restaurants this time round. I instead checked out the numerous pintxos bars (tapas bar) and gorged myself on snack sized dishes of culinary perfection. One thing I can say about Spanish food is that it is very diverse. They have a vast variety of food options on their menus, including fresh seafood, chicken & beef kebabs and foie gras.
Some of the ‘signature pintxos’ from the area included mushroom risotto, beef steak (tender and juicy) and a simple yet sublime calamari dish.
It’s an uncomfortable feeling at the end of each meal after having stuffed your face with as much food as you can, but I’m sure my taste buds were loving it at the time! Even the solo traveler would love this concept as they would be able to sample numerous dishes without filling up too quickly.
Drink sizes follow suit and are ample amount to give you a flavour for the local drinks without overdoing it too. The pintxos staff work up quite a sweat serving loads of customers streaming constantly, but they manage to get to everyone in a speedy and efficient manner which is a spectacle in itself and they do it with a smile on their face the whole time.
MORE THAN JUST FOOD
By some stroke of luck, that weekend the town was holding a music and culture festival where various performances “popped up” throughout the town, ranging from reggae to big band to even a full on opera performance(which I checked out for the first act and left because I was falling asleep lol). It’s great to see that live music is well alive and was very grateful to have experienced it during my stay.
SUN AND SURF
Part of me was really looking forward to some sun, surf and sand. After booking this trip well in advance (6 months!) I was hopeful that I’d return to London looking like a bronzed Korean pop star.
I’ve realised that as an Australian I have never ever surfed. Don’t get me wrong I love the water (after all I’m an Aquarius) and a good beach, however back in oz the closest surf beach was over 2-3 hours away so it’s one of those things I put off till later…. Sadly it will have to wait a little longer. While the town has one of the most scenic bays and surf beach within a 5 minute walk of each other, the weather was not on our side this time round. San Sebastián is renowned for its surf scene and pro surfers pass through the town fairly regularly.
La Concha bay is one of the prettiest bays I’ve ever seen, I could only imagine a populated sand shore on a hot summers day, with the aqua waters crashing softly whilst sun bathers lay there trying to achieve their perfect tan. There are also other H2O related activities (when the sun is out) jet skis, kayaking etc.
If the weather is not so great whilst you are travelling to San Sebastian I HIGHLY recommend paying a visit to the only spa and relaxation centre in the town called La perla.
This unique spa centre offers the usual gym and spa facilities you would expect from a decent establishment, however they differentiate themselves but having salt water spa pools and a salt water ice bath as well. They have different pools which have spa jets targeting different areas of your body. It also backs on to the beach, so if you feel like taking a refreshing dive into the ocean that’s an option too!
A 5 hour pass will set you back about 35 euro…. But it’s worth every cent 🙂
If the weather is on your side I would also recommend hiring a bike to cycle around the town. The city centre (old town etc) can be explored by foot, but to cover the city fringe areas and the various lookout points its far quicker (and easier on your feet if you cycle) just remember . A day’s bike hire is around €15 but you will get to see a lot more this way.
IF YOU FEEL LIKE WALKING:
Mountain Igeldo is the mountain furthest away from the old town and has the better view of the bay and the city, you can take a cable car there or sweat it out like we did and walk up the hill lol.
There is also a dated theme park atop of the mountain. And by dated I mean 1990’s
Monte Urgull Closer to the old a 20 min hike a castle awaits at the top, a steep and scenic walk, although views are blocked by the treetops, but a good way to get away from the hustle and bustle of the ever so busy old town.
BLOOPERS
With every trip I encounter my fair share of bloopers, luckily this trip they were all concentrated in the first few hours of me being there!
Faulty GPS (again) this time the gps on my phone told me we were roughly three kilometres from our hotel. So why not take a cab…. Off we went, loaded our bags, “Hotel Silken please” I asked in my best Spanglish accent.
The driver gave me an confused/irritated look and pointed to the building 20 meters to the right of the taxi and began unloading our bag lol with this I sheepishly retrieved my bag and laughed all the way to the reception of the hotel. In the picture the hotel is the building just behind the buses!
- After successfully finding the hotel we grabbed a quick bite to eat from the pinxtos bar across the road from our hotel and the bus station. We finished our meals and paid for the delicious food. I strangely however thought it was okay to leaving the premises and take my drink and the glass with me lol… luckily my mate Kevin reminded me that I may have to return it to its rightful owner.
- Lastly somehow I managed to lose my camera charger somewhere along the way. I searched high and low but to no avail, but back in London I ordered a new one (original!) online conveniently, The only supplier of original canon chargers online hail from…. Spain how ironic!
Gracias San Sebastian for your delectable pintxos, picture perfect beach and musically talented citizens, this has been one of my most enjoyable and relaxing trips in a while and a destination I would most definitely visit again.
JD
The JD Chronicles 