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A Backpacker’s
Guide to the
Wonders of
Spain
The first
point of call
for many
backpackers
setting off on
their travels
in Spain is
the glorious
city of
Barcelona.
The sense of
excitement,
and
expectation at
what lies
ahead, that
courses
through the
hostels in
Barcelona
is palpable
and
infectious.
The city
itself is a
sophisticated
hotbed of
design,
fashion and
all manner of
culture. The
broad
boulevards of
Eixample (home
to some of
Gaudi’s
masterworks)
run grandly
away from the
narrow,
atmospheric
streets of the
Barri Gotic;
elsewhere, the
laidback
seaside
community of
the
Barceloneta
completes a
city that can
pretty much
claim to be
all things to
all people.
Valencia and
Madrid
A little down
the coast, the
situation’s
more or less
the same in
the many
excellent
Valencia
hostels.
Like many
Spanish
cities,
Valencia
is made up of
an engaging
mix of ancient
quarters –
full of
pleasingly
dilapidated
buildings –
and the very
latest,
cutting edge
architecture.
As the mercury
rises during
the summer
months,
backpackers
are almost
invariably
drawn to the
outstanding
beaches that
line the
coast.
Inland, at the
very heart of
the country,
lies
Madrid.
Elegant and
refined, but
at the same
time, rippling
with life, the
country’s
capital is an
astounding mix
of high art
and bouncing
nightlife.
Trying to fit
in art
galleries like
the Prado, the
Thyssen and
the Reina
Sofia after a
long night out
in the city
can ultimately
be something
of an
endurance
test!
Down in the
sultry south,
things, if
possible, get
still more
interesting
for the
backpacker:
Andalucía is,
after all,
what most
people have in
mind when they
think of
Spain. And
rarely does it
disappoint.
Many
travellers see
little more of
Malaga
than its
airport and
bus station
before
whizzing off
to the better
known
attractions
inland. But
with its
fantastic
Museo Picasso,
its striking
Moorish
fortress – the
Alcazaba – and
a rash of
excellent
shops to add
to its
low-slung,
easygoing
charm, it’s a
small city
that
definitely
rewards closer
inspection.
Moving on to
Granada
Hostels in
Granada,
meanwhile, see
ever-increasing
numbers of
backpackers
and
independent
travellers
crossing their
thresholds.
They may come
for the
awe-inspiring
Alhambra
Palace, but
they find
themselves
staying for
the tapas, the
stunning old
quarters of
the Albayzin
and the
Realejo… and
some of the
very best
hostels in
Spain!
Then, of
course,
there’s
Seville and
Cordoba.
Seville
is a tangled
network of
ancient
streets, quiet
squares and
lavishly
beautiful
monuments. Of
these, the
Alcazar,
the Torre del
Oro and the
huge bullring,
the Plaza de
la
Maestranza,
stand out as
amongst
Spain’s most
visited
sights.
Much like
Seville’s
Alcazar
and Granada’s
Alhambra,
nothing can
adequately
prepare you
for your first
impressions of
the
Mezquita
in
Cordoba.
It is, without
a doubt, one
of the genuine
wonders of the
world: a
startling mass
of striped
pillars and
soaring
ceilings, its
effect on the
onlooker can
be
mesmerizing.
Leaving the
Cities Behind
Away from the
cities, the
region is
dotted with
historic towns
and
picturesque
white
villages.
Towns like
Ronda,
Carmona,
Arcos de la
Frontera
and
Alhama
de Granada
are studded
with churches
and dramatic
fortresses –
often
spectacularly
situated.
In between, a
remarkable
landscape
stretches away
in every
direction.
From the
Alpujarras
to
Doñana
Natural Park,
the high
Sierras of
Grazalema
and
Tejeda
to the
sparkling
white beaches
of Cadiz
Province,
Andalucía is
uniformly
beautiful.
Much like
Spain as a
whole, in
fact!
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