68 BARCELONA AND MADRID Viva España
BY EMMA MCALLISTER
emma@nitravelnews.com
WHAT better way to throw yourself back into the life of travel after the Covid-19 pandemic than to spend a short break in Spain’s busy capital Madrid and to recover on one of the sunny beaches in Barcelona. My travel partner and I spent the first 3 days of our holiday in the specular city, Madrid. We arrived early afternoon and from stepping out of the main metro station “Gran Via”, we could tell this was a bustling city, ready to launch us into the Spanish lifestyle. After checking into our hotel, which was located in Centro, we got our bearings by exploring the city streets. We found classic Spanish restaurants and Bars selling traditional paella and sangria. We returned to our hotel where we enjoyed a beautiful meal in the rooftop restaurant overlooking the Madrid shopping district.
Over the next few days we visited some of the most beautiful historic and cultural sites the city offers. First on the list was the Atletico Madrid stadium. Walking around the football grounds, we were able to experience how players felt in the midst of their games. The museum tour gives you a deep dive into the history of Atlético Madrid and allows you to interact through storytelling and quizzing. We spent around 2 – 3 hours at the stadium, in which we threw ourselves into the football culture. Day 2 started off like all holidays should, with a dip in the rooftop pool. With the first half of the morning soaking up the Madrid sun, we then wanted to explore the shopping district of Madrid which we had seen from the
pool. A trip to the Spanish local department stores El Corte Ingles is a great place to start if you are looking for cosmetics, designer clothing brands, technology, or even just for a supermarket. To end the perfect second night, we spent the evening back on our hotel rooftop sampling a range of cocktails and watching the sunset on the Madrid city skyline. On our final day in Madrid we visited the Royal Palace of Madrid located in C. de Bailen, which is the official residence of the Spanish Royal Family of Madrid. After touring the grounds, we decided to take a tour of the Museo Nacional del Prado (Spanish art gallery). Museo Nacional del Prado holds the finest collections of European art, ranging from the 12th century to the early 20th century. Leaving our hotel
Sept/Oct 2022 Travel News
with virtual activities. After the museum tour we took a tour around the stadium, in which we were able to freely walk around the stadium pitch and seating area. The 3-4 hour tour went very quickly and is well worth a visit. We started off day 2 bright and early with a trip into the centre of Barcelona. Local transport in Barcelona is very accessible via the city mapper app; It allows you to have a stress-free journey. We travelled to Pl. Catalunya train station dropping us into the heart of the city centre. We travelled down the 1.2km tree lined pedestrian street “La Rambla”. La Rambla is full of attractions for all families, including live performances, caricatures and well established attractions such as the Christopher Columbus Monument and the Modernist Boqueria Market.
had to offer. We will definitely be back soon. We arrived at “Estación Madrid - Puerta de Atocha” train station, where we boarded the Renfe bullet train heading for “Barcelona- Sants” train station. We arrived in Barcelona late afternoon, and on arrival we promptly checked into our hotel and started to explore the city. We stumbled upon Las Arenas De Barcelona which is a state-of-the-art bullring turned shopping mall. Las Arenas De Barcelona hosts a range of familiar fashion stores and a variety of traditional restaurants. We spent time exploring the mall and tried some of the local dishes in the food hall. We returned to our hotel which offered a relaxing atmosphere to chill out and recover from the day.
in Madrid, whilst excited to go to Barcelona, we felt we hadn’t seen everything that Madrid
The next day started with a must see visit to the “Camp Nou” stadium. Camp Nou is situated just on the outskirts of Barcelona city. The museum and stadium tour allowed visitors to work their way through each section at their own leisure. The museum tour showcased the history of Camp Nou and Barcelona F.C and we were able to interact
SURF, SEA AND
SAND...BEACHES! Discover the Top-Rated
Spain-Holiday decided to make your life easier and reveal the ranking of best beaches in Spain according to the Spanish themselves. Keep them in mind while you book your next holiday, and have the best beach holiday of your life!
1. Playa de Rodas, Galicia – 4.9 stars
The Playa de Rodas in Galicia is widely considered as one of the most beautiful in the country. This beach even won the title of “most beautiful beach in the world” in 2007. Playa de Rodas is located in the paradisiacal Cies Islands off the coast of Vigo, an archipelago with incredibly clear water and an impressive natural landscape.
2. Playa de Cofete, Fuerteventura – 4.8 stars
Canary Islands’ hidden gems! Located in the Jandia Natural park, this
Playa de Cofete in Fuerteventura is one of the relatively unknown
beach is characterised by its impressive dunes of golden sand and the famous rock formation “la Pared” (the Wall), an impressive backdrop for your holiday pictures!
3. Playa Morro de Jable, Fuerteventura – 4.8 stars
Playa Morro de Jable is another amazing beach
located on Fuertevenura. This is one of the most visited beaches of Fuerteventura, attracting many visitors each year with its turquoise waters and fine golden sand! The beach is very popular with families, since it’s located near the town of Morro de Jable, a popular holiday resort.
4. Playa de Sotavento, Fuerteventura – 4.8 stars
If you like Caribbean beaches but don’t want to travel that far, Playa de Sotavento in
Fuerteventura is the beach for you! This unspoilt beach is absolutely gorgeous, with calm, turquoise water and fine sand. It makes Playa de Sotaventa a great location for swimming and snorkelling!
5. Playa de Ses Illetes, Balearics – 4.8 stars
Playa de Ses Illetes, located on the coast of Formentera, is a contender for the title “most beautiful beach in the world”! With deep-blue water and white sand this beach will give you an unforgettable experience! It’s located on the north coast of the island, inside a natural park, and is accessed with a walk through the dunes that surround it. During high season you will find lots of boats dotted the sea in front of the beach, because it’s a very popular stop for people on boating trips!
www.spain-holiday. com
Both these attractions are free to visit and are a must see if visiting. After 5 days of running around Madrid and Barcelona city streets, we decided to have a day at the beach and relax. We made our way to “Barceloneta Beach’’ located beside Barcelona’s port “del Port Vell”. We arrived early afternoon and found the perfect spot. We had brought a pack lunch but refreshments were available close by. We even had a dip in the water which was so clear we could see the fish swimming past us. Before we knew it, it was early evening and we packed up and went back to find somewhere for dinner. Our last day in Barcelona was spent sightseeing. A short train ride took us to one of the main attractions of Barcelona, the “Sagrada Familia”. We explored the surroundings of the building, taking in the views of the beautiful artwork along the way. On our way back to our hotel we stopped off in the gothic centre, visiting the Barcelona Cathedral and local stall markets. To end our last day in style we headed back to the Las Arenas De Barcelona to have dinner in one of the roof top restaurants where we experienced a 360-degree view over the whole of the city of Barcelona. We decided to end our trip on a high with traditional chicken paella and watch the sun set over this beautiful city.
For the first summer holiday back after the Covid -19 pandemic, I can truly say that Madrid and Barcelona are fantastic places to visit. There are a whole host of things to do.
Beaches in Spain for 2022
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