Greetings from Park Güell!
Spain 🇪🇸
From Gaudí’s architectural genius to tasty tapas, it’s no surprise that Spain is a top tourist destination, especially for solo travelers!
After exploring Portugal, I flew here and was immediately swept up by the stunning Moorish city of Seville, which initially drew me as a Game of Thrones filming location but offered so much more! Here, I saw Christopher Columbus’s grave at the Seville Cathedral, climbed the Giralda Bell Tower, toured the Alcazar de Sevilla, watched a flamenco show in awe, and sipped sangria from rooftop bars.
From there, I took a bus tour of Granada, again inspired to visit by a TV show, Memories of the Alhambra, which only scratched the surface of this historic marvel, including the Palace of the Generalife, the Alcazaba, and the Nasrid Palaces.
I then flew to the Catalan city of Barcelona, where I was awestruck by Antoni Gaudí’s masterpieces: La Pedrera (Casa Mila), Casa Vicens, Casa Batlló, Palau Güell (Güell Palace), Park Güell, and La Sagrada Familia.
Whether you’re planning a solo or family vacation, these Spain travel blogs will help you plan an epic, budget-friendly trip to these Spanish destinations.
What are the best places to visit in Spain for first-timers?
The best way for a first-timer to see Spain is to split time between Andalusia and Catalonia rather than trying to cover the whole country. Barcelona is the center of Catalonia, with Gaudí architecture and Gothic history, while Andalusia has Seville (Flamenco, Moorish palaces) and Granada (Alhambra). I personally visited Spain in 2021, splitting time between both regions—ideal for first-time visitors who want castles, culture, and history in one trip rather than choosing just one. I found flying the fastest, but there is also a high-speed AVE train network.
Fun Facts About Spain
- 🏰 The Alhambra in Granada receives 2.7+ million visitors annually—making it Spain’s most-visited monument. Book tickets 3 months ahead, visit via a bus tour (like I did), or you’ll be stuck admiring it from the outside!
- 🎨 Gaudí’s unfinished masterpiece, Sagrada Familia, has been under construction since 1882 and won’t be complete until 2026. That’s 144 years of building one church!
- 🌃 Spaniards eat dinner at 9-10 PM (or later!)—and if you show up to a restaurant at 6 PM, you’ll be dining completely alone, or in my case, find very few options to eat at. Embrace the late-night schedule or run into issues!
- 🐉 Casa Batlló’s rooftop looks like a dragon’s back—Gaudí designed it to represent St. George slaying the dragon, Barcelona’s patron saint. Even the chimney pots are armored warriors!
- ⛪ The Seville Cathedral is so massive that it’s the world’s largest Gothic cathedral. Columbus is also buried there (maybe—there’s debate about whether it’s really him)!
- 💃 Seville is the birthplace of flamenco, so make sure to book a performance to not miss out on this cultural touchstone (it’s one of the top things to do in Seville)!
- 🏛️ Barcelona has more than just Gaudí—the Gothic Quarter’s narrow medieval streets date back 2,000 years to Roman times, and you can still see original Roman walls embedded in buildings!
The Best Time to Visit Spain
Why I prefer shoulder season:
- Temperatures are perfect for wandering Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter without melting
- You can actually get Alhambra tickets without booking 3 months ahead
- Accommodation prices drop 30-40% compared to summer
- Seville’s plazas aren’t scorching hot, and you can enjoy outdoor tapas comfortably
- Beach cities like Barcelona are pleasant without the summer crush
My experience: I visited in September, and while I was warned that a major city like Barcelona might be a bit crowded, I found it not to be too bad aside from Park Güell, which was overflowing with tourists. It was still pretty warm, but it also drizzled a bit, which helped keep the humidity down.
Things to Know Before You Go
Spain uses the Euro (€)
You can exchange money before a trip, but I find it best to withdraw cash at a local ATM on an as-needed basis.
They speak Spanish
Practice basic phrases (Hola, Buenos días, Por favor, Gracias), but in most tourist areas, people also speak English.
A visa isn’t needed
For short tourist visits (90 days max), no visa is needed. However, you will soon need to apply for ETIAS before entering. Additionally, EES requires non-EU travelers to provide fingerprints and facial images to enter Spain.
Download the Omio and Citymapper App
Use the Omio app for long train and bus journeys. Get the Citymapper app for local transport. I walked or Ubered (partly because of pickpockets) around these cities and did a bus tour to Granada.
Spain Travel Tools
Below are the exact tools I used to plan my Spanish adventure! Spain is incredibly rewarding but requires more advanced planning than you’d think. It is a safe (with precautions), even while solo, and an easy country to explore.
To avoid any mistakes and secure spots at sold-out attractions, here are my essential planning tips:
- 💰 Skip the tourist passes in Spain—they rarely pay off: Unlike other European cities, Barcelona and Seville’s city passes don’t cover enough major attractions to justify the cost. I did the math and would’ve lost money on both. Buy individual tickets instead
- 🎟️ These attractions WILL turn you away without advance tickets: Alhambra (book 3 months ahead—seriously), Sagrada Familia, Casa Batlló, and Park Güell all sell out. I learned this the hard way when I struggled to find tickets to the cathedral
- 🧑💼 Free walking tours are worth your time: I did one in Barcelona of the charming Gothic Quarter and got local insights I’d never find in guidebooks. Tip your guide well (€10-15 is standard).
- 🎒 Barcelona pickpockets are REAL and relentless: Before I visited Barcelona, everyone I talked to who’d visited had had something stolen. Someone at the table next to me even had a suitcase nadded while I was at dinner. Keep nothing in back pockets, invest in an anti-theft product, wear your bag in front, and stay hyper-aware in crowded tourist areas—especially Las Ramblas, the Gothic Quarter, and Sagrada Familia.
