When you can only manage to book 16 hours in a city like Madrid, is it worth it? And how to plan? On a recent trip to central Spain hosted by the Spanish Tourist Office, I asked to extend my trip. After all, it was my first time in Spain, and 3 days wasn’t nearly…
Category Archives: Spain
A Guide to Barcelona’s Oceanfront: La Barceloneta and Beyond
With its newer buildings and open vistas, Barcelona’s oceanfront is an appealing area and a nice counterpoint to the touristed streets of the city’s oldest quarters. Guests on the Barcelona Untour have the time to explore the waterfront and enjoy a different view of this gorgeous Spanish city. Here’s a rundown of Barcelona’s seaside neighborhoods…
From the Archives: Untourists in Portugal & Spain on 9/11
Recently our colleague Joao, from Sintra, Portugal, was cleaning out some old paperwork and stumbled upon a thank you note from Untourists whom he had hosted during the tragic events of 9/11, back in 2001. Joao hosted the first iteration of our Sintra Untour back then (which was simply the Portugal Untour, as we had…
Into the Wilds of Southern Spain: Sierra Subbética
The Sierras Subbéticas literally form the backyard for our Andalusia Untour hometowns. Though central and wildly beautiful, this area is largely untouched by tourism. It is at the very center of our rural Andalusia Untour. The Sierra Subbética, la Subbética for short, is a strikingly beautiful, rugged park located in the triangle that forms between…
Madrid in Pictures: Top 10 Sights to See
Madrid is a spectacular city! Though we do not have an Untour program there, some of our guests from our Spanish UnTours in Barcelona, Andalusia, and Cordoba make their way there for an overnight or two, to round out their experience of Spain. And for good reason! Madrid is a beautiful and fascinating place. That’s…
Barcelona’s Colorful La Manzana de la Discòrdia, the Block of Discord
On the Passeig de Gràcia in the Eixample district of Barcelona is quite possibly the most famous block in Spain. The Block of Discord is an architectural mishmash of ostentation and color. We’re looking at some of Barcelona’s most colorful architecture as we get ready for our upcoming Virtual Weekend in Barcelona and Madrid. Barcelona’s…
Vickie’s Memories of Spain: The Festivals and People in Pictures
With borders closed, and no European travel in the near future, many of us are enjoying photos and memories of past UnTours travels. Vickie Kelber is a loyal Untourist and frequent contributor to the UnTours blog. She has shared her insights on London and fond memories of Switzerland. This week on the blog, she shares…
Flamenco Guitar: The Sound of Spain
Flamenco is the sound of Spain, a tradition of music and dance that was developed in the 18th century and that remains popular in Spain today. It originated in Andalusia, home of our Cordoba and rural Andalucia UnTours, though it grew to be embraced all over Spain and is performed widely to this day. The…
A Day Trip to Ronda, Spain
Located within easy day trip distance of our UnTours in Cordoba and Andalusia in Southern Spain, Ronda is an exciting day trip! Because of its high perch in the mountains, Ronda is often referred to as The Eagles’ Nest. Standing atop a towering plateau, a plunging river gorge, El Tajo (ravine), divides the city into…
The 6 Best Day Trips from Cordoba
Cordoba is a magical place where history and religions mingle in stunning architecture and art. It also flies a little below the tourist radar, so it is an appealing base for an Untour. Our secret formula for UnTours also includes the requirement that a homebase be just that, a base from which to explore the…