Tag: Stadiums

10 day itinerary for Andalucia

Andalucia is the jewel in the crown of Spain.  There are various stella attractions that help this region claim that title – the Alhambra, Seville, Cordoba, the striking pueblos blancos (white towns), the flamenco dancing, the Sherry Triangle.  There are also natural spots that are worth the trip alone, such as the beaches of Tarifa, the mountains of Parque Natural Sierra de Grazalema and the coastline of Parque Natural de Cabo de Gata-Nijar.  But it is the unique historical blend of Christian Spain and Moorish Al-Andalus that gives Andalucia the magic touch and makes it the must visit region of Spain

 

The itinerary below will give you the highlights and try to minimise the driving by having Cordoba and Parque Natural de Cabo de Gata-Nijar as optional

 

I’ve listed tips below, but high level – the standout attractions are the drive through the achingly beautiful white towns of Parque Natural Sierra de Grazalema, Seville’s Old Town with its Cathedral and Palace, and staying overnight in the sensational Vejer de la Fontera

Ronda

Ronda is all about the dramatic gorge and how the pretty white old town, complete with one of Spain’s oldest bull rings and sensational bridge, is built impossibly around it.  Certainly worth the day trip from the likes of Seville and Malaga as the surrounding scenery is just gorgeous and, despite it being really busy with fellow day tourists, has enough to see to not make it feel overly crowded

 

Top tip #1 – if have a car, focus instead on the drive through nearby Parque Natural Sierra de Grazalema.  Ronda is beautiful, for sure, but it is just one of many stunning white hilltop towns in this part of Andalucia.  Instead of spending 1-2 days in Ronda, enjoy it as part of a driving route from Ronda to Arcos de la Fontera.  The most beautiful part of Spain, one of the most beautiful places I’ve seen in all of Europe  and with far less tourists than in Ronda.  See the full travel entry here –Driving through the White Towns of Parque Natural Sierra Grazalema

Tip #2 – walk through the valley to the west of Ronda as part of a circular route that gives you great views of the Bridge.   Its a fairly simple route that you can start from anywhere, is around 6km / 3.75miles so takes only about 1.5 hours with only one moderately steep part, gives the best views of the gorge and allows you to wander through the vineyards for a very different feel.  Use google maps – start at the bridge- then walk through the pretty Old Town to Mirador del Viento for amazing views – then to Mirador La Hoya del Tajo for further great views – then walk through the vineyards to Mirador de los Pinos – then all the way along the ridge to the views from Hotel Catalonia Reina – and then back to the central area with the bridge

Tip #3 – or something more unusual, try the Bodega Garcia Hidalgo vineyard.  Only 5km from town, run by a local family and about as genuine a vineyard tour you can get

Tip #4 – where to stay.  We stayed at the Hotel Catalonia Reina which has sensational views of the nearby mountains and valleys from its wide garden balcony, but is a bit overpriced for the rooms you get.  I don’t think it really matters where you stay as everything is so close in Ronda

Tip #5 – where to eat.  La Abaceria Ronda did great tapas.  For drinks, give the Hotel Catalonia Reina’s outside area a go for great views and not rammed

Driving through the White Towns of Parque Natural Sierra Grazalema

Picture-perfect, bright white Andalucian towns dramatically wedged in to the rugged peaks and sharp valleys of the Parque Natural Sierra Grazalema make this one of the most achingly beautiful places in Europe, if not the world.  Being able to drive through it, as you stop repeatedly to gorp at the latest sensational vista, also makes this one of the best driving routes in the world, and, in my opinion, Spain’s premier tourist experience

Top tips:

  1. You’ll want to have a car.  There may be some organised tours, but so much of the experience is about stopping for the gorping moments!
  2. The route – follow the Lonely Planet’s route from Arcos de la Fontera to Ronda (shown in photos).  Whole route is 147km / 90 miles and takes around 3.5 hours time driving.  As you can see from the route, there are a couple of places where you can do shortcuts to reduce the overall distance if rushed
  3. 1 or 2 days?  We did this in one day (starting from Vejer de la Fontera so adding on an extra hour) and it was a long day.  Would have been more pleasant to stay overnight in one of the small villages in the park
  4. Hiking – there were some sensational hiking routes, but be aware that many of the best ones are closed June – September due to fire danger, and that you need a hiking permit outside of these dates, which is a annoying
  5. Best towns to stop at – they’re all achingly beautiful and you’ll naturally drive through them anyway, so there is no need to miss any.  That being said, Zahara de la Sierra and Grazalema were the most photogenic; and Ronda (for its bridge and gorge) and Seteril de las Bodegas (for its cave houses) were the most unusual.  Ronda also has the benefit of the bull ring, which is worth a visit, and is the most developed town for accommodation options.  The pass at Puerto de las Palomas is also worth stopping at for its huge vistas, and also for the eagle watching you can do from there

Historic Seville

When you think of the major historic cities of the world, you naturally think of the likes of Rome, Paris, Barcelona, Istanbul, Jerusalem, Delhi, Beijing etc., but not necessarily Seville in that top bracket.  Yet it really should be – consider a few factors:

1. Huge variety of history – whilst many of the major European cities have ebbed and flowed in influence, Seville, from the time of the Romans, Goths, Muslim-rule, Catillian conquest, and through to its position as the commercial capital of the Spanish Empire in the Age of Discovery, has remained a key city – that is a serious variety of history in one place!

2. Major attractions – Seville Cathedral, The Royal Palace Alcazar and the General Archives of the Indies are all UNESCO World Heritage Sites. And then you have the likes of the Plaza de Toros (Spain’s oldest and premier bullring), magnificent Plaza de Espana and the other myriad of chrurchs, palaces and museums

3. Compact – unlike some of other major Historical Cities, the historic sites are all super close together, with most sites within 500m

4. The Old Town is magical – the old medieval lanes of the Historic area offer an Old Town that is not only pretty, but also has that wonderful combination of having a buzz, but being easily able to escape the crowds and find small deserted laned all to yourself

 

From an experience point of view, it’s acually the Old Town that makes Seville feel special . . . and very real in many ways.  As long as you can manage your expectations for fellow tourist numbers at the key attractions and avoid the intense heat of the summer, Seville is a “must visit” in what is the must visit region of Spain (Andalucia)

6 months trip of a lifetime around Latin America

My girlfriend and I went on a 6month trip around Latin America (excluding Brazil).  Started in the far South in the Tierra del Fuego in Argentina and, broadly, made our way up the west coast to the Yucatan Peninsular of Mexico.  Best large scale trip I’ve done, and wanted to share the overall itinerary and tips here to hopefully help those who are considering something similar

A few high level points:

  • Other than the flights there and the first hotel, there were only three things we booked in advance: the Inca Trail (which we knew we needed to for permits); plus for Patagonia a trip through Torres del Paine National Park and a ferry through the fjords (as we were going at peak season and only a couple of weeks after we landed).  Everything else, we booked when in Latin America and, in our opinion, that is the best way to do it – gives you the freedom to relax in the places you find that you love and be super flexible to do what you want to do
  • Total costs – my girlfriend and I went in our 30s, with no kids and on sabbaticals from work.  We’re not poor, but certainly not mega wealthy.  We didn’t stay in super expensive hotels (other than for the occasional splurge), flew economy and used a bit of common sense for timings of certain expensive items, but never held back on doing the things we wanted to do.  Some examples of big ticket items: US$5k for a week diving in the remote Wolf & Darwin Islands in the Galapagos; US$1.2k for 4 days in Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonia; US$800 for a helicopter trip to see the El Mirador Mayan ruins in the Guatemalan jungle; US$700 for the Inca Trail.  Total cost of the whole trip was US$34k each.  This included all flights, transport, hotels, activities, food, drink, guides, screwing things up, credit card fees – the lot.  Expensive, but so are most Experiences of a Lifetime
  • It’s not about trying to “do everything” – in a place as large as Latin America, you couldn’t even if you tried – so don’t think of things as a big tick box exercise.  Brazil, for example, we knew we couldn’t do justice whilst also trying to enjoy all the other amazing places we’d heard of, so left it for next time
  • In the similar vain, make sure you give yourself big chunks of time to chill out.  Not only to recharge the batteries, but also because most places are enjoyed when you spend time to soak up the feel for the place.  There were some places . . . like Lake Atitlan in Guatemala, Buenos Aires in Argentina, Isla Mujeres in Mexico, Bocas del Toro in Panama . . . where I could have spent weeks there just because the general vibe of the place was so wonderful
  • Safety – we weren’t robbed, but many people do either having a bag stolen or, unpleasantly, get robbed face to face.  Other than a couple of cities, we generally felt super safe the places we went and tried to just apply common sense to reduce our risks
  • Learn a bit of Spanish before you go – the app DuoLingo was great for getting us to a basic level that made a lot of difference.  But also don’t be afraid to pull out google for simultaneous conversation translations to really be able to have a conversation with someone – some long trips became some of our highlights just from being able to properly talk with the driver / locals.  I particularly remember a long taxi ride in Colombia where we went back and forward for 2 hours with the driver on everything from his home town to politics to football to his favourite movies to his family problems- never could have done that without Spanish or google.  In a similar vein, and using the right level of common sense, don’t turn down an invite for drinks / dinner / house visit with locals.  There are some truly unforgettable natural and cultural spots to see, but similarly an evening with a local family will be something likely to be just as unforgettable
  • Whenever checking out a place or must-do-site, its easy to get templed / churched / ancient site / beached out.  Always do a very basic bit of research to see if there is a more out of the ordinary way to experience it – by bike / drinking tour / kayaking / helicopter / whatever.  Thats what we tried to do, and I hope it reflected in some of the cool stuff listed below

3 days checking out Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires is one of the premier cites in Latin America and one that feels the most European – certainly has the same feel of a Barcelona or Milan – but with that Argentinian vibe that makes it so captivating.  Its my favourite city in South America and in 3 days I’d recommend a combination of getting out and about, whilst giving the time to simply sit back and soak up all going on around you

Make sure you stay in the super cool Palermo, cycle about the key sites and along the North part of the city, and head into the central places like La Catedral to stare gobsmacked at all ages dancing the sensual tango

Cycling around Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires is one of the premier cities to visit in Latin America and no doubt one of the hubs you’ll pass through if experiencing this part of the world.  Jumping on a bike, either through a tour or on your own, is a great, cheap way to check it out

Top Tip – BA bikes was great for providing bikes and taking you on a tours; otherwise just rent one and be sure to head up along the coastline of the north part of the city which is stunning on a sunny day

Full day highlights of Chicago

Winters are brutal, but in the summer Chicago is one hell of a place to be with its lakefront beaches, host of activities and with its general buzzy sassy attitude.  I, from a personal point of view, had one of the best days of my life in Chicago because I managed to combine a cycle up the lakefront, the boat tour of the sites, a baseball game, concert and drinks.  Chicago in summer is raring to go and I’ve listed my top tips for an amazing day in the Tips section below

Rapid 2 week roadtrip around the US West Coast States

My favourite road trip – the contrasts of natural landscape along the way with snowy mountains, red / yellow deserts, and temperate rainforests; the tasters of the different culture snapshots of the US with conservative cowboys through to uber-liberal SoCal and Pacific North West; the sheer world-fame of some spots like Las Vegas, LA, Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon; but more than anything – its a trip that is simply perfect for driving.  The distances involved, the way the US in particular is set up for the drivers and the scenery to take in in between the obvious highlights is just world-beating

It’s also a super high octane trip – 4200 miles / 6760km of driving – the sort of thing you rattle off in your 20s, when you have the energy, 2 weeks of vacation and are keen to see and do everything.  There’s something just so incredibly fun and fantastic about seeing one world-famous site one after the other in rapid succession – one day being in the likes of Yellowstone National Park, the next in Arches National Park, the next the Grand Canyon, the next Las Vegas, the next LA etc etc.  An exciting whirlwind that creates a feeling most will never forget . . . and in a way equally spoils / sets the bar incredibly high for any other trip

A bit rushed? – on the trip itself, we didn’t feel overly rushed.  Again, we had 2 weeks vacation and wanted to see as much of this part of the world as possible.  For example, I actually found a day / half day in each of the national parks perfect to do a basic walk, see the main attractions and get the feel for them.  But of course, it would have been nice to spend longer in each – perhaps take a 3 day hiking trip across one of them.  Or perhaps see some of the other pieces we of course missed along the way.  Ultimately, I always suggest avoiding the mass tourism standard experience on offer, and I shudder just thinking of trying to do this again, but in a part of the world that has world class sites one after the other, the gorging on them was great fun