¡Hola! Ready for your tour through Spain? ¡Vamos!

Spaniards appreciate the variety of Mediterranean cuisine, even when they are on the road. That’s why you’ll also get your money’s worth in culinary terms at the rest stops along the highway. But international fast-food franchisesare also often found at highway service stations, and many Spaniards occasionally reach for a classic hamburger.

Be prepared if you are looking forward to rice and seafood with paella! In Valencia, where the dish originated, you’ll be proven wrong: authentic paella contains no seafood at all. The Valencians are purists and prefer chicken and rabbit together with some vegetables.

How do you prefer your paella – classic or with seafood? Photo: Adobe Stock

Are you more into ham? The Museo del Jamón in Madrid is the right place for you! It’s all about the cured pork butt.

Vino y tapas: Spain is famous for its delicious and varied wine. Did you know that free tapas with your drink is a tradition in many parts of the country? A great way to enjoy Spanish hospitality!

Fruity fun

Uvas de la Suerte (lucky grapes) are a completely different culinary tradition: on New Year’s Eve, Spaniards traditionally eat twelve grapes at midnight, one for each chime of the bell.

 It’s not far from grapes to tomatoes. Do you happen to have any loaded? Then head to the tomato war in Buñol near Valencia! At the famous La Tomatina, thousands of people throw tomatoes at each other every last Wednesday in August. Fruity fun in a class of its own!

Siesta!

But the Spanish can do things differently: they don’t take their siesta lightly. You won’t get far with your errands during lunchtime. This is when many stores close for a few hours. The only thing that helps is to stay relaxed. If your schedule allows it, just take a nap too!

With so much relaxation, it can sometimes take a little longer for a building to be completed: The famous Sagrada Familia in Barcelona has been under construction since 1882 and is still not finished. Gaudí has left his mark, but the masterpiece is still waiting to be completed!

You can combine a visit to cathedrals of a completely different kind with a trip to the beach: Playa de las Catedrales in Galicia boasts impressive rock formations reminiscent of cathedral arches. However, it is only accessible at low tide.

You can marvel at the impressive rock formations at Playa de las Catedrales. Photo: Adobe Stock

Patron saints

No matter where you are in Spain, you will encounter holy city patrons everywhere: almost every Spanish city has its own patron saint and celebrates him or her with extravagant festivals. Barcelona venerates the Virgin of Mercè or San Jorge on the 23^rd of April and Pamplona celebrates San Fermín in July.

Want something to do in the evening? In summer, many Spanish cities offer open-air movie screenings. What could be better than enjoying a movie under the stars? What do you do when you’re traveling in Spain? Write your tips in a comment!