As is the case for almost everyone in India, travelling to Spain had always been on my bucket list. Not only because it is such a beautiful country, but my love for football drove me to finally book the flight tickets for my first ever solo trip to Spain.

Spain is a huge country and there is something unique to see & experience throughout. With a limited time of only 2 weeks, I chose to see the very best Spain has to offer:Catalonia & Andalusia regions. Choosing Catalonia was a no-brainer for me as I am a huge FC Barcelona fan. Andalusia is one of the most beautiful parts of Spain and culturally very different from the Catalonia region. And so began my adventure.

I started my journey from Mumbai with an early morning flight & reached Barcelona the same day with a short layover at Istanbul. There are great many things to do and places to visit in Barcelona. As I was coming back to Barcelona for few more days at the end of the trip, I only visited the Camp Nou (FC Barcelona stadium) museum. It is a must visit even if you are not a football Fan.

Travelling to Seville

The next day I boarded the High Speed AVE train from Barcelona to Seville. The 5 hour journey at 300 Kmph went by in a flash. I had specifically chosen the day time train as it offered beautiful sights of Spain countryside.

After dropping off my luggage at the Airbnb accommodation, I headed straight for Plaza de Espana. This is the place that comes up in google every time one searches for Seville and it is just as beautiful in person as it is in all those photographs.

For the next two days, I visited all the famous landmarks starting with Seville Cathedral (Giralda tower is not to be missed), Royal Alcazar which is famous for serving as Dorne in Game of Thrones, Plaza de Toros, the famous bull fighting ring. Seville is an epitome of Andulasian charm and culture as I was able to see live Flamenco dance show, had paella for dinner two days in a row and did pub hopping in search of the famous Tapas & had loads of Sangria on the entire trip. 

Seville to Granada

After two days in Seville, I boarded a bus to Granada. Again a very scenic route and you are welcomed by the imposing snow capped Sierra Nevada mountains. I was staying at the heart of old city of Granada in a very Gothic style house hosted on Airbnb.

The first thing that greets every visitor to Granada is a sight of Gypsies in the street. Trekking on the beautiful hillside of Sacromonte and seeing all the gypsy caves is an unforgettable experience.

The Famous landmark in Granada is undoubtedly Alhambra Palace. It takes an entire day to visit the palace which is steeped in History. But the best view of Alhambra Palace is from a little place called Mirador de San Nicolas. Although accessible by bus, it is more fun to walk up the windy streets to get to the top. The view especially during sunset is breathtaking.

Day trip to Ronda

The next day, I visited a small and beautiful place called Ronda, near Malaga & it was just a day trip from Granada. I had found this place after searching for the most beautiful lesser known unexplored places in Spain.

The 3 hour journey one side with a combination of bus & train was worth it. The El Tajo Gorge connecting two halves of mountain is just amazing. The view of the Gorge and the countryside from various viewpoints is just spectacular. After returning to Granada at night, I left for Barcelona in the morning. 

Back to Barcelona

That was El Clasico day. FC Barcelona vs Real Madrid. Although I didn’t get the tickets for the most important match of the year in world football, the euphoria outside the stadium just before the match was unforgettable. Coupled with the fact that the match was happening in the midst of Catalan independence movement, events leading up to the match were really intense. I watched the match in a sports bar near the stadium, where the atmosphere was no less than the one in stadium.

I had tickets to a match two days after El Clasico for another match. So in between I visited the famous Sagrada Familia. It is a Roman catholic Basilica designed by the famous architect Antoni Gaudi and is under construction for more than 100 years and is expected to be completed in 2026. It is also a UNESCO World heritage site.

The next day I visited Mount Tibidabo, famously referred to in the American Sitcom FRIENDS. It takes a whole day to visit as it involves changing two metros, travelling by hanging cable car & a bus. It overlooks the entire city of Barcelona and the panoramic view of the city is spectacular.

And finally the match day at Camp Nou. FC Barcelona vs Alaves. I had bought the best seats in the house, just by the pitch side. It was a dream come true to watch Lionel Messi and co play. 4-0 win for Barca.

Short trip to Girona

For the last day in Spain, I visited Girona, 100 Kms from Barcelona. Main attractions are the Girona Cathedral, where Game of Thrones scenes were filmed extensively & Passeig de la Muralla, old city walls. The walls go through the medieval town of the city and offer amazing views. Just a walk on the cobbled streets takes you back in time.

Links for Booking tickets:

I had a lot of trouble finding reliable ticket booking sites. The following are the sites I used:

1.Bus, Train & Flight tickets for domestic travel in Spain: https://www.omio.com/

2.Camp nou Stadium visit: https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/tickets/camp-nou-experience

3.Football Match Tickets ( Not sold offline) : https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/tickets/football

4.Sagrada Familia: https://sagradafamilia.org/en/tickets

5.Royal Alcazar Seville : https://realalcazarsevilla.sacatuentrada.es/en/lotes/visita-general-lote

6.Alhambra Palace Granada : https://tickets.alhambra-patronato.es/en/tickets-alhambra-general-2/