Mallorca Spain or Barcelona which is better. How to get from Mallorca to Barcelona. Conditional areas. Descriptions and features
For those unfortunate people who have not yet been to the land of oranges, wine is also dedicated!
There are many sunny countries in Europe, but there is one special one - Spain! In this “hot” and “passionate” world there is plenty of joy for any person! Spain is “caressed” from both sides by two water “ladiesmen”: the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Wherever you go, you will be welcome, because the Spaniards are hot, brave, but friendly people.
The most popular place holidays in Spain - the dream resort of Mallorca (Mallorca). Mallorca belongs Balearic Islands. Tourists arrive on the island in large numbers all year round. Why? But because if you’ve visited this fabulous place once, seething with joy and fun, you’ll want to come back here again, and what’s more, you’ll want to stay here forever! A mild and favorable climate will not give your health And mood be capricious, fresh fruits and seafood delight the eye around the clock. Nature the island is rich and varied, which means it will give you many memorable photographs. Sandy beaches are the main bonus of the island, and why be modest, of the whole country as a whole!
If you're planning to get to know Spain better, head to Barcelona, a city of vibrant art, cuisine, and entertainment. Of course, speaking of Barcelona, immediately start fantasizing about what the work of the famous architect Antonio Gaudi looks like. You will be committing a huge “sin” if you are in Barcelona and do not see his creations. If you are going on vacation with children, then be sure to take them to Port Aventura - they will be grateful to you and will never forget this fun, full of impressions visit to the amusement park!
For lovers of fiery dances, we present ourselves to the city of passionate flamenco and bullfighting - Seville! The whole city is drowning in orange trees to delight the eye and intoxicate with aromas. Here, as throughout the country, rivers of refreshing Sangria flow, streams of national Spanish songs and guitars flow, and the sun gives happiness.
Well, for special tourists, Spain keeps Tenerife, an island from the archipelago Canary Islands. All the most “nourishing”, “juicy” and unforgettable things are collected here! The island "lives" on Atlantic Ocean, known as the island" eternal spring", has a year-round warm climate. Tenerife is surrounded by an abundance of vegetation, a group of palm trees is often found here. The most high point islands - famous volcano"Teide". We can talk about Tenerife forever, so it’s better not to waste time talking about it, go there immediately!
If you love Spain so much that you dream about its rich and bright holiday colors, then go to any city you see on the map. This could be Malaga, where you will enjoy fresh sardines, or Toledo, the former capital of Spain, and the current capital of Madrid. You will be fed a divine delicacy for gourmets - jamon, rice with seafood - paella, you will be given water and fruit everywhere - sangria, and of course you will be enchanted with fans and castanets. The emotional Spanish language will excite your insides, walks along the narrow streets will seem very intimate and because all of Spain is permeated with threads of passion and love.
Think about it, there are many in the world beautiful places, but you won’t find one like Spain. It combines joy, depravity, laughter, romance and sweet sadness. Holidays in Spain are famous all over the world. The land of dreams will give you a lot of happiness, introduce you to new people, because all of Europe comes there to get their dose of joy and magic. Every day there is something celebrated here holiday, you will love the noisy voice of the crowd, bright smiles, food and dancing. Once you visit there, you will never forget it!
It’s a good tradition for the second year in a row to extend the summer and exchange the Moscow autumn rains for sun and warmth. If last year the exchange was slightly conditional (there was no sea in Prague and Vienna), then this year we made up for lost time: we went to sunny Spain and spent first a week in Mallorca, and then on the mainland, in Barcelona.
Perhaps this was the first full-fledged Vacation in my life (with capital letters), the way it should be - with sea and sun, parties, with a historical and cultural component and, of course, two weeks.
Long after such a rich and multifaceted vacation, the post-vacation syndrome lasted, when in the dull Moscow reality nothing but photographs, discussions, memories and new contacts on Facebook reminded of the wonderful Spanish days.
Planning is everything
When you plan a vacation in September, and in most resort towns It’s already getting cool, the choice for destination is not so wide (if you choose from Europe). Initially, we wanted Spain (anticipating the appearance of a six-month Schengen visa), so the choice was eventually narrowed down to its island part, because... at the beginning of autumn it is still quite warm there.
We did everything ourselves, as usual, in Spanish visa center; on the vueling website and ozone (via Air Europe) book three flights: Moscow - Palma de Mallorca, Palma de Mallorca - Barcelona and Barcelona - Moscow; hotels on your own booking; read Vinsky and continue to study guidebooks.
Majorca,El Arenal
Impressions: beach, cocktails and clubs
Joy knew no bounds when we finally checked into the hotel and put on our swimsuits and got to the beach. The water is excellent, sand, sun!
A local specialty is drinking cocktails (mostly sangria with ice and Sprite, but any other can be used) from huge buckets with a bunch of straws, lying right on the beach. This is my favorite photo from this trip:
It looks funny when you come to the beach with a 12-liter bucket, three of you, girls, and start vigorously making a cocktail. By the way, it turns out not as alcoholic as it might seem: don’t forget about the whole bag dangerous ice!
The myth that Mallorca is a fashionable resort was completely debunked. Nothing like that at all regular hotels and ordinary beaches, without any frills or frills. Locals told us that in Spain and surrounding countries Mallorca is considered budget holiday(as I understand it, like Turkey for Russia).
90% of tourists in El Arenal are Germans. In Magaluf (another resort, to the west of Palma), on the contrary, it is predominantly English. It remained a mystery at what historical moment such a division occurred, but the fact remained: during our stay on the island, we heard German speech much more often than Russian.
Perhaps, focusing on German preferences in music and parties, the owners of the El Arenal clubs chose a specific format that we did not like at all: there are no usual beautiful clubs where everyone is in dresses, and the music is not in the “thump-tum-tum” style with German motifs a la march. Therefore, in search of a good club atmosphere, it was decided to go to Palma (20 minutes from El Arenal by car/bus), to the Tito’s club, which was recommended by locals as the best club in the city. The girls liked it, but that day, unfortunately, I was at the hotel, struggling with acclimatization syndrome.
Island tours
The ideal option, of course, is to rent a car and drive yourself. But, if, like me, you use your license solely as an ID when paying for purchases in a store, you can always use the services of local travel agencies that sell excursions in the surrounding area. We chose a route through the Lluc monastery in the mountains, the port of Soller and the settlement of Fornalutx to another cute village of Valdemossa. Basically, the road was represented by a mountain serpentine, driving along which in a huge bus it seems that you are about to hit oncoming cars and overhanging rocks. If you get seasick (like me), take anti-seasickness pills...
When we arrived in Lluc Monastery, I wanted to quote Lermontov: “ A few years ago / Where, merging, they make noise / Embracing like two sisters, / The streams of Aragva and Kura, / There was a monastery»..
Pilgrims from all over the island flock to Lluc, because... This is where the figurine of the island’s patron saint, St. Virgin Mary Luke, is located.
How the monastery was built is completely unclear, because... It's quite difficult to get there. Very close is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen: the sea turns into the sky.
At the next stop - portSoller, time seemed to stand still.. A beautiful harbor with many snow-white yachts, hillsides with cute houses, warming sun, delicious food and magical music performed on the street by the Indians.
Fornalutx And Valdemossa- two small island villages. It’s incredibly nice and cozy there and you want to stay at least for a little while, but the excursion schedule calls for further.
Valdemossa famous for the fact that Chopin and George Sand lived here for some time. It was here that several of the composer’s most famous works and the book “Winter in Mallorca” by the writer were written.
I would like to give a few words to our guide, a native Mallorcan, Rafael. In his, I think, about 60 fairly vigorous years, he spoke 6 (!) languages: regular Spanish, Mallorcan dialect, German, French, Russian (since he was married to Russian Natasha), and English, of course. Wanting to make his story understandable to all tourists present on the bus, Rafael duplicated the information in 5 different languages (excluding the local dialect).
Palma de Mallorca
You can take a walk in the “capital” of the island for one day, it will be just right. The town is very nice beautiful embankment, the old palace-castle towering above it, nice streets, many shops, a port with yachts, and, as I said above, nightclub Tito's!
The anthem of Mallorca will remain the song Call me maybe, which was the soundtrack of the last unforgettable night, which smoothly turned into a real teleportation to Barcelona..
From unvisited
Ferries depart from Palma every day to neighboring island- Ibiza. Unfortunately, we didn’t get there because:
1) you need to spend two full days there (arrive at 7 am by ferry, leave your things at the hotel, wander around the island, go to the club in the evening, back the next morning), and out of the six we had at our disposal, it was a pity to spend them not on the beach;
2) on the days when Tiesto, Van Buuren and Guetta performed, the ferry ticket cost several times more + entrance to the clubs themselves was also paid.
Barcelona, capital of Catalonia
Try as we might, we couldn’t find anyone like Javier Bardem. As it turned out a little later, he himself is not from Catalonia at all, so you may have to go to Las Palmas, where he was born, and look there.
Catalonia is known to be a province of Spain that is strongly striving to become independent. Catalan flags are hung everywhere, everyone loves Lionel Messi, the inscriptions are duplicated in two languages - common Spanish and Catalan. As our Spaniard friend Sergio said, if there was a referendum on independence from Spain, he would vote “yes,” citing not only economic issues, but also the fact that the identity of Catalonia, customs and traditions, are suppressed by Spain (Catalonia was conquered by the Spaniards when some time ago).
Where to live in Barcelona
Since we were going to spend exactly a week in the city, it was important to live as centrally as possible and close to the necessary transport routes. After a short search, the apartments were found Feel Good Apartments Plaza Cataluña at Santa Ana, 35 (street perpendicular to La Rambla, 5 minutes to Plaça Catalunya and about 10 minutes to the Columbus Column at Portal de la Pau in the port). The location is excellent, and the small entrance door in the center of a busy street added a special flavor - we felt like natural citizens when we opened it with our own key, and without going to any reception.
The check-in system is as follows: first you need to come to the office at Ferran, 11 to get the keys. On the day of departure, the door will be locked at 11 a.m., so if you need to leave things, you can, again, walk to the office or (which is much more convenient) for a couple of euros you can drop your luggage at the locker at Carrer d'Estruc (literally 5 minutes from the apartments) .
LaMerce, feast of the patron saint of Barcelona
The day of arrival in Barcelona coincided with national holiday La Merce (September 24): all the Barcelonans were out walking, there were many concerts and street performances. Surprisingly, among the crowds of people wandering around the city, not a single policeman was seen; everything was quiet and peaceful. It was striking that the column within the framework of the Festival of Giants consisted entirely of joyful and satisfied residents of the city, even mothers with strollers were walking, in contrast to the forced processions associated with May 1 or June 12 in Russian cities. The holiday ended with a beautiful light show projection onto the city hall building, which we watched while sitting right on the square on the paving stones along with city residents and other tourists.
National cuisine and where to try it
The most popular are, of course, paella and sangria. I forced myself to eat real seafood paella - incredibly tasty, despite the unpleasant-looking scallops and shells! Sangria flowed in jugs, and this made the city even more beautiful and pleasant!
In Barcelona you should definitely eat fish and seafood, everything is fresh and very tasty.
An excellent place where they literally serve a whole mountain of seafood is El Rey de la Gamba-2 in the Barceloneta beach area. I read about this place on Vinsky, thank you very much, it’s gorgeous. And finally they bring shots, just like that :)
In the city center, the favorite restaurant with the most delicious sangria has become Ambos Mundos at Plaça Reial, 10.
We liked the breakfast the most Pastisseria del Pi at Ferran, 12, where after the second visit we were already recognized. Coffee, croissants, pies, bruschetta, puddings, etc. (and at times closer to lunch, more substantial food).
I still don’t understand why they eat jamon with melon. Maybe you haven't tried it?
Port
The harbor of Barcelona begins at the Column of Columbus, where, according to history, he sailed after the discovery of America to inform the royal couple about this. On the embankment right by the water they sell tickets for a 2-hour sail on a pleasure boat, which will take you from the harbor to the open sea with real huge waves. The entire Barcelonetta beach will be at your fingertips.
It’s nice to sit on the embankment in the evening, drink something unobtrusive, and look at the stars.
Barceloneta beach
It was a little cooler in Barcelona than in Mallorca, but we couldn't pass up the beach. An ordinary city beach with sand, starting immediately behind residential areas. The sea here is completely different: strong waves on which you can swing crazy and then shake the sand out of your swimsuit for a long time. Well, it was colder, of course, compared to the calm water of Mallorca.
If you walk from Barceloneta towards the W Hotel Barcelona along Sant Sebastian beach, you will find an amazing bar Salt, located right on the shore. Wicker chairs stand on the sand, lounge-style music, pleasant cocktails, the sea splashing at your feet, the night sky... It was very good.
ClubOpiumMar andCDLC
Some of best clubs Barcelona, located on Barceloneta a stone's throw from each other. It’s great when the club is right on the beach, and you can go out onto the sand with a cocktail and listen to the waves. The music is excellent, the people are nice and international, admission is 20 euros, you can get there by taxi (there are huge numbers of them waiting for those who want to ride around the city at night on the Rambla and in the center in general).
Tibidabo Park
Everyone who watched “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” remembers the old amusement park and the red airplane - this is the park on Mount Tibidabo, where the seducer Bardem brought his two girls.
The park is over a hundred years old, but you can ride the rides without fear that they will fall apart. The American roller coaster is not scary at all, even I liked it. Cool wild high speed train and a carousel on chains.
Tibidabo offers excellent views of the city, and it even seems that the statues of Christ on top of the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart are touching the cloud.
You can get to the mountain from the Avinguda Tibidabo metro station, first by the Blue Tram, and then by funicular.
Montjuic
Montjuic is another one observation deck, opposite Tibidabo. You can get there by cable car, passing through the entire bay (scary, by the way), starting from Cape Barceloneta. In general, Montjuic has a park, a Spanish village with the main attractions of Spain in miniature, and Olympic swimming pools, but since the visit to Montjuic was planned for the penultimate day, I just wanted to take a walk and take another look at the city. Therefore, having reached the end point of the cable car, we began to descend to Plaza de España in order to look at Magic fountain at the National Palace.
On the way, we found a cool little bar called Noa-Noa at Carrer de Lleida, 23, with a fun atmosphere and a Russian-speaking owner.
Port Aventura
How can you visit Barcelona and not go to the Port Aventura amusement park? Even if you are afraid of slides. There is a direct train from Passeig de Gracia station (via Tarragona in the direction of Salou), and at the station you can buy a ticket to the park + return ticket. Useful advice: check the schedule of return trains and whether any interruptions are planned transport communication for this day.
We didn’t go on the two very best roller coasters (Dragon Khan and Shambhala), because... Personally, I was scared to even look at them, and when I learned that in Shambhala they only fasten the belt, and their arms dangle, I decided that this was too much.. So, even if you are not a fan of extreme slides, in Port Aventura it’s all the same there is something to ride.
Furius Baco, for example, is classified as “black”, but I enjoyed riding it even twice (it is located at the very beginning of the park). Oh God, I just read that it accelerates to 135 km/h!.. It’s not felt at all (I tried to reassure).
I liked everyone very much water attractions- Tutuki splash (Polynesia), Grand Canyon Rapids and Silver River Flume (Wild West). I advise you to buy a raincoat!
Return from Port Aventura back to Barcelona made me worry.. The required return train did not arrive at the time indicated by the schedule. He didn't come even after an hour. And in two hours too. It was already dark outside and even colder. People on the platform began to get nervous; no one understood how to get back to the city. Only the local Spanish Rastafarians did not strain, who, for heating purposes, lit a fire right next to the station and urged everyone to relax. As a result, taxi drivers quickly found out about the transport collapse, and we drove back (2 hours by car) for 200 euros per car... The Spaniards, what can we get from them, are constantly on strike, apparently, and there was another strike on the railway!
I won’t write anything about Gaudi and Park Guell, you just have to go there, it’s a must see!
Transport in Barcelona
If possible, it is better to avoid the metro. I have never seen such an ill-conceived and inconvenient system anywhere. Firstly, it’s incredibly stuffy there (on the platforms while you’re waiting for the train) - after 10 minutes you have an irresistible desire to see the light again and breathe in the air. Secondly, you can wait for the train, but it will not come (by analogy with the railway). Well, the system of signs indicating where to go to go further is clearly suffering. It's better to use by land transport. The same applies to the way to the airport: it is better to be guaranteed to leave by bus or call a taxi (about 30-40 euros from the center) than to wait for an unknown amount of time for the metro.
Shopping in Barcelona
Was left until the last day. Near the square Catalonia has three large El Corte Inglés shopping centers, as well as many small shops.
Needless to say, we didn’t have time to go around everything; already when we were dragging our suitcases on the bus to the airport, we saw a wine library and ran there in joy, but, realizing that we couldn’t take much, we returned. I didn’t want to fly away more than ever! Barcelona is a wonderful, hospitable city that you should visit for at least a week. This is one of the cities you want to return to.
Where is the best place to relax in Spain? Barcelona or Costa Brava or?. . Where is the best beach? and got the best answer
Answer from La rosa[guru]
in Barcelona
Reply from 2 answers[guru]
Hello! Here is a selection of topics with answers to your question: Where is the best place to relax in Spain? Barcelona or Costa Brava or?. . Where is the best beach?
Reply from Serg tihom[guru]
if you need a beach 100-200m wide and + sightseeing in Barcelona (i.e. go closer),
then I recommend the town of Callela (Caleia) - north of Barcelona, a 40-minute drive to Barcelona by train.
At the train ticket office, buy a BONATRAIN ticket - and you will have inexpensive 5 round trip trips to Barcelona (that is, only 10 trips and a heavily discounted price).
All other beach villages are further away. In the north there is also Malgrat and Tossa. And in the South of Barcelona - Solow is famous, but it is a 3-hour drive from Barcelona.
Reply from Filaret[guru]
Barcelona has a large, wide city beach, but the sea is a little dirtier.
Reply from Marina Anatolyevna[guru]
Salou has silky golden sand, excellent beaches, close to Port Aventura... and it’s only 110 km to Barsa, an hour by train
Reply from Prischepka[expert]
The most best beaches on the islands of course! Mallorca is heaven on earth, I recommend it! I’m flying there myself next week :) Ibiza is also good, but people fly there to party and it’s insanely expensive... And from Mallorca you can get to Barcelona and Ibiza if you want! Ferries run regularly, plus there are inexpensive domestic flights. A friend was vacationing on the Costa Brava, she didn’t like it there at all... too crowded and feels like Türkiye. It's always better on the islands :)
Ancient quarters, interesting museums, rainbow mosaics, Mediterranean cuisine, gorgeous beaches - these are just some of the reasons why you should visit Spain!
My husband and I, as always, planned our trip to Spain long before the trip and, of course, on our own. We have not used the services of travel agencies for a long time, as we prefer to develop routes and choose hotels ourselves. And preparing for the next trip is an extremely exciting thing.
This was our first trip to Spain (usually we choose Asian countries). But this time we were practically persuaded to choose Spain, and we did not regret it. Warm sea, stunningly beautiful landscapes, an abundance of fruits, cheeses and jamon, as well as friendliness local population made our holiday excellent.
Barcelona
Barcelona
Tickets were purchased several months before departure. The choice was: either expensive tickets direct flight from St. Petersburg to Barcelona, or cheap, but with transfers. We are not looking for easy ways, and besides, we travel quite often, so we chose tickets through Helsinki and with a transfer in Riga. Tickets AirBaltic airlines were cheap (about 15,000 rubles per person in both directions with departure from Helsinki), but had their limitations: luggage was paid separately (we flew with hand luggage), and you also had to register online. If you do not check in online, you will have to pay additional fees when checking in at the airport. Hotels in Mallorca were booked almost six months in advance, as summer time on good hotels there is very high demand here.
Embankment
Travel route to Spain
Two weeks flew by. Five days were allotted for Barcelona. We did not try to cover as much as possible in one trip to Barcelona. After all, in the Catalan capital there are so many interesting places: cathedrals, basilicas, monuments, beautiful squares and narrow streets! And I want to look at everything without rushing anywhere. In addition, the suburbs of Barcelona: Figueres, Girona, Sitges also attract tourists from all over the world.
For our first visit, we determined that we definitely wanted to visit the Gothic Quarter, see the Sagrada Familia by the great architect Antonio Gaudi, climb Mount Montjuïc, walk along the central Rambla, look at the Boqueria market and, of course, visit one of the most popular parks in the world entertainment - Port Aventura.
Most of all I like to combine a dynamic holiday in one trip big cities and the tranquility of a beach holiday. This time we chose the Spanish pearl - Mallorca, and managed to live on two opposite parts of the island. So, first things first!
Spanish market
The trip was strictly planned by day, and we did not deviate from the plan. To briefly describe our journey, this is what happens:
1 day: departure to Finland. Since our Schengen area is Finnish, the trip through Finland was beneficial for us (there was no need to go there specifically). So, early in the morning we took a bus from St. Petersburg to Helsinki Airport (we ordered a transfer). We took an evening flight from Helsinki to Riga. We had to spend 6 hours at Riga airport, during which time we had dinner and even slept a little. In the morning we were already in Barcelona, tired, but looking forward to a great holiday.
Day 2: Barcelona greeted us with great weather! In the afternoon we checked into an apartment pre-booked on booking.com. Despite being tired, after checking in we immediately went for a walk around the city. And the first attraction on our way was the Sagrada Familia.
Sagrada Familia
Then we went for a walk along the famous Rambla, looked into shops along the way, and visited the ancient Boqueria market. And already late in the evening we managed to go to shopping mall Arena.
Arena in Barcelona
Day 3 spent in the Port Aventura amusement park and water park. And it was a very emotional day!
Port Aventura
Day 4 We didn't plan it in advance. We just went for a walk in the city center. And we found an amazing place - Citadel Park.
Barcelona
We walked along the ancient streets of the Gothic quarter and, of course, could not pass by the Picasso Museum.
Picasso Museum
Day 5 We took a morning flight from Barcelona to a heavenly place - Mallorca. We took a taxi to the hotel, located at the westernmost point of the island. Sant'Elmo - picturesque and quiet place for a beach holiday.
Days 6, 7, and 8 we spent in wonderful hotel Universal Aquamarine & Aquavilla. The main attractions of Sant'Elma are the beautiful beach, walks along several streets and the amazing cuisine at the hotel.
Day 9 In the morning we packed our things and took a taxi to the eastern part of the island of Mallorca - the small town of Porto Colom. Here is a popular tourist sandy beach Cala Marsal.
9 - 11 days we stayed at the JS Cape Colom hotel, located among picturesque cliffs. His business card is observation deck on the top floor with a stunning view. The hotel has an all-inclusive system, but the kitchen was not at all pleasing. But I was very pleased with the presence of a good tennis court, the use of which was included in the price of the stay. Please note that this hotel is for adults only. And this is correct, since the hotel’s beach is very unique; entry into the sea is via stairs from a cliff.
Day 12 In the morning we moved to a hotel in the capital of the island - Palma de Mallorca. We spent only a day here. On the first day we saw the main attractions of the city - the Cathedral and central square, as well as Bellver Castle.
Day 13 In the morning we walked around main square Palma de Mallorca, spent a couple of hours shopping. After lunch we flew to Barcelona. held in Barcelona romantic evening in one of the restaurants in the Gothic Quarter.
Seafood in Spain at every turn
Day 14 The last full day in Barcelona was very eventful. In the morning we went to the Laberint d'Orta park, located next to the hotel where we stayed.
Barcelona
Then we went to the center, planning to visit Gaudi's great creation - Casa Batlló. But because huge queue we postponed visiting him until our next trip to Spain. Instead, we took the cable car to the famous Montjuic Castle and admired the beauty National Museum art of Catalonia, walked around the Olympic village, and even had lunch in the cafe of the Olympic stadium.
Barcelona Olympic Park
Also on this day we saw Spain in miniature in Poble Espanyol. This so-called Spanish Village turned out to be just a large collection of overpriced shops and restaurants.
Spanish village
We spent the evening, of course, in our already beloved Gothic Quarter.
Day 15 In the morning we bought cheese/jamon in the shops closest to the hotel. In the evening we flew to Riga. It turned out that on this very day - August 13 - Riga celebrates City Day. We found our little hotel with difficulty and had a delicious dinner at local restaurant(we found the food incredibly tasty compared to Spanish). We didn’t go to the square to watch the fireworks because we were tired and didn’t want to freeze.
Day 16 In the morning we walked along the central streets of Riga, looking at all the disgrace that was happening on the streets after the celebration of the city day. After lunch we flew to Helsinki, from where we finally got to St. Petersburg by evening bus.
Prices in Spain
Holidays in Spain left a lot of positive emotions. What I especially liked was the general friendliness and openness of the Spaniards. And their language is simply music to my ears! I even wanted to learn it in order to understand not only the well-known ones - “gracias”, “ola”, “buenos dias”, etc.
Barcelona from the observation deck
Of course, while traveling we involuntarily compared a holiday in Spain with Asian countries, which we managed to visit. And everywhere has its pros and cons. The biggest disadvantage of Spain is quite high prices for food, transportation, souvenirs, excursions. But it's all in comparison! But the deposit have a nice trip- do not compare with previous holidays. But planning independent travel to Spain, take it more money! The average bill in a cafe is 30-60 Euro for two without alcohol, a taxi around the city is 10-20 Euro, entrance tickets, for example, in Park Aventura - 47 Euro per person.
A little about food
The only thing we were a little disappointed in in Spain was local food. Perhaps due to too high expectations. Before the trip, we read that Spanish cuisine can be considered one of the main attractions of the country, it is so good. We had lunch and dinner in many restaurants of different price ranges, from cheap cafes to a famous restaurant in Mallorca. But we didn’t get much pleasure. Paella, gazpacho, tapas (various snacks), chorizo - it's all, of course, delicious! But after a few days I want something completely different. This does not apply to our beloved brie cheese, jamon and, of course, sangria!
Spanish salad
When it comes to holidays in Mallorca, there is something for everyone. Either calm beach holiday and an evening promenade along local streets (such as in Sant'Elm), or unbridled fun for young people in the Arenal resort.
In a short time of travel we saw large number sights of Barcelona, had a real rest famous island Spain and even managed to see Riga a little. We will start our next trip to Spain from Madrid, and then we would like to see Seville, Zaragoza, Valencia, and the island of Tenerife. But we didn’t see all the sights in Barcelona, and we also want to visit the Port Aventura amusement park again.
Thousands of tourists year after year choose Spain for a long-awaited vacation with the whole family. They are faced with the question: where is the best place to relax? Fabulous Barcelona beckons with its Gothic buildings, museums and shops. Mallorca teases beautiful scenery, beaches, nature reserves and ancient castles. To make a choice, you need to know about the features of holidays in these resort centers Spain.
The first thing that comes to mind when mentioning Barcelona is the famous architectural monuments of this city. The Cathedral of the Holy Family (Sagrada Familia) became the life's work of Antonio Gaudi, who declared a taboo on straight lines in architecture. In addition to this grandiose building, there are many other of his creations in Barcelona. They forever changed its appearance and made it unlike any other European city.
But the capital of Mallorca, Palma, also has unique buildings in the Gothic style. Cathedral Gaudi also did not ignore it during its reconstruction. The appearance of Palma was influenced by the Arabs. A striking example of this is the Almudaina fortress.
History buffs will love Barcelona. There are many museums in it: historical, military, art. Many of them are located in medieval buildings. There are also favorites for tourists: the Gaudi Museum, Picasso, the Egyptian Museum, and the Spanish Village complex.
Palma also has museums. Some are located in private medieval houses. Urban historical museum is located in the only round Gothic palace of Bellver in all of Europe.
If architectural sights are more to the liking of adults and teenagers, then young travelers will enjoy the aquarium in Barcelona. Thanks to the tunnel through the huge Oceanarium, you can see the life of underwater inhabitants from the inside.
There are 8 water parks in the vicinity of Barcelona, the closest one is 30 minutes away. They have entertainment and attractions for all ages, both adults and children.
Mallorca also boasts several water parks, a zoo and an aquarium.
Beach holidays are the main goal of many tourists. Barcelona has many beaches for relaxing family vacation, and for youth with noisy discos. In most cases, they are crowded and have a developed infrastructure for entertainment and games.
There are more than 80 in Mallorca snow-white beaches with turquoise water. They surround the island along the perimeter. In most cases this sandy beaches, there are calm bays, protected from waves and wind. The most popular among young people and surfers is Magaluf with its stormy nightlife and discos. More suitable for families with children: Palma Nova with a gentle entrance to the sea, Paguera, Santa Ponsa, Alcudia, Cala d'Or.
