Barcelona, Seville & Granada: An Honest Recap

Prefer the quick, day-by-day version? Read the companion itinerary: Barcelona, Seville & Granada, Day by Day: Our Full Itinerary.

Getting around

We took a nonstop flight from OAK to BCN on Level/Iberia. Neither of us had heard of the airline, but we loved it — relatively cheap, direct (a huge bonus), clean, and with good entertainment. You pay for checked bags, meals, and comfort kits, but we didn't mind.

To get around Barcelona we used an app called MyTaxi. Barcelona had only recently gotten Uber, so we took just one Uber the whole trip — Uber is cheaper but availability was unreliable, whereas MyTaxi lets you request and pay by card and gives a fare estimate up front, which helps you not feel scammed.

We flew Barcelona to Seville and Granada back to Barcelona on Vueling, a small budget airline (40 euro for a checked bag, but two carry-ons each are free). Between Seville and Granada we took the Alsa bus — great: a 3-hour ride in comfortable seats with little TVs, a (well-hidden) bathroom, and wifi. Book and print tickets in advance.

Barcelona

We didn't over-plan — just booked flights in and out, a few nights of hotel, and collected recommendations from friends, which kept us flexible without really affecting prices. We used Hotwire for all our hotels (aiming for 4–5 star at $100–150), which has worked well for us in Paris and Italy too.

Our first stay was the Pullman Skipper Barcelona — beautiful, but a 20-minute walk from where our tours met. Next time we'd look up the Sandeman's meeting point and book near it — which is exactly what we did for our third night, moving to Hotel Gòtic, a great 4-star right by the tour meeting spot. I'd definitely stay in the Gothic Quarter; other tourists we met were staying on Las Ramblas and regretted it. (If you're picky about your hair, bring your own shampoo and conditioner — hotel toiletries were a toss-up.)

We booked a Bike Tour, Tapas Tour, and Gaudí/Modernisme tour through Sandeman's, plus a Sagrada Família tour through the foundation (which gets you inside and supports the build). Tours are an effective way to see a city and meet a local; it adds up, but it maximizes your time. We like front-loading tours — the information compounds (the Sagrada Família tour was enhanced by the later Gaudí tour) and guides give great local recommendations.

We had dinner in Barceloneta at Barraca, known for paella — you'll need a reservation, and can ask for a window seat (though it's a small place, and all the upstairs seating is good). We had the standard paella made with black (squid-ink) rice, and it was amazing; go for the well-priced house red, from a local cellar with a special relationship with the restaurant. Afterward we had a drink at the W for the views.

After Granada we came back to Barcelona for a final night at the NH Collection Barcelona Podium — the perfect hotel. It's a 4-star on Hotwire but truly feels 5-star: Nespresso and kettle in the room, roof access, huge bright rooms, very affordable. We did a Park Güell tour (~1 hour, ~25 euro including the ticket) — scenic, a different side of Gaudí, and a lovely place for a picnic or light hike. We closed out at La Boqueria, one of the oldest markets, eating our way through it (skip the big savory plates and go for empanadas or croquettes; I also bought high-quality La Mancha saffron here), then had tea on the hotel roof — the perfect end to an amazing trip.

Seville

It rained most of our time in Spain. In Barcelona that was fine, but in Seville it was rough — the streets don't drain well and it gets cold (we didn't expect that). If rain is forecast, come prepared.

Our first day we did the Cathedral and Alcázar tour — both amazing buildings — with Feel the City, chosen for timing. Ordering tickets was a hassle, the tour ran 40 minutes late, and the ticket price isn't included, but the guides were great (Miguel, for the Alcázar, was wonderful). At the Cathedral, walk to the top of the tower — it's an easy ramp and the view is incredible.

The best thing we did in Seville was a cooking class, which introduced us to food we wouldn't have tried and gave us a way to bring a bit of Spain home. We also walked 20 minutes to Plaza de España, built for the 1929 Exposition — the main building and park are breathtaking (there are boat and carriage rides too). For a chill dinner we ordered basically everything we'd made in class at Las Columnas — tapa-portioned paella and cazón en adobo (think fish and chips) — highly recommended, with incredibly fast service.

Granada

We checked into Hotel Barceló Congress — nice, but about 10 minutes (a 7-euro taxi) from the center; with Hotwire, the 5-star hotels tend to be farther out, but Granada hotels are inexpensive. The walk into town is an easy 20 minutes; next time we'd stay closer to Plaza Nueva. We'd planned a Sacromonte walking tour (the historic quarter where people still live in cave homes — apparently you can buy one for ~$25K) but relaxed instead.

My favorite thing our first day was tapas-hopping — here it's traditional, so your drinks come with tapas. Our favorite was Rosario Varela. The next day, sunny and beautiful, we did the historic city tour with Feel the City's free tour; our guide Pedro was engaging, and the compounding effect of the earlier tours really paid off.

We took the hop-on-hop-off up to the Alhambra, killing time with piononos (moist cinnamon buns created in Granada) and tea at Restaurante Jardines Alberto. The best thing we did in Granada was the Alhambra tour — an architectural wonder; we'd watched videos beforehand about how the buildings' ratios create a harmonious feeling, and a guided tour is highly recommended. From the Alhambra there's a well-defined 10-minute pedestrian path back to town. We couldn't get a table at Arrayanes (a Moroccan restaurant matching the Alhambra's vibe) at 8, so we had tea at their tea house around the corner; the owner even brought us lemonade while we waited. We ordered the salad sampler, chicken couscous (amazing), and beef meatball tagine — our best meal in Granada, and a must-do.