¡Hola! Andalucía!
The spanish flair - long sunny days, siestas, delicious tapas and joyful people. This is exactly what I was told about Spain and therefore I wanted to experience this flair myself. So I decided to travel through Andalusia for two weeks. Just me, my backpack and my camera.
Since it was summer and also peak season in Spain, I decided to plan the route in advance and book the hostels in advance. The hostels in Andalusia cost on average 10€ a night with breakfast or dinner. Regarding the route, I was inspired by travel blogs. I decided on the following route:
Málaga -> Granada -> Sevilla -> Cádiz -> Tarifa -> Málaga
fixed costs overview
Flixbus to Vienna Airport and return 30€
Flight 50€
13 hostel nights 130€
food 10€/day so 140€
transport 40€
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Fixed costs around 400€
Granada
From the airport in Málaga I took the bus directly to Granada to spend there my first days of my trip. Granada in high summer: WOW what a great idea... Far and wide no sea and in the city it had 40°C.
But the charm of Granada did not make me regret the decision! The old town was beautiful and the free tapas with every drink made the stay perfect. I was especially impressed by the colorful and lively neighborhood of the oldest district "El Albaicín", which is one of the most popular sights of Granada.
But not only the old town amazed me, but also the nature was beautiful. The view of the Sierra Nevada, the highest mountain range in Spain, made my heart melt.
Alhambra
In Granada, I was definitely most amazed by the Alhambra. It is an important city castle on the Sabikah hill and the whole area covers about 13 hectares. The Alhambra has been a World Heritage Site since 1984 and is the most famous and impressive monument of Moorish building culture and Islamic art in Europe.
Sevilla
I wanted to drive from Granada to the beautiful city of Seville. To make this as cheap as possible I looked for a ride on "BlablaCar". After a short time I found a ride, which cost me only 10€. And the driver was Spanish, so I had free Spanish lessons included.
Finally arrived in Seville, my discovery tour started. With my backpack I walked along the streets and let myself be impressed by the beauty of Seville. Later in the afternoon, I made my way to the hostel, which I had booked for the next 4 days. Immediately at check-in I was made aware of the common dinner (which was included in the price).
Of course, I took the opportunity to meet new people, which was not difficult for me. I was apparently not the only single traveler. By the end of the evening we were already a small group of eight travelers. We all got along so well that we decided to spend the next few days together in Seville. We were a mixed group of different nationalities. But we had one thing in common: the love of traveling and the desire to discover the world. So we had enough topics to talk about.
Our days always started with a delicious breakfast together, followed by siesta and an afternoon excursion in Seville. We usually ended the evening on the roof terrace of the hostel or in a typical Spanish bar. It felt like we had known each other forever. The four days together were full of fun, lack of sleep and funny travel stories. It was hard for all of us to say goodbye. But we knew we would see each other again someday....
The Plaza de España is the most beautiful and fabulous place I have ever seen. We were overwhelmed by its scale and beauty. The square was built in 1928 for the 1929 Ibero-American Exposition to celebrate the discovery of the Americas by Spanish conquistadors.
In the Plaza de España you can admire the following:
- 4 bridges: symbolize the four ancient kingdoms
- Canals: to cross them you can rent a boat (best for romantics)
- Fountains, arcades and the famous Azujelos benches (each representing a Spanish province).
More Seville Highlights
Alcázar
Torre del Oro
Casa de Pilatos
Parque de Mariá Luisa
Cádiz
Granada and Seville are beautiful cities, but I still missed the sea. So I was really looking forward to Cádiz. After a two-hour train ride, I arrived in the old port city. The city is surrounded by the sea almost on all sides, as it is located on a headland in the southwest of the country.
In comparison to Seville, it was a lot quieter in Cádiz. The streets were empty and the only sound you could hear was the sound of the sea. I walked towards the beach and enjoyed the sight of the waves. Cádiz was only meant as a stopover, but the small town was just beautiful. Before sunset, I made my way to the hostel. I shared my room with a Swiss girl named Brooke. We got along great. Therefore, together with two Indians, we headed to a restaurant for dinner. We shared tapas, drank sangria, and talked about the differences in each other's religions and cultures. The evening was full of interesting conversations and funny moments.
We spent the next day on the beach. It felt so good to relax and enjoy the warm weather. Brooke and I had similar travel plans so we decided to meet again in Tarifa.
Tarifa
Late in the evening I arrived in Tarifa. I didn't know much about this place, only that it was a hotspot for windsurfers. Since it was already late, I let the evening end on the roof terrace of the hostel in the hammock. From there I saw the sea and not too far away also Africa. I wrote down all my thoughts in my travel diary and felt infinitely happy.
Tarifa really impressed me. The people were incredibly friendly and welcoming, the sea was beautifully turquoise and the alleys in the old town had their charm. I immediately felt very comfortable and wished I had more time to explore Tarifa. I was also lucky with my hostel because it was close to the beach. The hostel staff even took me on excursions and that's how I met a French guy who had been traveling for a year without any savings. He started his trip without money and worked without paying for accommodation and food. Although he had no savings, he was indescribably happy.
Many people think that traveling costs a lot of money. But that´s not alwasy true. There are so many ways to travel low-budget, such as "wwoofing" (you work for accommodation and food for about four hours a day), couchsurfing, odd jobs and staying in hostels.
I really enjoyed the stay in Tarifa. I even considered taking the ferry to Marocco for a few days, since the trip only takes 50 minutes. But I didn´t have a good feeling about it... Which was good in the end. Afterwards, I heard from an Australian traveler, which I had met in the hostel, that she had bad experiences in Marocco. She was traveling alone and she didn´t feel safe. She was even harassed by a hotel employee...
When you travel alone as a woman you always have to be very careful, no matter in which country you are.
Unfortunately, my time in Tarifa was coming to an end. However, there were three things I still wanted to experience:
1. riding on an Andalusian along the beach
2. watch the whales in the Gulf of Gibraltar
3. a reunion with Brooke
The next morning i was already sitting on a temperamental andalusian and rode along the beach. The ranch owner asked me before if I had riding experience, to which I nodded, as I have been riding since I was 11 years old.
I was not aware that I would get a young Andalusian to ride, who had never been on rides before.
I galloped along the beach and the wind blew in my face. The Andalusian galloped like crazy. When we saw windsurfers, the horse panicked and could hardly be controlled. The ride was pure adventure. I was glad when I got off the horse. Already in Tenerife I rode temperamental horses, but this horse was much more temperamental.
In the late afternoon I got a call from Brooke that she had already arrived in Tarifa. We met at the beach and she was not alone: An American traveler was with her, which I already met in Seville. It was crazy how small the world is. We enjoyed the time together and watched the windsurfers at sunset.
On the last day I booked the whale tour before I headed back to Málaga. Since Australia I got often seasick on the boat. Therefore, I asked the staff if the waves would be calm. They said that the sea was very calm today. So I didn't worry anymore and got on the boat full of joy. Half an hour later, my nightmare began. The waves were high, the boat was rocking and I got scared and really seasick. I spent the rest of the tour with a bucket in my hand and hoped that the tour would end soon.
Everyone else had the luck to see dolphins and whales. But I was just tired and made a promise to myself never to do such a whale tour again....
Completely pale, I got off the boat, grabbed my backpack and got on the bus heading for Málaga. I took my seat and immediately fell asleep. The adventure was too much for me.
Málaga
My trip was almost over. The last 10 days flew by. I was lucky to meet so many people on this trip. I was also surprised that many young people were traveling alone. This encouraged me a lot. At home, many people did not understand why I travelled alone.
In Málaga I met a couple with whom I got along very well. The two men were on a backpacking trip for the first time. I gave them some tips and tricks for backpacking and they were thrilled. It felt great to be able to inspire someone with my stories. I was proud of myself! Proud to live my dreams and listen to my heart.
Back to Málaga: Málaga is the second largest city in Andalusia and one of the most popular vacation destinations in Spain. The sandy beaches are miles long, the sea is beautifully warm and the palm trees make the paradise complete.
But Málaga is also a real eye-catcher from above:
For 14 days I was lucky enough to live and experience the Spanish flair. Never would I have dreamed how beautiful and exciting such a trip could be. Never would I have thought that I would ride along the beach in Tarifa. Never would I have thought that I would be able to see Africa in the distance from a hammock. Never would I have thought that I would be eating tapas with seven other solo travelers and drinking a glass of sangria to toast our exciting lives. I never thought I would make such a brave journey at the age of 23.
I am incredibly grateful for this!
Finally a few pictures from Tarifa. Just because it was so beautiful...
