Over the summer, I had the privilege of going to Spain for the first, and hopefully not last, time. My family and I vacationed there at the end of May and I got to see so many new places while being in a completely new environment. To make the trip enjoyable for everyone, we each picked something we would like to do or see. This brought diversity to our trip, letting us experience Spain to the fullest. These are my favorite things I did while in Spain.
Bad Bunny
At number one, my absolute favorite thing I did in Spain was see Bad Bunny in concert at one of his Madrid shows. My sister and I are longtime fans of Bad Bunny, so when he announced his world tour with no U.S. dates we knew we couldn’t miss the opportunity. So we came up with the brilliant idea to go see him elsewhere. After many, many debates, we decided on Madrid at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano. It is my favorite concert I have been to yet. As much as I would like to put the experience into words, I don’t think words could do it justice. The energy, the people, the stadium, most of all, the performance was incredible and truly unforgettable.
Day Trip to Toledo
My dad went on and on about how he heard you have to stop in Toledo while in Spain and as much as I hate to admit when he’s right, he was definitely right (this time at least). Toledo was such a beautiful city with amazing views. We rode a sightseeing bus around the town and saw the bronze tourism plaques they had all throughout the city. They mark important landmarks without cluttering the area with tourism signs. Toledo is exactly the type of city you picture when you hear summer in Europe.
Park Güell
Park Güell was one of my picks and I was most excited to see it while in Barcelona. It was a beautiful park full of beautiful architecture. There were so many places to take cute pictures and there was a view overlooking the city. We walked all throughout the park, going to the top of the Hill of the Three Crosses. I recorded over 10,000 steps walking through Park Güell and it was definitely worth it.
L’Aquàrium de Barcelona
Since this was a family trip, my sister and I wanted to include something fun for my little brother to do and since he loves sea animals, we decided on L’Aquàrium de Barcelona that’s located right on the coast. I was really excited to see the aquarium and it definitely did not disappoint. The setup was so cool and we even got to feed koi fish out of a bottle. We walked through a very long underwater walkway that I thought was never going to end. It’s also one of the largest aquariums in Europe.
Madrid Stadium Tour
Leaving Madrid without seeing Bernabéu, the home stadium of one of the most iconic teams ever, Real Madrid, did not sit right in my soul. We took a deep dive in the team’s history and relived iconic moments and the impact the team has had on soccer. We got to see the titles the team has won through history and the majority of the stadium. It was an unforgettable experience.
Final Thoughts
Looking back, what made Spain so special wasn’t just the places but that we all enjoyed ourselves in different ways. Each pick added something new, taking us to places that we wouldn’t have gone on our own, leaving a special memory in each place we visited. While some of the places we saw were unforgettable, I think what I’ll remember most is arguing with my sister about which way to go in Retiro Park. I left Spain with a camera roll full of photos and a heart full of gratitude and I already can’t wait to go back.