Oh, Spain. Where to even begin? You could visit this country 50 times and not see it all. Each region has its own special gems, from the wine region in La Rioja to the southern towns of Andalusia with its touches of Islamic and Moorish influence, to beachy, artistic Barcelona.
For Luke’s 30th birthday, we took a 10-day trip of a lifetime to Spain with 22 of our best friends . It still feels crazy to even say that we were with many of our most cherished friends in Spain, feasting on paella and drinking the night away with amazing three-euro sangria.
Luke’s birthday bash was held in Mallorca, at a finca – the equivalent to a large ranch-style countryside home – in an area called Porto Cristo along the southeastern side of the island.
We were there at the finca all together for four days. Some friends chose to travel beforehand, taking tours of the beautiful Portuguese coast, then hitting Madrid or the south of Spain. Others, including us, took a trip the following week to Madrid, Valencia and Barcelona.
10 days. Four cities.
Flashback to when we were at Oktoberfest in Munich with our good friends in the fall of 2016; the idea of the Mallorcan birthday weekend was born. Being with friends at such a festive event was such a heightened level of fun that I thought this epiphany of big birthday bash could really have some potential for unforgettable memories.
I thought this was going to be near-impossible to successfully plan a gathering of friends on an island I had never been to.
But I cannot explain how glad I am that I was proven wrong. Not to mention that Spain would be the ultimate place to experience with friends thanks to its incredible nightlife, cuisine, endless sights to explore, and truly something for everyone.
Hence, our 10-day itinerary to Spain was born. A week and a half was the perfect amount of time to spend in four cities. Traveling around was simple, with quick flights or tranquil train rides offering gorgeous Spanish scenery, and just overall not too tiring. This was the first Europe trip where I wasn’t absolutely exhausted from trying to do way too much.
This 10-day itinerary is for those who would like to see some main cities and experience life as a local. You won’t see a lot of museums or sight-seeing here. I planned it so we could explore, get lost, and see where the stunning streets of Spain took us rather than having to be committed to getting to a certain sight at a locked-in time with tickets (but if you want tips for a jam-packed trip, check out this post about my Italian itinerary or what you should do in DC for a weekend).
Here’s our 10-day Spain itinerary that I hope helps you when planning a trip to Spain:
Spain Itinerary Outline:
- Day 1: Barcelona
- Day 2: Barcelona > Mallorca
- Day 3: Mallorca
- Day 4: Mallorca
- Day 5: Mallorca > Madrid
- Day 6: Madrid
- Day 7: Madrid
- Day 8: Madrid > Valencia
- Day 9: Valencia > Barcelona
- Day 10: Barcelona
- Day 11: Fly out
Day 1: Arrive to Barcelona
The flights were cheapest from several cities to fly into Barcelona. Our non-stop flight on Norwegian airlines from Fort Lauderdale to Barcelona was about $400! It was so easy to fly there. We had 10 of the 22 friends fly out of Fort Lauderdale, making drives from north Florida to take advantage of this affordable price.
After landing we headed to our Airbnb in Las Ramblas, the most popular name you will hear when it comes to areas of Barcelona because of its tourist-y reputation. It is super walkable, and there are plenty of dive bars and great restaurants to explore in this area.
Dine at Quimet Quimet for an Amazing Tapas Dinner
Quimet Quimet is a name you’ll see on many blogs, and is also a name I received on several lists from local friends of Barcelona for places to hit. Be mentally prepared for how tight of a squeeze it is inside, and you can’t take drinks out on the street from there so you do have to dine in the little knook that it is.
When you go up to the bar to order, be ready to shout your order over the chatter, as they work very quickly to serve up what are the most delicious seafood-based tapas you can imagine.
Bar Hop in El Raval
I wish I could recount the names of the bars that we visited, but it also says something about the amount of spots to pop in and out of throughout the weaving streets off of Las Ramblas that I can’t. As a group of 10 Americans, I wasn’t sure how well we’d fit into some bars but we didn’t have an issue. Barcelona is surprisingly conducive for large groups.
The only bar I did learn the name of was Bar Rouge, a dark cocktail bar with a sophisticated-local vibe. They had delicious drinks for good prices, and a neat upstairs lounge area to sit and people watch while sipping on a craft libation.
Day 2: Hop Over to Mallorca
Because I had spent so much time planning our time in Mallorca, hosting so many friends flying in from all over the world, it didn’t actually hit me that I was going to a beautiful island with my favorite people until we landed. From that moment until we left four days later, it was pure bliss.
Mallorca surpassed my expectations in every sense. Everything we had to eat was simple, quality and fresh.
All you need to do to enjoy Mallorca is stay at a relaxing hotel or Airbnb like the one we rented, and get ready to relax. It may sound crazy, but I had only planned one festivity in Mallorca to allow for time for everyone to do what they pleased. Mallorca is place to go with no plans and wait to be delighted at every turn.
We spent the day settling in, buying groceries (which was hilarious, we essentially cleared out the local grocery store or food + alcohol), drinking sangria and grilling out at the finca. We had a tennis court, plenty of courtyard space for fun drinking games, and a pool.
So, for day 2 on your Spanish itinerary in Mallorca, put your feet up and breathe in the fresh island air, enjoy simple pleasures like olive oil and bread with your glass of Spanish vino and take in the rolling countryside hills or crystal-clear ocean water.
Day 3: Exploring the Beaches of Mallorca
There are stunning beaches that reminded me of Thailand, in addition to the green rolling hills featuring quaint farms, historic museums and cathedrals to tour, and the UNESCO site of the Tramuntana Mountains.
We spent the day at the beach about 20 minutes south of Porto Cristo, called Cala Mendia. We found a beach-side restaurant to have some lunch and sangria, and basically booked up every outside table.
After relaxing and enjoying the perfectly sunny weather, we meandered over to the sand and braced ourselves as we ran into the freezing-cold but crystal-freaking-clear water. Naturally, the boys found all kinds of activities, like playing sand volleyball and also hiking up the cliff to jump off of into the turquoise waters below.
It seemed like every beach we saw in Mallorca was picturesque. They weren’t very crowded at this time of year (late April) was it was still dropping into the 50s at night, but it was perfect weather during the day to enjoy the beach.
We returned to our finca for Luke’s birthday dinner and celebration, for which Luke and I hired Chef Victor to come make us all the most amazing 3-course, traditional Mallorcan meal, including bread and spreads, cheese, olives, two huge paella dishes with all kinds of fresh seafood, and ending a memorable dinner with ensamaida, a traditional birthday pastry cake.
Chef Victor was so kind, and brought two waiters with him that did set up, serving, and clean up. They were amazing, highly recommend for a group!
It was incredibly surreal to look around the table and see smiles on the faces of lifelong friends, sitting together in Mallorca all in one place!
Day 4: Experience Mallorcan History
On our last full day in Mallorca, we took a 45-minute drive to Arta, a beautifully historic town in the southeastern part of Mallorca. We walked up the Santuari de Sant Salvador, viewing what seemed like all of Mallorcan countryside. It was a great afternoon or taking in nice views and relaxing.
There are several cities in Mallorca that feature stunning cathedrals and quaint towns to walk through and explore. If we had been in the northern part of Mallorca, I would have wanted to explore the popular hikes of the mountain ranges in the north of Mallorca. There is so much to see for the lover of the outdoors here.
Day 5: Head to Madrid for Posh City Life
After four days of partying in Spain together, it was time for our group to part. A group of nine of us were heading to Madrid to start our second week of our Spanish trip; after our first night in Madrid, four were parting to do a road trip through the south of Spain while five of us were hitting major cities as we made our way back to Barcelona.
No one in our group had been to Madrid before. I had heard Madrid was an elite metropolitan city, competing with a London or New York City vibe. It was as impressive of a city, so clean and posh, but without the bustling-busy feel and crowdedness of a capital city. I thought this made it an exciting place to be, as it had so much grandiose architecture and history right in the heart of the city yet was still so inviting thanks to laid back places like the San Miguel Market and El Parque Del Gran Retiro.
Upon arrival to Madrid, stroll through El Parque Del Gran Retiro first. It’s very impressive and a great place to get a glimpse of local everyday life, filled with families and puppies running all around. It’s gigantic, with impressive architecture and fountains around almost every corner.
As expected, there are endless options for dining in Madrid. We stayed in Chueco, known as the gay district, with happening nightlife even on a Monday and incredible restaurants and bars. I highly recommend it as it was conveniently located to walk anywhere in the city.
Day 6: Live like Madrileños
Start off your morning by going to the San Miguel Marketplace. You’ll find delicious tapas, (more seafood if you didn’t have enough in Mallorca), sandwiches, pastries, coffee, and even an early morning beer. It’s about a 15-minute walk from Chueco, super easy.
From there, walk to the Royal Palace. If you have the time or interest, I imagine it would be well worth going inside and taking the tour (we didn’t plan well enough and there was a crazy line!). It’s very moving to see the Royal Palace where so much notable history has happened.
From there, do as the Madrileños do and go enjoy the incredible scenery of Madrid from a rooftop bar. I didn’t realize that Madrid was as high up in elevation as it is, surrounded by mountains. We were in jackets and scarves all day long, so make sure to check the weather ahead of time!
A must-stop bar is located atop the Circulo de las Bellas Artes, serving delicious food and beer along with breathe-taking views of the city and mountains.
Day 7: Wander Through The Neighborhoods and Experience Real Madrid Soccer
After staring our final full day in Madrid off by hitting another market, San Anton Market, we met up with a local friend who gave us a walking tour of the city. Lavapies was a very cool up-and-coming area. Take a seat at a cafe and order a vino tinto. I loved that with every drink you order, you’re also served a little tapa – mixed nuts, potato chips. Just nice to have something to munch on while you sip and visit with friends.
While we were in Madrid, Real Madrid was playing Bayern Munich in the semi-finals for a big soccer championship. If the tickets hadn’t been $700 USD it would have been amazing to go. But the second-best option was to get a look at the scene at the Real Madrid stadium, and head to an Irish Pub to watch the game and cheer on Real Madrid for the win they did end up taking home!
Day 8: Off to Valencia, The Birthplace of Paella
Taking a train from Madrid to Valencia was easy, about 3 hours. One member of our group had spent time living in Valencia, so we got a local tour of the Old Town and walked all throughout a huge farmer’s market. The charm of Valencia made it my favorite city that we visited in Spain.
We spent the one day we had visiting with friends, drinking local beer, and dining at incredible low-key restaurants, like Utielana for lamb and paella.
Day 9: Valencia to Barcelona
After another quick and beautiful train ride, we checked into our Airbnb in the Gothic Quarter, a neat neighborhood of Barcelona surrounded by shops and restaurants. The other group of friends who had roadtripped along the south of Spain arrived, and we all met for dinner and relaxed by sharing stories of our weeks in Spain.
Luke and I had been to Barcelona before and done the major sightseeing, but for this and the last day in Barcelona I recommend seeing La Sagrada Familia and taking a tour of the inside, as it is a masterpiece to not miss.
Parc Guell is another popular spot in Barcelona, with incredible views overlooking all of Barcelona and featuring more of Antoni Gaudi’s artwork.
Day 10: Robadora in Barcelona
Before heading out to the states, we dined at a notable restaurant with the best food we ate in Barcelona known as Robadora. We were a group of 10 and we got sat immediately, which was unheard of on our trip so far! The food was also incredible – tapas that topped anywhere else we had eaten throughout our trip and delicious sangria.
This trip to Spain was one of my favorite I have ever taken, and hope to plan something as exciting in the near future.
Want more itineraries?
-AB
