Spain & Portugal Loop
Porto, Portugal
you can go to porto from Lisbon on a 1 hour plane ride for $10 if you book it enough in advance. Or you can do bus or train.Porto is a very cute city but you don’t need more than a night there in my opinion. This city isn’t a must do but if you have time you should. I stayed in Pilot Hostel and it was nice.
Lisbon, Portugal
Easiest place to fly in and out of in Portugal. There is sooo much to do here I have been here for a week total and still haven’t don’t it all. Its on the coast too so you can go to the beach, There is also a little town about 30 min away called Casxis and it is all beaches its really nice. Portuguese food is really good too. I have stayed with my friends family so no hostel but I have heard of a few good ones :
Yes! Hostel
Oasis Lisbon
GSpot(Party hostel)
Transportation: 4 hours bus ride to Lagos $25
Lagos
Lagos is cool because it is a rocky coast line and there is a hike you can do all along the cliffs and you can climb down to different secluded beaches. There are also kayak, paddle board and boat tours that you can take in all of the caves along the coast but you wanna do it at low tide so you can go inside the caves.
I stayed at Cloud 9 ($13) because it was cheap but if you want a party hostel there is one called Rising Cock ($24). They are both located in the center and a 5 min walk to the first beach.
Transportation: 4 hour bus to Sevilla $24
Sevilla, Spain
Oasis Palace Hostel ($20)
Sevilla is sick and the hostel is too. Sevilla is super hot and this hostel has a pool on the roof terrace ,which is perfect. You can go to flamenco shows because this is the city that the dance is created it’s a college town too so there is good night life. You should also do a day trip to Cadiz.. I didn’t go but I heard it was really nice some people even go stay for a few days and theres a beach so that’s good.
Granada bus from Sevilla 3 hours $24 (I think)
GRANADA
Oasis Hostel (it’s a chain) really good hostel in the center. Granada is sick I think it was my favorite place in Spain. You go to the Al Ambra ( also the name of the Spanish beer) and it is a palace that the Muslims built and it was in the running for one of the wonders of the world or whatever. If you go you need to buy a ticket online at least 3 days in advance or you have to wake up at 5 in the morning and sit in line for three hours and hope its not sold out ( it sucks don’t do it haha but if you do go around the corner to the credit card machine line and you have better luck) Granada is at the bottom of the Serra Nevada mountains so the hostel offers a hike through the mountains I didn’t do it cause I didn’t have time but I heard it was cool . The hostel also does a walking tour around the city to see the street art and also the illegal immigrants that are living in caves above the city (it was cray cray) Granada is also very famous for its tapas. Any bar you go to you order a drink, it can be beer or orange juice..literally anything .. and they bring you a plate of food for free. So, basically your getting a drink and a food for like $3 .. its awesome. Also, if yall are feeling really adventurous you can go to Morocco for the day from Granada ( or you should go to morocco for like 3 days because its awesome) but yea if you ask the guys at the hostel they can tell you how to do it I think it’s a one hour bus and 2 hour fairy but it would be a sick day trip.
I think that from Granada you could get a train to Barcelona or Madrid idk the route you guys are gonna wanna take but that is just how I did it. Madrid is the best city in Spain to go to other country’s from if your flying but Barcelona/Valencia are closer to France so that might be a better option to go by train. Honestly, I thought Madrid was amazing but a lot of people skip it. I would def recommend going and if you do you need to try a Spanish omelet or they call it a tortilla in spain ( you can have it anywhere but the best is in Madrid). Also a lot of places in Madrid do the free tapas as well like in Granada.
BARCELONA
Kabul Hostel (party hostel)- located right in the heart of the city and 10 min walk to the beach. Also does free breakfast and dinner. Eat at a tapas bar called Jai Ca ( in Barcelona the tapas aren’t free like in Granada but they are really cheap. You have to order patatas bravas as well).
MADRID
Cats Hostel.. good location and really cool atmosphere and does free breakfast
VALENCIA
I didn’t get to go there but I really wanted to. It is the home of Paella which is the best food ever so if you go then get it if you go haha