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For uninterrupted views over Barcelona, take the tram up to Tibidabo and order an ice cold beer or a Mojito at Bar Mirablau (Bar BlueView in Catalan).
This city is hard to beat. It doesn´t cost the earth to get there (I just paid taxes), the weather´s great and for a foodie like me it is heaven, especially if you like seafood. Try Taller de Tapas on Rambla de Catalunya for lunch or Can Sole in the Born. Found this flat on IveBeenThere- renovated Art Deco place with a garden 5 minutes from the Gaudi houses on Passeg de Gracia
Located up in the Dalt Vila, Ibiza's fortified old town, a great place for a special dinner. Attentive and friendly waiters serving tasty local fresh food. Call to book a table on the terrace - El Olivo stands out from the crowd.
Plaza de Vila 9
07800 Ibiza
Spain
telephone (+34) 971 300 680
Strengths
The riding is fantastic with loads of swooping single track. The guiding is excellent with well thought out routes tailored to the groups abilities. Tim and Jenny's patience is second to none and thanks to them I can now do switch backs! Not forgetting the luxury accommodation, great food, Land Rover support and amazing location.
Overall
Our second visit proved to be as excellent as our first. The combination of biking, accommodation, food and guiding is still the best I have known. Tim and Jenny look after you so well in every aspect of the holiday. I will definitely return.
A great agroturismo hideaway. Not too big, with a decent pool and rooms with terraces - although more rooms are being built. Great service with thoughtful staff, although limited "room service"
30 mins from everywhere, yet quiet and a wonderful place to relax. Perhaps a little overpriced however thoroughly enjoyed the visit.
Amidst the chaos of San Antonio, there is a fine restaurant. You may feel initially you are entering the king of kitsch, however the food is excellent with an obligatory cool band playing.
Fantastic cliff side restaurant - fun staff, mohito driven sunsets and unusually good value
Sol D’en Serra
amanteibiza.com/
Tazones and Lastres are two very pretty fishing villages a half hour's drive apart.
Tazones has a lovely walk from behind the lighthouse up though woods to the cliffs and views out over the sea.
Lastres is less commercialized and you can eat wonderful fresh fish at a restaurant at the harbour called "El Puerto".
Map and info on this area: www.rusticaltravel.com/index.php/Asturias-Guide.html
Fabulous market, recently revamped, brimming with good vibes + interesting crowd + food/drink of all descriptions, from morning cafe con leche to long after midnight. Reasonably priced. Brilliant site for people watching round the clock, not to mention the food - one of the most amazing places in the entire city!
Just a minute off plaza mayor
It's a restaurant event serving traditional breakfast and brunch in Barcelona.
I recommend it because of the great salads, amazing apple crumble pie, friendly service and cool music.
Spent three nights here with five girlfriends for a 'big birthday' in May 2009 and could not have been happier with the location, rooms, reception, cleanliness and atmosphere.
The hotel is in an old building and has an impressive huge carved wooden door, but inside all is modern and minimalist. The garden area behind reception is pretty with lots of steps to reach all the levels.
We didn't try the bar as there are loads of bars and cafes nearby. Helpful staff and loads of leaflets at reception.
We chose 'room only' as it is far cheaper to get a breakfast of anywhere choice in the city (Cafe de L'Opera round the corner is divine). Each of the three rooms we had were spacious and spotless, with big bathrooms and walk-in showers. Ours had a small balcony and all windows had blackout curtains as well as voiles. Like most hotels, it didn't have many hangers but that would be my only gripe. Each of the rooms had the facility to be turned into a family room, but the beds were discreetly folded up against the wall in all the rooms, sometimes behind a wardrobe area.
There was free internet access and a laptop in each room which was useful once we discovered how to get @ on a Spanish keyboard (Alt/Gr plus the @ key).
I'd stayed right on the Ramblas once before, but this was just far away enough to avoid the late night noise (except on the night when Barcelona beat Chelsea, ha!). Being so central the hotel is just near the Liceu metro station and within easy stretch of all the sights and shopping.
The street outside the hotel is pedestrianised, but is only about 25 yards from Las Ramblas, so not far to walk if you have luggage.
C/ La Boqueria 10
Junto A Ramblas 78
Barcelona 08002
Metro: Liceu
This is an absolute gem of a traditional Barcelona cafe, serving food and drink all day in the most charming art nouveau surroundings where you can rub shoulders with the locals reading the complimentary newspapers. The staff are unfailingly polite, even when the tourists have had a few too many of the wonderful Martinez brandy (7 euros a shot) and are getting rowdy... Delicious breakfast food, fabulous fresh orange juice squeezed before your eyes, and later a good range of traditional tapas and simple dishes. Proper alcoholic sangria served indoors or out. Favourite - a huge glass of the Cava sangria.
Las Ramblas, opposite the Liceu theatre
10km and a half hour bus ride from the city centre is the Jardin Botanico la Conception, an excellent escape from the bustle of Malaga.
Explore the delights of this sub-tropical botanical garden.
www.pastymuncher.co.uk/malaga-flamenco-museum-jardin-botanico-la-conception/
tr.im/jardinbotanico
Ultra stylish newly built hotel - offers top quality accomodation at very reasonable prices probably because it is a few miles from city centre.
Fantastic reception team who really wanted to help.
www.abadesnevadapalace.com/en/
www.abadesnevadapalace.com/en/
Another great gay hostel in Madrid - this cool modernist building is in the Chueca area - great for gay nightlife and parties.
The staff are extremely welcoming and will give out any advice on things to see, gay/lesbian advice, free vouchers for clubs, saunas etc...
The rooms have ensuite and have great facilities - tvs, free internet, safety deposit boxes, linen and towels.
Calle Pizarro 14 -1,Madrid, Spain, 28004
www.hostelbookers.com/hostels/spain/madrid/31404/
This is a great gay hostel with really friendly staff - who are always willing to offer you advice on where to go and what to see - they even hand out free club passes!
The rooms are more like a hotel than a hostel, with TVs, comfortable beds and balconies overlooking Puerta del Sol square. There's also free internet and a free breakfast of freshly baked buns.
The location is excellent, you are right in the center of town, so we could walk everywhere.
Puerta del Sol Square, Madrid
www.hostelbookers.com/hostels/spain/madrid/3468/
Great selection of over 80 Gay and Lesbian Spanish and International films that are shown in cinemas across the city. The films celebrate diversity in all its many forms and the public can vote for their favourite - well worth a visit!
29th Oct - 8th Nov
www.lesgaicinemad.com/
This is a great value Italian restaurant and pizzeria in the uptown part of Barcelona. The staff are very friendly and the food is authentic.
It's a cosy trattoria and if you want to try an authentic Italian risotto, this is a place to choose.
Av. República Argentina
268 08023
Tel 93 417 7772
Nearest metro station: Vallcarca (L3 Green) or Tibidabo (FGCC)
Bus stops:17, 22,
www.caffedisanmarco.com/Italian-pizzeria-in-Barcelona.php
Here you definitely get the best views of this bustling capital. This Art Deco arts centre in the heart of the city near Sol has an enormous rooftop from which you can enjoy incredible vistas from all sides and angles. Get your 2€ ticket from the reception and hop the lift to the top. You can sometimes get to see a live jazz bank at night which gives you a totally different impression. It's a MUST but the rooftop viewing is only available on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 to 14 hours and 16.30 to 20.00 hours.
c/ Alcalá 42. Nearest metro Banco de España
Really Discover offers short (2.5 hrs) tours of Seville. The walking tour is limited to 10 people so you are never so far from the guide that you can't hear what is being said.
We chose to start our first full day in Seville with the walking tour in order to get our bearings and plan our week better. Our guide, Luis, really knew his city and obviously loves it as well. They have a basic plan but are flexible so that they can skip over places you've already been if you wish.
We were met by David, a Brit who moved to Seville, and Luis our guide who spoke very good English. Both were friendly and helpful. A later call to David helped us sort out a taxi back to the station very early in the morning.
They are also happy to recommend their favourite places to eat or visit. Luis recommended a restaurant called Taberna del Alabardero which we visited twice for their Menu del Dia.
Luis also took us to the Archivo General de Indias which was a treat that we would probably have skipped had it not been for the tour. This place is particularly interesting for US visitors interested in their own history.
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