142 guides · 2 countries
Our guides
What we learned about each place: how long to give it, when to go, how to book, what to see and what to skip.
Portugal
Lisbon
- City guide Lisbon Three days are enough for the essentials if you walk a lot, pair Belém and the castle on the same day with the Lisboa Card, and leave the nighttime climbs to Uber instead of Tram 28. Read guide
- A Ginjinha Yes, it's worth it as a five-minute ritual: a drink from 1840 for about €1.50. Don't oversell it to yourself; it's sweet, quick and almost everyone around you is a tourist. Read guide
- Carmo Convent Worth it, especially with the Lisboa Card discount. It's a short visit: come for the nave open to the sky, not for a big museum. Read guide
- Casa Portuguesa do Pastel de Bacalhau Worth it as a ten-minute stop out of curiosity, not as a lesson in salt cod. The cake is well made, but the cheese filling is a 2015 invention and the prices are tourist-street prices. Read guide
- Manteigaria Yes, it's worth it, especially as your first breakfast in Lisbon: a warm nata for €1.50, standing at the counter, in under five minutes. Don't expect a café where you sit down. Read guide
- Rossio Square Yes, it's worth it, and it asks no more than ten minutes. It's the square all of Lisbon walks through, not a quiet place: come for the pavement and the history, and watch your bag. Read guide
- Rua Augusta Arch Yes, it's worth it, especially with the Lisboa Card: twenty minutes and one of the best views in the center, standing among the statues. Mind the spiral staircase if tight spaces bother you. Read guide
- Santa Justa Lift The viewpoint is worth it and free via the Carmo walkway. The elevator ride, even when running, doesn't justify the line: the view is the same however you get there. Read guide
- São Pedro de Alcântara Viewpoint Yes, it's worth it, and best as the first viewpoint of your trip: the tile map teaches you to read the city in five minutes. Come in the morning; for watching the sun go down, this isn't the place. Read guide
- Belém Riverside Yes, it's worth it and it's free, but pick your hour: early or at sunset it's one of the loveliest shorelines in Europe; at midday it's a crowded connector with no shade. Read guide
- Belém Tower From the outside it is the image of Lisbon and worth the stop; the inside is optional. In May 2026 it was still closed and under scaffolding, so check before you go. Read guide
- Jerónimos Monastery It's the most important building in Lisbon and worth every minute, but only if you get there at opening. At midday in May, the cloister line can run over an hour in the sun. Read guide
- Miradouro da Graça Yes, it's worth it: it's free, it has shade and it gives you the best photo of the castle with the city behind it. Come mid-afternoon to get a table at the kiosk; at sunset it fills up. Read guide
- Monument to the Discoveries Worth going up if you have the Lisboa Card, which covers it fully: from the top the compass rose reads like a map. Without the card, the exterior and the rose, which are free, tell you almost everything. Read guide
- Pastéis de Belém Yes, it's worth it for the history and the setting next to the Jerónimos, and the nata is very good. Don't expect a revelation: in blind tastings, other Lisbon bakeries now beat it. Read guide
- São Jorge Castle With the Lisboa Card it's a clear yes: the best view of Lisbon and walls you can walk. Without the card, €17 is steep if you already have free viewpoints in your plan. Read guide
- Zé da Mouraria Yes, it's worth it if you come prepared: cash, patience and a single plate for two. It's honest, generous tasca food; the service is fast and curt, and sometimes the cod comes out salty. Read guide
- Noobai Café Yes, it's worth it for the view and the sunset, not for the food. Go for wine and a cheese board, get there early and don't expect fast service. Read guide
Sintra
- City guide Sintra Worth it, but not improvised: with a well-planned day you see Pena and Regaleira without endless lines. The historic center is more shop than town, and it is best before 10:00. Read guide
- Cabo da Roca As a 30-minute stop on a tour that already passes by, yes. As its own two-hour bus trip from Lisbon, it's more debatable: it's cliffs, a lighthouse and wind. Read guide
- Pena Palace Yes, it's worth it, but only early and on a weekday. At midday in high season it turns into a two-hour line. Read guide
- Quinta da Regaleira For many people it is the best thing in Sintra, better than Pena. The only problem is the line at the bottom of the well: head straight there as soon as you get in. Read guide
- Romaria de Baco Yes, it's worth it for lunch in Sintra without falling for the tourist menus on the square. It's home-style Portuguese cooking in a small dining room; get there early, because at peak hours the kitchen slows down. Read guide
Porto
- City guide Porto Three well-used days are enough for the city and the Douro. Porto is a walking city, but an uphill one: plan each day around closing times and eat one street back from the river. Read guide
- Café Santiago Yes, it's worth it for your first francesinha: according to locals it isn't the best in Porto, but it's the most representative. Get there early and come hungry. Read guide
- Carmo and Carmelitas Churches Yes, it's worth it, especially from the outside: the azulejo panel is free to see from the sidewalk, and both naves are free too. The paid tour is worth it if you want to go inside the hidden house. Read guide
- Church of São Francisco If you're only going into one church in Porto, make it this one. On the outside it's plain; on the inside, almost everything is carved and gilded wood. Read guide
- Clérigos Tower For a first time in Porto, yes: it is the only 360-degree view of the center. If you already know the city, the Miradouro da Vitória gives you a good part of the view for free. Read guide
- Miradouro da Vitória Yes, it's worth it: ten minutes, free and on the way if you're walking down from the Clérigos toward the Ribeira. It's small and has nothing but the view, so come to look, not to linger. Read guide
- Palácio da Bolsa Yes, it's worth it, above all for the Salão Árabe. The tour is short and sometimes rushed, so ask for Spanish and arrive with time to spare. Read guide
- Ribeira Yes, it's worth it for the view, at golden hour and on foot. It's more stage set than living neighborhood: don't eat on the quay and watch your bag. Read guide
- São Bento Station Yes, it's worth it, and it's free. But give it 20 minutes and read the walls: the quick photo of the ceiling is the least of it. Read guide
- Capela das Almas Worth it as a 10 to 15 minute stop for the facade. The interior is plain; what you come to see is outside. Read guide
- Conga, Casa das Bifanas Worth it for one thing, the bifana. It's a 15-minute stop standing at the counter: fast, loud and cheap. Read guide
- Igreja de Santa Clara Yes, it's worth it, especially if you've already seen São Francisco or don't have time for both. It's smaller, gets far fewer visitors and the gold covers every inch. Read guide
- Livraria Lello Worth it at 9:00 and as a 20-minute monument, not as a bookstore to browse. By mid-morning it turns into a shoulder-to-shoulder line. Read guide
- Mercado do Bolhão Yes, it's worth it on a weekday morning, for the building and the stalls downstairs. Upstairs feels more like a food court than a market. Read guide
- Padaria Ribeiro Worth it as a quick 15 to 20 minute breakfast on the way to Lello or the Clérigos. It's a neighborhood bakery where you eat standing up, not a café to sit in. Read guide
- Sé do Porto Yes, it's worth it, but with the cloister ticket. The nave alone is austere and takes ten minutes; the best parts are the cloister, the silver altar and the terrace. Read guide
- Passeio das Virtudes Yes, it's worth it, as the best free sunset in the city. It's not a quiet, romantic lookout: it's Porto's public living room, with wine, music and lots of people. Read guide
- Postigo do Carvão A simple, no-fuss fish dinner right in the Ribeira, at a reasonable price for the area. Book ahead: without a reservation the waits are long. Read guide
Vila Nova de Gaia
- Cais de Gaia Worth it for the view of the Ribeira and for how flat it is. It's a one-hour stroll, not a place to eat: many waterfront restaurants are pricey for what they serve. Read guide
- Graham's Port Lodge If you're doing just one port tasting, make it here and with pairings. The basic tier is a lot like the cheap waterfront tastings; from €40 up it's a different thing. Read guide
Pinhão
- City guide Pinhão Worth it as the base of a Douro day: boat, station, wineries and river within 600 meters. As a village to explore it falls short; it's a place to pass through with a purpose. Read guide
- Douro River Cruise from Pinhão Yes, it's worth it: from the water the terraces show their real size. One hour is the right dose inside a day tour. Read guide
- Douro Valley In one day, a small-group tour with a boat ride from Pinhão is the most practical way to see it. If you can stay two nights in the valley, even better. Read guide
- Pinhão Railway Station Yes, it's worth it, and it's 15 free minutes. It's a small station that works as an open-air gallery; the panels on the platform side are the best. Read guide
Spain
Seville
- City guide Seville Two full days are enough for the essentials if you book the Cathedral, the Alcázar and Las Setas with timed entry. What makes the difference is the clock: Santa Cruz before ten, a roof over your head in the hot hours and back out on the street as the afternoon cools. Read guide
- Bodega Santa Cruz "Las Columnas" Worth it for a quick standing tapa, two minutes from the Cathedral at neighborhood prices. It's loud and brusque, and the chalk tab is yours to keep an eye on. Read guide
- Calle San Jacinto Worth walking, as long as you don't expect monuments. It's the street where Triana lives, and the good part is the middle and far end, away from the bridge. Read guide
- Casa del Flamenco Worth it if you want flamenco up close and unamplified. It's one tight hour, no dinner, on wooden chairs; if you want a long show with food, this isn't it. Read guide
- El Rinconcillo Worth it, for the room and the stews. Its fame runs a little ahead of the kitchen: order meat and stews, not fish, and eat at the bar. Read guide
- Las Golondrinas Worth it, for the pork tenderloin tips and the tile-covered room. Get there early, order in Spanish and don't expect the prices from old blogs. Read guide
- Mercado de Triana Worth it for a standing breakfast and a short loop. It's half touristy and half neighborhood: touristy at the bridge entrance, the real thing toward the back. Read guide
- Mercado Lonja del Barranco Worth it for the building and something cold for 10 to 15 minutes. For lunch or dinner, any Triana bar 200 meters away does it better and cheaper. Read guide
- Metropol Parasol (Las Setas) Worth it at sunset, with time to stay for the Aurora lights. At midday it's an expensive half-hour viewpoint. Read guide
- Calle Mármoles Worth it if you're passing on the way to Casa de Pilatos. It's three columns in a pit and you'll see them in five minutes, but they're the oldest thing still standing in Seville. Read guide
- Casa de Pilatos Yes, it's worth it, with the ground-floor ticket and in the morning. Compared with the Alcázar it comes out behind; seen as a noble house that's still lived in, it's one of the best things in Seville. Read guide
- Casa Morales Yes, it's worth it, for the room and for the sherry. It's a 19th-century bodega still run by the same family; stand at the bar and arrive at opening, before the 13:30 crush. Read guide
- Cervecería Giralda Go for the ceiling, not the food. A coffee at the bar lets you see one of the oldest interiors in Seville for one euro; for a meal, the reviews are very mixed. Read guide
- Churrería Los Especiales Worth it as an easy breakfast by the river, not as a pilgrimage. The churros are fried to order and the chocolate is thick, but local blogs rank other churrerías ahead of it. Read guide
- Convent of San Leandro Worth it for the ritual more than the sweets. It takes ten minutes and a few euros, but the yemas are very sweet and you see nothing of the convent inside. Read guide
- Patio de Banderas Worth it as a three-minute stop on the way to the Alcázar or the Cathedral. It's small and there's nothing to visit inside, but the Giralda framed by orange trees is one of the best views downtown. Read guide
- Royal Alcázar of Seville It is the biggest visit in Seville and it pays off more with a guide. If you can, go to Casa de Pilatos first: the other way around, Pilatos feels small. Read guide
- Santa Cruz Quarter Before ten it's one of the prettiest parts of Seville; from eleven to six it's a line of groups with headsets. The time of day decides everything. Read guide
- Seville Cathedral and the Giralda Yes, it's worth it, and with a guide it makes a lot more sense. Combining it with the Alcázar on one tour saves you lines, though some reviewers feel a few stops are too short. Read guide
- Espacio Eslava Yes, it's worth it, and a good pick for a last dinner in Seville. The kitchen has restaurant technique at bar prices; the only condition is arriving at 20:00 on the dot. Read guide
Córdoba
- Córdoba Synagogue Yes, it's worth it, with context. It's one small room: without knowing what you're looking at, it seems like a white box; with a guide or some reading beforehand, it's one of the most moving places in Córdoba. Read guide
- Jewish Quarter of Córdoba Yes, it's worth it, but get off the main street. Calle Judíos and the Calleja de las Flores fill up with tour groups; ten minutes in the side alleys gives you the neighborhood back. Read guide
- Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba Worth every minute of the trip from Seville. With a guide, the layers of history make sense; without context, it's easy to get lost among the arches without knowing what you're looking at. Read guide
- Roman Bridge of Córdoba Yes, it's worth it: it's free, it takes ten minutes to cross and it gives you the Córdoba postcard. Don't expect Roman stone; almost all of it is Islamic-era rebuilding and modern restoration. Read guide
Granada
- City guide Granada Two well-planned days cover the essentials. The key is the clock: the Alhambra early, errands before 14:30, a rest, and the Albaicín once the alleys are in shade. Read guide
- Bodegas Castañeda It's a famous bar and a neighborhood bar at the same time. To learn how Granada's free tapas work, it's the right place: standing at the bar with a vermouth. Read guide
- Calle Calderería Nueva It's a street for tourists and also the coolest street in Granada. It's worth one tea house and a 25-minute stroll; skip the shopping. Read guide
- El Bañuelo It's worth it, and almost everyone walks past. It's 15 minutes and €5, but go in knowing what to look for, because there's almost no explanation inside. Read guide
- Royal Chapel of Granada Small, quiet and well worth it. It takes 20 or 30 minutes, and on Wednesday afternoons it costs nothing if you book. Read guide
- Albaicín It's the other half of Granada and you can't skip it. Go up after 16:00, take your time, and don't stop at the photo from San Nicolás. Read guide
- Alhambra It's one of the few buildings in Europe with no substitute. What disappoints is how you have to visit it: go early, with your passport, with official tickets and with at least three hours. Read guide
- Carmen de los Mártires It's the best free stop after the Alhambra, and almost nobody visits. Go on a weekday before 14:00 and give it at least half an hour. Read guide
- Corral del Carbón Ten free minutes and one of the stops in central Granada that gives back the most per minute. Don't give it more: the arch and the courtyard are the visit. Read guide
- La Riviera It's no locals-only secret, but it does its thing very well: you choose the tapa, and with two or three rounds you have a full Granada lunch. Read guide
- Pastelería López-Mezquita It's the benchmark bakery for piononos within Granada. Get there before 14:30, buy at the counter and eat them the same day. Read guide
- Plaza Larga and the Arco de las Pesas If San Nicolás is the tourists' Albaicín, Plaza Larga is the residents'. Fifteen minutes is enough, and don't leave without looking up inside the arch. Read guide
- San Agustín Market It's a small, real market, not a spectacle. It's worth ten minutes downstairs to take home Trevélez ham and goat cheese from the sierra. Read guide
Ronda
Setenil de las Bodegas
Madrid
- City guide Madrid With two well-ordered days you see the Royal Palace, the Prado and the taverns without rushing; the third pays off more outside the city, in Segovia and Toledo. Read guide
- Bodega de la Ardosa Yes, it's worth it: an 1892 tavern that still works as one. Order vermouth, salmorejo and tortilla, and don't expect attentive service or a seat. Read guide
- Café de Oriente Worth it for breakfast on the terrace. You're paying for the view of the Royal Palace more than the food, and if you know that going in, it works. Read guide
- Gran Vía Worth it as a 30- to 45-minute architecture walk with your eyes up. The shops are the same chains as in any capital. Read guide
- Plaza Mayor of Madrid Worth it as a 20- to 30-minute architecture stop on your way somewhere else. Not for sitting down to eat on its terraces. Read guide
- Temple of Debod Worth it for the sunset and the outside, which are free. The interior is small, and on top of that it has been closed since March 2026. Read guide
- Almudena Cathedral Worth a 25- to 45-minute stop after the palace, especially for the crypt. Don't expect the patina of Toledo or Seville: it was finished in 1993. Read guide
- Chocolatería San Ginés Worth it early in the morning: thick chocolate, the 1894 room and no line. At midday or in the small hours on weekends it's a different place. Read guide
- Plaza de Oriente Worth it first thing, before you go into the palace. It's small, takes 25 minutes, and around 9:30 it has the best light in Madrid on the facade. Read guide
- Prado Museum One of the three great painting museums in the world. With a timed ticket and a fixed route, in two and a half hours you see the essentials without wearing yourself out. Read guide
- Retiro Park and La Rosaleda La Rosaleda is small and free, and in the second half of May it is the best twenty-minute break after the Prado. Read guide
- Royal Palace of Madrid Worth it for the Throne Room and the Porcelain Room. If you speak Spanish, the guided tour in Spanish makes up for the fixed pace. Read guide
- Taberna La Bola Worth it for the cocido in its own clay pot and the timeless dining room. Order just the à la carte cocido: everything else is where the bill climbs. Read guide
Segovia
- Alcázar of Segovia The outside, perched on the rock, is one of the prettiest in Europe. Inside, almost everything is a 19th-century reconstruction, but the Hall of Kings and the view from the tower make it worth it. Read guide
- Aqueduct of Segovia Worth every minute, but it isn't a museum: it's a Roman structure in the middle of the city. Walk along it and climb up to the Postigo, don't stop at the photo from the Azoguejo. Read guide
- Segovia Cathedral Worth it for its proportions and for the cloister rescued from the old cathedral. If you arrive expecting Toledo's drama, it will feel restrained. Read guide
Valencia
- City guide Valencia Worth it, and two days are enough, because nearly all the best of it is free, flat and walkable; the one thing to book is the paella, and never on the Plaza de la Reina. Read guide
- Horchatería Santa Catalina Yes, it's worth it for a first horchata, for the tiles and nearly two centuries in the same spot. You pay more than in Alboraya; if you become a fan, have your next one there. Read guide
- Plaza de la Virgen Yes, it's worth it, and it's free: it's the most beautiful square in Valencia. Come for the buildings and the history, not the terraces, which charge you for the view. Read guide
- Valencia Cathedral and the Miguelete Yes, it's worth it: for about €13 you get the Holy Chalice, two Goyas, frescoes that were hidden for 330 years and the best view of Valencia. Climb the Miguelete first. Read guide
- Central Market of Valencia Yes, it's worth it, for the building and for the real market that starts after the first 30 meters. Go in the morning and use it for snacking, not for lunch. Read guide
- City of Arts and Sciences Worth it as an architecture walk, free and before 10:30. The paid interiors are optional, and the Oceanogràfic needs half a day on its own. Read guide
- El Cabanyal Yes, it's worth it: there's no other neighborhood like it in Spain, with a different tiled facade on every house. It's a living neighborhood, not a museum, so walk it slowly and quietly. Read guide
- La Lonja de la Seda (Silk Exchange) Yes: for €2 you see the best Gothic civic building in Spain. It's small, so arrive knowing what to look for and give it half an hour. Read guide
- La Pepica Yes, it's worth it for the history, the dining room and the sea 50 meters away, as long as you order paella valenciana. If you care more about the perfect paella than the place, go to Casa Carmela or El Palmar. Read guide
- La Pilareta (Bar Pilar) Yes, it's worth it, especially from April to August, when clochinas are in season. It's a bar for 30–45 minutes at the counter, not for a long dinner. Read guide
- Malvarrosa Beach Yes, as the finale to the paella: a few minutes with your feet in the water. For a full beach day, Patacona, to the north, is calmer. Read guide
- Turia Garden Yes, it's worth it, and it's free: it's the best way to get from the City of Arts and Sciences to the center. Think of it as a walk that links places, not as a monument. Read guide
Barcelona
- City guide Barcelona Three days is enough if you buy the Gaudí tickets weeks ahead, group your visits by area and keep your backpack on your front the whole time. Read guide
- Barcelona Cathedral Worth it above all for the cloister and its geese, one of the most distinctive in Europe. If you want the purest, most moving Gothic, Santa Maria del Mar, ten minutes away, wins. Read guide
- Bodega La Palma Worth it for an unfussy Catalan lunch steps from the cathedral. These days half the room is travelers, but the cooking is still the real Catalan thing. Read guide
- Caelum Worth it for the basement and the convent sweets. Order the traditional things, like yemas or tocino de cielo, and skip the macarons. Read guide
- Gothic Quarter Worth walking with a route in hand. The Roman parts are real, some of the "Gothic" is a 1920s reconstruction, and knowing which is which makes the walk much better. Read guide
- La Boqueria Worth ten minutes for the building and the back of the market. For eating or shopping, the stalls by the entrance are the worst option in the area. Read guide
- Plaça de l'Àngel Not a square to go out of your way for, but it's the best doorway into the Gothic Quarter. Five minutes is enough if you know where to look. Read guide
- Plaça de Sant Felip Neri Worth it, even more if you arrive knowing what happened on January 30, 1938. It's a beautiful square and a memorial, both at once. Read guide
- Plaça de Sant Jaume As a square it's wide and bare; what makes it worthwhile are the two buildings and Catalonia's political history. Fifteen minutes is enough. Read guide
- Pont del Bisbe Worth the five minutes it asks for, especially once you know it's a 1928 fiction. Knowing that makes the photo more interesting. Read guide
- Roman Walls of Barcelona The most impressive free Roman sight in Barcelona. There's not much to do but look, but in one glance you see two thousand years of city. Read guide
- Temple d'August Worth it. It's free, two minutes from the cathedral, and almost everyone walks right past. Just don't expect a whole temple: it's four columns in a small courtyard. Read guide
- Block of Discord (Manzana de la Discordia) Worth 15 minutes before or after Casa Batlló: three rival architects on a single block. You enjoy it from the opposite sidewalk, and it's free. Read guide
- Casa Batlló It's the most striking of Gaudí's houses, and the architecture justifies the high price. We bought Platinum for the flexibility; the immersive rooms aren't necessary. Read guide
- Casa Milà (La Pedrera) It's the most interesting of Gaudí's houses as architecture and the least spectacular at first sight. If you're after color, Casa Batlló is more striking; if you're into ideas, this is the one for you. Read guide
- Cervecería Catalana It deserves its reputation: classic Catalan tapas, well made, fast and fairly priced. It's not a discovery or a quiet place, and the time you arrive decides how long you wait. Read guide
- El Xampanyet Worth it for the house cava, the anchovies and a tiled room that has barely changed since 1929. Order the simple things and ask the price of everything else. Read guide
- Gràcia Worth it as a walk down after Park Güell: neighborhood squares, small streets and fewer tourists than downtown. Don't expect an undiscovered neighborhood; plenty of people do the same thing. Read guide
- Park Güell Worth it on the first morning slot. By 10:30 the dragon stairway is already a selfie line. Read guide
- El Born Worth walking slowly: within 200 meters you get the Gothic basilica, the 1714 memorial and the old jousting ground. Use it to stroll and have a drink, not to eat at the terraces. Read guide
- Els Quatre Gats Worth it for a coffee in the Modernista room where Picasso exhibited. As a restaurant it has a reputation for being expensive for what it serves; go for 25 minutes, not for a meal. Read guide
- Picasso Museum Barcelona If you come looking for Cubist Picasso, you'll be disappointed. If you want to see how a teenager learned to paint perfectly before breaking the rules, this is the place. Read guide
- Quimet i Quimet Worth it if you like top-quality conservas and can handle standing in a tiny, packed room. Cold montaditos assembled at the bar, no kitchen, and a cheap house vermouth. Read guide
- Sagrada Família Outside it is a mess of construction, lines and pickpockets; inside it is something else. Go early, with a guide, and do not settle for the photo of the facade. Read guide
- Sant Pau Recinte Modernista It's the best companion to the Sagrada Família and it's a ten-minute walk away. In 45 minutes you see the essentials, without the Gaudí crowds. Read guide