¡Olá Portugal, Hola Spain!

An eight day (sort of random) taste of the Iberian Peninsula!

Day 1-1.5 - Algarve, Portugal

Necessary beach nap

After arriving at the airport in Faro, Portugal, it's a nice ride to the beautiful Pine Cliffs Resort in Algarve. You could spend days enjoying this resort with private elevator beach access, golf courses, pools with swim-up bars, restaurants with stunning views, and even an art gallery(?)... but after a quick nap on the ocean-side day beds, you know we had to start exploring!

A drive along winding roads brings you to the quaint "city" of Albufeira. Must order classic Piri Piri chicken for dinner at Casa da Fonte before Old Town Albufeira quickly transforms into the main nightlife destination of the area. We had a great night at the bars in Largo Engenheiro Duarte Pacheco (main town square) all with live music and no shortage of English-speaking tourists. To put the area into perspective, a local later referred to it as "little Portuguese Las Vegas."

Over-the-top resort breakfast before morning adventures

The must-do thing in this region is a boat ride along the Algarve coastline to see tons of dolphins up-close and explore the mysterious caves + rock formations. We booked the "Insonia" cave/ dolphin boat tour through Dream Wave Algarve (we had a great experience with an awesome captain but there are also other companies with similar excursions including full-day cruises/ sails with lunch on board).

From the tour, we learned about the amazing hiking in the area including the Seven Hanging Valleys Trail along the coast. We didn't have time to add this in but will definitely plan for it next time!

Evening 1.5 - Arrive in Lisbon, Portugal

From beach vibes to city living

A 2.5-hour ride on the high-speed train (Albufeira Ferreiras --> Entrecampos) brings you from the serene beaches of the Algarve to the culture-filled city of Lisbon! A quick uber brought us to check-in to the contemporary 9 Hotel Mercy in Bairro Alto (with spacious rooms, a rooftop bar, and a nice breakfast add-on). The hotel location was great for what we had planned for the 2-ish days in Lisbon, so I'd definitely stay in the same area again, possibly even closer to the shoreline next time.

After settling in, we headed to Meson Andaluz (Travessa do Alecrim - 4, Lisbon) for a unique Andalucian-style dinner, per our friend's recommendation. The restaurant was a 5-minute walk from our hotel and down a weird set of stairs in the street (PSA: Lisbon is filled with crazy steep hills and I'm happy we had a reservation for an indoor table because the place was packed and people were legit sitting on pillows at "tables" along the steps outside.)

We quickly explored the famous Pink Street (but got a little sketched out) and opted for after-dinner drinks along Alecrim on the walk back to the hotel.

Day 2 - Lisbon

The ultimate Lisbon cram-traveling day

The day started with finding our SANDEMAN's walking tour guide amidst the crowds of other tourists at a nearby plaza. There are lots of free walking tour companies to choose from but we had an amazing ~3-hour experience, learned a lot about the city's history, and saw some really nice viewpoints ("miradors") including Jardim de São Pedro de Alcântara for the 'gram.

All those hills got us ready for lunch at the (somewhat overwhelming) Time Out Market. There are plenty of different food stalls to choose from, but definitely try the Croqueteria!

Then just across the street, you can hop on a short train ride (or taxi) over to Belem. The main sights to see are Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, Padrão dos Descobrimentos, and Belem Tower Castle. We chose to not buy tickets to go in anywhere - just walked around the area and took in the awesome sights from outside! Before heading back to Bairro Alto, you MUST wait in line to get the OG pasteis de nata at the famous Pastéis de Belém.

After all the day's walking, we were ready for a tuk-tuk ride back to the hotel!

Two back-to-back dinner reservations? Why the heck not!?

To round out the packed day of touring, we figured to stay on-brand with TWO dinners just around the corner from our hotel at Bairro do Avillez, an indoor "neighborhood" of food all by the same chef, José Avillez. (FYI - definitely need a reservation for any of the places!)

We opted for dinner #1 at Páteo - burrata, ceviche, grilled calamari... frickin delicious. Then for more drinks, tapas, and a little dessert, we walked through a faux wall to the speakeasy called Mini Bar. Check the website for when they have live music and shows (there was *V cool* burlesque-style singing and dancing after midnight when we were there)!

Day 3 - Lisbon --> Madrid, Spain

Squeezing those last few hours out of Lisbon

Before heading to the airport and saying "tchau" to Lisbon, we signed up for SANDEMAN's walking tour #2, this time of Alfama (the old city). We enjoyed more learning, sightseeing (including Jardim Julio de Castilho and the Church of St Anthony), fado music listening, and ginjinha tasting (liquor made from ginja berries that they serve in little chocolate shot glasses). They reminded us NOT to get sucked into the Castelo de S. Jorge tourist trap because it's a "fake castle."

You better siesta on the plane!

Javier and I are lucky enough to always crash at his parent's house, while our friends were lucky enough to stay at the luxurious Hotel Palacio Del Retiro overlooking El Retiro park and just steps away from the famous El Prado Museum.

After dropping our bags and a quick outfit/ vibe change... we met at Marieta on Paseo de la Castellana for dinner on their covered terrace including creamy salmorejo, classic Spanish tortilla (egg, potato, and onion omelet), and fideua (similar to paella but made with short pasta)... NomNomNom. The restaurant transforms into a club-like atmosphere as the night goes on! Then we walked down the street for drinks at Terraza Bianca Madrid in ABC Serrano. You can make a reservation for a super bougie table or just hang out at the bar/ high tops.

But all of that was just prep for the real night out: Teatro Barcelo. When we were younger & cooler, we'd come here without a reservation. Now I think it's worth the minimum spend to have a table in the Main Room with elevated views of the DJ, the dance floor, and mainly just a place to sit for a break once the clock strikes 4:00...

Day 4 - Hungover in Madrid

Chalk up the post-club day as a loss

I usually leave the day after the nightclub free to lay down and order in... but with friends in town for only a few days, there was no time to waste!

We met Javi's extended family for lunch at Llagar El Quesu Madrid, a northern-style steakhouse that is 100% gluten-free and doesn't take reservations but is worth the wait.

Then needing to walk off our chuletón with chimichurri, flan, and sidra (a mix between a cider and a sour beer in the US), we strolled through the city to make the incredible show at Teatro Flamenco Madrid. Seating is first come first served, so arrive early for a good seat! (We've also been to a slightly less touristy show with great food at Cardamomo Tablao Flamenco on a previous Madrid trip.)

Being nice tour guides, we continued our long walk around Madrid to return our friends to their hotel. Along the way, we took in views of Fuente de Cibeles (where Javi will never let you forget that Real Madrid celebrates their title wins) and Puerta Alcala surrounded by great restaurants and shopping along Calle Serrano.

Day 5 - Madrid

Reborn after a good night's sleep

With a relaxing day (and a really big steak) under our belts, we were prepared for our Madrid cram-traveling day!

We happened to be in Madrid for the surrounding towns' festivals, so our tour started with watching the Encierro (running of the bulls) at the Plaza de Toros La Tercera in San Sebastian de los Reyes. Hundreds of brave people come out to run through the streets in front of bulls that are then released one by one into the ring for jumping/ "fighting." (No bulls are harmed in the making of this particular tradition.)

Then, off to downtown Madrid to be true tourists at some of our favorite sites (in walking order):

• Temple of Debod

• RIU Plaza España Terraza (cover charge to access the 360° rooftop bar/ restaurant for breathtaking views and yummy patatas bravas)

• Plaza de España

• Palacio Real (a must-see from the outside but also worth a tour!)

• Almudena Church

• Mercado de San Miguel (my go-to stop for Tapas de Queso Ricotta, Empanadas, Churros con Chocolate, Claras/ Cervezas, and everything in between)

• Plaza Mayor

• Puerta del Sol ("km 0")

Even I couldn't squeeze in everything I would have liked to do in Madrid... but some other ideas from our past trips are:

• Tour the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu

• Explore the neighborhood Chueca (lunch at Mercado de San Anton)

• Lunch & views at Azotea del Circulo de Bellas Artes and/ or Terraza Cibeles in el Palacio de Cibeles (rooftop lounges)

• Confitería Rialto for the GOAT cookies = moscovitas (closed Sundays)

• Plaza de Colon/ Monument to Christopher Columbus/ Platea (a converted theater that you enter through a small grocery store for kickass tapas and live music/ various shows but was sadly closed for an end of Summer vacation)

• Kapital (another night-out option with different music on the different levels of the club)

Day 6 - Madrid --> Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain

Are we on Love Island?!

The flight from Madrid to Mallorca was short and the drive from the airport in Palma to our Airbnb in Sóller was gorgeous. There are plenty of villa-esque options, but our massive house with this pool + mountain view was perfect for our big group. We settled in the first night and enjoyed a traditional Spanish-style BBQ (aka way too much meat and vino) in our outdoor kitchen.

[TBH - since our trip to Mallorca was planned around a friend's wedding, I'm going to take creative license here and combine some days/ skip wedding-related activities so it might be helpful for friends planning trips]

Day 7 - Sóller, Mallorca

Vamos a la playa

Our house was walking distance to Sóller Port and Platja des Traves - though we were lazy and drove to spend the day at the beach! Swimming in the clear, warm water in the bay, we worked up an appetite for paella-filled lunch at Es Canyis right along the beach.

In the afternoon, there's plenty to explore in the quaint town of Sóller, including shops along narrow cobblestone streets, a restaurant & spa at Gran Hotel Sóller, Sant Bartomeu Church, and the vintage wooden train that goes through the town and can even bring you to the main city, Palma.

Later in the evening, we returned to the port for dinner at Noname (dumb name, yummy food) and a long walk along the coastline before returning to the *villa*!

Day 8 - Valldemossa & Andratx, Mallorca

I am the captain now

Our last day as tourists began with a necessary ensaïmada (the traditional pastry of the Balearic Islands) before an early start to the town of Valldemossa. As we walked through the town, each neighborhood street was even cuter than the last, with houses covered in flowers and hidden overlooks of the surrounding mountains. We stopped for a quick lunch in the plaza near the beautiful Jardins Rei Joan Carles and the monastery before heading out to Andratx.

In Andratx, we rented a few small boats for the afternoon that for some reason you don't need a license for... we didn't ask questions. With stocked coolers of snacks & adult bevies, we rode out along the coastal water (pretty choppy... skipping the part about me getting seasick) to a calm bay where we could swim and relax in the Mediterranean. There were plenty of options for dinner in the Port of Andratx to take in one last sunset over the mountains and the sea.