With its roots dating back to one of the oldest Phoenician settlements in the West, the Tacita de Plata (Little Silver Cup), as Cádiz is fondly known, is the perfect place for a short getaway. You can go on pleasant strolls, sightsee its monuments, sun yourself on its beaches and delight in their magnificent tapas based on fresh fried fish or pescaíto. Following are the seven essential things to do on a whirlwind visit of this beautiful, friendly and light-filled city.

1. Stroll Through the Streets in the Historic Centre
One of Cádiz’s main draws is its old town, which is well worth strolling through. A prominent feature are the large houses with some beautiful patios concealed inside. The city was partially destroyed in the great Lisbon earthquake of 1755, so that many of the buildings you will come across on your walk date from the 18th century. Be sure to visit the Tavira Tower, a watchtower located in the Palace of the Marquises of Recaño, where the main attraction is its famous Camera Obscura.

2. Roam the Pópulo Quarter in Search of the Past
Located between the City Hall and the Cathedral, the Pópulo quarter is the oldest in the city. Here, one of the landmarks attesting to its Roman past is theRoman Theatre.Unearthed by chance in 1981 as a result of a fire which gutted a department store, it reminds the visitor of the time when Cádiz was one of the most important cities in the Roman Empire. Other noteworthy sights include the Baroque and Neoclassical New Cathedral, the Old Cathedral– also known as the Church of Santa Cruz – the City Hall and the old city gates, notably the Arco de los Blancos and Arco de la Rosa.

3. A Tribute to “La Pepa”
Cádiz’s claim to fame is that it was the setting for the proclamation of the first Spanish Constitution, which took place on 19 March 1812. To commemorate the first centenary of the event, a monument was built in the Plaza de España.

4. Walk Through El Genovés Park
This is the city’s most important public gardens. It is located in the historic centre, right near the seaside. The park boasts over 100 species of trees and shrubs.

5. Recalling the Figure of Manuel de Falla
The composer, Manuel de Falla, was born in Cádiz, and you can visit the house he was born in, near the Cádiz Museum. You can also see his tomb in the New Cathedral and visit the Gran Teatro de Falla (Great De Falla Theatre). A noteworthy feature of the latter is its Neomudéjar facade, which forms the main backdrop for the famous Carnival of Cádiz where the various Carnival groups compete.

6. Enjoy the Beach
Make the most of a city which opens onto the sea by going to the beach and letting yourself be dazzled by its splendid views. Be sure to head for the Playa de la Caleta, the nearest beach to the historic centre and the most popular among Gaditanos, as the locals are called. A striking landmark on that beach is the Balneario de la Palma y del Real, a seaside spa. Another beach you should make a point of visiting is the Playa Victoria, regarded as the best urban beach in Europe, and that of Santa María del Mar, also known as Playade las Mujeres, with its stunning views of the city.

7. Try the Prawn Omelette
Gastronomy is another of Cádiz’s fortés. As an eminently seafaring city, fish is one of the leading lights in their cuisine, which features such dishes as fried fish – known here as pescaíto, a classic bordering on excellence– and prawn omelette, which you simply must try, too. Other traditional dishes include prawns, chocos (cuttlefish) and seasoned tuna fish. To shake off the heat, don’t hesitate to cool down on a bowl of gazpacho or salmorejo.

Book your Vueling to Jerez de la Frontera which, just 35 km away, is the nearest airport to Cádiz, and see how you succumb to the magic of this charming city.

Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

Images by Andrew Wilkinson, michimaya, Emilio J. Rodríguez-Posada, Hernán Piñera, Alfonso Jimenez

By Tensi Sánchez from actitudesmgz.com

t gives me great pleasure to debut as a writer for My Vueling City and, naturally, my first post is about Bilbao. Without boasting or bragging too much, it must be said that no other European city has anything of which “My City” could be envious of. See for yourself as you read on.

Bilbao has been able to reinvent itself to an extent that few other European cities have achieved. In less than fifteen years, Bilbao has gone from being an industrial city to a city where the focus is on services, and the constant change continues to this day.
There is no surprise then that the majority of large international companies have set up shop in Bilbao; the regional capital of Biscay. Bilbao can also claim to have put itself on the map as an architectural benchmark.
Residents and visitors alike can enjoy a highly varied lifestyle that includes a great combination of the modern, the traditional, good food and shopping.
Just one weekend is time enough to immerse yourself Bilbao’s lifestyle. Here are a few suggestions about my favourite places in the city.

Everybody knows that good food abounds in these lands and this is precisely one of the strengths in Bilbao. Restaurants can be found dotted all over the city and cater to a wide range of culinary tastes. Exploring the many options is a delight for all the senses as you are seduced by the cuisine and often spectacular visual treats.

Here are some great examples: Un Señor de Bilbao, La Cuchara de Valentina, Nerua, La chuleta sin espina and Shibui, the latter being the only place in the city to offer haute cuisine, Japanese-style.

Bilbao is also the perfect city for trend setters and trend followers. A clear example of mixing the modern and the traditional can be found at Enkarterri Concept Store; clothes, furniture and food, all franked by the Basque label.

When talking about fashion and design, I must mention Persuade, the quintessential temple to avant-garde fashion and, dare I say it, the most amazing shop I have ever seen in my whole life ( although not suitable for all budgets), and Shopa, which specialises in design, clothes, books, wine and much more, is located inside the iconic La Alhóndiga leisure building and was designed from start to finish by French industrial designer, Philippe Starck.

And finally Lu:la, Narata, Serie B, Charada, Cultto and Ah Moda are shops that exude fresh and different fashion.

After a hectic morning of shopping, treat yourself to brunch in Plaza Nueva in the old town. You cannot come to Bilbao and leave without trying the famous Basque pintxos! Just take a short walk and you’ll see for yourself that there are countless bars just waiting to be discovered.

Visiting one of the many contemporary art galleries is another option but Epelde y Mardaras is undoubtedly the most peculiar. Located in an enormous flat dating back to 1840 with the chance to order lunch or dinner, it really is an incredible experience.

For vintage style at its purest, go to Almoneda Campos – an intriguing shop full of all kinds of items from times gone by. However, if you’re looking for something more exclusive and modern in terms of decoration and design, I have two excellent suggestions: Urbana 15 and Mosel.

Enjoying a carefully-prepared evening drink is a must in this city. My favourites are to be had at Corto Maltes, La Gallina Ciega, El txoko de Gabi and, of course, on the terrace at Hotel Domine with those marvellous and unbeatable views of the Guggenheim Museum – the perfect place to round off an evening in Bilbao.

And if that’s not enough for you, there is always an online agenda of cultural and leisure activities happening in Bilbao, ilovebilbao.com. I recommend you sign up for free before planning a trip to Bilbao because it will help you find information about everything that is going on, up to a week in advance.

Vueling offers a large selection of connections to the city so there is no excuse for not planning your “perfect weekend”. Bilbao is in Fashion… ¿What are you waiting for? Book your flight now!

By Tensi Sánchez from actitudesmgz.com

Sometimes you just have to burst certain stereotypes which seem to hound some cities. Our case in point is paradigmatic. In effect, Granada has such a lot going for it, apart from the legendary Alhambra and the first Renaissance cathedral to be built in Spain, the imperial Santa Iglesia Catedral Metropolitana de la Encarnación (both of these must-visit landmarks, although not the sum of the city’s attractions). Located on the banks of the river Genil and towered over by the Sierra Nevada, the capital of Granada is one of the focal points in Andalusian culture, a university city where the old and new come together. Local traditional music – flamenco, cante jondo – ring out side by side with pop music and contemporary rock (all related to independent music).

Granada has fewer than 250,000 inhabitants, but is an inexhaustible academy of artists and bands. Enrique Morente, Los Planetas, Lagartija Nick, 091 and Lori Meyers, to name just some of the more famous among them, emerged from the city’s streets and corners and went on to write some of the most celebrated chapters in Spanish music. Being a small city, you can walk through it comfortably. All you need is a pair of good trainers and, above all, motivation. So, if you’re eager to find out about more than just its historical landmarks, here goes a few musical slots geared to discovering a different Granada.

As mentioned above, the old and new come together in Granada. What’s more, those two currents have merged, thanks to the work of some of the aforementioned artists, like Enrique Morente and the incombustible Largartija Nick. The first must-visit spot on any tour of the city’s vibrant music scene is Sacromonte, the cradle of Granadan folklore. Situated in the Sierra de San Miguel and with a privileged view of the city, the area is brimming with caves blessed with excellent acoustics where the gypsy community organises recitals of cante jondo and flamenco. The performances are generous and varied. Apart from Sacromonte, it is well worth strolling through the district of Albaicín – also on the upper side of the city – another cradle of Granada flamenco and one of the most acclaimed gastronomic enclaves. In the streets of this district lies one of the most celebrated flamenco schools in the country, the Instituto de Flamenco Flora Albaicín.

Moving on to wholeheartedly modern currents, Granada is the land of independent rock. It boasts a rich fabric of clubs and concert halls with programmes that also open up to styles beyond Indie (electronic, mestizaje). One of the most venerable spots is Planta Baja, a veritable cultural institution in the city which, apart from hosting consolidated bands, also gives emerging local talent the chance to make their mark. Located in downtown Granada, near the Basilica of Juan de Dios, the Monastery of San Jerónimo and Granada Cathedral – you guessed it; you might as well do some sightseeing before visiting it – it offers activities from noon onwards and DJ sessions at the weekend. Some of the big names that will feature on stage at Planta Baja in the coming months include Sex Museum, Soledad Vélez and Carlos Sadness. Another club which deserves a pilgrimage if you’re into pop and rock is El Tren, located on the outskirts of the city.

A place with so much musical activity could not fail to have a good number of record shops, too. One of the best is Discos Marcapasos, just a few metres from Planta Baja. Located at 6 Calle Duquesa, it is the nerve centre of Granada’s music scene, also offering a generous stock of CDs and vinyls covering sixties years of pop music. It provides advance ticket sales for concerts at Planta Baja, El Tren and other venues in town as well. The store also hosts such activities as ad hoc DJ sessions, record signings and acoustic concerts. Another of the city’s institutions well worth considering is Discos Bora Bora, a small store with a large selection of vinyls.

Book your Vueling to Granada and discover its music scene.

Text by Xavi Sánchez for Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

Many comments have been made following the post we created on 21 June entitled Enjoying tapas in Granada 
on the Facebook page of Vueling People. You have suggested various places and other cities besides Granada for enjoying tapas in style so we thought it would be a good idea to gather all this information and try to create a tapas trail around Granada for Vueling People. Without further ado, here is the first trail you have created with your comments. More will surely follow. Your contributions are always welcome and we will try to publish them on myvuelingcity.com; the website for discovering the well-kept secrets of Vuelingdestinations.

Ardilla Feliz has suggested Borsalino of Granada. In Borsalino, they give you a free tapa when you order a bottle of beer – standard practice throughout Granada. Very close to the bus station, the residents of Borsalino (the name given to the patrons of this bar) remember this place for the quality of its tapas and the friendly welcome from its owners.

RM López Rodríguez has suggested the Velilla Cafetería Celeste and Los Diamantes. Los Diamantes is another of those bars packed with people but where they offer some amazing ‘pescaíto frito’ or ‘fried fish’. Located on Calle Navas, it is a classic among tapas-lovers in Granada and one of the establishments with the longest history behind it. This is corroborated by Cristina Jimenez, who also says that “for some tapas in great surroundings, the Albaicin district (Plaza La Larga, Plaza de San Nicolás, Torcuato, Mascarones…) and the city centre has millions of places with good Spanish ham and good wines, like Casa de Enrique “the Elephant” next to the cathedral…”. Casa Enrique is at first-sight a rather humble bar but is known by everyone for having some very good cold meats, including Spanish ham.

Cunini is another of the famous places suggested to us by Esther Arribas. It can also be found in the historic city centre, close to the Cathedral, and features an excellent offer of fish and shellfish. Just like most places in Granada, it is usually full and hard to get a table – but if you do, your stomach will certainly thank you for it!

Still in the centre of Granada, Antonio S. Zayas recommends the Bodegas Castañeda in the area near Calle Elvira. Many people rate its tapas and cold meats among the best in Granada but absolutely everyone agrees on the quality of its wines, some of which are home-made such as the “castañeda” and the “calisacas” not to mention its vermouth.

Africa Alemán sends us to the bars in Plaza del Aguaor and Begoña Benito says we really shouldn’t miss La Bella y La Bestia or El Reventaero in Granada, on Camino de Ronda. “Reventaero” means “bursting in Spanish and with such an abundance of tapas it is easy to see why.

Both Consuelo Martos and Anna Calero point us in the direction of the Bullring where we can find La Ermita; a restaurant with a fine selection of reasonably-priced tapas and good Spanish ham, just as it should be.

We will conclude this Vueling People tapas trail around Granada with the recommendation made byManuel Bega to discover the bars of Gran Vía in Granada and to explore other town in the province of Granada, such as Motril.

Many of you have suggested various places throughout Spain, such as Zaragoza, Almeria, Leon (particularly, el Húmedo), Barcelona (Ca l’Arturet in Castelldefels), Avila, Seville (el Eslava is apparently unmissable) and Linares.

Ramón Torregrossa reminds Shiro Takiki of a great place for tapas in Madrid called Bar Scrum at 7 Calle del Sol and Vicent Stronger recommends the Viña district of Cadiz.

We will soon be bringing you another Vueling People tapas trail around another one of our destinations. Thanks to everyone for your suggestions. Catch you later and bon appétit!

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