Travel Diaries: Rashmi(&Bestie) takes On Spain

Spain was everything I imagined and more. It was vibrant, delicious, full of life  and yet, as always, it never felt like enough time. In this post, you’ll find a full recap of our trip: a day-by-day itinerary, where we stayed, the restaurants we loved, my packing must-haves, and of course, plenty of pictures to bring it all to life.

This was also a very special trip, another adventure to celebrate my 40th milestone birthday this year. There’s just something about marking a big birthday with new places, flavors, and memories, and Spain was the perfect setting. This was a 7 day trip total, with 6 nights in Spain split between 3 nights in Seville, 2 nights in Marbella and 1 night in Madrid. 

Day 1: Travel Day

We flew out Friday evening and landed in Madrid Saturday morning. Make sure to travel comfortably. See my personal bag essentials below! From there, we hopped on a train to Sevilla and arrived by 4pm. Our hotel Only You was literally across from the train station, which was a lifesaver when it came time to leave. After settling in, we went to dinner at an Italian spot called Alemental.  The food was good, but the real star was the cheesecake.. honestly, the kind of cheesecake we didn’t realize we’d been missing our entire lives. I don’t think having a cheesecake here in the U.S will ever be the same. 

Day 2: Sevilla at Ease

After a late start, we toured the Cathedral De Seville in the afternoon. It was beautiful, though not a must-see unless you’re a history buff. From there, we wandered, grabbed gelato and iced coffee, and sat on the steps just to take it all in. Later, we visited the Setas de Sevilla at sunset which had magical views and ended the night with a late dinner with Tapas at La Malvalocos which has a nice view of the Setas de Seville. Instead of sangria, try their local Tinto de verano. And of course, we had cheesecake here too. 

Day 3: Real Alcázar Magic

We started the day with brunch at Moya, a charming little spot with Vegan/Vegetarian options, then toured the Real Alcázar. Absolutely stunning. We spent a few hours wandering its gardens and courtyards, completely feeling like we could be in a historic bollywood movie. Later, we tried Sevilla’s famous churros from Bar El Comercio. The churros were  fluffy, golden and super light and airy. We went back to our hotel after that to get ready for dinner at El Pinton and yes we had cheesecake here as well. I’m telling you, they are amazing! 

Day 4: Off to Marbella

After breakfast and a little shopping at Mango at a nearby mall, we boarded a train to Málaga, then an 50 min Uber to Marbella. We checked into our hotel El Fuerte, such a stunner of a hotel. We were sad we didn’t get more time here to really enjoy the hotel. We got ready and we were off to dinner at Breathe, the food was fantastic here and the aesthetics were beautiful as well. We heard the nightlife here was great so we wanted to go to a popular nightclub Mirage, but didn’t realize it opens at 1am(yes, 1am!). We powered through. The music was worth it and we danced until 3am. So yes we were definitely tired the next morning! 

Day 5: Old Town & Beach Party

Naturally, we had a late start. We wandered Marbella’s Old Town, browsed shops, then headed to our first-ever beach club party at Mogli.  We’d originally booked a sofa but got upgraded to a day bed, which felt like pure vacation luxury. The food, music, and atmosphere were perfect, and we ended up staying until closing at 8pm. Our Uber driver on the way back recommended a pizza place so we decided to get back, quickly change and head to Pizzeria Picasso. Although the place was packed and they had a fun way of celebrating birthdays (think dancing Spanish music!) – the pizza itself was underwhelming, however the pasta was really really good! For a chance we had Creme Brulee ( I know surprising.. But we had cheesecake at the beach party so we figured we would try something different) The creme brulee was pretty good as well. 

Day 6: Madrid for the Finale

We woke early to enjoy the hotel breakfast before one last round of shopping in Old Town. We could have spent an entire day there because there were so many stores and so many cute things! Then it was back on the train, this time a three-hour ride to Madrid. For our final night, we stayed near the airport and decided to eat at a highly rated Indian restaurant, Surat Indian Cuisine. Surprisingly.  It lived up to the hype. We wanted to try a rooftop but it was so late and we had to pack for our flight the next morning so we decided to not do that and go back to the hotel. 

Day 7: Home Again

Packed, caffeinated, and sad to leave, we headed to the airport and made our way back home.

Where We Stayed

• Only You, Sevilla: Cute, stylish, and literally across from Santa Justa Station. Smaller rooms but great aesthetics and a cozy coffee spot downstairs.
  
• El Fuerte, Marbella: Stunning interiors, coastal views, generous breakfast, and a beautiful atmosphere. We wish we’d had more time here to fully enjoy the resort, spa etc.
  
• Marriott, Madrid: Classic Marriott, large and convenient, especially for the airport.
  

Restaurants We Enjoyed:

• Sevilla:
  • Alimentari: 8/10 but the cheesecake was 20/10!! (honestly, all the cheesecakes we had were amazinggggg!)
  • La Malvalocas: 8/10 it is literally right across from Setas de Seville and ask to sit outside so you can enjoy the views, especially if you are going when the weather is pleasant. 
  • El Pinton: 8/10 
  • El Bar Comercio: 10/10, the churros are sooo fluffy and light compared to the states where churros are much more doughy and dense.
    
• Marbella:
  • Breathe: 8/10, the ambiance, the aesthetics were great and the food was very enjoyable as well. 
  • Mogli Beach Club: 9/10. This was a super fun experience and the food here was actually surprisingly good! 
  • Pizzeria Picasso: 8/10. The pizza(we got the plain one, but the ones with toppings did look really good!) was nothing special but the pasta was delicious! 
    
• Madrid:
  • Surat Indian Cuisine: 9/10, google had rated it 4.8 so we figured we would try with not very high expectations but everything was fantastic from flavors to the amount of food that was given.
    

Highlights & Must-Sees: Seville

• Marbella’s Old Town: When you are walking on the streets you would never be able to tell when you go into the old town street that there are the cutest little(actually pretty big overall) streets with a lot of shops, restaurants and cafes! You can spend probably all day walking around here if you have the time! Our hotel was only a 5 min walk from here which was great!
  
• Mogli Beach Club: If you are going without kids, I would very much recommend a beach club. We booked a sofa but got upgraded to a day bed when we got there. There is really good music, drinks and food and the party ends at 8, which is always a plus if you’re in the age of not wanting to stay up too late! Ha!

• Mirage Nightclub: This is also another place if you are going without kids. We didn’t know that the clubs there OPEN at 1am, definitely past our bedtime but we wanted to experience it and I’m glad we pushed through. There is a 20 euro entrance fee but it is well worth it. The DJ was great and we were there during non peak season so it wasn’t crowded. We danced until 3am. I surprised myself that night by staying out that late.
  

Transportation:

• Make sure to use Renfe for booking train tickets (The website can be hard to use but it’s their official website, and other 3rd party websites will upcharge you). Make sure you have your train tickets downloaded and ready. Some of the trains have a cafe coach but some don’t so make sure you have your water and snacks with you. 
• We used Uber for the most part for traveling around. It’s easy and simple to use. 
• We used a taxi once and did not ask if they took a credit card and he didn’t and we also didn’t have euros because we had just gotten there. He did take dollars but upcharge us. Always make sure they take CC. 

Travel Notes:

• If you can find an ATM once you’re there, take out 100 euros just in case. You don’t need more than that. 
• Don’t underestimate how late dinner and nightlife start in Spain, so keep that in mind when booking at restaurants etc. 
• On Sundays, many of the shops are closed. 
• Make sure to buffer in some time each day for downtime so you aren’t rushing from one place to the next. 
• Be careful of pickpocketing! Use purses that you can keep in front of you and use an antitheft hook and a wristband for your phone, I’ve linked them below for you. We went off peak season so we did not feel scared in terms of pickpocketing but if you are going in summer months, the crowds can get extreme so be careful. 

Packing Must-Haves

After being back from Europe twice this year, I’ve learned a thing or two about what to pack(even things I wish I had) and below are my must-haves for overall travel and also for your personal bag on the plane. Also, prior to packing, plan out outfits, trust me.. Even though it takes time doing the work beforehand it makes it so much easier once there and also helps you not overpack. 

Personal Bag: CLICK HERE FOR PRODUCT LINKS

• A good quality bag with multiple pockets 
• Eye Mask 
• Phone/iPad chargers 
• Compression Socks 
• Neck Pillow 
• Shawl 
• Extra Battery Pack
• Travel Lotion/Lip Balm
• Ear Plugs 
• Kindle/Book 
• Snacks
• Water 

Carry on: CLICK HERE FOR PRODUCT LINKS

• Good Quality Carry on 
• Converters 
• Packing Cubes 
• Travel Steamer 
• Travel Jewelry Holder 
• Travel TSA Approved container and bag
• Travel Makeup Brush Holder 
• Good Quality Sandals 
• Comfy Sneakers 
• Travel hotel slippers 
• Travel Shoe bags
• Travel perfume bottle
• A light sweater (even in summer season, it gets cold on plane and trains)
• A small purse or crossbody (I used one small purse for both crossbody and for night outfits) 
• Comfy Heels
• Small Beach Bag 
• Travel Shoe Bag 

I hope that this blog post will help you on your amazing European trip. 

Truly, Spain was unforgettable! Sevilla with its history and charm, Marbella with its nightlife and luxury, Madrid with its energy. Every stop had its own personality, and together they made for the most beautiful trip with my best friend. If anything, I only wish we had more time. But isn’t that the best way to leave a place? Wanting just a little bit more.

And celebrating a milestone birthday along the way with your best friend? Truly the sweetest gift. Until next time, España.

Here is to creating the most unforgettable memories, 

Rashmi