Erasmus Student Experience in Spain

From January until June, I was spending my second semester of my year abroad in the south of Spain: home to some of the wildest yet friendliest people I’ve ever met. Sunshine, alcohol, food and festivals, Andalusia certainly offered some of the greatest experiences I will hold dear to me for the rest of my life. And so, a new adventure began within those six months, making way for some new friends, new places and a new me.

My main trips around Spain

During the weekends, my friends and I had planned various trips to keep us busy and what better trips to take than to places that were only an hour away by bus! For just around €10 per trip (I recommend ALSA as the main bus service to use), we could go just about anywhere we wanted.

Our first weekend trip was to Granada and our immediate impression was that it was home to some of the most impressive street art we had seen, sporting some colourful, unique and interesting images to capture the attention of all the tourists that bustled the streets.

We paid for an apartment from AirBnb, a very popular site that I would recommend to keep down those costs but still have the opportunity to be at the heart of a city anywhere in the world. But the thing that was definitely worth visiting was the Alhambra, offering a breath-taking view of ancient Arabic architecture that forms a part of the Andalusian history and culture. Despite the rain showers, every corner we turned, every view we saw and every step we took, the experience was amazing. For a moment, it had almost felt like we had stepped foot on Moroccan soil. However, just a word of warning: the Alhambra gets booked up very quickly in a matter of weeks, and even months as it draws closer to summer, so I would advise booking tickets far in advance.

Our next exciting trip was to Madrid, (though not in Andalusia) one of the capitals of the fashion world and the one city I was eager to visit! I soon realised that in Madrid, you go big or go home because the size of the Primark store was unbelievable, with lights flashing completely lighting up the store. Taking lots of photos as we explored a bit of the city, I was in awe at the feeling of simply being in Madrid. The first night involved finding somewhere to eat for a good price, going to a club, possibly getting drunk and just letting go. The next day left us to tidy up the mess we had made and to recover from our hangovers.

Admittedly, we weren’t the most organised on this trip as we were wandering around trying to find some parks and monuments to take an ideal selfie. I also highly recommend the Palacio Real, aspiring to be Spain's Buckingham Palace. A lot of greenery and a lovely walkway up to the palace itself which gave us an incredible view. This iconic building is situated at the heart of Madrid and so, is tourist-friendly. We didn't go inside however, so that would be something to discover for yourself. Eventually, we banded together as a group and took a selfie to commemorate our enjoyable stay in Madrid.

Seville - now, that’s what I call a truly beautiful city. Everywhere you go in the centre, there is always something to gaze at in amazement. I, for one, absolutely loved the view from Las Setas which translates to mushrooms in English. Why mushrooms? Well, this monument is visible and very noticeable thanks to its mushroom-like form which, at the top, offers an amazing view over the heart of the city. Las Setas wasn’t the only place we went to though, the Plaza de Espana and the cathedral also offered some breath-taking views, bringing to life the Arabic influence that clearly exists in Andalusia. These places are perfect for history-loving and culture-appreciating tourists.

After this visit, we then continued to find somewhere to eat which was rather difficult considering the amount of restaurants and bars at our disposal. The restaurant we finally decided on was beautifully decorated as we were guided through the restaurant and into an area that had an open-ceiling. Exotic plants placed around us, the relaxing sound of a small water fountain making for a pleasant dining experience. It’s clear, from first-hand experience, that the Spanish are very accommodating and friendly concerning the restaurant service industry.

Our latest trip in Spain was to Cordoba, it is definitely one of those must go-to places if ever you want to go somewhere different in Spain. With festivals going on throughout May, la Feria de Cordoba is one of the festivals I would recommend experiencing for yourself! A big bunch of tents were set up blasting reggaeton and Spanish music all throughout the night as well as a healthy flow of drinks as we let our hair down. The lit-up, blue fountain greeted us as we walked past a crowd of women dressed in traditional flamenco dresses. I must admit that, despite the fourty degree heat, I would have loved to have worn one of those dresses! I think we had such a good time at the festival that we went again the next night to make most of the time we had left in Spain. Cordoba, like all of the other places we had gone to, clearly represented an easy-going, tourist-friendly country as well as cultural and historical monuments in abundance. You think you’ve seen it all? I dare say that you haven’t unless you see what I’ve seen for yourself!

Photo gallery