{"id":1363,"date":"2025-04-25T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-25T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/?p=1363"},"modified":"2025-04-29T13:06:37","modified_gmt":"2025-04-29T13:06:37","slug":"the-only-place-that-still-does-free-tapas-your-favourite-spanish-cities-that-arent-barcelona-or-madrid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/25\/the-only-place-that-still-does-free-tapas-your-favourite-spanish-cities-that-arent-barcelona-or-madrid\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018The only place that still does free tapas\u2019: Your favourite Spanish cities that aren\u2019t Barcelona or Madrid"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Many say the southern Spanish city of Granada is underrated (Picture: Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Spain<\/a> has long been the destination of choice for British holidaymakers.<\/p>\n

In fact, UK travellers are the largest group of tourists to the country: in 2024, over 18 million of us flocked to the Mediterranean hotspot to soak up the sun. <\/p>\n

But, as Spain continues to grapple with overtourism<\/a>, holidaymakers are veering off the beaten track in favour of lesser-known gems<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In Barcelona<\/a>, tourist taxes are set to double<\/a>, and could reach up to \u00a312.40 per person per night. Currently, the maximum fee is \u00a36.20 for guests in five-star hotels and \u00a34.70 for guests in four-star hotels. Those staying in flats are charged \u00a35.20.<\/p>\n

Last year, thousands of locals took to the streets to protest the influx of foreign visitors, squirting diners with water pistols<\/a> and chanting \u2018go home\u2019.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile in the Spanish capital Madrid<\/a>, demonstrations have swept the streets in recent days. Just before Easter<\/a> weekend, over 150,000 residents congregated in the city centre to condemn hordes of tourists and their impact on the housing crisis.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\tSign up to The Getaway newsletter\t\t\t<\/h2>\n
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Fuel your wanderlust with our curated newsletter of travel deals, guides and inspiration.\u00a0Sign up here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\n\t\t\"Demonstrators\t<\/div>
Barcelona residents protest mass tourism in January 2025(Picture: AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Madrid recently paused new licences for tourist accommodation, primarily in the historic centre. The city has also implemented stricter regulations on short-term rentals.<\/p>\n

So, in the spirit of sustainable<\/a> travel, we asked Metro<\/strong> readers to share their favourite \u2018hidden gem\u2019 Spanish cities that aren\u2019t Barcelona or Madrid.<\/p>\n

Metro readers have their say<\/h2>\n

Matty Townsend, who recently completed an in-depth campervan tour of Spain with his partner, Laura, fell in love with Elche<\/strong>, a city close to Alicante.<\/p>\n

The Spanish province is another destination known to get incredibly busy during peak season, but Matty describes Elche as being \u2018worlds away\u2019 from the hustle and bustle.<\/p>\n

He said: \u2018There were palm trees everywhere \u2013 like a quarter of a million of them \u2013 it was tropical.\u2019 Matty also noted the \u2018cool vibe in the centre\u2019, saying there were \u2018loads of big gardens to walk around and explore.\u2019<\/p>\n

For Laura, Santiago de Compostela<\/strong> made the biggest impression.<\/p>\n

\u2018It\u2019s where the famous hike finishes,\u2019 she shared. She is, of course, referring to the Camino de Santiago, a network of ancient, spiritual pilgrimage routes in Spain. Visually, she said the northwestern city reminded her of a \u2018Spanish York.\u2019<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\tA tip from our travel editor\t\t\t<\/h2>\n
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Metro<\/strong>\u2018s Alice Murphy <\/a>is a huge fan of Ronda, a historic cliffside city near Malaga<\/a> (another underrated spot, according to Alice).<\/p>\n

Towering 1,063 metres above sea level, Ronda is a writers\u2019 paradise: Ernest Hemingway spent many summers there, and it\u2019s where the ashes of the great filmmaker Orson Welles were scattered.<\/p>\n

Framed by mountains and cavernous gorges, this is no \u2018fly and flop\u2019 spot. There are no beaches, but what it lacks in coast it makes up for in architecture (a fascinating blend of Arabic and Moorish), culture and cuisine.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\n\t\t\"Flamenco\t<\/div>
Seville\u2019s Plaza de Espana is home to Feria flamenco festival (Picture: Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Jezebel Gaia Sioux Gnik is one of many readers who spotlighted Granada<\/strong> in Spain\u2019s Andalusia region.<\/p>\n

She said: \u2018Granada in the South of Spain is so underrated, and one of the only places that still gives you a free tapas with a drink.\u2019 <\/p>\n

She noted that the Alhambra, a palace and fortress complex, is \u2018beautiful,\u2019 and that the region is where Flamenco originated.<\/p>\n

Metro<\/strong>\u2018s Sama Ansari Pour recently spent a week in the Andalusian city of Cadiz<\/a>, and couldn\u2019t believe how affordable it is: she spent less than \u00a3300.<\/p>\n

Elsewhere, Helena McWilliams described Nerja<\/strong> on the Costa del Sol as being \u2018clean, friendly,\u2019 and home to \u2018lovely people.\u2019<\/p>\n

Curt Howett declared A Coru\u00f1a, a port city in northwest Spain, to be Europe\u2019s hidden gem.\u2019<\/p>\n

Michael R. Brant said that he \u2018fell in love\u2019 with Seville<\/a> and \u2018would love to retire there one day,\u2019 while Lisa Alean echoed: \u2018I\u2019ve always wanted to explore the historic Santa Cruz neighbourhood in Seville, the architecture looks stunning!\u2019<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\tA Spanish town overshadowed by its glamorous neighbours\t\t\t<\/h2>\n
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Metro\u2019s<\/strong> Sophie-May Williams<\/a> fell for Estepona<\/a>, a traditional Spanish town sandwiched between\u00a0Marbella\u2019s blinged-out boutiques and the millionaire\u2019s playground of Sotogrande.<\/p>\n

But rather than leaning into the elite urbanisation of its luxury neighbours, Estepona has preserved its identity as a traditional \u2018Pueblos Blanco\u2019 \u2014 one of the \u2018White Towns of\u00a0Andalusia\u2019.<\/p>\n

Spanning a 21-kilometre stretch of golden coastline, this humble town is steeped in history. What was once a site believed to have been occupied by the Romans is now a picturesque holiday spot, with a palm-lined promenade, Spanish tapas bars and a micro-climate that bathes the streets in 325 days of sunshine each year.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Estepona has been dubbed the \u2018Garden of the Costa del Sol\u2019 (Picture: Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What to do in Seville<\/h2>\n

As Seville was mentioned dozens of times, it\u2019s clear that it\u2019s a city on many people\u2019s bucket lists. <\/p>\n

Located in Andalusia, Seville was a filming location for Game of Thrones<\/a>. The Alc\u00e1zar, a historic royal palace, was used to represent Dorne\u2019s capital, Sunspear.<\/p>\n

Hollywood aside, the UNESCO World Heritage Site is a stunning architectural landmark that dates back to the 10th century. General admission tickets cost \u20ac15.50 (\u00a313.26).<\/p>\n

Whilst in the city, explore the spectacular Plaza de Espa\u00f1a, amble through the charming Santa Cruz neighbourhood, enjoy a traditional Flamenco show, or visit Seville Cathedral, the world\u2019s largest Gothic cathedral. Don\u2019t forget to take a selfie against the iconic orange trees.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\tHow to get to Seville\t\t\t<\/h2>\n
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Budget airlines like Ryanair<\/a> and easyJet<\/a> fly to Seville from London Gatwick<\/a> and Stansted<\/a>. <\/p>\n

One-way fares start from \u00a336, and the journey takes around 2 hours and 50 minutes.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

What to do in Valencia<\/h2>\n

Valencia<\/strong> and San Sebasti\u00e1n<\/a> proved to be popular with Metro<\/strong> readers, too.<\/p>\n

While Danielle L\u00e0m said the former was \u2018very cool,\u2019 Matty loved the latter for its \u2018big beach right in the middle of town,\u2019 plus the \u2018small streets selling pintxos tapas in the Old Town.\u2019<\/p>\n

Valencia is the namesake capital of the province of Valencia. Perfectly situated on the Mediterranean coast, sun worshippers can while their days away on the beautiful La Malvarrosa and El Cabanyal beaches.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\tHistoric and unique Basque city of Pamplona\t\t\t<\/h2>\n
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Metro\u2019s<\/strong>\u00a0Steve Charnock<\/a>\u00a0recommends the Basque city of Pamplona<\/strong>, particularly its beautifully preserved medieval Old Town. Full of narrow, cobbled streets, ancient walls and historical landmarks, he says the stunning Gothic Cathedral and imposing citadel are standouts.<\/p>\n

By day, Pamplona is a fairly quaint little enclave nestled within the more expansive modern urban area. A city within a city. But at night it comes alive, with countless independent bars and\u00a0pintxos joints slinging out ca\u00f1as<\/em>\u00a0of beer and\u00a0txikito\u00a0<\/em>servings of Rioja. All soaked up with delicious mushroom croquettes, hunks of\u00a0Txistorra\u00a0<\/em>chorizo and charred padron or sweet piquillo peppers. It\u2019s an incredible way to bar hop and slowly fill up on morsels of delicious snacks.<\/p>\n

The world knows the city for its raucous, culturally significant but ethically dubious nine-day San Ferm\u00edn bull running festival. But Pamplona is there to be savoured on any and all of the other 356 days of the year.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Valencia has it all (Picture: Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For those after some culture, head to La Lonja de la Seda (Silk Exchange). The UNESCO World Heritage site showcases Valencia\u2019s historical silk trade, and is a cheap day out, with entry fees typically costing \u20ac2 (\u00a31.71).<\/p>\n

The central Plaza de la Virgen is another go-to area, bursting with cafes, restaurants, and religious sites. For a charming historic neighbourhood with narrow streets and rustic bars, it\u2019s the ancient district of Barrio del Carmen.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\tHow to get to Valencia\t\t\t<\/h2>\n
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Ryanair and easyJet also fly to Valencia from Stansted and Gatwick airports. One-way flights start at \u00a334 with a journey time of 2 hours 30 minutes.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

What to do in San Sebasti\u00e1n<\/h2>\n

A resort town in the famous Basque Country, San Sebasti\u00e1n is often said to be the culinary capital of Spain. <\/p>\n

The city is definitely set up for it: in the Old Town\u2019s main square, Plaza de la Constituci\u00f3n, you\u2019re spoiled for choice with cafes and restaurants.<\/p>\n

Pintxos \u2013 the Basque version of tapas \u2013 are famous here. Iconic dishes include the Gilda pintxo, a small skewer consisting of a guindilla pepper, a pickled anchovy, and a green olive, and Bacalao en Aceite, salted cod marinated in a garlic and chilli oil.<\/p>\n

Once you\u2019ve stuffed yourself with Basque favourites, stroll along the picturesque La Concha Beach. For the adrenaline junkies amongst us, climb Mount Urgull or Monte Igueldo for panoramic views of the town.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\tHow to get to San Sebasti\u00e1n\t\t\t<\/h2>\n
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San Sebasti\u00e1n is more expensive to reach from the UK. This is due to high demand and limited availability, especially during peak seasons.<\/p>\n

A one-way flight from London City Airport with British Airways<\/a> or Iberia starts from \u00a3227. The flight time is one hour, 55 minutes.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Many say the southern Spanish city of Granada is underrated (Picture: Getty Images) Spain has long been the destination of choice for British holidaymakers. In fact, UK travellers are the largest group of tourists to the country: in 2024, over 18 million of us flocked to the Mediterranean hotspot to soak up the sun. But, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1365,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1363","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1363","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1363"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1363\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1371,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1363\/revisions\/1371"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1365"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1363"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1363"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1363"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}