Adventure-type activities for a week in Spain?

June 14, 2011 12:14 PM

What are the must-do adventure-travel-more-than-sightseeing things to do in Spain?

I'm trying to plan a 7 - 10 day trip in Spain. There are many things I want to see, but I'm looking for recommendations for things to DO - for example, on my trip to Iceland this spring, I learned to ice-climb on a glacier, scuba-ed in a fissure, rode horses, etc. What kinds of things like this are accessible in Spain and surrounding areas?

I would prefer not to travel with tons of gear.

posted by jymelyne to travel & transportation around Spain (7 answers total)

Wind/kitesurfing in Tarifa.
I think you can take a guided tour of the Caminito Del Rey (near Malaga); climbing gear would be provided. Not advised for those with fear of heights.
posted by LionIndex at 12:29 PM on June 14, 2011

Stay in a Parador? How often do you get to tell people you've stayed in a castle?
posted by backseatpilot at 12:40 PM on June 14, 2011

I actually just got back from 2 weeks in Spain one week ago. 2 weeks felt pretty cramped time-wise, so you're probably not going to be able to do too much in addition to sight-seeing if you plan on roaming around to any degree. We did a big loop starting in Madrid, then to Barcelona, then Valencia, then Granada, then Jerez, then Sevilla, then Cordoba, then back to Madrid. I got a lot of books beforehand, so I can check them later and come back if I find anything interesting, but for adventure travel they mostly seemed to deal with hiking around the various sierras.

If you're feeling really adventurous, you could try renting a car and driving through the old sections of cities or towns. Getting over the ridge from one side of Arcos de la Frontera to the other would probably make Chuck Norris collapse into a puddle of tears.
posted by LionIndex at 12:41 PM on June 14, 2011 [1 favorite]

Obviously the number one thing is the pilgrimage along the Camino de Santiago. Another popular trip is the Ruta de la Don Quixote in La Mancha. Obviously the north of Spain is where the rugged outdoors is best with mountain skiing and many interesting options for adventure.
posted by JJ86 at 1:55 PM on June 14, 2011

some Spaghetti westerns were filmed in Spain, and you can get an "authentic" western experience checking out the sets and deserts and a horse riding holiday, here's one I found via google http://horseridingholidays.com/index.html (British owned and run, so perhaps not "SPAIN" but definitely touristy!) Saw this on a TV show recently.

If you're from a more legit western locale I would give it it miss! Looks cheesy but fun.
posted by titanium_geek at 3:17 PM on June 14, 2011

Will you be there for Sanfermines ("the running of the bulls" in Pamplona, July 6 through 14)?

I consider that to be one of the most amazing experiences of my life -- basically it's a huge week-long party with people risking death every morning at 8 a.m.

And bring a sleeping bag because if you haven't booked a hotel room yet you're never going to get one. It's OK though because you can sleep in the park or simply just not sleep at all.

And if you're in Pamplona you're close to San Sebastian, my favorite place in Spain (just ahead of Sevilla).
posted by bardic at 11:34 PM on June 14, 2011

Thanks, all!

I love the wind/kite surfing ideas, they're definitely going on the list. I'm shooting for part of the Ruta de la Don Quixote, and will get some hiking in.

@bardic - Unfortunately, that's not in my time line, though it is on my life list! Well, that and Tomatina.
posted by jymelyne at 9:39 AM on June 29, 2011