Travel advice
May 16, 2019 8:41 PM Subscribe
Me and my teen want to take a trip together. So far our only criteria is a Spanish speaking country.
We haven't done any international travel before, but we're adventurous. We both speak only Spanish 1B level.
Some things we like: nature, eating good food, kitchy attractions, history, art, architecture, queer stuff, punk stuff, discovering subcultures and weird museums.
We prefer to get around on public transportation and bikes but open to car rental. We're mobile and enjoy physical activity but are not super sporty or mountaineer types. We're both women and gender nonconforming but feel comfortable in many environments.
We might consider language school while we're there. Probably a 2-3 week trip.
We'd love your ideas for where to go and what to do when we're there! Thank you!
We haven't done any international travel before, but we're adventurous. We both speak only Spanish 1B level.
Some things we like: nature, eating good food, kitchy attractions, history, art, architecture, queer stuff, punk stuff, discovering subcultures and weird museums.
We prefer to get around on public transportation and bikes but open to car rental. We're mobile and enjoy physical activity but are not super sporty or mountaineer types. We're both women and gender nonconforming but feel comfortable in many environments.
We might consider language school while we're there. Probably a 2-3 week trip.
We'd love your ideas for where to go and what to do when we're there! Thank you!
Absolutely Spain. Easy to get around by train, great architecture and museums, and incredible diversity as you go from city to city. Hit the Alhambra in Granada, the Prado in Madrid and La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. Gibraltar is worth a day trip if you make it that far south.
posted by zanni at 9:32 PM on May 16, 2019
posted by zanni at 9:32 PM on May 16, 2019
I am also going to recommend Spain. When I went abroad for the first time and encountered old European stuff it blew my mind in the best way. Nothing blew my mind more than the Alhambra. Also, Spain's small enough that you can jump around quite a bit pretty easily.
posted by xammerboy at 10:45 PM on May 16, 2019
posted by xammerboy at 10:45 PM on May 16, 2019
To add to the chorus, Spain is a wonderful, diverse country that would make for a great first international trip.
In South America, I think Ecuador might be a good choice too, with a huge array of landscapes in a fairly compact area (not even counting the Galapagos). There are beautiful highlands and peaks like Cotopaxi, extinct volcanoes containing lovely lakes to hike around, and the Amazon rainforest in the eastern half of the country.
Quito is a sprawling city but it has some really interesting culture and fascinating museums like the Capilla del Hombre, built to house the works of Oswaldo Guayasamin. A short walk down the hill from there is the even more interesting Casa Museo Guayasamin - Guayasamin's home that is now also a museum. It houses his personal collection of pre-Colombian art and artifacts as well as works from indigenous artists.
There are many indigenous markets in Ecuador that are worth visiting. One of the better known is in Otavalo, about a 2 hour bus ride from Quito. If you were to head down to the Cotopaxi area, though, the village of Saquisili has an amazing market, with people coming from all over the highlands to buy and sell pretty much everything you could imagine.
posted by theory at 11:51 PM on May 16, 2019
In South America, I think Ecuador might be a good choice too, with a huge array of landscapes in a fairly compact area (not even counting the Galapagos). There are beautiful highlands and peaks like Cotopaxi, extinct volcanoes containing lovely lakes to hike around, and the Amazon rainforest in the eastern half of the country.
Quito is a sprawling city but it has some really interesting culture and fascinating museums like the Capilla del Hombre, built to house the works of Oswaldo Guayasamin. A short walk down the hill from there is the even more interesting Casa Museo Guayasamin - Guayasamin's home that is now also a museum. It houses his personal collection of pre-Colombian art and artifacts as well as works from indigenous artists.
There are many indigenous markets in Ecuador that are worth visiting. One of the better known is in Otavalo, about a 2 hour bus ride from Quito. If you were to head down to the Cotopaxi area, though, the village of Saquisili has an amazing market, with people coming from all over the highlands to buy and sell pretty much everything you could imagine.
posted by theory at 11:51 PM on May 16, 2019
Spain is the easy answer, although it'll probably be substantially more expensive than much of the Americas. For 2-3 weeks, you can visit three cities or regions; all the fast trains go through Madrid, so the most efficient way is X-Madrid-Y. Barcelona is great, Seville is great, the Alhambra in Granada is spectacular, and Madrid is a fine place to visit (easy day trips to Toledo and Segovia if you're there).
It's getting into the hot season; Andalusia in the summer heat can be pretty oppressive, so check weather if you're going in the next few months.
posted by Homeboy Trouble at 12:00 AM on May 17, 2019
It's getting into the hot season; Andalusia in the summer heat can be pretty oppressive, so check weather if you're going in the next few months.
posted by Homeboy Trouble at 12:00 AM on May 17, 2019
nthing Spain. I spent a month traveling around Castilla y Leon in the north -- Burgos, Valladolid, Salamanca -- with a side trip to Bilbao in the Basque Country, and loved it. Went by buses and trains everywhere. My experience was enhanced by joining Servas, which is a network of volunteer "hosts", local residents who open their homes to travelers which facilitates cultural experience and exchange closer to the ground of real life than a typical tourist gets.
If in Madrid, consider visiting the intimate Museo Sorolla. And for a quintessential Spanish spectacle, check out a zarzuela at the Teatro de la Zarzuela.
Also, expense for accommodations -- if that's an issue -- can be much reduced by staying in pensiones. (scroll down.)
posted by bertran at 1:05 AM on May 17, 2019 [1 favorite]
If in Madrid, consider visiting the intimate Museo Sorolla. And for a quintessential Spanish spectacle, check out a zarzuela at the Teatro de la Zarzuela.
Also, expense for accommodations -- if that's an issue -- can be much reduced by staying in pensiones. (scroll down.)
posted by bertran at 1:05 AM on May 17, 2019 [1 favorite]
eating good food, kitchy attractions, history, art, architecture, queer stuff, punk stuff, discovering subcultures and weird museums. For all of this, I was going to recommend Mexico City, maybe with a side trip to Oaxaca for nature and a change of pace. Mexico City just has such an interesting countercultural undercurrent that was really interesting to me from a history/art perspective.
But in my Americas-centric mind, I hadn't even thought of Spain. It seems like part of the goal of the trip is language learning so I'd also think about Spain Spanish vs LA Spanish and what you're more comfortable in/ want to learn. I also am probably not the best person to ask about comfort level/safety for gender noncomforming folks in Mexico but that may be a consideration as well.
posted by geegollygosh at 4:01 AM on May 17, 2019 [9 favorites]
But in my Americas-centric mind, I hadn't even thought of Spain. It seems like part of the goal of the trip is language learning so I'd also think about Spain Spanish vs LA Spanish and what you're more comfortable in/ want to learn. I also am probably not the best person to ask about comfort level/safety for gender noncomforming folks in Mexico but that may be a consideration as well.
posted by geegollygosh at 4:01 AM on May 17, 2019 [9 favorites]
Spain is lovely but for basic castellano Spanish it can get complicated. Madrid, yes. Granada, yes. But when I went to San Sebastien in Basque country people asked me to speak English and in Barcelona there can be political parts around speaking Catalan. mind you the last time I was in Barcelona there was a lot of Castellano.
I would recommend a week or two in Buenos Aires. it is stunning and you can take a side trip flying up to Iguazu which is breathtaking. I loved my trip to BA and would do it again in a heartbeat. Or instead of Iguazu you could do Bariloche or Mendoza.
I would also recommend Cuba but I don't know what US travel restrictions are like now.
Spain has beautiful architecture but for nature it's for the most part not stunning compared to North America. But Argentina is.
posted by biggreenplant at 4:28 AM on May 17, 2019 [1 favorite]
I would recommend a week or two in Buenos Aires. it is stunning and you can take a side trip flying up to Iguazu which is breathtaking. I loved my trip to BA and would do it again in a heartbeat. Or instead of Iguazu you could do Bariloche or Mendoza.
I would also recommend Cuba but I don't know what US travel restrictions are like now.
Spain has beautiful architecture but for nature it's for the most part not stunning compared to North America. But Argentina is.
posted by biggreenplant at 4:28 AM on May 17, 2019 [1 favorite]
Native Spaniard here, so obviously very biased, but nthing that Spain sounds like a great fit. Getting around Spain is dead easy: most major cities boast comprehensive transit networks, and are linked by both high-speed rail (and slower but reliable bus services, if cost is an issue). Distances are tiny by American standards, so you can see a lot of the country in a fairly short time, and Spain is a hugely diverse place. As others have mentioned, Seville-Madrid-Barcelona would make for an easy, awesome itinerary, and hitting any combination of Granada, Toledo and the Basque Country (I'd maybe recommend San Sebastian over Bilbao but that's just me) as well is totally doable. All of them are totally worth a detour and potentially mind-blowing, especially if it's your first time abroad. The Alhambra, in Granada, deserves every bit of its fame, but be aware that you need to pre-book the visit in advance — don't expect to be able to get same-day tickets!
Seville and Barcelona have extensive bike lanes and are very much bikeable; Madrid, not so much. The queer/non-conforming scene in Madrid is positively vibrant; my personal impression is that Barcelona and Seville, although very LGTBIQ-friendly, are maybe a bit quieter in that regard. All three have their share of architectural marvels and kitschy attractions and then some; if in Madrid, I can't help but recommend a quick visit to the Museo de Cera, besides the "proper" museums, for the laughs alone.
Weather-wise, be aware that Spain in general gets crazy hot in the summer, esp. in July-early August, so plan accordingly. You may find that you can't really do much of anything other than lunch and siesta between 2-6 pm, just because of the heat. We Spaniards make up for that by staying up ridiculously late (prime time on TV starts at 10pm!).
In terms of language, there should be plenty of language schools and learning opportunities but, as others have mentioned, be aware that European Spanish is somewhat different to most American Spanish variants (and, within American Spanish, I'd dare say Argentinean/Uruguayan Spanish is very much its own thing). Depending on your goals this shouldn't be a big deal: the grammar is pretty much the same, but you may find you have to re-learn some vocabulary. In my experience, it's the words designating common, day-to-day stuff like clothing, food and transportation that tend to change the most across countries and regions.
Do let me know if you end up passing by Madrid. I'd be more than happy to point you to my local favorites.
posted by doctorpiorno at 5:03 AM on May 17, 2019 [1 favorite]
Seville and Barcelona have extensive bike lanes and are very much bikeable; Madrid, not so much. The queer/non-conforming scene in Madrid is positively vibrant; my personal impression is that Barcelona and Seville, although very LGTBIQ-friendly, are maybe a bit quieter in that regard. All three have their share of architectural marvels and kitschy attractions and then some; if in Madrid, I can't help but recommend a quick visit to the Museo de Cera, besides the "proper" museums, for the laughs alone.
Weather-wise, be aware that Spain in general gets crazy hot in the summer, esp. in July-early August, so plan accordingly. You may find that you can't really do much of anything other than lunch and siesta between 2-6 pm, just because of the heat. We Spaniards make up for that by staying up ridiculously late (prime time on TV starts at 10pm!).
In terms of language, there should be plenty of language schools and learning opportunities but, as others have mentioned, be aware that European Spanish is somewhat different to most American Spanish variants (and, within American Spanish, I'd dare say Argentinean/Uruguayan Spanish is very much its own thing). Depending on your goals this shouldn't be a big deal: the grammar is pretty much the same, but you may find you have to re-learn some vocabulary. In my experience, it's the words designating common, day-to-day stuff like clothing, food and transportation that tend to change the most across countries and regions.
Do let me know if you end up passing by Madrid. I'd be more than happy to point you to my local favorites.
posted by doctorpiorno at 5:03 AM on May 17, 2019 [1 favorite]
eating good food, kitchy attractions, history, art, architecture, queer stuff, punk stuff, discovering subcultures and weird museums.
Barcelona is paging you!
posted by DarlingBri at 5:54 AM on May 17, 2019 [1 favorite]
Barcelona is paging you!
posted by DarlingBri at 5:54 AM on May 17, 2019 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Hi folks! Thanks so much so far! One big amendment: Kiddo says she doesn't want to go to Spain this trip - she wants to go to Latin America. (I think a European trip is also in our family's slightly more distant future so I'll check out these Spain recos then.) Also, I should have been clear that I don't expect to find ALL the things we're interested in in one place, just throwing out some of the things we enjoy.
So far I'm getting a sense of a big Latin American City like Quito, Buenos Aires or Mexico City with side trips to see specific sites or beautiful nature might be the right approach.
posted by latkes at 6:48 AM on May 17, 2019 [1 favorite]
So far I'm getting a sense of a big Latin American City like Quito, Buenos Aires or Mexico City with side trips to see specific sites or beautiful nature might be the right approach.
posted by latkes at 6:48 AM on May 17, 2019 [1 favorite]
Also recommending Mexico City. It's so inexpensive right now! We're going in June. For under $1000, we're getting four nights in a nice hotel on the Reforma and three round-trip tickets from Tijuana (we're in San Diego so we'll use the CBX, the pedestrian border crossing that goes right into the Tijuana airport). I've been studying up on the city and working on the language and it seems to have everything you've asked for, plus. It's a major world city that loves tourists but isn't overwhelmed by them. Also, Mexico is the largest Spanish-speaking country in the world. The Spanish you learn there will work anywhere, because many of the Mexicanisms will be familiar to other Spanish dialect speakers because they've learned them through Mexican TV shows.
posted by Mo Nickels at 6:51 AM on May 17, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by Mo Nickels at 6:51 AM on May 17, 2019 [1 favorite]
I would suggest Guayaquil in Ecuador as an option too, although it’s a lot smaller and less cosmopolitan and has fewer old/grand buildings. It’s easy to get from there to the coast for birdwatching and whale watching and surfing (3 hour bus ride- go out there for a week or so), and there are nature preserves and rivers with nice walks near/in the city. Quito is high altitude and I’ve had a few friends be absolutely ill for a few days. Ecuador also uses the US dollar as their currency. Take dollar coins, they love them.
posted by holyrood at 7:24 AM on May 17, 2019
posted by holyrood at 7:24 AM on May 17, 2019
Mexico City is in the middle of a major cultural moment, esp among queer galleries. La Puri or Tracion for club nights, Paromo for dinner, Eno for lunch, La Botica for drinks, The National Musuem of Anthropology is like nothing you would see elsewhere. , Amazing bookstories, including Under the Volcano books, Fondo De Cultura Eonomica, https://www.fondodeculturaeconomica.com/Editorial.aspx. The National Cinema of Mexico is in the middle of the new Mexican film revival, https://www.cinetecanacional.net/
posted by PinkMoose at 7:25 AM on May 17, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by PinkMoose at 7:25 AM on May 17, 2019 [2 favorites]
I nth Mexico! I would divide my time between Mexico City (so much to do, so much to see -- esp a side trip to the newly renovated Teotihuacan) and Guanajuato (a super-artsy college town with a beautiful historic center, lots of excellent modern art, and really good [must stress] food). You didn't mention travel dates -- in October, Guanajuato hosts the fabulous Cervantino festival, devoted to the performing arts. There is a weird Museum of Mummies there, too. One warning -- altitude sickness really kicked my butt the first few days, but maybe only because I am a sea-level dweller.
posted by missmobtown at 7:31 AM on May 17, 2019
posted by missmobtown at 7:31 AM on May 17, 2019
Since you mentioned Buenos Aires, I can say that it is as thrilling as it is exhausting and as gritty as it is glamorous! Winters aren't bad but Spring or Fall would be best! Be sure to plan downtime as even navigating the crowded buses and subway is draining. I felt safe but you always have to be mindful of pickpockets and motochorros: for example, wear your backpacks on the front in crowds or on public transportation, keep your iPhones away when out and about, etc. (This is a risk for Argentines, too, like everyone I know has been robbed or pickpocketed once but it was no big deal, if that makes sense?) There are certain neighborhoods like La Boca best to avoid until you are more familiar, unfortunately. But people are also so kind and will go out of their way to help you if you ask, both in Spanish and however much English they speak. Uber isn't exactly legal but very prevalent and cheaper than in the US. I found the city to be very queer-friendly. You will see so much PDA, most straight couples, and it's so refreshing!
Among many others, I recommend MALBA, Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, and Centro Cultural Recoleta.
I attended this private language school for two weeks last July and learned a lot! They offer homestays, too: I'd make sure to ask for housing together close to the school. Their excursions are pricey but nice and convenient. Their teachers are amazing!! You can stay in various cities as well. Everyone I know has loved Cusco, for example.
I visited Santiago and Valparaíso, Chile, a year before before Buenos Aires. Those are also delightful places with lovely people and plenty to do as well as a much more chill feel than bustling Buenos Aires. I'm moving to Buenos Aires this August so, if you do come, please reach out because I'd love to meet up!
posted by smorgasbord at 9:49 AM on May 17, 2019
Among many others, I recommend MALBA, Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, and Centro Cultural Recoleta.
I attended this private language school for two weeks last July and learned a lot! They offer homestays, too: I'd make sure to ask for housing together close to the school. Their excursions are pricey but nice and convenient. Their teachers are amazing!! You can stay in various cities as well. Everyone I know has loved Cusco, for example.
I visited Santiago and Valparaíso, Chile, a year before before Buenos Aires. Those are also delightful places with lovely people and plenty to do as well as a much more chill feel than bustling Buenos Aires. I'm moving to Buenos Aires this August so, if you do come, please reach out because I'd love to meet up!
posted by smorgasbord at 9:49 AM on May 17, 2019
Buenos Aires is pretty easy with zero Spanish, but it would be fun to also take a language class there because the dialect (? pronunciation) is a little different.
posted by rhizome at 9:58 AM on May 17, 2019
posted by rhizome at 9:58 AM on May 17, 2019
I can also endorse Buenos Aires as funky, interesting and delicious. And a little on the tough side, it has sort of an alternate-universe New York feeling to it including the busyness. Argentina has an excellent network of intercity buses; for a modest price you can spend the night in a lie-flat seat that is basically similar to a first-class airline seat, and arrive in some place like Iguazu in the morning ready to go.
You'd have to drive, but once you're out of the Cancun resort strip, there's lots of interesting stuff, especially Mayan ruins, on the Yucatan peninsula. Campeche has a real jewel box of an old city. Might be a good pairing with Mexico City.
You might also want to look into Cuba, which is an interesting destination. There's an active bike touring scene there if you're into that (short distances, quiet roads, mostly flat terrain) although the public transport isn't much between cities.
posted by Homeboy Trouble at 10:40 AM on May 17, 2019
You'd have to drive, but once you're out of the Cancun resort strip, there's lots of interesting stuff, especially Mayan ruins, on the Yucatan peninsula. Campeche has a real jewel box of an old city. Might be a good pairing with Mexico City.
You might also want to look into Cuba, which is an interesting destination. There's an active bike touring scene there if you're into that (short distances, quiet roads, mostly flat terrain) although the public transport isn't much between cities.
posted by Homeboy Trouble at 10:40 AM on May 17, 2019
If you go to Quito, there's a lot of cool nature trips you can take from there. The Galapagos would be an amazing boat trip, taking several days to see many islands. If you want to see the rainforest, I loved visiting Jatun Sasha (a biology station) when I was younger.
posted by Margalo Epps at 6:50 PM on May 17, 2019
posted by Margalo Epps at 6:50 PM on May 17, 2019
Mr. Ant and I visited Guadalajara in November and had an amazing time. It's truly a world-class city, but way cheaper than Europe and no jetlag. We saw a number of people who read to me as gender nonconforming, but I also admit that as a Straight White Old I may have missed important nuance.
In terms of language proficiency... we speak French and English at home. He speaks a tiny bit of Spanish, and I can listen and read it ok but not speak it at all. We got along fine.
posted by workerant at 9:39 PM on May 17, 2019
In terms of language proficiency... we speak French and English at home. He speaks a tiny bit of Spanish, and I can listen and read it ok but not speak it at all. We got along fine.
posted by workerant at 9:39 PM on May 17, 2019
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posted by smorgasbord at 9:22 PM on May 16, 2019 [6 favorites]