Spain & Portugal Travel Expert & Specialist

Exploring Spain beyond its cities

As a Spain and Portugal travel specialist, I've made more than 20 trips across the Iberian Peninsula, more than anywhere except where I've resided (US and UK) and all but resided (Brazil and Colombia), and it remains one of my favorite parts of the world to plan trips to, and continue to explore. Most first-time visitors head straight to Barcelona, and understandably so, with its striking architecture, nearby beach towns and mountain backdrop. But Spain and Portugal offer far more.

Climate and landscape shift dramatically across the peninsula. Northern Spain and northern Portugal are lush and green, a sharp contrast to the arid south. Around Madrid, snow-dusted mountains give way to pine forests stretching north, while the south grows intensely hot in summer, explaining exactly why siesta exists. In Portugal, the north turns rugged and scenic, with the Douro River basin's hillside vineyards among the most beautiful landscapes in the region, while the south blends into Andalucía's dry climate, hot but rarely as blazing as Córdoba or Sevilla, making it ideal beach territory.

History runs deep across the entire peninsula, shaped by centuries of overlapping civilizations. Roman Hispania left its mark in aqueducts, ruins and city foundations still visible today. Galicia carries Celtic heritage, complete with bagpipes. The Basque Country offers iconic festivals, distinctive towns, and a globally renowned art and food scene. Central Spain is the heart of Castile, layered with Roman ruins, walled medieval cities, hilltop castles, grand cathedrals, and Madrid's famously late-night energy. The coastline from Barcelona to Cádiz varies widely, from well-developed resort areas to quieter, lesser-visited stretches, while Valencia and Barcelona stand out as distinctive Mediterranean cities in their own right. Portugal, once overlooked by comparison, has become an outstanding destination in its own right, its own Age of Discovery legacy still visible in cities like Lisbon and Porto, alongside islands, greenery, vibrant cities and resort-style coastal escapes. Some of the best ways to truly discover the peninsula, though, are its smaller towns and cities, places like Évora, Braga and São Miguel in Portugal, or Santiago de Compostela, Segovia, Cuenca and Ronda in Spain.

Moorish Spain deserves its own spotlight. For nearly 800 years, much of the peninsula was under Islamic rule, a period that ended with the fall of Granada in 1492. Toledo offers a glimpse of this legacy, but Granada, Sevilla and Córdoba are where medieval Islamic Spain truly comes to life, with the Alhambra standing as one of the must-see sites in all of Europe.

With deep, firsthand experience across both countries, I take the guesswork out of planning an Iberian itinerary, matching the right regions, cities and pace to your specific interests rather than a one-size-fits-all route. Ready to start planning your trip to Spain or Portugal? Get in touch to schedule a conversation.