I'm going to Spain through an exchange program next summer. Where should I go?

Question

I'm going to Spain through an exchange program next summer. Where should I go?

Answer 1

Evelyn G gave a great answer. I lived in Salamanca in 2002 on an exchange program from Australia and absolutely fell in love with the town. It is amazing and I definately recommend it.

Answer 2

I like Madrid as it's central to getting to other areas in the country.  Segovia has a beautiful 2000 year old aqueduct (sure it's just an aquaduct, but it's something you must see).  Valencia is a nice area (a long drive from Madrid, but make a weekend trip out of it).  There is a beach there called Peniscola(I know the spelling looks funny, but there is an accent over the N).  The castle that sits on the water is beautiful at night and just an overall nice place to visit in the summer.  The water is warm & calm.

Take in some of the museums (the Prado in Madrid is my fav).  Check out the beautiful architecture in the city as well as the cathedrals. You can also hop over to Mallorca if you're there long enough. Don't forget to go out at night & see some Flameno dancers.  Avila is pretty too.  Not a whole lot to see, but it's a nice drive and has some picturesque sights.  Toledo is Spain's original capital and known for their unique jewelry.  I used to have a fee pieces, but my favourite would be the items for the house.   Have fun:)

Answer 3

Salamanca is a great place for students, they love it there. It is a very nice city and it is not far from Madrid. The University of Salamanca is one of the most  famous in Spain.

Salamanca is a city visitors fall in love with, not only because of the incredible beauty of its extremely well-known monuments, but also because of its excellent atmosphere and wealth of gastronomic delights. Salamanca´s citizens often enjoy some tapas before lunch. There are a lot of well-established places to visit, such as Cervantes, in the plaza Mayor (main square), famous for their varied tortilla (omelette) snacks and palomas, ensaladilla-filled pork scratchings. Another place where you can try a good local wine, along with an oreja (ear) tapa, or blood sausage, or chanfaina, the local stew, is Cervecería del Comercio in Pozo Amarillo, a street famous for its restaurants including Dulcinea (Don Quijote´s love) and El Jamón. In both these places, you can try two Salamanca specialities superb roast suckling pig or kid.

Lunchtime offers a myriad of choices. In Corrillo Square, between the famous Plaza Mayor and the cathedral, you will find the Río Tormes restaurant, once called La Viuda del Fraile (the monk´s widow). Here you can try delicious onion soup, a dish from the Castilla-Leon region. Another very well-known place is the Mesón La Espada, a small restaurant very close to the Plaza Mayor where the quality is outstanding. You just have to try their famous marujas salad, a dish of their own invention which has become famous in Salamanca and is only available in the spring.

Continuing a gastronomic route in the city centre, it is essential to make a stop at La Bellota Charra, a restaurant where you can try a seemingly endless variety of dishes derived from the Iberian pig, as well as exquisite local wines like those of Sierras de Arribes. One must not forget that some of the wines of Castile and León enjoy an outstanding reputation. Ribera del Duero is one of these, and you will find it in almost all restaurants including the cosy Valencia. This restaurant is located just 1min away from the Plaza Mayor; you have to try their onion-flavoured blood pudding, or tongue with pine nuts.

After lunch there is nothing better than a coffee. A good place to have it is on the sunny open-air terrace of La Platea in Plaza del Corrillo. Other places where having coffee is a real pleasure are Capitán Haddock and La Posada de las Almas. Both places are well worth a visit, if only for their rustic decor and intimate atmosphere. Another great place is the Irish Rover, located just a minute away from the famous façade of the Universidad (university) and decorated in the style of an ancient theatre.

At nightfall, the natives of Salamanca set off again for tapas. There is no better place for this than the district of Van Dyck. The Taberna del Peregrino has great tapas, and those made with barbecued steak, bacon or pork in most places in this district make any outing a pleasure. You will find various restaurants in Van Dyck, including Barbacoa La Encina, Mesón-Asador Las Estrébedes, and El Bodegón. Their specialities include Iberian sausages, roast suckling pig and grilled veal. You´ll also find in Van Dyck Bodega Chicho, well known in Salamanca and famous for its quality Galician cuisine.

Finally, there is no better place for a few drinks than the Gran Vía district. There´s a heap of places where you can throw a party, and they generally have offers to make it more economical. In the Savor you can enjoy the best of Latin music, and in El Callejón you can listen to Spanish music until the wee hours of the morning. In other districts there are also well known places like Camelot, *** Laude and Morgana, three discos with good music and where the night is always young.