Pink Lake / Gaudi Barcelona ©BRIAN_KINNEY/stock.adobe.com
Spain is packed full of beautiful places, friendly people, and incredible food. However, what truly makes this Mediterranean nation so incredible are the things you can find there, but nowhere else.
From deliciously meaty late-night snacks to underwater museums and mythical cities only spoken about in ancient texts, Spain has it all. Hang on tight. We’re about to take a journey through the wonderfully weird things you can only find in Spain.
Found in: Málaga
Est. Cost: N/A
Caminito del Rey in Málaga, Spain, isn’t just referred to as the ‘world’s scariest footpath,’ but for a time was also considered the ‘world’s deadliest footpath’ as well. Initially built in 1905, this pathway is approximately 1-yard wide, sits more than 325 feet above the rocky gorge that lays below, and was the location of 5 fatal tragedies between 1999-2000.
The path was closed shortly after the incidents, but after 15 years was re-opened in 2015, having been slightly refurbished. A walk down this rickety wooden trail is not recommended for those faint of heart.
Found in: Buñol
Est. Cost: $12*
In America, the first Monday of September is Labor Day, and the fourth Thursday of November is Thanksgiving. In Buñol, Spain, they celebrate a ‘little’ festival called La Tomatina Festival on the last Wednesday of August.
If you end up in Spain at the end of August, do yourself a favor and visit the Valencian town of Buñol. But bring a change of clothes. La Tomatina Festival is an event for the child in everyone who never got the chance to participate in a food fight. The $12 entrance fee gains you access to the festival and all the tomatoes you can throw. Snapchatters out there should keep their phones in plastic bags because this will get messy.
Found in: Almería
Est. Cost: $19.50*
It’s no secret that filming Hollywood movies outside of America has been a cheaper alternative that production companies have been taking advantage of for years. But it might come as a bit of a surprise to learn that many 1960s Westerns were filmed in the Spanish desert, not the vast American landscape.
Spain’s southeastern province, Almería, is home to the Tabernas Desert and was the location Italian director Sergio Leone chose to film his now-famous Dollars trilogy. You can tour the grounds of these legendary film locations for just $19.50 per person. Flights included, a trip to Almería might cost less than a family trip to Disneyland.
Found in: Catalonia
Est. Cost: $2.6+ Million*
At the 2005 Geneva Motor Show, the world was given a glimpse at a concept the Tramontana design team had been toying with. The first Tramontana model left the production line just two short years later. This great Spanish sports car has since become one of the most expensive cars in the world, and for a good reason.
Aside from its slick, open-wheeled design, this masterpiece of the automotive world has also been fitted with a mid-mounted 5.5 L Mercedes-AMG M285 bi-turbocharged V12 engine. It can reach 60 mph in just 3.5 seconds and maxes out at over 200 mph. Don’t forget to pre-order your Tramontana, only 12 units are manufactured annually.
Found in: Sarrión
Est. Cost: $400-$500/lb*
Truffles (not the chocolate ones) have long been a culinary delicacy cherished by those with sophisticated palates and deep pockets. Of all the truffle species that exist, none is more coveted—or expensive—than the black diamond truffle found in Sarrión, Spain.
Found by truffle pigs and specially trained canine helpers, these blackish-brown wrinkled fungi aren’t the most appealing cuisine to look at, but you’re in for a treat if you can get past their looks. The black diamond truffle has a peppery aroma and delicate flavor that are second-to-none. Are they worth the price and deserving of the title “Best Tasting Truffle”? There’s only one way to find out.
Found in: Ibiza
Est. Cost: $1,740*
If you thought a meal at the world’s most expensive restaurant would be a regular dining experience, think again. Sporting a team of Michelin star chefs with a combined 8 stars between them, SubliMotion has been enchanting wealthy diners since it opened in 2014.
SubliMotion is only open during the summer (June-September), so be sure to plan ahead. A dining experience here consists of a tasting menu of 20 courses, vino, and champagne to help wash it all down, and a light and sound show courtesy of the VR goggles SubliMotion’s 12 nightly diners are given.
Found in: Lanzarote
Est. Cost: $15*
Europe’s first underwater museum, Museo Atlántico, located in the Canary Islands off the coast of Lanzarote, is the first of its kind beneath the waters of the Atlantics Ocean. It took Jason deCaires Taylor and his team more than three years to complete this underwater exhibit, but those who have visited it will tell you it was well worth the wait.
Over 300 sculptures make up the grounds of Museo Atlántico, including 35 life-size human sculptures looking at their phones while ‘walking’ toward the ‘point of no return’—a 100-foot-long, 13-foot-tall wall. It’s recommended to book a scuba tour for the best view of the museum’s installations. They begin at about 40 feet below sea level.
Found in: Es Vedrà
Est. Cost: $120*
The Lost City of Atlantis’s first mention was over 2,300 years ago. Still, all there is to go on are Plato’s writings and the naive hope that magical worlds might not be as fictitious as naysayers would have you believe. However, no matter how hard some people have searched, no concrete evidence of its existence has ever turned up.
Es Vedrà, the tiny island off Ibiza’s southwestern coast, is believed to be part of the ancient lost city. The rest of the city is thought to lay somewhere beneath the sea. A snorkeling trip to Atlantis’ gateway will cost over $100, well worth the price considering the wonders you might see.
Found in: Aragon
Est. Cost: Free to visit (if you dare)
Witches, wizards, warlocks, and elves are all creatures of myths and legends. But some people believe they are more than fictitious beings. The 96 remaining residents of Trasmoz will be the first to tell you of the power dark magic holds.
Even the Catholic Church won’t go near the village. It excommunicated itself from the Spanish village of Trasmoz in Aragon, Spain, centuries ago because of the community’s centuries-old connection to the ancient art of witchcraft. It’s believed by many, including the Church, that the town was cursed in the aftermath of a 16th-century feud for irrigation water.
Found in: Castrillo de Murcia
Est. Cost: Possibly your baby?!
The Sunday following the Feast of Corpus Christi is a special day in the village of Castrillo de Murcia. It’s the day the village celebrates good’s conquest over evil. The day pious men dressed in black (Atabalero) reenact driving the devil out of town. And they’ve been doing this since the 1620s.
The devil, of course, is personified in the form of a group of villagers wearing yellow and red clothing. The festivities are not complete until the babies born the previous year are placed on mattresses in the middle of the street, and the ‘devils’ leap over them, absorbing the infant’s sins and replacing them with protection spells.
Found in: Lucena
Est. Cost: N/A
Similar to buildings and balls of string, no matter how oversized a chair is, there will always be someone who tries to create a larger one. And that’s precisely what happened with the giant seat the people of Lucena, Spain, built.
Standing approximately 85 feet tall, the chair in Lucena is more than 70 feet taller than the world’s first ‘biggest chair,’ the 12-footer in Massachusetts. Although Lucena’s enormous chair still falls about 13 feet short of capturing the crown for the world’s largest (currently held by a red chair in St. Florian, Austria), it’s definitely worth a look.
ound in: Madrid
Est. Cost: $2-$3*
Forget about KFC or Burger King when planning your late-night snack in Madrid. What you really need (if you’re a carnivore) is to ask for directions to Mercado De San Miguel. This marketplace has several great food options, but none more to-the-point than meat cones.
It’s literally meat in a paper cone. Think of a cone of fries—only with meat. And not just one type of meat. No, no. There are tons of options to choose from. You can even mix & match meats. What else can you ask for? Do you know what will make you happier than a {{MCD:Big Mac} combo? A cone of meat!
Found in: Andalusia
Est. Cost: $20*
The Guadiana River separates Portugal and Spain along most of the countries’ international borders with one another. The riverbed is home to a thriving ecosystem waiting to be discovered. It is also the location of a one-of-a-kind tour that provides you with a bird’s eye view of this unique location via zip-line.
Departing from Andalusia, Spain, adrenaline junkies fly through the sky across a distance of almost 8 football fields (785 yards) at 45 mph. If you’re confident in your photography skills, this would be the perfect time to take your new META profile pic.
Found in: Setenil de las Bodegas
Est. Cost: N/A
Houses, businesses, and even the streets of Setenil de las Bodegas have been built under and into an enormous overhanging cliff. Seeing everything Spain offers is an excellent idea but if you’re claustrophobic—or have a fear of cliffs falling on you—steer clear of the road that leads through this tightly-packed town that’s been living under a rock for thousands of years.
Thanks to a protected location surrounded by fertile lands, this remote town in the shade are believed to have housed human life for more than 20,000 years. No trip to Spain will be complete without making the journey to this incredible place in human history.
