4 Amazing Sights I Saw in Spain

Hi, everyone! In today’s post I am going to share 4 incredible sights I saw while in Spain. So many of the experiences I had left me in awe. I read about history and culture in textbooks all throughout my schooling, but I never thought I would actually be seeing these things in person someday! Life is truly crazy. Anyways, on with the post.

 

1. A White City

Spain is scattered with pueblos blancos (translated to “white villages”). They are gorgeous, tiny cities where everything from homes to markets to churches is entirely white. It is actually quite fascinating to see! The specific meaning behind the completely white theme is unknown, but it has been speculated that it was either a mandate by a 20th-century dictator or simply just a chemical reaction of the limestone that was used. Mijas, the particular town I visited, was charming and very tourist-friendly.

A main attraction is the donkey rides that can take you through the city, but we passed. (I’m afraid of donkeys.) 

2. A City Built Over a Canyon

The city of Ronda is not only beautiful, but unique. A river running through the actual city created a canyon over half a mile deep. Bridges connect the two halves. Seeing this was extremely interesting but terrifying!

3. A Bullfighting Arena

Also while in Ronda, we saw the Plaza de Toros de Ronda, a bullring dating back to the 18th century. It is built entirely of stone and is one of the oldest bullfighting arenas in Spain. Bullfighting is a very old tradition in the hispanic culture that is still taking place today.

Fun Fact: Madonna’s ‘Take a Bow’ music video was shot here in 1994.

4. An Ancient Cave

Just a few miles southwest of Ronda, I stepped entirely out of my comfort zone. After a brief hike up a steep mountainside, we reached Cueva de la Pileta. This cave contains Stone Age paintings dating back to 35,000 years ago!!! It is settled in the center of a beautiful mountain chain.

At the mountain top, we crawled through this tiny door and entered the cave. It was damp and cool. Lanterns were handed out by the guide, and we were promptly told that no photography was permitted in the cave. (Thankfully this was after I snapped a few photos 🙂 )

Creepy, right?

The tour lasted for about an hour. Unfortunately, I was unable to take any photos of the Stone Age paintings. Most of them were in black or red and depicted horses or deer. One was of a big fish. They were incredible! We also ran into some bats which REALLY freaked me out, but I exited the cave in one piece. 🙂

 

And that concludes my adventures in Spain! I am so grateful I was able to go on this trip. Thank you all for following along with me. Have a great weekend!

-Madison-