By Amanda Buttinger
Expert guides on local traditions and curated recommendations for an authentic Spanish experience.
Let me start with a statement that after 25 years in Madrid, I’ll stand by: Do not eat paella in Madrid’s Plaza Mayor. In fact, if you are starving and that frozen, yellow-dyed rice in the Plaza is your only option, the Five Guys on the corner is arguably a more...
Forget the headlines—discover why local hospitality is about people, not policies, and why you can finally let your shield down.
Spain’s August eclipse is spectacular, but to avoid the “Shadow Trap” you’ll need an open horizon and a clear line of sight as the sun drops low.
If you’re wondering what to do in Andalusia, there’s one experience that breaks every travel cliché: La Romería del Rocío. A centuries‑old pilgrimage and a Fiesta of International Tourist Interest since 1965, it feels like stepping three hundred years into the past.
From late April to early May, Córdoba comes alive as plazas and corners turn into floral displays—crosses adorned with carnations, shawls, and terracotta pots.
Discover Valladolid’s Easter Week —Spain’s best-kept Holy Week secret. A quiet stop for tapas turned into a moving encounter with solemn processions.
April in Spain means torrijas—our Easter French‑toast. Fried, sweet, and irresistible, they’re everywhere in Madrid. I’m sharing my son’s recipe so you can make them at home.
If there is one place in Madrid that perfectly captures the “Spanish lifestyle” I’m always raving about, it’s the area surrounding El Retiro Park.
Today I want to spotlight another Spanish star making noise in Hollywood: potato chips. Bonilla a la Vista—Spain’s ultimate snack—has even made it to the Oscars after‑parties, proving our influence goes far beyond icons like Penélope Cruz.
Discover Madrid’s hidden gem—the Fallen Angel of Retiro! This bronze masterpiece by Ricardo Bellver, perched at 666m in Parque del Retiro, invites you to explore Madrid like a local.