Low key beaches in Spain - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

**Rebel1** · 05-01-2007, 03:36 AM

After reading all the posts about Spain i am really excited to go there. Barcelona, Madrid, Pamplona, Sevilla, and Grenada are all in the plan. I would really like to find a really low key beach town somewhere to do nothing and relax for a few days. I don't see myself chillin too much in Barcelona...too much to do i'm told. Anything on that coast would be cool. Any Suggestions?

**Brookers13** · 05-01-2007, 06:02 AM

San Sebastian is exactly what you're looking for!

**omisan** · 05-01-2007, 07:36 AM

Tarragona. Some of the quieter towns on the Costa del Sol (try south of Marbella). Tarifa at the southern tip - lots of kite surfers, and people going to port to go to Morocco, but otherwise *NOTHIN* going on.

**Maineartist** · 05-01-2007, 07:11 PM

I stayed in a hotel in Margrat del Mar outside of Barcelona. It's about 45 minutes by train. I saw a couple towns north by renting a moped. There were plenty of bars too.

**Rebel1** · 05-01-2007, 10:56 PM

Thanks all. Looked up those towns. Looks like Tarragona and the like before the running of the bulls and San Seb after. Thanks

**tumblezweedz** · 05-08-2007, 11:33 AM

Another area is the south Atlantic coast, just the other side of Gibraltar. Cadiz is probably the best known town in the area, we stayed in Rota, which is pretty laid back. There is an american naval base there, so there are plenty of bars and restaurants etc, but there's not that much to actually do during the day, so you can live the relaxed southern Spain lifestyle: head to the beach around 10/11 am, hang out there til 8 or 9, go for tapas at 10, head to the bars and nightclubs around 12, 1, 2, stay there til 6, 7 in the morning, and then go crash on the beach and do it all over again.

lancemaria · 08-12-2007, 06:50 PM

Lots of interesting place in Spain. I want to visit that place.

**lilwings** · 08-12-2007, 08:36 PM

Rota is coastal and not too heavily tourist.

San Sebastian is an awesome suggestion though... Basque country!

cathy14 · 08-12-2007, 08:55 PM

I love the Basque country, world capital of the great outdoors!

KaseyCaye · 12-13-2007, 05:43 PM

I'd say Cadiz, I spent 2 weeks there at the Casa Caracol hostel - totally laid back, awesome hostel if you're looking for what hostels used to be aka a place to meet people - make dinner with them and lay in hammocks on the roof. You can also rent out the hammocks for your bed at night which is cheaper than the bunks. Beach there is nice and just down the street there's a place to see some great flamanco dancing.

**lost in texas** · 12-13-2007, 10:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KaseyCaye

I'd say Cadiz, I spent 2 weeks there at the Casa Caracol hostel - totally laid back, awesome hostel if you're looking for what hostels used to be aka a place to meet people - make dinner with them and lay in hammocks on the roof. You can also rent out the hammocks for your bed at night which is cheaper than the bunks. Beach there is nice and just down the street there's a place to see some great flamanco dancing.

For me, this is proof that the people who happen to be at a hostel make or break the place. You obviously had a great time there, and I've heard the same from others. Personally, I thought it was the worst hostel I stayed in my entire time in europe! The people staying there were really pretentious a--holes who either ignored you or were were blatantly rude. Because I got a bad vibe there, I noticed the other things you normally wouldn't care about if you were enjoying the place-- like the rooms/bathrooms being absolutely filthy and beds collapsing and being held together by duck tape. I spent several weeks in Spain and loved everywhere else.

My friend's caption on facebook:
"Our hostel in Cadiz. It was run by hippys. Possibly the worst place Ive ever stayed. The only plus side, there was a brothel next door.

But it closed at 2 am....

Seriously, what brothel closes at 2 am...."

As far as cool beach towns go, I really enjoyed Tarifa. Also, if you find some guys to get a rental car with, that's the way to go. We drove along the coast and there are all kinds of little deserted beach towns. Good times.

KaseyCaye · 12-14-2007, 12:50 PM

guess it was the people that made it - and i was there in the off season so everyone was probably in a more relaxed mood and such. i went there twice and both times got lucky so there ya go.

good luck anyway.

another good place to go is head off to an island like mallorca where i lived for a month while working on an olive farm in pollenca. the big towns like palma are kinda overcrowded with tourists but you can find beautiful beaches if you drive around the island a bit.

rousseau5550 · 12-14-2007, 09:00 PM

If your in the Barcelona region, take the train south (i forget the name of it.. but it leads to the airport) to Sitges. Very beautiful beaches, and considering how dirty the Barcelona beaches are, it's a real treasure to be in Sitges.