Portugal/Spain Trip

>>1243181
Tell us what you're interested in. What counts as a "hidden gem" to someone interested in history and culture will be different to a "hidden gem" for someone interested in weed and psytrance.

If you're interested in history and culture, then a hidden gem in Portugal is Tomar, about 90 minutes by bus from Lisbon; the site of an old crusader castle. Sintra is very much on the tourist map but it's worth a day trip from Lisbon and Toledo is worth a day trip from Madrid.

>>1243181
If you're in San Sebastian, just pig out on the food - I don't recall having eaten so well anywhere at any time.

>>1243350
I'm very much into historical and cultural sites so will take a look at that, thanks

>>1243415
Also check out what's showing at the Gulbenkian centre; it's a very large gallery complex in Lisbon. Among the standard sites, the Belem tower, the monument to discoveries and the Jeronimos monstaries are must sees, and they're really close together.

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Skip Valencia and spend more time in Barcelona-Valencia is a smaller, uglier version of BCN.

>>1243479
What about the city of arts and sciences? Could be worth visiting for that? I only planned to stay in Valencia for two nights anyway.

>>1243181
Go to Madrid from Lisbon by train and pass a day in Salamanca.

In barcelona you can visit the obvious sites like parc guell or the sagrada familia, also you can go to the beach in la barceloneta and visit the place wich was like an old seaside town converted into the city and has its own atmosphere, you can also visit the ancient part of the city, in the center of it (more or less) wich was the medieval citadel inside the old walls. Visiting montjuic and tividabo, the two mountains that are surrounding the city will give you some neat views from it and this is just the beginning, but i dont like to type really much so just search shit in some tourists guide of barcelona and you'll find plenty of things to do, just pick the ones you like

>>1243489
Meh . I've lived here for ten years, had the arts and sciences yearly family pass so I could take my 6 year old daughter. Mediocre at best, the buildings show signs of negligence, and personally we didn't renew our passes because it just wasn't worth it. The beaches are OK, I think you would be better off stopping at Peñiscola if you still plan to head down this way.

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>>1243350
I agree with this guy, Tomar is a charming small town with hardly any tourists outside of Pilgrims doing the Galitian route of the camino. Pic related is the Templar Castle. Wen you make your way back down into the town, you might as well take a look at a church halfway down the hill called 'Nossa Senhora da Concienção'. Oh, and don't miss their contemporary art museum.
Toledo on the other hand is clogged with tourist groups during daytime. The cathedral is worth the price, and the El Greco Museum is also definitely worth a visit.
You might also consider a stop in Zaragoza, as it's on your way and the main bus line connecting Madrid ans Barcelona stops there. They also have an old fortress with lovely islamic architecture, a free entry museum with Fine Arts & Archeological pieces from antiquity onwards, and some major works by Goya.

>>1243489
Valencia is only good during las fallas.