Poetry of Iberia: From Gaudí's Dreams to the Heartbeat of Flamenco
Spain's daytime is a vibrant oil painting, and its nighttime is a deep guitar melody; Portugal's mornings are like a salty sea breeze, and its evenings are like tram tracks edged with gold.
This yellow line doesn't chase after checklists, but rather follows the contours of the Iberian Peninsula, searching for truly living landscapes—time frozen in Madrid's museums, flowing curves in Barcelona's architecture, a still white dream on the slopes of Mijas, and the Fado ballads drifting from the streets of Lisbon.
Madrid | Oil Paintings and Ham: Day and Night
In the corridors of the Prado Museum, Goya's "The Naked Maja" and "The Clothed Maja" hang facing each other, like a silent dialogue. Meanwhile, in the Retiro Park's glass palace, afternoon sunlight streams through the dome, casting ripple-like shadows on the floor.
As night falls, the Ham Museum is warmly lit, and master chefs slice Iberian hams as thin as cicada wings with long, thin blades, accompanied by a glass of sherry—this is the most authentic way to say goodnight in Madrid.
Reason for stay: Prado Museum, Retiro Park, San Miguel Market
Barcelona | Gaudí's Curved Universe
The stained glass windows of the Sagrada Familia transform sunlight into a flowing mass. When the midday sun shines through the geometric openings of the Passion Facade, a cross of light appears on the ground—Gaudí said it was "God's blueprint."
At Casa Batlló, the swirling balconies resemble a dinosaur's spine, and the blue tiles in the atrium gradually lighten upwards, all to allow the light to fall evenly. In the evening, head to Caramel Hill to see the entire city bathed in a honey-colored sunset, with the Sagrada Familia's spires in the distance resembling a growing crystal forest.
Don't miss it: The Sagrada Familia tower, the roof of Casa Milà, and the Boqueria Market
Valencia | Paella: Future and Tradition
The City of Arts and Sciences resembles a group of stranded whale skeletons, gleaming with the metallic sheen of titanium in the sunlight. Meanwhile, in the central market of the old town, saffron, rabbit meat, and lentils are piled high—this is the birthplace of paella, with the best pot hidden in La Pepica, where the salty freshness of the sea is locked into every grain of rice.
At dusk, go to Marvalossa Beach and watch the sailboats cast long, long shadows.
Taste memory: Seafood paella with white wine and Horchata (tiger nut milk)
Mijas | A White Dream on the Cliff
This Andalusian town is like a sugar cube sprinkled by God. White houses cascade down the mountainside, and geraniums always bloom on the blue-framed windowsills.
Take a donkey taxi ride, slowly winding through narrow alleys, where an old man selling pottery will smile at you. And from the lookout point in the church square, you can see the Mediterranean Sea like a rolling blue silk.
Best moment: Avoid direct sunlight in the early morning or late afternoon.
Granada | The Moorish Moonlight
In the Myrtle Courtyard of the Alhambra, the fountains sound just as they did a thousand years ago. When the moonlight illuminates the arabesque patterns of the Nasred Palace, you'll understand why Washington Irving said, "Here lie fragments of paradise."
On the hillside of the Albayzin district, lanterns lit up in a Gypsy flamenco tavern, and amidst the clinking of glasses, a hoarse chant suddenly erupted—"Ay!"
Secret Experience: Night tour of Alhambra Palace (reservations required months in advance)
Ronda | A Duel on the Cliff
This white town, built on a canyon, was described by Hemingway as "the best place to elope." The new bridge spans a 100-meter-deep abyss, while in the old bullring, the sand still bears traces of blood-red rust.
In the evening, head to the cliffside tavern, order a glass of local red wine, and watch the sunset turn the entire valley golden.
Photo spots: New Bridge Viewpoint, Arabian Baths
Seville | The Heartbeat of Flamenco
In the Royal Palace of Seville's Golden Hall, the tiles on the walls are arranged to resemble peacock tail feathers. And the Giralda Tower of the cathedral, once a minaret of a mosque—climbing the 34-story ramp, the entire city unfolds beneath your feet like a hot gingerbread pancake.
In the Triana district at night, in a flamenco tavern, the dancers' high heels sparked as the audience's shouts of "Olé!" rose and fell like waves.
Must-do list: Royal Palace Gardens, Flamenco Performance, Boating in Plaza de España
Lisbon | The Blues of the Sea and Melancholy
Tram number 28 climbs the steep slope of the Alfama district, passing balconies where bedsheets are drying and churches covered in tiles. At dusk in Belém Tower, the Tagus River appears to be sprinkled with gold leaf, and the silhouette of the Monument to the Discoveries points into the distance.
Listen to a Fado, the soul of Portugal—the singer stands in black, singing of "the nostalgia for the sea and the sailors who will never return."
Romantic little things: Take a tram ride, eat Belém tarts, and watch the sunset from the observation deck.
The significance of the yellow line lies not in how many World Heritage sites it collects, but in those unexpected moments—
Perhaps it's a tabby cat suddenly darting out from a Mijas alley, or a sangria handed to you by a stranger in a Granada bar late at night, or the aroma of grilled sardines wafting from the window of a Lisbon tram as it turns a corner.
These cities are like unfinished poems, waiting for you to write the final rhyme.
