Parador - Baiona, Spain

Photo Credit @parador.es

Want to visit a castle that dates back to the 12th century? And the first place in Europe to receive the news of the discovery of America in 1493?

Look no further than the Parador in Baiona. Spain has converted many old castles into luxury hotels, spas, and restaurants. The parador in Baiona is one of many throughout Spain, but it is the only one with ties to Christopher Columbus and the discovery of America. For more information about the history click here. For more photos and videos click here. 

Dayna's Recommendation: There is a 2-3 kilometer walking path that goes around the outside of the castle wall, with beautiful views of the ocean. Or you can go inside the grounds and have a meal or an afternoon coffee in the restaurant. The meal or coffee will be expensive, but it is definitely not something you can do in the U.S., and the views must be breathtaking. Sadly, we haven't done it yet, but it is on our list! 

Fun fact: Julio and I walked around the castle at three o'clock in the morning after one of our first nights out. We got stuck in the rain, and our first kiss happened under the roof of the security area just inside the gate. It was magical...

Faro Silleiro

Photo credit @ http://vueltaibericafaros.blogspot.com.es

Faro Silleiro is the lighthouse right next to the hotel where we are getting married and it has spectacular views of the coastline. We are planning on taking pictures there during our "trash the dress" photo session with our photographers after the wedding. 

It has a 3,000 watt lamp that can be seen for 40 miles. Parts of it date back to 1862 and it was originally lit with vegetable oil! The majority of the structure standing today is from 1924. 

Definitely worth the drive up the hill to see the views if you have a car, or have a taxi take you up on the way to the wedding!

Photo Credit @ http://www.farosdegalicia.es/faro-de-cabo-silleiro-baiona/

Photo Credit @ http://www.turismo.gal/

The lighthouse is even more beautiful at night. 

Photo credit Diego Charlon Flickr - https://www.flickr.com/photos/diegocharlon/

Above it there are some old remains of artillery batteries, canons and a military headquarters. During the day its neat to explore the old graffiti covered buildings and take advantage of the gorgeous views. 

Photo Credit @ https://www.flickr.com/ph

Café con leche

photo credit @ www.thespruce.com Lauren Aloise/ Spanish Sabores

Listen to our conversation about this word here:

The literal translation for this is "coffee with milk" but that definition doesn't really do it justice. It is similar to what Americans would call a latte, but it's got a little bit different flavor, and like all things European much smaller in size, typically 6 oz - 10 oz. It is my favorite coffee here in Spain and it's typical for breakfast, mid-morning, and in the afternoon. Prices usually range from 1 euro to 1.50 

Pro - tips: 

I usually ask for a "café con leche grande" to get the biggest I can! 

Unless you specify it will come with whole milk, to get it with skim it's "cafe con leche desnatada". 

The world of ordering coffee in Spain is quite varied with lots of options, for more coffee types and ordering info, check out this blogpost by Trevor Huxham, another American who did the same teaching program. He also has lots of great information about Galicia worth checking out.