2023 Wrapped: The Spain Edition

My favorite hotels, art galleries, restaurants, beaches, small towns, and more

Casa Ter is one of the (many) architectural treasures in Viu Empordà’s collection

I didn’t see as much of Spain as I wanted to this year (chalk it up to getting settled in our new apartment, immigration paperwork, and wedding planning). But what I did see reaffirmed my belief that Spain is having a major moment, and not just because of the groundswell of buzzy new hotels, museums, and restaurants that has sent the travel media industry into a feeding frenzy.

The world is catching on to the wonders of Spain, I think, which has led to a surge in the country’s cultural confidence and creative expression. It’s playing out in the realm of gastronomy, with restaurants like Noor, in Cordoba, and Casa Marcial, in Asturias, that are resurrecting and remixing centuries-old culinary traditions. You see it in fashion with brands like the craft-obsessed Mallorcan label Accidente con Flores or the Barcelona-born Hereu Studio, whose first styles riffed on old-school Balearic footwear. Musically, even, there’s evidence of this new mood: I think of artists like Rosalía and C. Tangana, whose layered styles draw on folk and flamenco influences. It would seem that we’re widening our perception of what Spain is and can be, and are finally waking up to what’s long been hiding in plain sight. 

While I’m only just beginning to scratch the surface, this past year has deepened and expanded my view of Spain. It also has me dreaming of future adventures, like traveling to Lanzarote to learn about César Manrique’s legacy and stay at the island’s hottest new hotel, for example, or booking a cabin on this new sleeper train that travels along the northern coast. Oh, and if anyone wants to go in with me on a few nights at this cliffside hideaway on the Costa Brava (or any of the homes in the Viu Empordà collection, really) …

Los Jameos del Agua on Lanzarote

To commemorate some of my favorite findings from 2023, I’ve decided to follow the lead of other Substackers and create a travel-inspired spinoff of Spotify Wrapped. It’s a bit of a a hodgepodge, with starred hotels, beaches, and restaurants alongside my favorite Spanish snacks, beauty products, and even a terrific bottle of wine. And it’s quite heavy on the Balearics, as I spent a lot of time there this year. Anyway, I hope it will make for some fun end-of-year travel inspo! Here it goes: