Zaragoza, Aragon Spain. Travel Guide to 3 days in Zaragoza, Spain
Zaragoza: Spain's Best Kept Secret Between Madrid and Barcelona
Most people fly straight past this city on the fast train between Madrid and Barcelona, and honestly, that's their loss. Below you'll find all our photos, tips and honest opinions from three days exploring the basilicas, the tapas bars and the parks, plus a few stories we still laugh about. Scroll on and start planning your own trip to this underrated gem.
Getting there
Zaragoza sits almost exactly halfway between Madrid and Barcelona, and the fast train (the Renfe AVE) gets you there from Madrid's Atocha station in just an hour and ten minutes, travelling at close to 300km/h. We grabbed a cab from the Zaragoza station straight to our hotel, the NH Collection Grand Hotel de Zaragoza, a gorgeous spot with an easy walk to the old town.
Basilica del Pilar
The Basilica de Nuestra Senorita del Pilar is the city's famous landmark, and it's a sight to behold. Legend has it Saint James had a vision of Mary here and was told to build a church, and it just kept growing over the centuries. It's 130 metres long and 67 metres wide, with 11 domes covered in bright blue, yellow and green tiles that from above look almost like a Brazilian flag.
Inside is a different story entirely, serious and stunning, with a dome painted by Goya and confessionals lining the walls. There are even three unexploded bombs from the Spanish Civil War on display, a strange bit of history in a place of pilgrimage. It's free to enter and well worth it.
For the best photo, walk across the Puente de Piedra, an old Roman bridge over the Ebro River, and look back at the basilica standing above the water. It's beautiful during the day, but come back at night when the sky turns navy blue behind it, it's something else entirely.
Palacio de la Aljaferia
A short, easy walk from the old town (under two kilometres) is the Palacio de la Aljaferia, an 11th century Moorish fortress that's also, somehow, home to the regional parliament. It's smaller than some of the grand palaces you'll see elsewhere in Spain, but the Moorish architecture, painted wooden ceilings and symmetrical courtyard gardens make it well worth the visit. Grab the audio guide, there's a lot of history packed into this one.
Parque Grande
Our favourite day by far was spent at Parque Grande Jose Antonio Labordeta, a 44 hectare park inspired by the gardens of Versailles. The standout feature is the water staircase, a zigzagging marble stairway with water cascading down the centre, leading up to a huge monument of King Alfonso I. Along the way there are rose gardens, magnolia trees in full bloom, brightly painted park benches, and even a pine forest area where locals were doing meditation classes. It's the kind of park where you feel like they've thought of absolutely everything.
El Tubo and the tapas scene
In the old town you'll find El Tubo, street after street of narrow lanes packed with tapas bars, everyone eating and drinking outside, grandparents, parents and kids alike. It's genuinely authentic, we barely saw another tourist the whole time, even on a packed Monday night.
Drinks are cheap here, think under four dollars Australian for a glass of local white wine, Vino Blanco de Verdejo. Our approach after the first big night (where we way overordered) was one small tapa and one drink per stop, then move on to the next place. Casa Busan was a highlight on our first night, the slow cooked pork fillet with gooey brie on sourdough was incredible. On our last night we hit Casa Luc on a friend's recommendation, and it turned out to be the best tapas of the whole trip, prawn ravioli, venison and beef cheek that we're still thinking about.
Our tip
Zaragoza deserves at least two nights, three if you can manage it, so you've got time to walk the city properly rather than rushing everything into one day. If you're heading to Madrid or Barcelona, there's really no excuse not to stop in.
We had an absolute ball in Zaragoza, and if you couldn't already tell, we'd go back in a heartbeat. From the basilica to the tapas bars to that incredible park, it's a city that genuinely surprised us, and we can't recommend it highly enough for your next Spain itinerary.