{"id":9746,"date":"2018-11-20T09:56:45","date_gmt":"2018-11-20T08:56:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/madridfoodtour.com\/?p=9746"},"modified":"2018-11-20T09:56:45","modified_gmt":"2018-11-20T08:56:45","slug":"palos-de-la-frontera","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/devourtours.com\/blog\/palos-de-la-frontera\/","title":{"rendered":"A Love Letter to Palos de la Frontera"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When I first realized I was officially moving to Madrid, I was so excited to live in the center<\/span>. I pictured myself surrounded by stunning historical architecture and the best bars and restaurants. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What I quickly learned however, is that if you have any kind of budget, you don\u2019t really get to choose where you live in Madrid<\/span>. Instead, your neighborhood chooses you. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"View<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

It all comes down to finding an apartment within your budget<\/span>. Next, you have to hav<\/span>e the absolute luck of being the first person to call right after it<\/span>‘s posted. We also had to find someone that would accept our cat and dog we brought over from the US\u2014another added challenge! <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luckily, we finally found the perfect place and I quickly fell in love with my new neighborhood of Palos de la Frontera. It\u2019s smack dab in the middle of Lavapi\u00e9s<\/a>, Delicias and Atocha<\/a>. Confused yet? Me too.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Apartment
Authentic, local charm is packed into every corner of Palos de la Frontera.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Where Is Palos de la Frontera in Madrid?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Where I live is just outside of what m<\/span>ost madrile\u00f1os <\/em>would technically consider the center. However, I\u2019m no more than five minutes walking to Atocha, the Reina Sofia museum<\/a> and the Lavapi\u00e9s neighborhood. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Within five minutes walking from my house I have access to ten (yes ten!) different grocery stores! When you have to carry all your groceries home by hand, these types of things become extremely exciting.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s great about living just outside of the center? You find truly authentic places that cater to the locals, as not a lot of tourists come where I live. It\u2019s a truly authentic barrio.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Exterior
No tourist traps here! Just the kinds of old-school, local shops that have been around for generations.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Local Life in Palos de la Frontera<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It takes a long time to feel like a local in a country so different from the one you grew up in. I honestly don\u2019t know that I\u2019ll ever truly feel like a local, but what I do feel is home<\/em>. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On one recent lazy day, my husband and I went to the little cafe on the corner and sat on the terrace. We ate <\/span>pan con tomate<\/span><\/i><\/a> <\/span><\/i>and sipped our coffees for what felt like hours and watched people just go by. T<\/span>hen, we took our dog Ludo to the local park and played ball, chatted with our dog park friends and then sat at a table and played Scrabble and drank wine we\u2019d picked up at the <\/span>Mercado de Santa Mar\u00eda de la Cabeza<\/span><\/a> nearby. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We finished our day with <\/span>croquetas <\/span><\/i>and more wine on yet another terrace, and watched as the sun set behind the trees that lined the street. It was one of those magical, lazy days and the entire day we were never more than three blocks away from our apartment.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
Courtney’s dog, Ludo, agrees: Palos de la Frontera is the place to be!<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s what I love most about Palos de la Frontera<\/span>. You make new discoveries every day, and enjoy the simplicity of living outside the city center. Sure, that means we have some ugly block buildings, but we have history too! The building I live in d<\/span>ates back to 1912 and the streets nearby c<\/span>ontain dozens of historical gems. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just the other day, after living in my neighborhood for two years, I found a hidden street lined with one-story homes from the turn of the century. I still constantly find surprises. You turn a corner and never know what you might find. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So come on down to the south of Madrid and get lost. We\u2019ve got plenty to offer, and if you need recommendations, let me know. I\u2019ve got plenty.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where to Eat & Drink in Palos de la Frontera<\/h2>\n\n\n\n