Smiths In Spain

Viva San Mateo!!!

San Mateo 2026 begins tomorrow here in Logroño, Spain. ❤️🍇

The cohete officially marks the beginning of the Fiestas de San Mateo, and every year thousands of people pack into the Plaza del Ayuntamiento in Logroño to celebrate.

We’ve experienced San Mateo several times now, and we still look forward to it every single year. It is easily one of our favorite celebrations in Spain. 🇪🇸🎉

📍Logroño, La Rioja, Spain

Keywords: Logroño, La Rioja, San Mateo, Fiestas de San Mateo, Spain festivals, Spanish traditions, northern Spain

A lost city in Europe. 🏛

We still can’t believe more people don’t know about this place.

Over 1,000 years ago, Medina Azahara wasn’t just a palace…it was an entire royal city built just outside Córdoba. After only around 70 years, it was destroyed during a civil war and disappeared beneath the earth for centuries.

Walking through it today feels like discovering a hidden treasure. Every corner leaves you wondering what this city must have looked like at its peak.

Follow to discover more incredible places across Andalucía.

Some places are impossible to put into words... you simply have to experience them for yourself.

📍Medina Azahara, Córdoba, Andalucía, Spain

Every bottle of Sherry tells the story of the one before it. 🍷

We had no idea... and honestly, this was one of the coolest things we learned at in Jerez.

When sherry is bottled, they don’t empty the barrel. Only about a third is taken out, then it’s topped off with wine from the barrel above it, which is then topped off from the next one. That process, known as the solera system, has been passed down for generations.

So every glass of sherry you drink contains a little bit of the wines that came before it. We thought that was such a beautiful tradition.

We also got to try pouring sherry like a venenciador... and let’s just say it’s a lot harder than it looks. 😂

If you’re visiting Jerez, don’t just stop for a tasting. Take the time to learn the story behind it too. It makes every sip that much more meaningful.

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📍Jerez de la Frontera, Andalucía, Spain

🤔 Nobody thinks to ask about…the waiting period.

We didn’t. Neither did the friends of some of our community members, who signed up for private health insurance directly and found out about their six month wait when they needed a routine procedure. Over €500, out of pocket. 😬

Jim and Robyne had the exact same insurance company. But they’d taken their policy out through Diana, a private health insurance broker in our community. No waiting period at all. 🙌

One question, asked to the right person, before it mattered.

That’s the whole thing, really. That’s what we built.

We’re Jess & Eric, a U.S. American family living in Spain since 2021 🇺🇸➡️🇪🇸

Comment “AMIGO” to see who’s already waiting to help you move to Spain. Takes 60 seconds. Answer three quick questions and we’ll introduce you to your Spanish local, your trusted expert, and the people already living the life you’re planning, all waiting inside Mr. Amigo. 🧡
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Spain keeps finding new ways to surprise us. 😲🚂…
Because how is this in Spain?! The Río Tinto mining region genuinely feels like you’ve landed on another planet. The landscape is so unusual that NASA has even studied the area because of it’s similarities to environments on Mars. 🤯

We started the day at the Mining Museum, learning about the thousands of years of mining history in this region, and then hopped aboard the historic mining train to travel through the landscape and see that incredible red river for ourselves.

And honestly, this was such a fun day for the whole family! We brought the kids and the grandparents, and every single one of us had a great time. The train ride, the history, the scenery, getting to walk down and see the river up close...such a lovely day trip.

Honestly, this was such a fun and unique experience it is hard to put into words. You just have to come and experience it for yourself because Andalucía is a place that can not be explained; it must be lived.

Follow to discover more incredible places and experiences across Andalucía, Spain.

📍 Río Tinto Mining Region, Huelva, Andalucía, Spain.
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The best way to explore Spain? 🇪🇸 Get out of the big cities and into the pueblos❤️
These are 3 amazing pueblos in La Rioja that we absolutely love: Enciso, El Rasillo and San Asensio.
Some of our favorite memories since we moved to Spain have happened in small towns like these. Slowing down. Wandering through the streets. Meeting local people. Practicing our Spanish. Eating and drinking at the little local bars. Showing up for village festivals and traditions we never would have known about otherwise.
🦖 Enciso is known for its dinosaur footprints and prehistoric sites, which makes it such a fun and unexpected place to explore.
🏞️ El Rasillo has a beautiful reservoir surrounded by mountains and nature, perfect for slowing down and spending the day outside.
🍷 San Asensio has an incredible family-owned winery and is known for festivals and traditions like the Batalla del Clarete.
We love traveling around Spain, but the pueblos are where we feel like you really start to experience the real Spain. And honestly, the slower pace fits the way we like to travel and the life abroad we wanted to build here.
If you’re traveling through La Rioja, add these three to your Spain travel list. 🇪🇸

We’re Jess & Eric, a U.S. American family living in Spain since 2021 🇺🇸➡️🇪🇸. Wanting to move to Spain? Make your move to Spain way easier… and a whole lot more fun 🧡Join our 100+ community, Mr. Amigo. Comment “AMIGO” for more detail.
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Spain’s hidden castle 🏰 you need to see  
If someone asked us for one hidden gem in southern Spain...
This would be one of our first recommendations.
Almodóvar del Río Castle has stood here for over 1,200 years, and after walking through it, we couldn’t believe we’d never heard of it before.
Originally an Iberian settlement, later a Roman fortress, and rebuilt by the Moors in 740 AD, this hilltop castle was so strategically positioned that it was never conquered by force.
From hidden passageways and underground galleries to medieval towers and panoramic views over the Guadalquivir Valley, every corner feels like it has another story waiting to be discovered. It’s easy to see why it was chosen as a filming location for Game of Thrones.
Before you leave, take time to wander through the town of Almodóvar del Río below. Seeing the castle towering above the whitewashed streets perfectly concludes your visit.
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📍Almodóvar del Río, Andalucía, Spain.