Hi, I’m Carlos

About me:

I was born in Caracas, Venezuela, to a Northern Spanish family. I moved to Madrid, Spain after finishing my Architecture studies, and I’ve lived here ever since. 

One of the reasons to move to Spain was to be closer to great destinations and be able to travel a lot, one of my passions since I was very young. I still vividly remember my first trip to Paris when I was 9 years old, and going to New York City at 15. Since moving here I’ve visited 70 countries and counting!

Also, I’ve been lucky to have jobs that required me to travel to places I had never even thought of visiting. Unusual places such as Oman, Kazakhstan, Belarus or Reunion Island. My favorite destination is Japan, which I’ve been lucky to visit ten times!!! (yes, hate me!) 

I had never worked professionally in the travel industry, although I had a lot of experience planning and booking my own trips. So when my friend Karen Rosenblum asked me to join her Spain Less Traveled adventure, I didn’t hesitate a second. And it has been quite the ride, learning a lot, and getting to know new exciting places and people too.

In my 33+ years in Spain I’ve been able to cover a lot of the country, visiting all its provinces, except for the elusive Huelva.

Here are my Spain top 5s:

1: Favorite Spanish city

Granada. It has everything: the wonderful landscape surrounding it, the mix of cultures and architectural styles, and one of my favorite buildings in the whole world: The Alhambra. 

2: Favorite Spanish food

That’s an easy one: Bacalao a la vizcaína (or cod with tomato), it’s codfish with a rich tomato and peppers sauce. And the best in Spain is the one my mom does.(Yes, I am that kind of Spanish man.) And I always have a craving for Turrón de Jijona, not just at Christmas.

3: Favorite Spanish monument

As I mentioned before, the Alhambra is number one. I’ve visited it three times, and every time I have the same feeling of traveling in time. 

4: Favorite Spanish festival

I’m not a big fan of festivals, since I find them too crowded and noisy. And that’s why my favorite one is “Fiesta de los Patios” in Córdoba, because it’s not noisy and only relatively crowded. Entering each gorgeous patio is like being in a different world. 

5: Favorite Spanish pueblo

There are so many gorgeous pueblos that I have visited that it's almost impossible to name just one. Albarracín (Teruel), Luarca (Asturias), Grazalema and Olvera (Cádiz), Cadaqués (Girona) or Santillana del Mar (Cantabria) top my list.

Meeting a “burro” down the Alhambra

Mastering the “botijo” in a Cordobese patio