NFS Competition: 500 things to do in Spain before you die - win an iPod shuffle, get in the book, raise money for charity!
by Ben Curtis
It’s competition time! But this is a competition with a difference. The aim is it come up with 500 of the very best things to do in Spain, be it eating that tapa in a certain restaurant in Seville, taking a special train ride, or swimming off your own little-known deserted beach… I’m sure you all have one amazing tip to share! At the end of the competition on March 31st we hope to have a list of 500 amazing experiences, and one lucky winner, who will receive a brand new iPod Shuffle and a CD of great Spanish music to put on it.
But there’s more… once we have the list of 500 we will be putting it to good use, sharing it with the entire Notes from Spain community: the 500 experiences will be listed here on the website for a limited period after the competition ends, begfore being turned into a book that can be bought in downloadable pdf or actual book format, with all proceeds going to the Spanish Red Cross or another Spanish charity of your choice.
How to enter/Rules:
The theme of the competition is ‘Things to do in Spain before you die’ (and we hope that with your help the list will reach 500!) Your entry can be about any experience available to travelers anywhere in Spain, but the more specific you are, the better. For example, naming a certain bar, restaurant or harbor to eat seafood in will be better than just saying ‘eating prawns in Galicia’. The more details the better, but try to keep within a maximum of around 75 words. See my examples below and take your time, all entries are going to end up in a book remember, and the better the book, the more we can raise for charity!
Entries must be sent in to Ben by email. Please include your name and location. You may enter as many times/things to do as you like. The winner will be announced on March 31st 2007, and we will get to work on putting the book together after that (N.B. By entering in the competition you agree that your entry will be published in the book afterwards and that some entries may be edited for grammatical correctness!) In the meantime, all entries will appear here on the blog throughout March.
Here are some examples of the format we are looking for, but remember, your entry might be about a stunning train ride in Huelva, an unmissable tapas experience in San Sebastain, or an often-overlooked village just outside Cuenca, whatever you think everyone should do once in Spain before they die…:
Climbing the giant sand dunes in Bolonia, Andalusia: This is one of the wildest beaches in Spain, with random cows, dogs, and fisherman wandering up and down the white sands with no particular destination in mind. Climb to the top of the giant dunes at the far end of the beach for an eye-watering view across the glistening Straits of Gibraltar to the shores of Morocco, the very edge of Africa.
Walking down the Cares Gorge: This spectacular six hour walk between the hamlets of Poncebos and Cain in the Picos de Europa mountain range, follows a narrow footpath that clings to the sides of a 1,500 m deep ravine. Not for the faint-hearted, as the drops are severe and, being Spain, there isn’t a safety railing in sight!
Eating freshly bought sea snails out of a paper cone with a pin, on the harbour in San Sebastian, while trying to spot the friendly dolphin in the bay!
Right, it’s over to you, our inbox is waiting!
Posted: March 5th, 2007 under 500 things, Spain Travel.
Comments: 13
Comments
Comment from Estelle
Time: March 5, 2007, 10:02 pm
Ir a la Festa Major de la Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona para escuchar una buena musica, participar a una de las mejores fiestas estudiantes, y vivir una fiesta española (catalana ?? 
) de verdad!! Tambien puedes comer y beber cosas tipicamente españolas para nada!!
Comment from Raquel
Time: March 6, 2007, 10:59 am
Un paisaje idílico entre montañas: el Barranco de la Hoz. Está situado en Molina de Aragón (Guadalajara). Es un lugar para caminar entre árboles centenarios, teniendo por compañero un río y rodeado de montañas, puesto que el río fluye por el fondo de un barranco. En él podemos visitar el santuario de Sta. María de Molina, y subir a la cima por unas escaleras interminables, que harán las delicias de los deportistas. Fotos y más información en: http://www.molina-aragon.com/virgen/guia/index.htm
Comment from Marina
Time: March 6, 2007, 11:55 am
Muchas gracias Estelle y Raquel.
Las fotos del Barranco de la Hoz tienen una pinta estupenda… a ver si podemos hacer una escapada pronto para verlo.
Comment from Cristina
Time: March 7, 2007, 5:00 pm
Darse un baño al atardecer en la playa de Rodas, en las Islas Cíes, provincia de Pontevedra. Irrepetible.
Pingback from 500 things - Granada: Party until dawn with gypsies in caves - Notes from Spain: Travel, Living in Spain, Podcasts, Forum and Photos
Time: March 9, 2007, 11:47 am
[...] The entries are pouring in for our ‘500 things to do in Spain before you die’ competition (you can win an iPod shuffle!) When I sent details to my Spain-dwelling friends I never expected to get two entries on the same experience, proving that this must indeed be one of the most memorable things to do in Spain before you die… [...]
Comment from nuria
Time: March 9, 2007, 2:48 pm
Sipping a glass of wine in Isla Marina, Alicante while you admire the Mediterranean sea, enjoy the breeze and chat with your friends about the great life in Spain.
Comment from ValenciaSon
Time: March 9, 2007, 7:27 pm
Winning El Gordo, any location in Spain.
Comment from chris in Barcelona
Time: March 14, 2007, 1:03 am
Speaking of things to do before you “die” a must on anyone’s list is: the Cemetery of San José in Cadiz. When you enter the cemetery you’ll notice the air is cooler and of course mustier. Walking around you’ll start humming a song and suddenly find yourself trying to remember where you heard the song or if you’re humming it because you’re hearing it. You’ll hear different voices that you think are only from wind. But when a little boy in a stripe shirt comes to you beckoning with his hand and goose bumps run up your arm you’ll know you’ve done one of the 500 things to do in Spain before you “die”.
Spain is FULL of Paranormal activity and makes for an excellent hobby while you live here.
Pingback from Notes from Spain Podcast 56 - A Year in Europe - Notes from Spain: Travel, Living in Spain, Podcasts, Forum and Photos
Time: March 15, 2007, 8:18 am
[...] Scott also came up with an entry for our 500 things competition (keep the entries coming in!): [...]
Comment from Edith
Time: March 16, 2007, 4:02 pm
Climbing the mountains around Roque Nublo on Gran Canaria in late summer. Bring your own lunch and enjoy the silence, the magnificent view and the pure mountain air. Inhale and smell the vegetation… it’s very special!
Comment from leftbanker
Time: March 18, 2007, 1:05 pm
One thing that everyone must do at least once in this brief life we are given is spend a few days in Valencia during the Fallas celebrations if for no other reason than that words and pictures do it no justice. Cameras can’t capture anything this big. Trying to describe Fallas in print makes you realize how desperately inadequate words can be. The festival revolves around gigantic, three-dimensional, satirical, cartoon-like structures built in every neighborhood of the city. Just make sure that you sleep before you arrive because you won’t have time once the party begins, especially during the final five days. There are bullfights, block parties, concerts, parades, fireworks (both day and night), plenty of food and drink, ancient folklore, and modern iconoclasm.
Comment from Tyler
Time: March 18, 2007, 8:26 pm
Andar por el Camino de Santiago
Pingback from 500 things: Taking it easy in Murcia city - Notes from Spain: Travel, Living in Spain, Podcasts, Forum and Photos
Time: March 21, 2007, 8:14 am
[...] You still have ten days left to enter our competition and help us make a fantastic book about the very best things to do in Spain. Debbie Jenkins, from http://www.NativeSpain.com sent in the latest entry, about Plaza Cardinal Belluga, in Murcia City: [...]
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