A Quick Guide to Zaragosa

When you think of great tapas in Spain, most of the attention goes to San Sebastian, Pamplona, and Barcelona, and they are great cities for foodies, but Zaragosa is surprisingly vibrant, well located, and has a world-class foodie scene of it's own.  Because it isn't on the coast, or a major tourist stop, it often gets overlooked.

 Zaragosa is a university town and main train hub in Aragon.  The 1.4 hour ride from Barcelona would knock off half the distance to Pamplona or Madrid.  If you are flying into Madrid or Barcelona with the intention of exploring the Northern portion of Spain, consider spending one or two nights in Zaragosa to adjust to the time change.  You will find that the "El Tubo" tapas district is well worth the visit and a great place to get into the rhythm of late night dining so popular in Spain.

There are hourly departures from the Barcelona Sants train station on the comfortable and fast Ave trains with fares as low as 26 euros. It's a comfortable hour and 40 minute ride through the country side and beats the hassle and expense of renting a car.  Departures from Madrid's Atocha station are the same price and only an hour and 20 minutes.

You arrive at the Zaragosa-Delicias train station and can walk to the old city center in 40 minutes or use a taxi to get right into the action in 10 minutes.

Check in to the hotel and get ready for lunch.  We recommend Hotel Don Jaime 54 at
Calle Don Jaime I, 54-56.  It's a clean and comfortable 3 star hotel with rates as low as $45 per night with breakfast included in the attached restaurant.  If you arrive too early for check-in, they will gladly hold your bags for you.  They are in the Booking.com system so you can reserve your room early without paying anything and cancel up to 24 hours before your stay if your plans should change.

You'll be ready for lunch so walk directly across the street to Restaurante Las Palomas.  It's a buffet style restaurant with a huge selection and inexpensive prices.  They also make great coffee.

Restaurante Las Palomas

After lunch, stretch your legs by walking around the corner to Plaza de Nuestra Senora Pilar.  It's a scenic stroll a few blocks long with shops on one side and the basilica of the same name on the other.  At the end is a modern sculpture/waterfall named Fuente de la Hispanidad and a sculpture of the earth known as Bola de Mundo. 

Fuente de la Hispanidad

A visit inside the  Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar is a must for tourists and pilgrims alike, and since you are already standing outside of it, why wouldn't you? It has a fascinating history, which you can read about here on Wikipedia.  It's believed to be the first church in history dedicated to the Virgin.  She is said to have appeared to St. James here and given him a pillar and instructed him to build a church on this site.  James may have built the first small chapel on the site in 41 AD.  You can still see and touch the famed pillar inside the basilica, which the citizens of Zaragoza have been protecting for centuries including occasionally hiding the artifact during invasions.  The frescoes by Goya, and architecture inside alone are worth the visit.  The basilica is also nicely lit up in the evening. 

Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar

 You can walk across the Puente de Santiago bridge over the Ebro river located at the far end of the plaza and walk along the far side of the river on Paseo de la Ribera for an impressive view of the basilica before walking back across the Puente de Piedra and end up right at the Hotel Don Jaime for a traditional Spanish Siesta.

In the evening, a visit to the El Tubo tapas district is a must.  

Although smaller in size than the more famous tapas districts of Pamplona or San Sebastian, you can find an eclectic selection of delicacies here.  You really can't go wrong with any of the bars here, but we can recommend from personal experience La Ternasca at Calle Estébanes, 9 and Bodeguilla Los Rotos at Calle Libertad, 9.

La Ternasca is a quintessential Spanish Tapas bar.  You can eat, (and smoke), at the two outside tables or sit at the tables with benches on the inside.  We found that the table just inside the bar was great for avoiding the smokers but still watching all the locals interact out in the narrow street.

 The waiter, Jorge, will welcome you with a smile, speaks English well, and will help you to choose from the treasures in the glass case. He also has a menu in English.  Although the house specialty is lamb, they have a varied selection of  traditional Spanish Tapas.  Our favorites were the octopus and croquettes.  The Octopus is sliced very thin, tenderized and cooked in butter and paprika and served with dollops of aioli.  Rather than the rubbery texture you often get with the cephalopod, the way La Ternasca makes it melts in your mouth.

La Ternasca - Octopus cooked right

 At Bodeguilla Los Rotos, all of their selections are on display on the long bars.  You don't even need to speak Spanish, just point to the selections you want.  Some items are meant to be served hot and they will whisk them away and nukerowave them for you.  They hand you a plate with your selections and small receipt.  Each time you go back for more, you get a new receipt.  When you are ready to pay, bring all your receipts to the counter and they will ring you up.  The selection is one of the most impressive we came across in El Tubo and there is really something for everyone here.

Bodeguilla Los Rotos - somthing for everyone

After dinner, you might choose to stroll with the locals on Avenida de Ceasar Augusto or Paseo de la Independencia.  Stop in to Puerta Cinegia Gastronómica Mercado at Calle Corso 35, just outside of the El Tubo area for a nightcap.  Take the escalator up to the bar and order a Tinto Verano.  They make it excellent here.  If you are still hungry or craving desert, there are food vendors encircling the bar.  It might best be described as a gourmet food-court with a bar in the middle.  Before walking back to the hotel, toast the giant roman statue overlooking the bar...:)

Puerta Cinegia Gastronomica Mercado

Who is this guy and why is looking at me?

Before you leave the following day, make sure to visit the Museo de los Faroles y Rosario de Cristal in Plaza San Pedro Nolasco.  This is an impressive collection of lighted floats used during religious parades that is displayed in a church.  The display is motion activated to turn on lights in the floats as you walk by them and a voice describes each.  There are a lot of them and there likely isn't another museum anything like this in the world. If you have more time, there is an interesting museum of an ancient roman theater next door.

  There are many other sites to see in Zaragosa and Friday nights in particular are lively with the local college students partying into the wee hours, but for a quick stop-over, you can't go wrong with Zaragosa.