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Babymoon to Spain in May 2018 - Itinerary Help

Posted by (Toronto, Canada) on

Hello Everyone,
My husband and I would like to travel to Spain as our last trip before our baby arrives later this year. We chose Spain because of the amazing food, beautiful culture, stunning landscapes, and also because of the Zika free beaches that are so hard to find right now. We would like to go from approximately May 18 - June 2 (14 nights in Spain) but are flexible within a few days. I will be 21-23 weeks pregnant during this trip so we are looking for a mix of exploring but also a lot of relaxation (on a beach or resort) and of course cultural experience. I've done some research on the weather and I'm hoping that's it's not too hot but also warm enough to enjoy some of the beaches in the south.
We are travelling from Toronto, which has flights (some direct, some not) to various cities in Spain (Barcelona, Madrid, and Malaga seem like the best options). I am hoping to get some help on the best route to take through Spain in order to maximize our time there and not wear ourselves out. I know we can't do it all, and that's perfectly OK, I hope we can go back one day. But, there are a few places I would like to make it to on this particular trip that will give us a good introduction to Spain as well as some beach time.

In no particular order:
1. Barcelona (I'm thinking 3 nights so we can explore leisurely)
2. Malaga (I'm thinking 4+ nights here, but am flexible. Will take a day trip to Granada from here or any other worthwhile towns)
3. Looking for another beach type location that's on route or worthwhile. We love a beautiful view/sunset. (3-4 nights).
4. Looking for another city to visit (is Madrid worthwhile or out of the way? Seville? Valencia? Cordoba?) (2 to 3 nights)

All in all, I'm looking for the best route to fulfill the above "wishlist".

Any help anyone could provide would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you,

Stephanie

Posted by
3202 posts

"Barcelona: I'm thinking 3 nights so we can explore leisurely...." say what? (sorry!)

I am afraid you won't see much of what the city offers in that short amount of time. Just to put it into perspective, a dear friend of mine, Carole -Quebecoise!-, was going to be visiting Spain for a month and ended up spending all of her time within Barcelona and its region, Catalonia... and she's already planning a few weeks more sometime this year. But, of course, in three days you can have an idea indeed... you'll have to carefully choose your venues though. For starters, I would suggest having a look at these:

- http://www.barcelonaturisme.com/wv3/en/
- http://www.infocatalonia.eu/
- http://www.timeout.com/barcelona
- http://lameva.barcelona.cat/en
- http://www.barcelonaesmoltmes.cat/en/inici
- http://patrimoni.gencat.cat/en/discover/search

Once you have a rough itinerary, it's far easier to advise and provide tips.

And let's not forget heritage and tradition

- http://lameva.barcelona.cat/culturapopular/en

and finally, in case you still think you might get bored, take the pulse to the city:

- http://guia.barcelona.cat/en

As per the region, Catalonia, you have plenty to choose from. Have a look for example to the coast in its northern part, Costa Brava. I am not suggesting the Pyrenees, also located north because I guess you already have enough "nature" in Canada, right? Another option is the Costa Daurada (Golden Coast), located to the south of the region, around the former Roman city of Tarragona. If you like wildlife, not far from there you have the Delta de l'Ebre river, a large natural park with one of the largest reserves of birds in the South of Europe.

Have a peek at these brochures:

All of the above is located in a region the size of Maryland, which makes it convenient for seeing lots of very different things without having to waste time travelling that much. I'm just sayin'..., I can, however, understand that you might have in mind visiting as well other destinations like Madrid or Malaga...

Enjoy! :)))

Posted by
7175 posts

Day
1. Arrive Malaga - beach location (4 nights)
2. Malaga - beach
3. Malaga old town
4. Pick up hire car ... Day to Granada (book well ahead for Alhambra tickets)
5. Drive via Ronda to Cordoba (1 night) ... Return hire car
6. Visit Mezquita ... Train to Sevilla (2 nights)
7. Sevilla
8. Fly to Barcelona ... Pick up hire car ... Drive to Llafranc (3 nights)
9. Llafranc - beach
10. Day to Figueres & Cadaques
11. Drive to Girona ... Return hire car ... Train to Barcelona (4 nights)
12. Barcelona
13. Barcelona
14. Barcelona
15. Depart Barcelona

Posted by
1016 posts

I would skip Madrid; can’t speak to the beach portion as that was not part of our itinerary. We spent 5 nights in Barcelona and could have stayed longer. Granada is a “must do” in my opinion, however you need to book your tickets for the Alhambra ASAP as dates in May are already selling out. Enjoy your trip!

Posted by
15816 posts

I agree, skip Madrid. It's main virtues are it's superb art museums and it's airport, so consider spending your last night there for a flight out. Or fly into Madrid and take the train to your first stop.

I would definitely spend more time in Barcelona. Malaga is a little far for day trips, but a very pleasant town. Sevilla/Cordoba - easy to get to from Madrid by train. No beaches but lots to see and do. The landscapes I most enjoyed in Ronda and driving around the surrounding hill towns and the train along the coast from Barcelona to Tarragona on a day trip. I didn't get to the beach in Valencia. I think it may be a tad far from the historic center, which I loved. Cadiz, not far from Sevilla, has a historic old town, though a bit run down, right on its beautiful beaches. But it's the Atlantic, so the water may still be cold in May.

Posted by
32 posts

Cordoba and Ronda are great day trips from Malaga, as is of course Nerja. Sevilla is a good alternative to Madrid and then you're only covering the south part of Spain, which is a little less ambitious and more pleasurable.

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