Despite a plan (but not financial investment) in numerous weeks in Emilio Romagna Italy, I realize the time isn't right for that for me next year. I have toyed with loads of ideas of winter breaks, so I am back to a month in Malaga with addition of 5 days in Barcelona and perhaps a stop in Zaragoza.
Plan is to fly into Barcelona late January. I'll be honest, I still only think of it as you guys convinced me on add it to my Andalucia trip for Nov 2017. I ended up cancelling as the Catalan elections left the city in an uproar and I didn't need that angst. I love the Modernista architecture, and most likely will spend a lot of time looking at that - and trying to stay near Hospital San Pau or La Sagrada Familia. Ramblas holds no appeal, but the Cathedral and Parc Ciutadella hold some appeal.
Are there any city or country events or holidays happening end Jan/Feb I should be aware of for Barcelona?
I am hoping that going at the beginning of the trip may mean a few less tourists than in March.
I know it gets its fair share of Hen and Stag parties. Is it better to plan a Sunday -Friday stay, or are hotel prices then set for business stays or conferences? (some major cities are cheaper on weekends off season).
I'll train to Malaga from there, but open to a Zaragoza stop over. I love the Mudajar architecture and ancient history. But as we know here, it is a bit off the beaten path for Western tourists, so I would appreciate some recommendation for length of stay. These days, I prefer a slower pace, and am happy to spend 7 hours in a museum like the Prado. Since retiring, time is no longer 'money'. 3 days? 5 days?
I have no problems filling time in Malaga - between the various museums and sites, a beach to walk, and various towns to bus to (Ronda, Antequerra)
But if you have any close to Malaga treasure to share, please do.
I'd fly home from Malaga early March.
thanks for any advice.
Posted by
Barcelona + Sweden
4180 posts
For Zaragoza, I'd say 3 nights will cover most of the highlights of the city at a leisurely pace, if you want to add any nearby day trips, like Huesca, Teruel, or Tarazona I'd then add 1-2 nights on top.
Posted by
OP
Ontario, Canada
4656 posts
Thanks Carlos. I'll look at those other towns.
Posted by
Barcelona + Sweden
4180 posts
Those places I mentioned should all be accessible by bus.
Now if you have a car, or a guide with their own wheels that opens up a lot more options for day trips from Zaragoza, which are surprisingly quite a few, like Olite, Loarre Castle, Albarracin, and various Spanish Civil War site (Belchite Ghost Town, George Orwell Route, etc.) the Aragon region as a whole was a major battlefield during the war.
Posted by
OP
Ontario, Canada
4656 posts
No, I prefer local transit. Bus or train is great. I have enjoyed watching some YouTube of the area. Also means I get to practice listening to local rapid Spanish again.
Posted by
Washington DC
28082 posts
Teruel has rail service from Zaragoza. It's on the secondary line heading to Valencia. The train will be a Media Distancia.
Albarracin is accessible by bus from Teruel if you have a generous interpretation of "accessible". Unless the schedule has changed since 2019, the bus from Teruel to Albarracin arrives in the late afternoon. The return bus departs early the next morning--maybe around 8 AM. There is just the one bus per day in each direction, which makes me a bit nervous. You really need to spend two nights in Albarracin to see much of it.
Posted by
OP
Ontario, Canada
4656 posts
Thanks for the details ACraven. I suspect I will limit day trips from Zaragoza to under 90 minutes. If I am going to do hill towns, there are some around Malaga to consider and then I have more time to go further afield as I will have a month rental.
I noticed Zaragoza has some nature reserves nearby, so there may be some birdwatching outings. With Ottawa's long cold winters, there are long weeks with never a bird in sight, so an opportunity when traveling is a plus.
Posted by
Washington DC
28082 posts
I tend to limit the length of my day trips, too, but I must say that I think Teruel is pretty special. But then again, my first effort to see it was a day trip from Zaragoza, and I found it wasn't long enough, so I had to return on a later trip and spend multiple nights there (partly due to the side trip to Albarracin).
Posted by
OP
Ontario, Canada
4656 posts
So you are saying i need to check out Tureul YouTubes too? 😉 I had written it off as too long a trip for a day trip.
What made it special for you?
Posted by
Washington DC
28082 posts
The architecture (Mudejar towers and a few Art Nouveau buildings), plus the virtually total lack of tourists.
Links are to Bing image searches.
Posted by
OP
Ontario, Canada
4656 posts
Lovely. Definitely beautiful. Thank you