Into Barcelona and out of Madrid: 18 days of Touring. Suggestions please.

Hi there! The Alhambra in Granada was one of the highlights for me for our first trip to Spain. It’s incredible and just blew me away. I really enjoyed Granada as well. If you’re at all interested in the Alhambra I would highly recommend including it on your short list.

Granada and Sevilla with a day trip to Cordoba by train from Sevilla.
Easy to do a day trip from Barcelona to Figueres.

There are so many places between Barcelona and Madrid one could spend time, there’s no reason to travel all over the country. Possible additional locations, Zaragoza, Soria, Teruel, Olite, Sigüenza, Burgos, and their surroundings offer plenty of photographic opportunities. There’s nothing wrong with Granada, Sevilla, and Córdoba, but you don’t need to travel that far to get great photographs.

I generally have a rental car so can’t speak to the trains and busses and their schedules.

Yes, I would also highly recommend Zaragoza, conveniently on the AVE high speed line between Barcelona and Madrid. You could hop off the train and make a stop at Zaragoza for a few days, before continuing on to Madrid.

Zaragoza has more than 2,000 years of history including Roman ruins of the city walls, forum, and amphitheater The Aljafería; an 11th-century Moorish palace, the most northern Islamic palace in Europe. Throughout Zaragoza you'll find Mudéjar architecture, a unique mix between Moorish and Christian styles and motifs. Zaragoza is also the home to the Nuestra Señora del Pilar Basilica, which has one of the best church exteriors in Spain.

I think that Zaragoza is one of those undiscovered gems that Rick Steves calls "back doors". It reminds me a lot of Barcelona before international mass tourism really took off.

The Dali Theatre-Museum is a day trip from Barcelona but Dali’s home is not. You would need to take a direct bus from Barcelona to Cadaques (3h) so plan on sleeping at least one night there if visiting Dali’s house. If I had to pick between the two, I would go to Figueres.

You will encounter a ton of sunlight so I carry a three stop filter (sandmarc) to help diffuse lighting. Interior conditions should be well considered for planning your visits. Sagrada has phenomenal height and stained glass offering wonderful perspectives to capture so think about if you desire morning or evening light. Same thought for taking a tour of one of the towers (well worth it). You will need to purchase on line a ticket and admission time in order to avoid a wait in a long line.
Four years ago I swapped my Nikon gear (D5 and F 2.8 lens) for using iPhone and selection of filters and gimbals. The move made life easier and, for me, achieved the quality of photo images I desire. The ease of mobility alone made the transition worth it.
Your interests are akin to ours, my wife is an architect, so consider the following:
1) hope you are purchasing an open jaw ticket for time is precious is the savings is in not having to back track to leave for the same point of entry.
2) We love Spain and have been many times with each visit peeling back another layer of discovery. Be sure and research for festivals being held in May to add to your journey.
3) Barc offers a huge deep menu and initial visit could be four days within the city itself while adding three days for day trips. Wonderful well connected public transport between metro and trains offer excellent ease of extending your day trips.
4) Although the third largest city in Europe, Madrid has a relatively small old town area. To us Madrid was more focused on art galleries, not our strong suit, and less robust on architecture. However Madrid is well connected to interesting cities being easily accessed form Madrid. We strongly recommend spending the night in Toledo.
5) Recommend Seville as your next destination for a base to spend three days exploring while adding day trips to...............Ronda, Cordoba, ???
6) End the journey in Granada with a minimum of 2 days and then fly out of Granada. Absolutely must pre-purchase Alhambra entry on line as soon as you can.

Would greatly enjoy seeing your work and wish you a wonderful journey!

I am partial to Andalucia! The history, architecture, food, etc. is out of this world.

But, first, let's talk about Madrid. I love Madrid, and I think you will, too, since you say you enjoy art. The Prado and Reina Sofia are outstanding art museums. We didn't have time to visit the Thyssen, but I've heard that is outstanding, too. We enjoyed the palace, the Retiro park, and just wandering around. So I would suggest 4 nights in Madrid, instead of 5 nights, and spend a night in Toledo. Toledo is wonderful! I know a lot of people visit Toledo as a day trip from Madrid, but I highly recommend spending at least one night there. It is beautiful at night and so peaceful after the daytrippers and tour buses have left.

Since you are flying home from Madrid, perhaps you could fly from Barcelona to Granada. The Alhambra is magnificent! We enjoyed Granada, spent 2 nights there, but wish we had a 3rd night. Then you could take the train or bus to Cordoba for a night or two, and then train to Seville. I recommend 4 nights in Seville. The Alcazar is amazing, and I rank it slightly behind the Alhambra. So your trip could look like this:
Barcelona 5 nights, Granada 2 nights, Cordoba 2 nights, Seville 4 nights, Toledo 1 night, and end in Madrid with 4 nights there. Or go from Granada to Seville, and then visit Cordoba for 2 nights before heading to Toledo and ending in Madrid.

Deciding where to spend 18 days in Spain will be painful. I'd tend to leave Andalucia for a later trip because there's so much to see down there that you'd be shortchanging it (especially as a photographer) by trying to squeeze it into about 8 days. In addition to the places already mentioned, there are the Renaissance towns of Ubeda and Baeza and lots of attractive side-trip destinations you'd have no time for.

I would not take a bus from Barcelona to Cadaques for the Dali house in nearby Port Lligat. Figueres, where the Theatre-Museum is located, is on the way to Cadaques and has rapid train service from Barcelona. The best way to get to Port Lligat is to take the train to Figueres and pick up the Cadaques bus there. The last bit of the journey (beyond Cadaques) is either a taxi ride or a walk of about 20 minutes. That's per a sign I saw; I haven't been to the house. Both of those Dali sights should be booked ahead of time. I believe entries to the Port Lligat house sell out well ahead of time. It was my impression that the issue in Figueres was more that individual entry times can sell out, so if you arrive without a ticket you might be told to come back in a couple of hours--not something a tourist wants to hear in a place like Figueres (not Spain's most exciting town). Don't miss the jewelry collection that's near the Theatre-Museum in Figueres and is covered by the same ticket.

I'm not clear on whether you are interested in the Port Lligat house or just in the Theatre-Museum. Especially if you want to see both, I'd recommend spending 2 or 3 nights in Girona and using it as a base for those two northern side trips. Girona has a large, atmospheric medieval district, still partially walled. It's very much worth visiting in its own right, and it would position you closer to Figueres and Cadaques/Port Lligat. You could head straight to Girona on the day you arrive in Spain; it makes a much less hectic place for jetlag recovery than Barcelona does. I don't know the exact dates of your trip, but Girona has a flower festival running May 7-15, 2022. I spent a day at the 2019 festival and enjoyed it. I must point out, though, that hotel rates tend to rise during that period. I had been to Girona before, so I opted to stay in much-cheaper Figueres and take a day-trip to Girona.

In Barcelona itself I highly recommend MNAC, the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya. In addition to the expected paintings and sculpture, there's a good modernism collection focusing on furniture, jewelry and decorative arts. There are also several large medieval frescoes rescued from churches in the Pyrenees--the sort of thing you don't often get to see in a museum.

You might consider a day in Reus, Gaudi's hometown. There are no Gaudi buildings there, but there is some other modernista architecture, including two very interesting sights you can pay to enter. However, La Casa Navas doesn't allow photography except in the entry foyer. I don't know why, because as of 2019 they weren't selling a book of photos or anything like that.

I will certainly second the recommendation for Toledo, which has a very large historic center. There are some buildings with lovely mudejar interiors in Toledo, so if you don't get all the way to Andalucia on this trip, you can still see some of that distinctive architecture in Toledo and in Zaragoza. Toledo is worth a multiple-night stay, though many visitors treat it as a day trip from Madrid. Other good side trips from Madrid include Segovia, Cuenca (another town with a medieval district, in this case in addition to a couple of small modern-art museums) and the old university town of Alcala de Henares.

Public transportation will probably work well in getting you to the places you're likely to visit on this trip.

Thank you all!! The information and suggestions are much appreciated!
Julie and Suki - Yes, Granada sounds very interesting. I'd love to see the Alhambra. Thank you.
Jamieelsabdio - Spain has no shortage of sights! Thanks.
Carlos - Zaragoza sounds like it has lots to offer and is in the right place. Do you think 2 or 3 nights would be good? Thanks for suggesting it.
MaryPat - It's good to get your insights into the Figueres area. I've been looking into small group tours but it seems like I can be independent here too. Thanks.
Marbleskies - So good to hear from a fellow photographer! You are smart to give up the big gear for a light cell phone. They are fabulous these days, but I still enjoy a full-frame. I've been wondering about adding a 70-200 just for the tall architecture. I use mostly my 24-105, but this is a special trip and may justify the weight of the second lens. Thanks for the heads up about the bright light - a 3-stop will be in my bag. I often carry a CPL but if it is that bright, the stronger filter is better. Next, I have to map out the suggested locations and see what I can make work - enjoyably. Thank you for every suggestion!
Kmkwoo - I do plan to visit the big 3 museums, the Palace, + in Madrid. Your itinerary(s) sounds interesting. I have to spend time with a map. I'd rather not add a flight, though Granada sounds very interesting. Thanks so much.
Acraven - it is painful to limit the sights I can see in this beautiful country! Maybe I do the North this year and return for the south...
Your Girona idea sounds good. I'll look into that more, especially with the festival. It might be nice to have part of the trip be on the coast. I appreciate your suggesting it. I did see a small group tour that covers both the Museum and house in one long day, which is a possibility. But enjoying art as I do, I'd hate to be herded through. Why both - My interest is in the full Dali experience and it looked close on the map :) Yes, Barcelona's MNAC is on the list. We seem to be on the same. page about much of these things. Thank you for your help!!

Clearly, I have much research to do. I'm thrilled to have found so many like-minded travelers.

Lee

I thank each of you for helping to make this a well-though-out trip. My RS Guide is getting dog-eared!

For Zaragoza as a regular tourist, two nights should be sufficient. If you intend on waiting for correct lighting and shadows, waiting for people to move to get the better shot, etc.m then three nights would be in order.

I would also recommend 2 nights in Zaragoza, but add 1-2 more nights if you want to make some day trips, here are a few of my recommendations close to Zaragoza:

Belchite - ruins of an entire town bombed during the Spanish Civil War, left preserved as a memorial. Very poignant and moving experience.

Tarazona - a "mini Toledo", as this small town has a long history during which Muslims, Christians and Jews all lived in harmony. The town's unique architectural eye candy reflects this synergy between the three cultures. Tarazona’s medieval Jewish Quarter is the best preserved in the region.

Olite Royal Palace - a fortified medieval town with winding narrow streets and impressive old walls. Don't miss the Royal Palace of Olite, the seat of the Kings of Navarre, actually incorporated into the old town's fortifications. For me, it's one of the more impressive medieval castles in Europe.

Castillo de Loarre - one of the oldest castles still standing castles in Spain, it was featured in Ridley Scott's epic film Kingdom of Heaven. The location of Loarre Castle is very picturesque as it sits high on a cliff overlooking the southern foothills of the Pyrenees.