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Itinerary for October 2021

Hello all!
After having to cancel our Andalucia trip last March I am planning out the next try in October this year. I should preface this with that we previously traveled to Spain and toured Madrid, Estepona, Ronda, Tangiers, Marbella and Malaga. Some advice on the following would be appreciated!

10/10 Depart US
10/11 Arrive Madrid, continue to Cordoba
10/12 Tour Cordoba, late day travel to Carmona
10/13 Tour Carmona
10/14 Travel to Cadiz
10/15 and 16 - Tour Cadiz with possible day trip to Jerez
10/17 travel to Salema, Portugal
10/18-19 Tour Algarve (specifically Beaches)
10/20 Early morning travel to Sevilla, tour Sevilla
10/21-22 Tour Sevilla, late day flight to Barcelona
10/23-24 Tour Barcelona
10/25 Early train to Madrid, some touring of sites we missed
10/26 Return to US

BTW, the side trip to the Algarve is high on the spouse's list.

Comments are appreciated!

Posted by
6113 posts

October isn’t the time to be heading to the Algarve beaches. You may get lucky, but you may also get days of torrential rain as I did one October.

I would stay in Lagos or Alvor, not the over-rated Salema in October. You need a car if you are in Salema, as public transport is infrequent. The western end of the Algarve is very windy and you will need a jumper, jacket or cardigan for the evenings. Drive north of Vila do Bispo for the best beaches. The sea is very cold as it’s the Atlantic not the Med.

Last winter, the Spanish/Portuguese border was closed for months. It may make your life easier if you kept your trip to Spain this year.

Posted by
3 posts

I suggest adding Granada in, at least one day to visit the amazing Alhambra. Also, get a good tour guide if you go.

Posted by
6386 posts

While Granada is definitely worth visiting, based on the rest of your itinerary, you’d need to add 3 days. A day to get there, one to see the Alhambra, and one to get to the next location. It’s probably best to leave it for another trip unless you cut something else out.

Posted by
2930 posts

I would not be coming to Barcelona for such a short period unless you have a short bucket list that you must fulfil. Barcelona warrants at least five full days, or more if you include some of the most popular escapades to other parts of Catalonia. Just sayin'