Hello! I am seeking help on a 10-14 day itinerary that would go mid to late June. Me and my husband have been to some cities in Spain (he has been to Madrid) but it will be the first time for my parents, in their 70s, along with my tween and teen. I was trying to focus on places that would be new for all of them so was thinking flying to Barcelona, spending a few days, maybe a day trip to Figueres since all like Dali, and then heading to south to Sevilla and Granada before heading back to Barcelona for another day before we depart. I spent a winter month in Sevilla years ago with a day trip to Granada and loved it so wanted to show them. How would you allocate your time? We do not like to pack a lot of things into a day (my parents move slow and my my mom has a knee issue) and like to spend some days in a particular location rather than rushing through. They are not so much into museums like me although they would like the Dali one I'm sure. They enjoy walking around, cafes, wanted to see flamenco and music. We were not planning to drive since my mother gets carsick easily with hills stop and go traffic, or winding roads. Are the temps and humidity typically very high in the south already at that point, even in mornings/evenings? We are used to heat in the US but we also have access to air-condition when needed. If you think we shouldn't go south, other ideas that don't require a car? Thanks!
Posted by
Washington DC
28501 posts
Unfortunately, it is likely already to be very hot in Seville and Cordoba by June. Granada is at altitude so a little cooler.
As you can see, the pattern of excruciatingly hot days varies from year to year, but June is highly problematic if you want to be pretty sure of not wilting in the heat. You can check additional years by using the pull-down box at the right, just above the graph.
Temperatures in Catalunya and near the northern cost of Spain between the Basque Country and Galicia will be considerably milder. The north coast tends to be overcast (sometimes rainy) even in the middle of the summer, so it's a great place to avoid the baking South. It isn't really a beach destination, so don't make the mistake of selling that area to your children by promising a lot of time at the beach. It will be easier to get a beach fix along the east coast while you're in Catalunya. I'm not a beach person, but others here can help with beach suggestions.
The trip to Figueres is easy by train. Fast trains (buy tickets early to save money) go to the Figueres Vilafant station. Slow trains go to Figueres station. Neither is really close to the Dali Theatre-Museum. There's a city bus connecting the two train stations that has a stop with a few blocks of the museum. If your train isn't on time, the bus may already have departed, so I'd budget for a taxi, just in case you need one. I don't think the DT-M regularly sells out completely, but it gets some bus tours. If you show up without prepurchased tickets, you might end up in quite a ticket line and could have to wait a while for your entry time. I think I bought my ticket 1 or 2 days in advance, but that was in 2019 and more folks are traveling now. The ticket includes entry to an over-the-top jewelry collection located nearby. It takes perhaps 30 minutes to see the jewelry collection. The DT-M can occupy a visitor for several hours. I think I was there for about 3 hours, and I don't really like Surrealism.
Other than the Dali Theatre-Museum, there isn't a lot of tourist interest in Figueres; Spain has many cities that are a great deal more attractive to visitors. However, if you wanted to leave your Barcelona sightseeing until the end of the trip, Figueres would probably be an inexpensive place to spend your first night, recover at least partially from jetlag and see the DTM the next day.
Girona, located on the rail line between Barcelona and Figueres, is an extremely interesting, historic city with a large medieval district. There's a wall you can walk on, an art museum, a Jewish history museum and two historic churches. It's easy to spend a full day, or more, walking around Girona. Geographically speaking, it is a good base for some worthwhile side trips. However, I've found hotel costs not all that different from Barcelona's. (I realize you didn't mention special budgetary concerns, but this is something I always think about.)
Beyond Figueres by bus (a very scenic trip but possibly an issue for your mother) is the former fishing village of Cadaques. It's touristy now but a gorgeous place with whitewashed cubic houses dripping in bougainvillea. There's another Gaudi-related site nearby in Portlligat, said to be a 15-minute walk from the Cadaques bus station. The Dali house has limited capacity, so it's necessary to buy that ticket well in advance.
Accessible by bus from Girona is the small town of Besalu. It has a medieval center and a fortified bridge. I think bus service is fairly infrequent, though.
Sitges is an artsy beach community south of Barcelona. It's accessible by commuter rail.
If you want to consider the Basque Country (a longish train ride), we can provide suggestions.
Posted by
OP
Fairfax, VA
3 posts
Thank you, very helpful content!