Itinery suggestions for trip to Spain and Portugal

I just replied to the identical post in the PT forum. The same reply applies here.

Thanks Scudder for your additional questions. We are not people who like to rush through things. We just returned from a trip to Italy and we stayed 3-5 nights in each location we stayed and that worked well. We love food and enjoy foodie tours. We don't particularly like art and going to museums. We love the natural beauty of areas and the architecture.

For example, one of our best days on our recent trip was in Bologna, Italy where we spent the day walking through the city looking at the cathedrals and buildings, stopping at a coffee shop for a pastry, walking through the Giardini Margherita park, and stopping on the way back to our hotel for an early dinner at a small, local restaurant.

I hope that helps clarify what we like to do. Thanks again for your questions.

Additionally, while in Spain looking for a city that we may want to stay at longer term, say 90 days. We live in Colorado and enjoy the mountains but also enjoy the beach. Could we find a great place close to both? Have heard great things about southern Spain but open to explore other areas that may give us options to visit again for a longer period of time.

Additionally, while in Spain looking for a city that we may want to stay at longer term, say 90 days. We live in Colorado and enjoy the mountains but also enjoy the beach. Could we find a great place close to both?

Yes! Catalonia is one and the Valencia region is another.

Actually Valencia is my new favorite city in Spain, clean, welcoming, safe, and undertouristed. From Valencia you have many options, you can head south to explore La Albufera Wetlands National Park, where Paella originated from. You can also head north and explore the less touristy Costa del Azahar, Peñíscola is certainly worth a look, a Knights Templar crusader castle on a rock that juts out into the sea, surrounded by a whitewashed old town, very Levantine.

Inland from Valencia you find the ancient ruins of Saguntum, which Hannibal invaded to start the the Second Punic War with Rome. You can also head west on the AVE train and explore Cuenca, with its unique medieval town hanging from a cliff. Good hiking nearby in the Serrania de Cuenca National Park (which are mountains), but may need a car.

AND if you do have a car at your disposal, even for a few days, I can strongly recommend a multi day side trip to the nearby Matarraña region. I was just there for 6 days and it was wonderful. Rolling hills, olive groves, medieval villages, and crystal clear wild rivers you can swim in. The best part it is totally undiscovered by foreign tourists!

Here are some of my pictures from our road trip - https://photos.app.goo.gl/sMsd6Wz2fydGKYtr5

PS: also know the 90 day limit for non-EU nationals.

I replied to your Portugal post/same question. In my response I gave the link to my trip report so you might get some ideas and also provided the cities and towns we used as bases.

If you have non-EU passports, you will be limited to a total of 90 days within the Schengen area (of which Spain and Portugal are parts, as are most of the commonly-visited European countries). Exceeding that limit can result in a substantial fine and being banned from returning for years.

Thanks everyone for your information and replies. This gives me some information to research over the next few days and to start to plan the trip.

We are only staying the (5) weeks for this trip. It is an exploratory trip to identify places we might want to stay longer and explore.

Mark, another option for a region with beaches and mountains would be Galicia, just above Portugal. But you'd be wise to look at weather forecasts/patterns—the climate there can be as Celtic as the ancestry, and don't know how the trends fall in mid-spring.

Good evening:

I have been busy looking at cities to put on our itinerary. The cities we are investigating are:

Valencia
Alicante
Granada
Malaga
Seville
A city in the Extremadura region.
Porto
Lison

Would like some thoughts of length of time in each city and possible accommodations between 100 and 200 euros per night. As stated above, we like a more leisurely pace when we travel.

Thanks for your help.

Mark

I would spend a minimum of 3 nights in Granada, 3 nights in Malaga, and 5 nights in Seville. Are you interested in Cordoba? Some people visit Cordoba as a daytrip from Seville. However, I would spend 2 to 3 nights in Cordoba. It's a lovely city; the Juderia is great for exploring with its white-washed walls, narrow lanes, and patios. The Mezquita is magnificent; there are the very pretty gardens of the Alcazar, the Palacio de Viana with its 12 patios, the Roman Bridge, and more.

All the cities you mention have great neighborhoods for exploring, which you mention you enjoy doing. Seville has the Bario Santa Cruz and Triana neighborhoods. Important cultural and historical sites are the Royal Alcazar, Cathedral, and Casa di Pilatos. The Plaza de Espagna is beautiful with its bridges and tile work; there are many parks where you can rest and have drinks. Take a carriage ride; see a flamenco show. Wander through plazas with fountains and flowers.

Granada of course has the amazing Alhambra, one of the most beautiful places I have seen. Take a night tour, too. It's magical. The cathedral is interesting and you have the Albaicin to explore.

Malaga is a wonderful city that is underrated. There is so much to see and do in Malaga. And it's nice to have a destination with some coastal ambience. The tastefully restored historic center with its Gothic cathedral is surrounded by narrow pedestrian streets with bars, cafes and stores. And beautiful architecture. The walk to the top of the Alcazaba and Castillo de Gibralfaro is stunning. You can browse, shop and eat at the Atarazanas Mercado. Walk along the seaside promenade and have drinks overlooking the port.

Have you made your airline reservations? You say you are flying into and out of Valencia. That is a lot of backtracking if you want to go to Portugal. I suggest doing an open-jaw or multi-city ticket: fly into Valencia and home from Lisbon, if you can change your tickets.

I also recommend using other guidebooks for your research, if you haven't already done so. I like Rick Steves but he does omit places from his guidebooks. In addition to Rick, I also use Lonely Planet, Michelin Green Guide, the Rough Guides, and Fodors.

Thanks kmkwoo for your suggestions. This is great information. Yes, I did forget Cordoba on my list of cities. I was feeling under the weather yesterday when I was reviewing my notes.

We have made our reservations flying into Valencia because I got a good price on the route I wanted. But they are refundable, and I am keeping my eye on fares to see if I can get an open jaw rate. Unfortunately, I have never had much success getting a great rate using the open jaw technique. I am open to any tips, if there are any, to get better rates on open jaw flights.

Part of me is wondering if I should skip the Portugal portion of the trip. The wife would really like to see Portugal.

I want to thank everyone for their help with planning my trip. I posted last year regarding our recent trip to Italy. I used about 80% of the advice I received from this forum, and we had a trip of or lives. Thanks again for sharing your experiences.

Mark