I'm planning on 16 days in Spain with 3 teenagers and my mother who is in her 70's. We fly into and out of Madrid so will spend 2-3 nights there and I know I want at least 5 nights in Barcelona. Beyond that I would like 1 or 2 other locations that are small to mid size towns, near the coast where we feel immersed in Spanish culture. I'm not considering Southern Spain for this trip. Thoughts I've had so far are San Sebastian, Tossa de Mar, Tarragona, Valencia, Alicante? Any advice/ opinions for me. Thank you!
Posted by
Washington DC
28081 posts
Opinions differ when travelers are asked to choose between San Sebastian and Bilbao. I much preferred the latter, not least because I found San Sebastian (in June) to be extremely touristy. Also, I'm not a bar person, so the idea of consuming lunch while standing in a packed pintxo bar did not appeal. On the other hand, SS is very pretty, and there's that beautiful beach. (On the third hand, it would be entirely possible to spend 7 to 10 nights there and not ever have beach weather; the weather along the north coast of Spain is different from what you'll encounter in the other parts of the country. The few people I saw in the ocean seemed to be wearing wetsuits.) I think you have to decide whether time in the water is significantly important to you. If it is not, do consider SS, because you have lots of possible side trips from there, even if you are limited to public transportation: Bilbao, Vittoria-Gasteiz, Hondarribia, Bayonne in French Basque Country.
Although it's not on the coast, I want to recommend that you check into Girona. It has a large medieval district and is a good base for side trips to Figueres (Dali Theatre-Museum), Besalu and coastal Cadaques. I assume some other coastal towns are accessible as well.
Coastal Spain sees a lot of foreign tourists, so I wonder whether you'll find as much Spanish culture in places like Alicante as you are hoping for.
Posted by
OP
2 posts
Thank you for the information! This is helpful. I have one child in particular who is infinitely happier when she can swim on vacations. I hadn't thought of it not being warm enough for swimming in San Sebastian.