Marbella or Seville in Jan with teens

Posted by ctripp2 on 09/20/23 06:43 PM

I’m thinking about 10 days in southern Spain in the beginning of January. Our kids are young adults /teens. We love the beach but aren’t really beach goers. We love cafes, beautiful scenery, amazing landscape, and lots of adventures. I was originally thinking of making Marbella a base for the week but now I’m wondering if we should make Seville a base for the week. Not sure my family would be happy with the stay someplace for a couple days and then on to the next place. They do better with a base and day trips. Where do you recommend? Thanks

Or maybe we should go to Valencia instead?

Posted by valadelphia

09/20/23 06:48 PM

4971 posts

Sevilla has vastly more of interest, especially in January. Is it a week or ten days? If ten, splitting with Granada and even Cordoba would be warranted (though Cordoba is an easy day trip to reduce bases).

Posted by ctripp2 OP

09/20/23 07:12 PM

24 posts

Granada? That’s a good idea. Is it really cold in Jan? We are from upstate NY so we are used to cold but we don’t want a bone chilling cold.

Posted by Scudder

Hudson Valley

09/20/23 07:54 PM

2267 posts

Marbella doesn’t have a whole lot to offer, and even less in winter. Mostly built from the 60s on, it’s a beach resort town.

I’d pick Sevilla. There are some good day trips to fill the time.

Posted by valadelphia

09/20/23 08:04 PM

4971 posts

I am sure it can be, but also might be atmospheric to see snow on the Alhambra (I don't know how common that is, but it is definitely winter).

Posted by valadelphia

09/20/23 08:21 PM

4971 posts

Weather stats don't look that bad actually--I think I just have the visual image of snow there because it was unusual when it occurred (of course, the surrounding mountains may be different!)

Posted by acraven

Washington DC

09/20/23 08:28 PM

28082 posts

You can compare monthly-average weather statistics for Seville and Granada on Wikipedia; just look for the colorful chart in each city's entry. Seville's average high temperature is 6.5 degrees F warmer, and it's average low temperature is almost 9 degrees F warmer. Averages definitely do not tell the story of the range of temperatures you might face, but I think it's clear the odds are in Seville's favor.

I'm cold-natured and opted to visit Andalucia in April, not January. If I had to travel in January, Andalucia would be my choice, but I wouldn't be willing to spend all 10 days--or even 7 days--in Granada at that time of year. Not only are Seville, Cordoba and Malaga all better options from the weather standpoint but you'd probably run out of significant sightseeing in Granada during Day 3 or Day 4. I think for a winter trip, the charm of wandering the same streets over and over again could pale. There's a great deal more to do in Seville, and it is almost certain to be warmer.