My wife and I (healthy seniors) plan to visit Spain mid-September for a month. We have already visited Madrid and Barcelona. We are planning to stay for two weeks in Valencia and get a feel for the city. We would like to visit Seville, Cordova, Granada, Gibraltar and Tangier. We would prefer to stay in two or three other central locations and make day trips to some of the other places. We plan to use public transportation.
Should we fly into Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia or Seville?
Any suggestions on planning this trip e.g. number of days in different locations, best part of the city to stay and must see sites, would be helpful. All advice is welcome. Thanks.
Posted by
Massachusetts, USA
1700 posts
Based on our trip to Andalucia, this is what I would recommend:
Seville - 4 nights
Granada - 2 nights
Cordoba - 2 nights
Malaga - 2 nights
You could always add an extra night to each destination for a more relaxing pace.
You don't mention Malaga but thought I would recommend it. It's a lovely city on the Mediterranean. The city center is beautiful! We loved walking to the top of the Alcazaba with its lush vegetation, patios, small ruins, and stunning views of the port and the sea. There are tons of small art museums; we enjoyed the Picasso Museum. You can walk along the seaside promenade and enjoy drinks at sunset.
I haven't been to Gibraltar or Tangier but I know that a lot of people don't like them.
From what I've seen, a lot of people like Cadiz and the white towns such as Ronda. You might check out these places.
You need to check flight schedules from your home airport. I think Seville or Valencia would make the most sense depending on prices and schedules. Or Madrid, and then take the train to Andalucia and then train to Valencia.
I also recommend purchasing a couple of good guidebooks, such as Lonely Planet, Michelin Green Guide and Rick Steves.
Posted by
Mid-Atlantic area
7157 posts
To get to Gibraltar you’ll need to take a bus from nearby Algeciras. The bus ride is about 20 minutes long.
To me, 2 weeks in Valencia is way too long, but it’s your trip. Valencia’s highlights can be seen in a day.
For Granada, I’d stay for 2 full days, meaning 3 nights. I day would be dedicated to the Alhambra and Generalife while the other would be used to see the rest of the city. The same for Córdoba if you planned on visiting both the Mezquita and Alcázar. Córdoba’s historic center is fairly compact. Nearby is Castillo Almodovar del Rio and Medina Azahara - Conjunto Arqueológico Madinat al-Zahra.
Posted by
OP
West coast
8 posts
Thanks for the info. Will reduce nights in Valencia and stay three nights in Malaga.
Posted by
1 posts
Granada is lovely. Avoid Casa del Capitel Nazari hotel. Very convenient and very very noisy. Fine if you are heavy sleepers. It’s lovely, just noisy.
Posted by
OP
West coast
8 posts
Based on some of the comments we are planning the following
Valencia - 5 nights
Granada - 5 nights
Malaga - 4 nights
Tarifa - 6 nights (with day trips to Tangier and Gibraltar)
Seville - 6 nights (with day trip to Cordoba)
We are planning to take bus/train while travelling.
Which city is better Valencia or Alicante?
Also, suggestions on where to stay would be welcome. I also have the latest edition of Rick Steves' travel guide.
Posted by
Washington DC
28082 posts
A day trip to Tangier is really not a good idea. Tangier isn't one of Morocco's best destinations. There are flights to far better Moroccan cities like Fes and Marrakech from a number of European cities, so you don't have to settle for a day trip to Tangier just because you're in southern Spain this year.
I haven't been to Alicante, but I think Valencia is considered to be a more interesting destination. However, geography and travel time come into play here. Five nights would be rather a long time in either of those cities by most people's standards--though I could see that in Valencia, because I'm a slow traveler.
I don't know what there is to do in Tarifa except go out of town on the two side trips you have planned.
If you're casting about for places to go (Alicante and Tarifa are sort of a reach...), I'd suggest two or three nights in Cordoba and some time in Ubeda or Baeza in northern Andalusia. They're Renaissance towns that look quite different from the other places on your itinerary.
Another possibility would be two or three nights in Toledo if you didn't see that city on your earlier trip.
Posted by
Massachusetts, USA
1700 posts
I agree with acraven about spending 2 or 3 nights in Cordoba and/or 2 or 3 nights in Toledo.
Cordoba is a wonderful city with so much to see and do. The Mezquita is magnificent but there are other interesting sites, such as the Alcazar, Roman Bridge, Palacio de Viana (with its 12 patios), and exploring the Juderia. The Juderia is the old Jewish quarter with white-washed walls, patios, flower pots on walls, and narrow lanes. If you visit Cordoba as a daytrip, you will enjoy the Mezquita but I think you will leave Cordoba thinking it's not that special. To really appreciate a place, I think it's better to spend a couple nights and enjoy the ambiance. Ditto for Toledo.