Spain in December

We're going to the Marriott resort in Mallorca over Christmas and New Year. Temperatures are around 20c during that time of year and the same with Estepona and Marbella (both resorts are on the Costa Del Sol and both are accessed from the airport in Malaga).

Personally I wouldn't split the week up between the mainland and Mallorca. One week is not enough time in either place so stick to one to avoid a wasted day travelling. We own weeks at Mallorca and Estepona and have visited at various times of the year, there is no "bad" time to visit although early spring can be a bit wet.

Your choice depends on your intentions. All three resorts have indoor and outdoor pools. The outdoor pools in Estepona and Marbella are not heated but they both have heated indoor pools. Estepona has one indoor pool whilst Marbella has two although one is designated as a child pool. Mallorca has a heated indoor pool that is connected to an outdoor pool (you can swim between the two) and therefore the outside is heated as well. There are also individual pools for every eight villas in Mallorca but these are not heated, they're great in the summer but only the hardy venture in during the winter.

Dining options are better at Estepona mainly due to the gastronomic heaven that is nearby Benahavis, a small village in the mountains that is awash with superb restaurants and can be reached by car or taxi within 15 minutes from the resort. Marbella has a few decent restaurants in the locality but in December most will be closed likewise Mallorca.

Mallorca has by far the better accommodation. The site consists of two and three bedroomed villas as opposed to the apartments found in Estepona and Marbella. With the villa you have an upstairs and downstairs, a private garden complete with barbecue and many come with an upstairs terrace. In the off season month of December you may find yourself spending more time self catering and with that in mind Mallorca offers the better option in that respect (although both Estepona and Marbella come with full sized kitchens and balconies to enjoy al fresco meals).

What do you want to do whilst you're there? For first time visitors to Spain I would be inclined to recommend the mainland as there are many fantastic sights and cities to visit from both resorts in the Costa del Sol however Mallorca can hold its own. Palma is without doubt my favourite Spanish city and the delights of Deia, Soller, Valdemossa et al cannot be beaten. We spend two weeks a year there and still find plenty to do and see, it truly is a fantastic island. Of course that shouldn't detract from what Andalucia has to offer, day trips to Granada, Cordoba, Seville, Gibraltar, Ronda, Nerja, Cadiz, Tangier, Malaga and a tonne of traditional Pueblo Blancos can be easily achieved from either resort on the mainland.

Forget Ibiza. It's an island geared primarily for young party goers. Yes, there are quieter more family orientated parts of the island but these are only of any interest during the summer months when all you're interested in is sun, sea and relaxation. Old Ibiza Town has its charm but it's certainly not worth a dedicated day trip from Mallorca especially as Mallorca has so much to offer itself.

It's a tough choice but a nice one to have. For me Mallorca takes the prize every time but that's because I've spent a lot of time in the Costa del Sol resorts and explored the area extensively. I prefer the ambience of Mallorca, the laid back attitude, the variations in scenery and topography, the hidden gems of mountain villages and hidden coves however I equally love what Andalucia and the Costa del Sol has to offer. Fantastic climate, incredible food (particularly Benahavis), jaw dropping scenery, endless history and a great culture. Your decision should come down to what you want to achieve whilst you're there.

Feel free to interrogate me about all of the resorts, I've spent considerable amount of time at them!

Thanks so much for all your info! This is our first trip to Spain, and those are the only Marriott Club resorts as you know. I can use check on the Explorer collection, but some of them require a lot more points. We have to use these points by the end of Jan or lose them, but maybe we should go somewhere else and save Spain for another time of year when it's warmer and places aren't shut down for the season. We went to the Amalfi Coast in Nov and a lot of places were close which wasn't ideal. Any advice on other locations would be appreciated. We are planning to go around Dec 11 for a week.

"Any advice on other locations would be appreciated."
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Santiago
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Melborne

I believe you should reflect on the objective of your trip. Firstly to mention that in these shores the coolest month of the year is, by far, February and not December. Having said that, you don't go to the beach in December either. So, if the aim of your trip is to "sit on the beach", well, you can sit on the beach and, if it's a sunny and not windy day, you might even have time to sunbath with your t-shirt on (although you might even need a fleece) but this is far from any image you might have of these cities in July.

As per "... I don't know if we can make a day trip during that time of year" I am not sure what are your referring to, but just in case, note none of the above are theme-parks, these are fully functional cities/towns, some with many thousands of residents... which go on "living" all year round. This is not to say you might find many of those businesses that are geared toward Summertime (ie beach terraces and some bars, souvenir shops, etc) closed during the Winter months, but otherwise, life in the town in itself goes on. Have a look, for example, on some of the things you can do in Balearic Islands in Winter: http://www.illesbalears.travel/ca/ibiza/hivern

If you provide much more detail on what you're looking for, your likes and dislikes, etc. some ideas might be proposed... otherwise, it's like shooting in the dark, sorry.

PS. Btw... the island name in its original language, the local language, is EIVISSA, saying so because you're going to find a lot of official documentation, sites, etc where this name is used instead of the Spanish version "Ibiza".

Are any of the Caribbean resorts available? We still have the traditional week system and haven't converted them to points so I'm not entirely sure what your best options are however it really does come down to what you want out of your trip. If lounging around in the sun is your priority then Spain isn't going to be your choice but sightseeing certainly is. Much better to do it in December than in the middle of summer and as Enric has pointed out, December is not the coolest month of the year, January and February are cooler but despite that I've been in Estepona in February and wore shorts and t-shirts.

We went to Positano one Nov and had a tough time finding hotels and restaurants that weren't closed for the season, but we were fine in Rome. Just don't want the same situation.

We would like to sit/walk on the beach some, but we want to see sights, museums, experience culture, etc. If we stay at the Marriott Marbella resort, it's about 2 hours to Granada. I would like to take a day trip and see Alhambra and the town. Not sure if train or bus service would take us there or if driving is easy or not. We are using our time share, so we are limited to these 3 cities I mentioned unless we try to trade to Interval International properties but some are a lot more points. We are going to Greece in 2 weeks, so this is an extra trip so needs to be as inexpensive as possible.

The Costa Del Sol is a popular area all year round and there is no real off season, just quieter ones. When we were in Estepona one February we had no problem finding anywhere to eat. The towns of Estepona, Marbella, Puerto Banus and the larger cities like Malaga are all busy and still cater for the locals, ex pats and tourists that are there at that time of year.

A car would be the best option. The resorts do offer various tours which whilst convenient are more expensive than if you were doing it your own. I would also prefer a car over public transport.

I recently stayed (late April) at the Marriott Resort in Estepona and it is phenomenal. It is all-inclusive; with a great restaurant and the staff is top-notch. Loved our 2-room "condo" with balcony that faced the ocean. A little market with stuff you'd need to make breakfast and a grocery chain store within walking distance of the resort if you want to go all out. Like the others have mentioned in their posts, don't try to do too much. I'd pick just one resort and use it for your vacation headquarters We had our own transportation for more flexibility, and in the week we were there we visited Ronda, Granada, Seville and thoroughly relaxed at the resort with it's many offerings. Interstate tollways are maintained very well, well marked & beautiful just to drive and see the Andalusian countryside. You're 2 1/2 hrs. or less to Cordova, Granada or Seville, an hour to Gibraltar or Ronda, & less to Marbella. The buses are supposed to be good between the Costa del Sol towns, and the trains are all good but you may have to go to Malaga to catch one. Be adventuresome, hit the highlights & have no fear. Rick's travel guides are spot on & very useful. The people are very friendly & helpful as well. We got rained on late afternoon in Seville & it cut short our day, so planned on going back our last day in Spain. Ended up rained out in Ronda, so we just sat in a cafe ate tapas, drank wine & chatted it up with locals & tourists. It was one of our most memorable days. Lots of people from the UK and other northern countries come "south" for the winter, so I would think that although they might have more limited hours, the tourist hot spots will be open. The Alhambra is a must, so whether you get tickets on your own through the official website (available 3 mos. out--don't wait til you go to try & get tickets) or via a reputable tour company tour, you don't want to miss. Incredible. Enjoy!