Wining, Dining, Hiking, and Cycling Down Barcelona, Valencia, and Alicante

Assuming this is your first trip to Spain, neither Valencia nor Alicante would be anywhere near my list of suggested stops. I still haven't been motivated to go to either one after four trips to Spain (totaling about 4 months).

These are just some random thoughts, because I'm struggling to think of out-of-the-way places that might appeal to you, be reasonably economical to visit and be accessible from one of the major international airports.

People have had some positive things to say about Valencia on this board, but it's not Barcelona/Catalunya, Madrid, Toledo, Granada, Seville, Cordoba, the Basque Country or Galicia. I can't say how easy it will be to find really good paella outside Valencia. Or even in Valencia, for that matter.

I fear that Almeria may be a package-tour destination, but I am not certain about that.

I love Barcelona, but it must be admitted that it gets huge numbers of tourists, so you might not enjoy it much, despite its fabulous sights (many of which sort of require advance purchase of timed tickets). The city has been moving toward enforcing some sort of limitations on Airbnb rentals; perhaps that is contributing to higher costs.

Toledo is a favorite of mine, and I was happy to spend three nights there. It has a large historic district, but a week would be rather a long time for a first-time tourist to stay there. It's on a spur railway line connected only to Madrid, so it's not a convenient base for a bunch of side trips. There's heavy day-tripper traffic to Toledo, though it seemed mostly confined to the path between Zocodover Square and the Cathedral.

The northern stretch of Spain does tend to have very pleasant temperatures in the summer. The La Rioja wine country is not too far from the very attractive, non-touristy city of Vitoria-Gasteiz (not a place full of cheap hotels, alas), but I don't know about tours or how you would get around without a rental car. And I know zilch about wine. The Basque Country is known for its food.

You might enjoy a trip that combined the Basque Country (if you could solve the costly-lodging issue) with the Pyrenees, but I have no idea what the public transportation would be like in the Pyrenees. It's workable in the Basque Country. Or perhaps some of the smaller places in the flatter part of Catalunya would work: Vic, Ripoll and the like. I like Girona a lot, but hotels there are not particularly cheap; don't know about Airbnb possibilities. Girona is a good base for some nice day-trips by bus.

Madrid, IMO, is less touristy than Barcelona. We stayed in a nice, off the beaten track neighborhood (at Costanilla de los Desamaparados 4).

So Madrid might be a good place to start.

Here's an article from the Irish Times about Valencia. And one about Alicante, which sounds cool...I can't wait to travel to see some of that area's Moors influence!

Sounds like with your "open to adventure attitude" coupled with the idea that -- Hey I'm in Spain! -- you'll have a great time no matter where you choose.

Based on your dislike of throngs of tourists (I agree but we're tourists, too), and your "desire to see lots of Madrid," a city I enjoy and will be back to visit this June myself, I recommend you fly in and out of Madrid. Stay a couple of nights in Toledo, also very interesting (and you will get plenty of exercise in that hilly city). Why not add Alcalá de Henares as a day trip, a very short train ride northeast from Madrid? It has fewer tourists than other day trip cities such as Toledo or Segovia. Alcalá de Henares is an old university town, and has a few good sites and good food, enough for a day. The historic university had an interesting history but was transferred to Madrid in 1836. Many of the old buildings still remain; some are now restaurants and hotels. The Colegío de San Ildefonso building was preserved and can be visited. It has a 1543 Plateresque façade and a three-tiered patio still used for some ceremonies.
The town also has the Museo Casa Cervantes, for fans of the famous author.
Then go to Valencia for a few days. Back to Madrid for a couple of days and fly out.

A second vote for Alcala de Henares; don't know why I didn't think of it myself--maybe because I was trying to think of spots that would be cooler than the Madrid area. I didn't hear any English on the street in AdeH in late May 2016. And it's very quick to reach via frequent commuter trains from Madrid; they even run on Sundays!

GoodmanTX - thank you for the info, I will take a look. I'm afraid I might've misled you though - I was trying to say that I don't necessarily have to see Madrid. I admit my phrasing was confusing, and I even misread it the first time I went back to check what I wrote. I'm not necessarily avoiding Madrid, it's just not as high on my list as I feel it might be for many other people, being the capital of Spain and all. Would that change your suggestion at all? I saw someone else plugged it, so I guess I should take another look at the city regardless.

Madrid is simply not as old as many other cities in Spain, so it lacks a medieval center. However, it has great art museums and very lively streets. And lots of Madrid's architecture is plenty old by US standards. It doesn't seem to have as high a ratio of tourists to residents as Barcelona does. (I'd say there's a reason for that, but YMMV.) And it's a great base for day-trips. The problem is that lodging in Madrid isn't particularly cheap, so staying there primarily to visit surrounding towns may not be a great move, economically.

If I am interpreting you correctly, you want to reduce costs, enjoy food and wine, be somewhat physically active but not rushed.
I would still fly in and out of Madrid, but you don't have to spend the whole two weeks there, nor do you have to stay in the center of the city. Look towards other areas still served by the metro or bus for easy transportation, but research the neighborhood before booking. Madrid will also be a great place to watch some fútbol (two teams, both recent league champions), but other cities, including Valencia, have teams as well. Consider renting in Madrid at the beginning and end of your trip and staying elsewhere on your excursions (if you pack light and don't mind changing hotels frequently), only going back to Madrid to change trains. Staying the night in smaller towns will also give you a different perspective on your travels. The chance of renting a bicycle outside of large cities may be unlikely, but you can always walk the countryside. There are many nice neighborhoods in Madrid to cycle through.
I haven't been to a wine tasting or visited any vineyards in Spain, although I've seen them all over from a train or bus. The Rioja region to the north is most famous for them. Perhaps someone else can help you.
Also check out Rick Steves' guidebook on Spain and websites like TripAdvisor for ideas and sites in surrounding towns.
Relax and enjoy your trip.