I'm currently a planning a trip for October 16 to 30th. I am arriving in Madrid (3 days) and then do a day Trip to Toledo and make my way to with a rental to Cordoba (1 day), then Servilla (3 days), down to Granada (6 days), and maybe do Nerja (1 day) and last night in Torremolinos and the depart from Malaga on the 30th.
What are any feedback with this tentative itinerary?
Also, recommedations and thoughts about Hostals in Madrid and Granada?
Thank you.
I would think that six days in Granada is far too long....a great place to visit, but not for six days. I would suggest devoting two nights to the hill towns....one in Arcos and another in Ronda. I would also suggest you get to Malaga the night before you leave so you can spend some time there....the old part of the city is very interesting.
In Madrid, two modernized hostals that I like are Hostal Santa Cruz and Hostal Cruz Sol. They're in the same building on Plaza Santa Cruz, very close to Plaza Mayor and two blocks from Sol, but off the most travelled route, so they're nice and quiet.
Ola, Luis. Checkout my Report from Spain on a trip we took to some of these same locales last winter:
http://moltogentileitalia.blogspot.com/2009/01/report-from-spain.html
Good luck!
We were pleased with this hostal in Madrid: Hostal Triana, @ Calle de la Salud 13. Basic, inexpensive, clean.
I agree that 6 nights in Granada is too much. How about adding the lovely town of Segovia?
Thank you all that have replied. I think I will shorten my stay in Granada and visit another town.
I took a trip through Spain hitting Madrid (3 nights), Cordaba (2 nights), Seville (3 nights), Granada (2 nights) and out of Malaga this past winer. Getting between the cities and to Malaga worked extremely well. Previously, I've been to Avila, Toledo and Barcelona on trips.
I have to agree w/ above - 6 days in Granada is waaaaaay too long. 2 nights was enough. The Alhambra was amazing... but only requires a 1/2 day. Wondering around the old town is another day, and you will have seen everything you need to.
It looks like you have 14 nights. That is a long trip... your lucky to have enough time to enjoy the majority of central Spain.
Cordoba (and almost any city) is worth more than 1 night... I hate having to worry about where I'm going the next day while I'm checking into a hotel the night before. The Mezquita in Cordoba was the most impressive site on my trip. I loved the old town as well.
Toledo is such a short trip, it is a viable day trip, but the ambiance of the city at night time is worth at least one night.
Avila is another day trip from Madrid - the city walls there are very impressive.
I think you could comfortably visit all of this if you shorten your Granada trip... and its all worth seeing.
Luis - I agree that Toledo needs an overnight. It's the one place I really wish we had more time. Segovia was another place that it would have been nice to stay for a night or two.
Also, we used the train between Madrid, Cordoba and Sevilla... For us, it was easier than driving. We drove from Sevilla to Granada, stopping in Ronda on the way. Arcos was our overnight stop on the way - staying at the Parador at the edge of the gorge was really nice although I wouldn't recommend the expensive restaurant there. It was our one hotel splurge on that trip and definitely worth it.
I agree that 6 nights in Granada is too much. Maybe see some coastal towns too? We are going to be staying in Malaga for two nights. I really want to see the Picasso museum there. Here's an article I found recently on Malaga:
You might also want to visit the pueblos blancos on your way to Granada, maybe stay a night in Ronda?
