SPAIN: Best towns to honeymoon & hang with the local crowd?

If you feel like visiting the south after Barcelona: Grenada - Ronda - Arcos de la Frontera - Jerez de la Frontera - Sevilla - Cordova would make a nice route and give you a taste of Spain. After Cordova head to Madrid for a few days. Most everything in Madrid is in the central area - easy walking to almost everything. We wouldn't miss Madrid. Happy Honeymoon!!!

You might consider Toledo, Avila, and Segovia. Not sure what is less "touristy" anymore, but they are on the smaller side. We liked them along with Seville a lot. And congratulations.

Hi Antonio, It might depend on whether you're planning to head north or south. My favorite cities so far in Spain are Santiago de Compostela (north), Granada (south), Salamanca (middle), and Cordoba (south.) These are nice smaller cities with a lot of character, charm, and good restaurants. I wouldn't recommend seeing all of them on this trip but you might research them to see if any one of them is of interest to your bride and you. I wasn't too excited about Madrid my first trip there but have visited 2 more times since and really like the vibe of the city. Best wishes! Enjoy your honeymoon in Spain!

Almost all the places mentioned above are still on most tourists hit list. If you really want to see locals, visit places like Valladolid. That is a medium-sized city, with interesting sights and activities, and nary a tourist in sight. i spent a week here visiting my daughter, who lived in Valladolid for a year, and really enjoyed my stay. Another wonderful area to visit is the Extremadura region of Spain. It is absolutely beautiful and wonderfully untouristed. In fact, Caceras, one of my favorite towns in Spain is in that region. It is quite lovely, with one of the most peaceful and untouched medieval centers I've seen. I really enjoyed it when I was there, especially during Semana Santa.

Two suggestions: Castello de Emporda - a couple of hours from Barcelona. Fantastic setting and well worth your conisderation. Zamora - Near Salamanca, a couple of hours from Madrid. Train connections from Madrid. Not sure there is a bus or train to Castello de Emporda...check its web page.

I don't know how long your going to be in Barcelona(BCN), But I went for 5 days and didn't get to all of the sights and sounds of the city. I could go back & see things I didn't see. I LOVE BCN!!! It is my favorite city in Europe & you will have plenty to take in. Monserat is good for a day and so is Cadaque. Cadaque is more laid back than any of the towns close to BCN, but it can be full of tourists (luck of the draw). I guess you could also stay for the night, I didn't. Don't forget to visit the Piccaso Museum in BCN, it's probably one of the best small museums dedicated to one artist. Back to quaint towns; if u go to Madrid(MAD), Toledo is the TOWN! You might want to re-think your Itinerary & visit Madrid first. Two or three nights in MAD is enough, but Toledo, Avila, El Escorial, El Valle de los Cahidos & Segovia for two more nights in MAD is worth it. Unfortunately the best way I found to do this was by renting a car (Hertz & Avis r located in the Gran Via). Then head off to BCN and leave from there back to the USA. This is a tough one if u want to really see Spain and don't have enough time. I hope u enjoy BCN as much as I did:{)

I live in Bilbao and if you decide to visit Bilbao, I will be glad to help you plan your time in the city. Please do not hesitate to contact me

I was in Barcelona a few months ago and was speaking to a professor at the school where I took classes. I told him I would love to get out of the city and visit a few smaller towns; he recommended Tossa and Cadaques (north of Barcelona) and Sitges (just South). All of the towns are small and are on the water...and Sitges is easily reachable by using the subway/metro from Barcelona. Unfortunately I was unable to squeeze them into my trip but he certainly raved about them. Look them up a bit more and they may work for you. Best of luck, and maybe consider Montserrat. This is a small monastery in the mountains where you can stay; it is incredibly beautiful and also reachable by train.

I have had the pleasure of Tossa, Cadaques and Sitges and would concur with their recommendation. That said, I did have a car to use in going to Tossa and Cadaques. As has been mentioned, Sitges is very acceesible by train from Barcelona, and once you arrive in town, everything is easy to access on foot. For natural beauty, I would say Cadaques is the best, particularly if you can get to Cap de Crues (not sure of the spelling). You might also consider Begur and its surrounding area. Again, though, I had access to a car.