Greetings, We are a family of 5 travelling to Spain and Portugal in August. Currently our we have airline tickets arriving in Spain and departing from Lisbon allowing for a total of 16 days away. Our children are aged 15, 17, and 20 and we did Italy a couple of summers ago and while they enjoyed the tours of historic museums & churches in the major cities (Florence, Venice and Rome) other memorable highlights for them were hiking in Cinque Terre, and diving in the sea, staying at a farm and exploring medieval villages in Tuscany (incl. Civita) and swimming and boat tour at Capri. My husband is intrigued about Morocco and is suggesting at least two to three nights there. So far my thought was start in Madrid (2 nights), train to Granada (2 nights), bus or train to Tarifa (2 nights) (from there do day trip to Gibraltar, then to Tangier/Fez??? (2 or 3 nights), back up through Portugal (????may be Lagos - base to do other side trips in algarve??), then to Lisbon/Sintra??? I'd really appreciate any input to combine history with experiencing culture and activity (erring on the side of more activity, hiking tours, experiencing quaint villages given the ages of our children) p.s. they all wake board, snow board, and love mountain hikes to cool places so any ideas to incorporate outdoor activities appreciated!!) and of course we don't want to spend all our time travelling (haha I know I know I'm trying to pack too much in so need to come up with a pick and choose itinerary). Was wondering as well about Seville area instead of Granada. Seems like we have to choose between the two given limited time and ground we have to travel. Cheers all!
Posted by
Tel Aviv
15791 posts
Kathy's right about the heat. Check the weather underground www.wunderground.com for historical data on weather conditions (trip planner link) in Tangiers, etc. before you make a decision.
Posted by
Ann Arbor, Mi
3696 posts
Re Morocco... i think it is well worth the trip and 3 nights would be good. I would venture out of Tangiers if you have the time. Two of my favorite places were Chefchaouen and Asilah. Both beautiful, exotic, and sooo different from Europe. I also enjoyed a day in Tangiers (many here do not) It is a big city, but to me it was worth a day. I would be happy to answer any specific questions on Morocco as to what we did. We took the ferry from Tarifa over and back.
Posted by
Cary, NC
687 posts
You could easily spend 16 days in Spain or Portugal alone. Morocco really deserves more than three nights, and I wouldn't spend them in Tangier, either. I suppose you could drop Gibraltar in favor of Morocco, but at least head for Fez. Or the Atlas mountains if you want to hike. Oops, I just saw that you're going in August. If it has to be August I'd spend the time in northern Spain (good mountains there) and Portugal, not the south. It will be wicked hot.
Posted by
Wynnewood, PA, USA
275 posts
Darlene - you've a good size group here, have you considered renting a car? With our interest in seeing & doing sites outside of the large cities (villages, hiking, beach, etc.) a rental car may cost the same but provide a huge savings in time and flexibility to get to wherever you wish. We've toured Spain by car (with two kids, too) and are heading to Portugal this summer too. I'd be happy to share ideas about our past experiences (Toledo, Cordoba, Arcos, Sevilla, etc.) as well as upcoming plans.
Happy travels, Craig
Posted by
Gaston, Oregon, USA
931 posts
I think that we will skip Morocco on our trip to Spain this June......
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/30/world/africa/30morocco.html
Posted by
Cary, NC
687 posts
If you avoid all the places someone might set off a bomb you won't go anywhere - including New York and Washington. Actually, a place that just HAD a bombing may well be safer. Are you going to skip Madrid because of the Madrid bombing?
Posted by
San Jose, CA, USA (Bath, UK for 2010)
79 posts
I'd vote for skipping Gibraltar/Tarifa (except as a jumping off spot for Morocco, although there are lots of cheap flights to Marrakech from the cities), and going to Seville and some of the White Hill towns mentioned in the book. We particularly enjoyed Arcos and Ronda. I just did a day trip in Tangiers, taking the ferry from Tarifa, with my family of 6 and it was the best day of our trip. I wished I had planned more time in Morocco. I hired a private guide mentioned often on this site (Aziz Begdouri [email protected]) which really enhanced our appreciation of Morocco. If you want to read my blog and see our pictures covering Barcelona, Seville, Arcos, Medina-Sodonia, Ronda, Tarifa and Tangier, go to www.AreWeThereYetMom.us and go to Heidi's Blog.
Posted by
Huntington, WV, USA
18 posts
I wouldn't discount Steve's caution about Morocco this summer. I have also decided to eliminate Morocco from my travels in the next few weeks (and I consider myself an adventurous traveller). The political situation is much more volatile in Morocco than is generally reported in the western press. That being said, it is a personal choice regarding your comfort level with actual risk and perceived risk. Do your homework and make a decision based upon that. Maintain situational awareness of your surroundings (as you would when traveling anywhere) and be prepared to adjust or modify your plans if the situation worsens. People with nefarious intentions target places where those they disagree with congregate. Stay vigilant, and plan how to get out of or away from the crowd quickly, if necessary.
Stephen
Posted by
Portland, Oregon, usa
34 posts
Wasn't impressed with Tangiers. Reminded me of Tijuana. We only did an overnight trip so really didn't experience Morocco. Didn't feel safe, my daughter had obscene gestures directed her way (she was dressed conservatively and covered), were constantly hassled by people selling junk. My advice...do Morocco when you can devote time to seeing the real thing and maybe wait until anti-American sentiment has improved. Enjoy Spain and Portugal! There's so much to see there.