Spain Suggestions

Thanks for the suggestions! Just a quick question.
What about the far north or northwest corner of Spain? It doesn't seem to come up in discussion too much.

This next statement might be too vague, but we're looking for "quaint", small towns oozing Spanish charm and culture. We think the slower pace of small towns would be perfect for a 4 year old...and mom & dad.

We're planning to go with our 3 kids in 2011 -- and one of our home base plans is the Costa Del Sol, probably in Nerja -- side trips to Seville, Gibralter, Granada, Arcos, Tarifa and Morocco are all possible as side trips from there (though some are long side trips). Plus, it's a beach... kids love water, right?

I'd be very interested to know where you end up going, and how you liked it, when you get back.

Gibralter and Seville are a couple of hours away. Bit of a long day, but worth it for both.

Jerez and Cadiz are about a half hour, I'd pick Cadiz and only go to Jerez if bored or had no plans for Granada.

Madrid is the place for the second week. (Try to hit Granada on the way.) It has several quieter areas and good metro coverage. Toledo would work for a base as well; making a day trip or two into Madrid.

Segovia, Toledo, and Avila are all an hour or less from Madrid and very much worth seeing.

Rota itself ain't so shabby. Nice small town to walk around in and has a great beach for the tyke. Eating's cheap in Rota -- be a faux big spender and take the others out to dinner a couple of times.

Good question. We're wanting to incorporate a stop like that in our trip as well... I'll be watching your thread...

In another chat room a Spain experienced traveler told me... "The most laid back and relaxing beach destination in Spain is Salema, Portugal." Satirical sarcasm not withstanding, that comment is pretty consistent with some of what RS says about Salema.

There are some great places to visit up there. Northwest of Madrid you have cities like Salamanca and Leon...then into Galicia and Asturias, with Santiago de Compostela, Fisterra, and the rugged mountains and western and northern coasts.
To the north, you have some of the finest beaches in Spain (although the water's kinda chilly,) and wonderful hiking areas like the Picos de Europa park.
To the northeast is the Basque country with San Sebastian, the Rioja region and, of course, the magnificent Pyrenees.
As for suggesting villages with "local charm," just pick a spot on the map and drive there. Anything that gets a prominent mention in the guidebooks will, by definition, lose its "local" identity. That doesn't mean they aren't nice places to visit. For some ideas, check out the Fodor's book on Spain, which mentions dozens of smaller places that can be intriguing.

Hi Roger,

One of my favorite cities in Spain is Santiago de Compostela. It's just a cool city with great food (especially seafood) and a beautiful cathedral. We loved the Hotel Residencia Costa Vella. Really nice rooms and friendly, helpful staff. You could easily spend 2-3 nights in Santiago.

In the other direction, you could check out Porto, Portugal.

I'm not sure if these would be day trips from Rota or if they would require an overnight stay.

If you go further south, in your second week, I'd give Granada serious consideration.

The northern coast of Spain is beautiful. And you won't find one word about it in RS's Spain book, with the exception of Santiago de Compostela. The principality of Asturias is the only area of Spain not conquered by the Moors. It is mountainous and green - 60% of the land is parks and nature preserves, with lots of hiking trails. The coastal villages are cute, and the city of Oviedo is a nice-sized college town. You might even run into Woody Allen, who owns a home there.

From Rota, a long day-trip would be to Ronda....maybe plan on spending an overnight there. You can visit several nice villages in the mountains along that route, includuing Ubrique (site of leatherworking extraordinare), and Zahara de la Sierra. Drive time Rota-Ronda alone would be about three hours.

Last summer we went to Asturias and loved it. We didn't go there for nature, but for culture ( and good food) although it is pretty. If you head that way, feel free to PM me.