Summer in Spain

Hey there! I'm not going to be a whole lot of help because I was there in 2001, but my sister and I had a fabulous time in June traveling from Madrid to Portugal and then through Sevilla, Granada, Gibraltar, Tarifa (not in that order, but I am not at a map) and back to Madrid.

We had a WONDERFUL time in Sevilla and Granada. Madrid was OK (it's a big city) -- Tarifa was a bit of a low point for us, actually. Kinda hot and windy and confusing ... though we did have a spectacular horseback ride, and kind of an awesome hotel room. OK I take back anything bad I said about Tarifa. :)

When we went, we made NO reservations ahead of time, and managed to find lodging everywhere we hit. We spent about 2 days in each place, and probably could have spent (at least) another day each in Sevilla and Granada.

Our favorite spot was Salema in southern Portugal. We followed all kinds of Rick recommendations (we called them "Rick-ommendations" because we are very clever) and had a delightful time. Let me know what else you want to know!

To me it seems like you're over-weighting southern Spain at the expense of the rest of the country.

What I'd do is scurry through Tarifa, Jerez, Arcos, Rhonda, and Nerej (probably even omitting a couple). Stop in Granada only for the Alhambra, head for Madrid for a few days, do the Segovia, Avila, Toledo loop, then head for Salamanca. After that I' head north, then east along the coast as far as Gurnica, then head for Barcelona (three nights there is plenty unless you need an extra day for the northern excursions).

Thanks Meg and Ed for your helpful comments. I've changed my plans and will try to see the northern parts of Spain.

Hey Rachel,
Congratulations on your trip. We just got back from two weeks in Spain that included Barc-Madrid-Sevilla-Granada. We took day trips from Madrid to Avila, Segovia and Toledo. Our impressions: we spent three nights in Barc and definitely could've stayed longer (loved Barc). It's a very big city with things to do in every corner. Segovia is worth a night or two. We were in Madrid for four nights and that was enough. We were in Sevilla for two nights and could've added a third. We were in Granada for two nights: one day for Granada and one for the Alhambra and that was plenty for us.

I see your point on spontaneity. From a practical stand point, if you have your hotels nailed down before you go, then you won't waste valuable vacation time trying to find hotels in each city.

Hope this helps and enjoy your trip.

Hey Steve,

I'm glad to hear about your trip. Your experiences and assessment about how many days one should spend in each city sounds pretty spot on. I am very much looking forward to spending at least a minimum of 5 nights in Barc.

Trying to get that right balance between spontaneity and practicality can be quite a job. I see your point. I have a list of hotels that I prefer in each city and I'm hoping to secure a room a few days before I arrive. It's definitely a risk.

Thanks for sharing.
Rachel