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Twenty-Five Nights in Spain

My husband and I were fortunate enough to travel to Spain in November, 2021 after 3 previously-scheduled trips were canceled. We hit a “sweet spot” where travel in Spain seemed reasonably safe without too many complications. We had to show our Covid vaccination cards when we checked in with Delta Airlines and our QR code when we arrived in Madrid, but otherwise, no one asked to see either for the remainder of our trip.

The weather was warm enough that we were able to dine outside for many of our meals. We easily adapted to Spanish dining tradition by having a larger meal for lunch and a lighter tapas-style meal for dinner. We took the train between each city and booked tickets in advance.

Many people wore masks - even outside. It was the beginning of the holiday season and we noticed that restaurants and bars were really crowded in the evenings and people were not masked inside. We are not surprised by the high Covid numbers in Spain now (late December, 2021).

About one week in advance, we made an online booking for the return-flight Covid testing at Democratest on Gran Via 6 in Madrid - we received our negative results within a couple of hours.

Itinerary: (We kept it simple):

Flight into Madrid and train directly to Cordoba (AVE high speed train took 2 hours - booked in advance).

  • Cordoba - 4 nights

  • Cadiz - 4 nights

  • Seville - 5 nights

  • Vitoria-Gasteiz - 4 nights

  • Madrid - 4 nights

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3262 posts

Cordoba:

Hotel NH Collection Amistad

Highlights:

  • The Mezquita (late in the afternoon when crowds were lighter)
  • The Bullfight Museum (right next to our hotel)
  • Plaza de las Tendillas
  • Walking the maze of the Old Jewish Quarter
  • Remains of Roman Cordoba
  • Bar Santos for tapas
  • Taberna Salinas for lunch
  • Café la Gloria for coffee
  • Bodegas Campos for lunch (Salmorejo!)
  • Victoria Market
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Cadiz:

This was a new destination for us and we loved it!

El Armador Casa Palacio (a lovely apartment)

Highlights:

  • Walks along the Promenade
  • Mercado Central de Abastos (excellent lunch options with outdoor seating)
  • Museo de Cadiz
  • Torre Tavira (Camera Obscura)
  • Cadiz Cathedral with a climb to the Bell Tower
  • Lunch at Bodega Lazo
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3262 posts

Seville:

Murillo Suites Alcazar - we were happy here!

HIghlights:

  • Exploring the Triana neighborhood
  • Royal Alcazar - especially the lush Alcazar Gardens
  • Seville Cathedral
  • Walk through Barrio Santa Cruz (Rick Steves’ Walk)
  • Mushroom structure at Plaza de la Encarnacion
  • Walk to the Alameda de Hercules neighborhood
  • Lunch at Freiduría Puerta de la Carne
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Granada

This destination was not in our original plan…our hope was to visit the Basque region and we picked Vitoria-Gasteiz as our base. Chilly weather and rain in the forecast caused us to reconsider. It was a toss-up between Granada and Valencia but since Granada was a little closer, we decided to change our itinerary to go there. We had visited The Alhambra on a previous trip many years ago and tickets were not available anyway. For us, without The Alhambra, there is not a lot to do in Granada.

We checked into Elvira Suites. The apartment was nice and clean but high ceilings and large drafty windows made it difficult to heat when the temperatures dipped into the 30’s. It was just too cold for us to be comfortable for a 4-night stay. We called the office the next morning to see if there was another apartment, perhaps smaller and easier to heat for us to move to. The person on duty said that it would likely be chilly also. We decided to change hotels even though our booking was non-refundable. We relocated to The Aeura Catedral by Eurostars - we liked the location and the room was cozy (small) but more importantly, warm.

Granada Highlights:

  • Bodegas Castaneda - outdoor seating with delicious tapas-style dining.
  • Hike to the Albaicin neighborhood
  • Mercado de San Agustin
  • Cathedral of Granada
  • Monasterio de la Cartuja (a Carthusian monastery on the outskirts of the city)
  • The Gate of Elvira and nearby a cute shop - Al Sur de Granada

In retrospect, maybe Valencia would have been a better choice for us!

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Madrid

Hotel Europa - 5th floor room with balcony overlooking the Puerta del Sol - recommended on this forum.

It was a busy holiday weekend and the streets were very crowded during the time we were in Madrid. For a future trip, I might consider a quieter neighborhood but the location for this trip, for us, was great.

Highlights:

  • The holiday lights in Madrid were stunning and spectacular!
  • Rick Steves’ Gran Via Walk
  • Prado Museum
  • Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum
  • Temple of Debod (an Egyptian Temple!)
  • The grocery market at El Corte Ingles Department Store
  • Coffee and Toast con Tomato at Cafe Carmela (Santa Cruz neighborhood)
  • Walk to Lavapies District
  • Crispy Calamari Bocadillo
  • Shopping for gloves and gifts at Santacana (near Plaza del Angel)
  • Ensalada Rusa and white wine for lunch!

Note: I liked the location and look of hotel NH Collection Madrid Palacio de Tepa (also near Plaza del Angel) and might consider it for another trip.

Overall, it was a fantastic trip! We were so happy to be traveling again and wish the same for everyone!

Posted by
3961 posts

What a great trip report! Well organized & descriptive. Loved it. We also stayed at Hotel Europa in Madrid based on a friend’s recommendation who was on a RS Tour. We enjoyed the vibe from our balcony. Thanks for sharing your positive experiences! Nice to read this on a cold winter day in WA State. ;)

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6713 posts

Thanks for this report. I stayed at your Cordoba and Madrid hotels and liked them. You were wise to give each city plenty of time instead of trying to rush from place to place. Like Madrid, Granada is at some altitude. Valencia would surely have been warmer.

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289 posts

I enjoyed reading your report, what a nice trip. I visited Spain for the first time in early November of 2019 and loved the mild weather then.

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1625 posts

Thank you for your detailed trip report, gave me lots of great ideas for when we go to Spain and I was able to save many of your suggestions in my TA folders! We are still trying to decide if we want to train or drive.

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3262 posts

Hi Letezia!

We have rented a car in Spain for past trips but for this itinerary, the train was the way to go. Driving is easy but for each of the places we visited, parking can be complicated! I think it just depends on your itinerary and whether or not you’re visiting smaller cities that are more difficult to reach by train or bus.
Safe travels!