mmmm - I'd have said that Barcelona was one of the most fun places to see in Spain for a teenager and it has the advantage of having its own beach.

also there is some very nice coastline nearby.

Andalucia may already be very hot in June and the major cities- Granada, and SEville, are nowhere near the coast, though of course, Malaga, which is very nice, is.

there is a recent thread about Valencia and the surrounding area which made it sound a pretty cool place to visit.

for a teen, a combination of Valencia and Barcelona might be hard to beat.

With Granada and Alhambra as a starting point, I would then head on to small and nice Almunécar down at the Mediterranean coast about an hour away.

If you've got a car, you can go down the scenic A 4050 road known as the Moor's Sigh. The name comes from the legenedary sigh of Boabdil, the last emir of Granada, when he at the mountain pass known as Puerto del Suspiro del Moro (The Moor's sigh pass), for a last time had a look back upon the now lost city. His mother shall then have said: "You cry like a woman over a city you couldn't defend as a man".
http://www.holavalencia.net/2010/02/23/granada-el-suspiro-del-moro-and-almunecar/

The Aqua-Tropic water park in Almuñecar might also be interesting with the Kamikaze and The Black Hole ride: http://www.aqua-tropic.com/index_en.html

Wonderful Málaga city is a little further West. Within 300 meters in the city centre you'll find the newly excavated Roman theater, the 8-11th century Moorish Alcazaba (several centuries before Alhambra), the 16th century cathedral, Picasso's birth-place and the Picasso museum. http://www.andalucia.com/cities/malaga/home.htm

Both a wolfs park and the spectacular Torcal lime stone mountain a little North of Málaga city (30 mins driving):
Wolf park: http://www.lobopark.com/en
Torcal: http://www.andalucia.com/antequera/torcal/home.htm

And on June 13th the worlds greatest flamenco dancer Rocío Molina performs in 3000 year old Cádiz (Phoenician Gadir) a little further to the west: http://www.guiadelocio.com/cadiz/teatro-y-danza/rocio-molina-y-la-tremendita.-afectos-en-gran-teatro-falla

In Cádiz you'll also find some of the finest beaches in Spain:
http://cadiz.costasur.com/en/beaches.html
Photos: https://www.google.no/search?q=Cadiz+beaches&hl=no&tbo=u&rlz=1C1ZMDB_noNO518NO518&tbm=isch&source=univ&sa=X&ei=GEMEUZjECaaA4gTV54HwCw&ved=0CDoQsAQ&biw=1600&bih=762

Video presentation of Cádiz. Native gaditana Niña Pastori sings: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33JUrGwZQLY

And Rocío Molina: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYaY4zZgTas

Yeah. Skip Barcelona and follow Kimhe's advice. You'll have a great trip.

Hmm, now I'm wondering if we should try Barcelona. My concern was that it may be a little too fast for us. But I think DD would like to see it. What is the best way to see both Barcelona and Granada and great beaches all in one week?

Fine beaches in Barcelona and affordable flights from Barcelona to Granada with Vueling.

Oh and I really don't want to rent a car.

Great public transportation in Andalucía as in all of Spain. No problem to go by bus from Granada to Almuñecar (1h 15 mins), from Almuñecar to Málaga (1h 30 mins) and from Málaga to Cádiz (3h 45 mins).

My concern was that it may be a little too fast for us. >>

??? - Barcelona is a lot of FUN! [and I'm 56] - great for a teen.

looks as if it would be easy to do Andalucia AND Barcelona.

Okay so what are the best sites for a 13yo to see in Barcelona?

Okay so what are the best sites for a 13yo to see in Barcelona?>>

any/all of the Gaudi sites, the Magic Fountain, the beach, the cable car, the HOHO bus to get around, the palau di Musica [a concert or the guided tour you can do] - plus any of the museums that take your fancy.

Now that my DD is excited for Barcelona, I've decided I'd like to see Costa Brava. Any advice on the best way to take a day trip up the coast from Barcelona?

?

I've decided to spen 4 nights in Costa brava and two nights in Barcelona. We will fly into BCN and rent a car at the airport and drive directly to costa brava, and drive back to Barcelona four days later .What town(s) should we use as a base to explore the coast? We have 4 nights to spend in costa brava. Do you recommend we stay 4 nights in a town that is half way between barcelona and Cadaqués (like Begur)and then drive to Cadaqués as a day trip? OR Should we spend 2 nights in Begur and then two nights in Cadaqués? I really appreciate your input!

cblairtx - i'm not being at all critical but I am confused by your approach. less than a week ago you were saying you didn't want to rent a car, and wanted to know what there is to do in Barcelona.

now you only want 2 days there and are talking about renting a car and staying on the Costa Brava.

honestly, I feel that a young teen is going to enjoy staying in Barcelona with its beach, shops, galleries and cafes much more than staying on the coast.

do a day trip to the coast while you're there.

I am in the early planning stage of this trip so changes and adjustments are likely. Thank you

When we visited Barcelona, with our then-12yo DS, we spent our time in Barcelona, and had lunch several days on / near the beach. (We're not really beach people, and were focussed on art and food instead.) One thing DH noticed, but that apparently DS did not, is that female beach attire in Spain is a bit different than in the U.S. As in topless. So you might let your DD know about that ahead of time, so she isn't surprised. (Lots of people aren't topless, too, so don't think you'll have to dress that way.)

Ah yes, entertaining a 13 year old. That might mean looking through his eyes, i.e., having him plan with you with guidebooks and all. Might be not your usual tourist site. Any chance of cycling? I've not been to Barcelona but maybe a good idea...you haven't said anything about getting around. Granada is quite a distance.

Hi there - I am still in the early planning stage of a summer vacation with my DD this. So far, I know that I want to start in Venice and end in Paris. What I haven't decided is how to spend the middle of our trip. We have 6 nights that we'd like to spend enjoying beautiful beaches. At first I was thinking the south of France, but I've already seen that and would like to try something new. I had been thinking Spain and the beautiful Costa Brava but would like to know your thoughts. Are there other countries that I should consider with lots of beautiful beaches and good food for us to enjoy? Croatia? Greece? What about Mallorca? I really appreciate your help!

cblairtx - i refer you to the answer I gave you above.

however, since you are now looking at Venice, it would be relatively easy to get to Croatia which has terrific beaches, and from there you could get to Paris.

Kimhe: Your wonderful suggestions have inspired me to go to Spain again. I'm going to East Germany in May/June this year, but maybe I'll go back to Málaga again for Semana Santa in 2014 and see some of the sites you recommended.

Spain has such wonderful geology, and there are still cities and towns I haven't seen.

cblairtx: If there's a way you can fit in part of a day to visit Córdoba to see the marvelous Mezquita, I highly recommend it. If you're not familiar with the Mezquita, I suggest that you google it and check out the pictures. It's stunning.

I guess you're planning on other cities, but keep this in mind for a future trip.

Pegontheroad,

Yes, Málaga during Semana Santa is something very special.

Here is a short extract of Antonio Banderas in his much praised pregón (opening speech) in the Teatro Cervantes before the 2011 Semana Santa. Obviously very proud to be malagueño! The local newspapers wrote of this being the best pregón ever:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4k7V6oAtL7A

The 15 min version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCsQPh2qmSY

And the whole ceremony: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-71YPdoL3ZU