rosebrownfamily

My family is heading to Spain in a few weeks! We are so excited! We are going to be there for almost 3 weeks before we head to Lisbon to catch our return flight.

Some of our choices of destinations are based on being able to use Marriott points for hotel stays (which is much more limited than I expected when traveling with more than 2 people). Also, we have already been to Barcelona, so we decided to skip it during this trip. We are looking for a mix of activities that are appropriate for both kids and adults. Some of our favorite experiences from our last trip were watching our son play soccer with the local kids in the park while trying to speak Spanish (he has been in an immersion program for 3 years). We loved the food market (Las Ramblas) in Barcelona and would love to find other similar (but probably smaller) markets.

If you have any suggestions/ ideas/ tips for us, please let me know.

Here is our proposed itinerary:
2 nights in Madrid.
5 nights in Denia. (Which surrounding towns do you think we should visit?)
2 nights in Toledo (I know it is back tracking, but we are meeting friends.)
1 night in Cordoba
1 night in Granada
1 night in Malaga
4 nights in Marbella
Maybe one night in Cadiz?
2 nights in Seville
2 nights in Lisbon.

Thank you for reading my post and offering any suggestions! It is going to be a wonderful experience!

kimhe

Just a couple of things:

Plenty of excellent food markets in Madrid. Mercado de la Paz is one of the best: http://www.marketmanila.com/archives...e-ayala-madrid

The newly renovated Mercado San Miguel just off majestic Plaza Mayor is also fun for all kinds of tapas and a glass or two of anything. Not a usual food market anymore, but plenty of excellent food to enjoy in here: http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attract...el-Madrid.html
http://www.esmadrid.com/en/portal.do...&TR=C&IDR=1254

The newly renovated Atarazanaz food market from 1879 in Málaga. Some great tapas bars in here also. http://www.sarahmelamed.com/2012/11/...overed-market/

Chocolate con churros in next door Casa Aranda. One of my favourite cafés in all of Spain. http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran...Andalucia.html

The new harbor/Muelle uno should be fun for all of you. Right in Málaga city center:
http://www.andalucia.com/cities/malaga/muelle-uno.htm
http://www.muelleuno.com/
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractio...Andalucia.html

ribeirasacra

please do not do one nighters it means moving on the next day so all of that packing /unpacking...booing in and out , plus travelling around is time lost to sight seeing.
To give more advice is almost impossible you have not said why you have picked the locations you have thus there is no real reference as to good or bad choices we can make for you. Method of transport is missing. seeing as this trip is in a few weeks have you got everything booked?

Bedar

I think you must already know - drop off your car in Seville and take the train to Lisbon to avoid the horrendous charge of dropping it in another country.

emily71

I'm not sure how old your son is but I'd pick 4 bases and then do trips from there. Most kids don't like to up and move that much. 1 night in all those towns seems like a waste of time and money. You can do a daytrip to Cordoba from Madrid. If it were me I'd spend a few more days in Madrid.

rosebrownfamily

Thank you for all the advice.

I can definitely combine the single nights and just pick one base location. I love all the info about the markets and my son is very excited about the Chocolate con Churros! Tapas, tapas, tapas.....we can't wait!

It sounds like there are a lot of things to do in Malaga. Maybe that would be a good location for the longer stop. It is very close to our next destination (Marbella), but while in Malaga we can explore the towns to the east and the towns to the west while in Marbella.

We will have a car and my son is 9 years old.

If we are unable to get tickets for Alhambra, should we still visit Granada for a day trip?

The Algeciras Fair will be going on during our visit. Is that worth a visit?

Sounds like Ronda is a beautiful place for a day trip too!

We do have many of the hotels booked, but since most are Marriott properties, I can easily change the reservations.

I know we should probably spend more time in Madrid, but work will bring my husband there next year and I hope to join him for a couple weeks.

Thanks again for the advice!

Sassafrass

How are you getting to Denia? That is one long drive from Madrid to turn around and go right back to Toledo. Pretty area, but are you going to Denia because of hotel points? You would have to pay me to go from Madrid and back, using up so much time on the road. Is there no way your friends could meet you in Toledo sooner?

Ok, for timing, it is super rushed in places with one nt stops. All the one nt stops are killers.
1 day gives you only a glimpse of Madrid. There is a lovely park and lake. Your son might enjoy rowing a boat there.
You can day trip to Cordoba from Seville
I like Cadiz, but would not do a 1 nt.
Granada needs 2 nts, at least one very full day with morning and evening tickets to the Alhambra.
I would remove all the 1 nighters and add nights to Granada, Seville, Lisbon.
Flying all the way to Lisbon for only basically one day seems costly in time and money. Add a night there for sure.

Frankly, I would cut Denia altogether and add time to the other places, or cut time in Marbella, Malaga, etc.

Robert2533

"take the train to Lisbon" There is no direct train between Sevilla and Lisbon. Everything goes through Madrid. You can get to Libson from Sevilla by bus or private transfer, or head to the border and take the regional train from Vila Real de Santo António, Portugal, connecting to Lisbon.

Adding Dênia to the list puts a lot of pressure on you travels. Marriott Points do not make up for the wasted time of traveling to Dénia when it's your only stop on the Mediterranean Coast, a good 4 hours drive from Granada and slightly more than 4 hours from Madrid or Toledo.

And I take it Marbella is also on Marriott Points that you can't use in Malaga.

Revulgo

@rosebrownfamily
Info about tapas in Madrid:
http://goo.gl/maps/weziE

kimhe

When in Málaga city, you could do a day-trip to the spectacular Nerja caves some 35 mils east. Lived people here almost 30 000 years ago: http://www.cuevadenerja.es/index.php?lenguaje=en

Ayo serves one of the most famous paellas along the coast on the Burriana beach in Nerja. The same procedure for lunch every day since 1969. An institution in town, and the locals flock here especially for Sunday lunch: http://www.surinenglish.com/20080718...807181411.html
http://www.ayonerja.com/
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran...Andalucia.html

A few miles further east, you'll find the Aqua Tropic Park in Almuñécar: http://www.aqua-tropic.com/en/

And just east of Málaga city center, you'll find the very popular and mile long Acacias beaches in the El Palo/Pedregalejo district. Here you also find lots of fine and affordable waterfront restaurants that are very popular with locals: http://www.theguardian.com/travel/20...-breaks-travel