30 Adventurous Days in Spain! ----suggestions appreciated
Jun 22nd, 2015, 10:59 PM
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30 Adventurous Days in Spain! ----suggestions appreciated
Hey everyone,
Just hoping to get some tips from you Spain experts on our itinerary. We are a group of 5 friends from Canada where 2 are fluent in Spanish. We will be there Aug 22-Sep 22. We all have backpacking experience but have never been to Europe. We are early 20s, and the adventurous type (i.e., hiking, camping parties, trying local/street foods). None of us are foodies or fans of art, and are also not huge into lounging on the beach or going to tourist traps.
We will have a car rented from Granada onwards.
We made a tough call to forego Portugal and Asturias/Galicia for a future trip for fear of cramming too much into too little time.
Madrid - 3 days (day trip to Segovia, touring the city)
Valencia - 3 days (La Tomatina and exploring the city)
Ibiza - 3 days (needless to say
)
Granada - 4 days (Alhambra, Alpujarras and possibly Sierra Nevada, explore city)
Tangier/Gibraltar - 2 days (hike Rock of Gibraltar and day trip around Moroccan market)
Jerez de la Frontera & Cadiz - 1 day (winery tour and visit the port)
Seville - 4 days (check out Torresol, Pueblos Blancos, Ronda, see a Flamenco show)
Cordoba - day trip
Long haul drive to San Sebastian - 1 day (Maybe overnighting in a tent in one of the national parks)
cross the Pyrenees - 4 days (stopping in Pau, Gavarnie, Ordesa Canyon National Park, Besalu)
Costa Brava - 3 days (Peratallaba, Aigua Blava, Callala de Palafrugell) - 2 days
Barcelona - 3 days
Thank you very much in advance.
PS: We are debating whether to go for hostels or AirBnB. Given or group size, AirBNB is more bang for the buck, but we fear we would miss out on the traveller interaction. Anybody have first hand advice?
Just hoping to get some tips from you Spain experts on our itinerary. We are a group of 5 friends from Canada where 2 are fluent in Spanish. We will be there Aug 22-Sep 22. We all have backpacking experience but have never been to Europe. We are early 20s, and the adventurous type (i.e., hiking, camping parties, trying local/street foods). None of us are foodies or fans of art, and are also not huge into lounging on the beach or going to tourist traps.
We will have a car rented from Granada onwards.
We made a tough call to forego Portugal and Asturias/Galicia for a future trip for fear of cramming too much into too little time.
Madrid - 3 days (day trip to Segovia, touring the city)
Valencia - 3 days (La Tomatina and exploring the city)
Ibiza - 3 days (needless to say
)Granada - 4 days (Alhambra, Alpujarras and possibly Sierra Nevada, explore city)
Tangier/Gibraltar - 2 days (hike Rock of Gibraltar and day trip around Moroccan market)
Jerez de la Frontera & Cadiz - 1 day (winery tour and visit the port)
Seville - 4 days (check out Torresol, Pueblos Blancos, Ronda, see a Flamenco show)
Cordoba - day trip
Long haul drive to San Sebastian - 1 day (Maybe overnighting in a tent in one of the national parks)
cross the Pyrenees - 4 days (stopping in Pau, Gavarnie, Ordesa Canyon National Park, Besalu)
Costa Brava - 3 days (Peratallaba, Aigua Blava, Callala de Palafrugell) - 2 days
Barcelona - 3 days
Thank you very much in advance.
PS: We are debating whether to go for hostels or AirBnB. Given or group size, AirBNB is more bang for the buck, but we fear we would miss out on the traveller interaction. Anybody have first hand advice?
Jun 23rd, 2015, 04:20 AM
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None on where to stay as that isn't our style or price point.
The one thing I will mention is that southern Spain is shockingly hot in summer. 100 degrees is common and it can get as high as 120 degrees. Naturally the coast is somewhat cooler but as soon as you are away from it you need to change you style of travel in the summer.
Lodging must have strong AC and a good pool - since trying to do anything in the afternoon is extremely difficult. Locals (shops and restaurants and some sights) close in the afternoon so people can have some rest in the cool before emerging in the early evening, when everything reopens.
Be sure you take this into account, always have water so you stay hydrated and if you start to feel overheated, dizzy or nauseous get into the cool immediately.
We travel that area only in April which is summer enough for us - temps in the upper 80s but it does cool down at night.
It can also get very hot in the north:
We've had temps of 99 in late April in Madrid
In July we drove from SS to Barcelona and stopped for lunch on the way; it was so hot the restaurant's tarmac parking lot was starting to melt and the heels of my sandals were sinking in
Naturally San Sebastian and the north will have a totally different climate.
The one thing I will mention is that southern Spain is shockingly hot in summer. 100 degrees is common and it can get as high as 120 degrees. Naturally the coast is somewhat cooler but as soon as you are away from it you need to change you style of travel in the summer.
Lodging must have strong AC and a good pool - since trying to do anything in the afternoon is extremely difficult. Locals (shops and restaurants and some sights) close in the afternoon so people can have some rest in the cool before emerging in the early evening, when everything reopens.
Be sure you take this into account, always have water so you stay hydrated and if you start to feel overheated, dizzy or nauseous get into the cool immediately.
We travel that area only in April which is summer enough for us - temps in the upper 80s but it does cool down at night.
It can also get very hot in the north:
We've had temps of 99 in late April in Madrid
In July we drove from SS to Barcelona and stopped for lunch on the way; it was so hot the restaurant's tarmac parking lot was starting to melt and the heels of my sandals were sinking in
Naturally San Sebastian and the north will have a totally different climate.
Jun 23rd, 2015, 06:32 AM
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I would probably cut out the time in Tangier/Gibraltar. Morocco is fabulous, but deserves its own trip and time: I don't think wandering around the souk and medina for a few hours is a great use of your time.
Then add the time to San Sebastian: even not being into food, the city is beautiful and seductive, and gives you great access for mountain biking the Basque Coast. Plus it will be a welcome reprieve from the extreme heat of the south.
I'm 28, but don't tend to stay in hostels: I'd rather connect with locals than fellow tourists, so I do use Air BnB in addition to a range of hotels from small guesthouses to luxury hotels all on the same trip. Maybe do a mix of Air BnB and hostels? For longer stays in one place (Madrid, Granada, Seville, Barcelona) getting an apartment in a neighborhood of interest would be a fun way to better get to know the cities and their inhabitants. Or you might choose to hostel in the larger cities to save significant Euros even versus apartment rentals. Mixing it up is a good approach.
Then add the time to San Sebastian: even not being into food, the city is beautiful and seductive, and gives you great access for mountain biking the Basque Coast. Plus it will be a welcome reprieve from the extreme heat of the south.
I'm 28, but don't tend to stay in hostels: I'd rather connect with locals than fellow tourists, so I do use Air BnB in addition to a range of hotels from small guesthouses to luxury hotels all on the same trip. Maybe do a mix of Air BnB and hostels? For longer stays in one place (Madrid, Granada, Seville, Barcelona) getting an apartment in a neighborhood of interest would be a fun way to better get to know the cities and their inhabitants. Or you might choose to hostel in the larger cities to save significant Euros even versus apartment rentals. Mixing it up is a good approach.
Jun 23rd, 2015, 09:08 AM
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You will not be allowed to camp anywhere in Spain or France unless you have reservations at a campground. It's just not done.
Septemeber in San Sebastián-Donostia is high season. The weather will be in the mid-70s on most days.
Septemeber in San Sebastián-Donostia is high season. The weather will be in the mid-70s on most days.
