laneharlan

My husband and I are planning an anniversary road trip in October. We are 30's/40s age and love old architecture, eating, drinking, beaching, and art...

We were thinking of flying into Lisbon and driving somewhere in the Algarve Portugal to stay a couple nites on the beach.

Swimming OK in early october?

We want to then drive to Sevilla and Malaga and stay a couple nites each...leaning towards more time in Malaga.

Any day trip recommendations from any of these places?

Any towns we must visit?

We are even open to driving further east along the coast....

Thanks

MyriamC

Swimming in early October: the Atlantic is never really warm but if the weather is good, swimming should be possible. The seawater in the Mediterranean Sea (Málaga and further east) will be much warmer though, but the beaches are far less attractive.

There are a number of white towns that are easy to visit from Málaga. Check out Colmenar, Frigiliana, Ojén, Monda, Casares, ...

And the city of Málaga also deserves a few days, just as Sevilla.

Alec

You will not be able to drop off your Portuguese rental car in Spain, or pay something like 500 euro in drop-off fee. If you are driving back from Malaga to Lisbon, that's a fair long journey, about 700 km taking a good part of a day.

kimhe

Perhaps stop in small town (pop 40 000) Antequera on the way from Sevilla to Malaga?

Antequera is known as "the heart of Andalucía" or "the crossroads of Andalucía". Almost right in the middle of the Sevilla, Córdoba, Granada, Málaga rectangle. Here you'll find dolmens (some 5000 years old burial chambers), Roman baths, a Moorish Castle, Gothic churches, Renaissance fountains and Baroque bell towers. Antequera was the first of the Granada emirate towns to fall to the Christians in 1410. http://www.andaluciacoastandcountry....era-spain.html

I love the terrace in the corner of the peaceful square in front of the Real Colegiata de Santa María la Mayor, the first partly Renaissance-style church in Spain (built 1514-1550). Up here it's totally peace and quiet. Next to the recently excavated Roman baths beneath and looking up on the 13th century Moorish alcazaba/fortress. Great views over unique landscapes (the spectacular Torcal limestone mountain, The Lovers leap etc.). http://www.wild-about-travel.com/201...ing-antequera/

Swimming in Malaga will normally be perfectly fine in early October. Weather statistics for first half of October says average highs at 75-81F and 8 hours sun pr. day. Expect sea temperatures at 69-70F: http://www.seatemperature.org/europe...ga-october.htm

Malaga beaches, lots of good options close to the city center: http://www.spain-holiday.com/Malaga-...ty-beach-guide

About Malaga city - a clear favourite of mine - in The Guardian some ten days ago: http://www.theguardian.com/travel/20...rs-restaurants
"Málaga, Spain’s Self-Appointed New Arts Hub": http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/25/ar...-hub.html?_r=0
"City of museums: Málaga bets on culture to draw tourists and talent": http://www.theguardian.com/world/201...-culture-spain

laneharlan

Thank you- we are very much looking forward to seeing Malaga!
We want to rent a car because we like the control aspect and being able to stop and go where we please- despite the fee of returning in another country.

Itinerary ideas:
BALTIMORE- LISBON
RENT CAR or bus to Faro?

FARO (1 NITE) - is 1 nite enough here?

HUELVA lunch

SEVILLA (2 nites)

JEREZ (1 nite) we want to visit a sherry making facility

MALAGA (3 nites)

EL TORCAL NATIONAL PARK day trip?

CAESURAS horse riding ?

LAS ALPUJARRAS day trip, lajaron- traveled (hams), bubion (views) capileira (bars)

ORGIVA spend the nite?

MyriamC

Is there a reason for flying into Lisbon, then spend just one night in Portugal (Faro), then drive into Spain for the remainder of your holiday?
Faro is a pretty (and far underrated) city, but you can't see much of the Algarve in one day.

Also, driving all the way to Huelva to get to Sevilla ... IMO it's better to spend a few more hours in Sevilla. Faro-Sevilla is just a 2 hrs drive whereas detouring via Huelva is 4 and a half hours! Also note that you will lose one hour (Portugal is on GMT, Spain is on GMT+1).

Personally, I would not spend the night in Jerez (because I don't like 1 night stays). Jerez is an easy one hour drive from Sevilla.

MyriamC

Oops ... I was mistaken with my remark to drive via Huelva. Had another city in mind. Huelva might be an okay lunch stop (although I'd prefer to drive straight to Sevilla).

As to beaches ... the Algarve beaches are spectacular, but if you want to see the western Algarve - with the rocks on the beach - you need more days there. If you were thinking of beaches around Faro and east of Faro ... the beaches at the Costa de la Luz (near Jerez, Cádiz and my favourite Conil de la Frontera) are equally beautiful!

Alec

As you are spending most of your time in Spain, just fly into Malaga (lots of flights via other European cities - one direct US flight by Delta from JFK), rent a car there and tour.

laneharlan

If we were to spend more time in Algarve- where should we stay? Worried mid october won't yield much beach time...open to more exploring algarve before going into spain...

also open to just doing more spanish beaches as opposed to portugese- could fly into malaga instead of lisbon like the reccomendation

MyriamC

Yes, do fly into Málaga. As I said before, the beaches at the Costa de la Luz (roughly between Tarifa (the southernmost point in Spain) and Cádiz) are beautiful. Like this (pic taken in Conil de la Frontera).
http://s29.postimg.org/6v7q1l1qv/DSC08734.jpg

IMO, Southern Spain has more to offer than the Algarve, even if it isn't really beach weather (but it normally IS still beach weather mid October). You could make a nice loop (which is what we did last year - we had three full weeks). We started in Málaga (stayed 5 days for sightseeing and beach), moved to Granada, then Córdoba, then Sevilla, all for a few days, then Conil de la Frontera for a week (drove to Cádiz and Jerez and enjoyed the beach), then back to Málaga for our flight home.

kimhe

The Maro beach, some 40 mins drive east of Malaga city, was recently voted #2 beach in Spain: http://www.spain-holiday.com/Maro/ar...caleta-de-maro

Also miles of wide beaches in Torre del Mar 20 min drive east of Malaga city. First and foremost popular with Spanish tourists: http://www.torredelmartoday.com/torre-del-mar-beaches/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apafvopsnKY

And just east of Torre del Mar, you have charming Caleta de Velez with another km beach: http://www.visitcostadelsol.com/thin...a-beach-p21321
http://www.absoluteaxarquia.com/areas/caleta.html

laneharlan

I just booked our tickets...we have 11 days total not including travel days.

Flying into Madrid then taking the AVE train to sevilla

SEVILLA for 2 or 3 nites...

day trips to jerez and cadiz (or sleep there for nightlife?)

day trip to carvoeiro, portugal?

Then the plan is to stay in Malaga for 5 nights as a home base for other day trips....

drive through las alpujarras?

nerja?

orgiva?

kimhe

With Malaga city as a base, I recommend to visit Antequera, the so called heart of Andalucia. 30-40 mins drive North of Malaga city. Doesn't get much more genuine Andalucia than this, and spectacular landscapes with the Torcal mountain, the Peña de los Enamorados (Lovers' leap) etc.
http://www.andaluciacoastandcountry....era-spain.html
http://wild-about-travel.com/2011/07...ing-antequera/
http://www.andaluciacoastandcountry.com/tapaspain.html

The Alpujarras is beautiful: http://www.rusticblue.com/andalucia_...alpujarras.php

So is the Axarquia part of the Malaga region, just east of Malaga city: http://www.rusticblue.com/andalucia_...a_axarquia.php

If you go to Nerja, visit the huge caves, lived people here 30 000 years ago: http://www.cuevadenerja.es/index.php?lenguaje=en

Many great restaurants in Nerja, but I recommend to splurge on the freshest fish and seafood in typical and very popular freiduria La Marina. Conchas finas (the pride of the malaga coast, shells that taste pure sea and heaven), navajas, vieiras, gambas, langostinos etc. etc. http://www.guideofnerja.com/pages/gu.../marina_en.htm

In Nerja, you'll get free tapas to choose with every glass of whatever in the bar area in about every Spanish restaurant or tapas bar. A glass of wine/beer and a tapa would normally be some 1,50-2€. Some places are amazing (favourites include El Pulguilla close to landmark Balcon de Europa and La Puntilla in the heart of the old town). http://www.nerjatoday.com/barsandrestaurants/

Or perhaps go for the famous paella in Ayo's right on the Burriana Beach. Same routine every day since 1969. Sunday lunch is a highlight of the week for many nerjeños, and it has been suggested that they serve some 2000 portions of paella on a good Sunday. Eat as much as you like for 7,50€. Lunch only. http://www.ayonerja.com/chiringuito_en.html

Cowboy1968

Carvoeiro would be too far away for a day trip for my taste.
It's a 500kms return trip.
In addition, the seaside resort town itself is not amazingly pretty.
Along the eastern/central Algarve, I find Tavira and Faro nice to visit. And Lagos at (almost) the Western end of the Algarve.
With regard to natural beauty, I find the Westernmost part between Lagos and Sagres most beautiful as there are no big resort towns. And the SE end of Europe at Cabo Sao Vicente plus the Southernmost part of the West Coast. But all of that would be way too much for a day trip from Sevilla, IMO.

If you wanted a different sight of nature in easy access from Sevilla, you could explore the Donana National Park.

In addition, you may also want to check if the "White Villages/Towns" of nearby Arcos, Medina-Sidonia or Vejer could be of interest to you.

laneharlan

Thanks-

himhe I see you know a lot about the flamenco scene...

We will be in Seville Oct 10-13 or 14th, any recommendations on flamenco shows?

I remember I visited once when I was very young and went into a show that seemed to be in a basement. It was very nice and raw but I can't remember the name!

kimhe

No major theater performances scheduled for your dates in Sevilla (many of the finest flamencos in the world in theaters around town through much of September), but real deal performances in small theaters and flamenco clubs (peñas) is updated here: http://www.guiaflama.com/flamenco-en-sevilla/

I can also recommend the every night shows in intimate Casa de la Memoria or La Casa del Flamenco. Popular with tourists, but only great artists - who change all the time - perform here. All the basic elements in every performance, cante (song), toque (guitar) and baile (dance, both male and female dancer). No food, no drinks, just flamenco for some 60 minutes.
http://www.casadelamemoria.es/
http://www.lacasadelflamencosevilla.com/

The sevillana Pastora Galvan was voted best female flamenco dancer 2010 by Spansih critics, and she has danced almost once a week in Casa de la Memoria for many years: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2SBUcrJgeQ

Lucia Alvares "La Piñona" dances every now and then in La Casa del Flamenco: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSlP-XTBvfE
So does Alberto Selles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsNyk0eUU9k

bilboburgler

You might like Tavira, both for its Roman Bridge and white buildings all around, also for the old tuna factory (now a hotel) and finally for the train that runs on sand out to the Atlantic after the salt pans and the short boat trip.

laneharlan

I have just booked the hotels-

Looks like we are staying 3 nights in Seville and 5 nights in Malaga...looking to do many day trips! Will rent a car for the Malaga portion of the trip.

Thank you kindly for all your help. If you have anything to recommend please do!

We are bar and restaurant owners and love to eat and drink

laneharlan

By hotels I meant apartments via airbnb...great deals!

laneharlan

So we've got 2 nights uncovered...flying out of madrid..we were thinking either two nights in madrid or

1 night in toledo
1 night in madrid....

thoughts?