Scenic route, Madrid to Marbella
Oct 27th, 2004, 06:53 PM
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Scenic route, Madrid to Marbella
Hello
I am planning a trip for early July 2005. We, (2 families with 4 older teens), are flying into Madrid, spending the day sightseeing. We need a hotel for the night. 4 stars would be good.Inter Placio San Martin Hotel,Hotel Villa Real are 2 choices.
We are then renting a car and traveling to Toledo for the greater part of the day and then on to Almagro. Should we stay somewhere in this area overnight? Any suggestions as to where would be appreciated. Also, restaurant ideas are needed.
The next day we are hoping to drive from Almagro, through Bailen, to Ubeda and several other small towns until we get to Cordoba. In Cordoba, I was hoping to stay at the NH Armistad, but can't seem to get reservations through any of the websites. Is July 1st a festival?
On Sat. we will spend part of the day sightseeing and then make the long trek to Marbella where we have rented an apt. at the Hacienda Playa. Anyone heard of it? It is on Elvira Beach.
For the next week we will take various day trips to Ronda, Granada, Seville,Gibraltar, Market day in Fuengirola and mijas.
I welcome any suggestions. We need restaurants, local culture, interesting leather, lace and pottery places etc.
Thanks for your time.
Laurie
I am planning a trip for early July 2005. We, (2 families with 4 older teens), are flying into Madrid, spending the day sightseeing. We need a hotel for the night. 4 stars would be good.Inter Placio San Martin Hotel,Hotel Villa Real are 2 choices.
We are then renting a car and traveling to Toledo for the greater part of the day and then on to Almagro. Should we stay somewhere in this area overnight? Any suggestions as to where would be appreciated. Also, restaurant ideas are needed.
The next day we are hoping to drive from Almagro, through Bailen, to Ubeda and several other small towns until we get to Cordoba. In Cordoba, I was hoping to stay at the NH Armistad, but can't seem to get reservations through any of the websites. Is July 1st a festival?
On Sat. we will spend part of the day sightseeing and then make the long trek to Marbella where we have rented an apt. at the Hacienda Playa. Anyone heard of it? It is on Elvira Beach.
For the next week we will take various day trips to Ronda, Granada, Seville,Gibraltar, Market day in Fuengirola and mijas.
I welcome any suggestions. We need restaurants, local culture, interesting leather, lace and pottery places etc.
Thanks for your time.
Laurie
Oct 27th, 2004, 08:38 PM
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Laurie,
How much time are you planning on spending on your way to Marbella? Most of what you've covered sounds good, but any recommendations regarding your route and restaurants would depend on how much time you have before reaching Marbella.
How much time are you planning on spending on your way to Marbella? Most of what you've covered sounds good, but any recommendations regarding your route and restaurants would depend on how much time you have before reaching Marbella.
Oct 28th, 2004, 10:25 AM
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The H. Palacio San Martin is a good option, as is the Hotel Villa Real. Of the two, I would go with the H. Palacio San Martin if you like something with a little more history and charme and it's also good value. We recently stayed at the Hotel Villa de La Reina which is on the Gran Via, #22, a great location, not far from the Palacio San Martin. Rates for these two are fairly comparable.
There is a nice Parador in Almagro. We stopped there for lunch in the spring of 2003. It's a little over two hours drive from Toledo to Almagro following the N401 south through Ciudad Real. So if you are going to be in Toledo until late in the afternoon, the drive to Almagro shouldn't be a problem. The restaurant at the Parador serves an excellent meal, typical of La Mancha, and is highly recommended. The Parador would be a good choice for your first night on the road to Marbella.
I would skip staying in Cordoba and consider stopping for your second night at the Parador in Úbeda. The drive form Almagro to Cordoba takes about 3 hours and it's another 2 hours to Úbeda. The countryside here is much nicer, in the heart of olive country, and the Parador is an excellent place to spend the evening. The village is very walkable. There is also a lot of history here.
For your third and final night on the road to Marbella, I suggest stopping in Ronda, about a 4 hour drive from Úbeda. Here you have several good options to choose from for a place to spend the nigh, including another Parador. Ronda is one of those unique Andalusian villages that shouldn't be missed.
From here, you can take the A369, the route of the white villages, or continue on the A376 to Marbella. The drive in on the A376 give you some spectacular view of the coast. You can even see Gibraltar on a clear day.
For restaurants, other than the Parador in Almagro, I recommend Tragabuches in Ronda, Mesón la Molienda in Benalauria (off of the A369). Restaurante El Caballo Rojo or El Aljube Mesón in Cordoba, and Taberna El Antojo, a great little tapas bar in Toledo. The Parador in Úbeda also has an excellent menu.
There is a nice Parador in Almagro. We stopped there for lunch in the spring of 2003. It's a little over two hours drive from Toledo to Almagro following the N401 south through Ciudad Real. So if you are going to be in Toledo until late in the afternoon, the drive to Almagro shouldn't be a problem. The restaurant at the Parador serves an excellent meal, typical of La Mancha, and is highly recommended. The Parador would be a good choice for your first night on the road to Marbella.
I would skip staying in Cordoba and consider stopping for your second night at the Parador in Úbeda. The drive form Almagro to Cordoba takes about 3 hours and it's another 2 hours to Úbeda. The countryside here is much nicer, in the heart of olive country, and the Parador is an excellent place to spend the evening. The village is very walkable. There is also a lot of history here.
For your third and final night on the road to Marbella, I suggest stopping in Ronda, about a 4 hour drive from Úbeda. Here you have several good options to choose from for a place to spend the nigh, including another Parador. Ronda is one of those unique Andalusian villages that shouldn't be missed.
From here, you can take the A369, the route of the white villages, or continue on the A376 to Marbella. The drive in on the A376 give you some spectacular view of the coast. You can even see Gibraltar on a clear day.
For restaurants, other than the Parador in Almagro, I recommend Tragabuches in Ronda, Mesón la Molienda in Benalauria (off of the A369). Restaurante El Caballo Rojo or El Aljube Mesón in Cordoba, and Taberna El Antojo, a great little tapas bar in Toledo. The Parador in Úbeda also has an excellent menu.
Oct 28th, 2004, 06:38 PM
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Laurie,
I'm not sure what's going on that weekend, but you can check out the following official web site for Andalucia to see what's happening during that week. It only shows the festivals in May. We're always in northern Spain during early July and just can't think of anything going on durng the first week of July.
http://www.andalucia.com/cities/cordoba.htm
If you really want to stay in Cordoba, then you may want to contact our friends at Totally Spain ([email protected]) to see if they know what's going on and see if they can arrange something for you. You can use my Fodros name if you wish.
I'm not sure what's going on that weekend, but you can check out the following official web site for Andalucia to see what's happening during that week. It only shows the festivals in May. We're always in northern Spain during early July and just can't think of anything going on durng the first week of July.
http://www.andalucia.com/cities/cordoba.htm
If you really want to stay in Cordoba, then you may want to contact our friends at Totally Spain ([email protected]) to see if they know what's going on and see if they can arrange something for you. You can use my Fodros name if you wish.
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