My Daughter and I wish to travel to Spain sometime in April. Would like advise on an itinerary which would include perhaps Seville, etc. We want a low key 5 or 6 days to enjoy the countryside, some Flamanco dancing and music and local foods dining. I cannot do stairs or mountains but level walking is just fine. Would appreciate your thoughts and experiences. Pat
SPAIN
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My first suggestion is always that new travelers get a guidebook so as to have a better idea of what is available to see.
Sevilla in April should be fun as long as you avoid the times of Semana Santa (Holy Week), when hotel princes are doubled and Sevilla is jammed. I believe there's a popular fair early in April also.
Don't get me wrong about Semana Santa. Seeing the processions is unforgettable, but unless you go to Sevilla specifically to see the celebrations, you'll be met by a horde of travelers and spectators.
Cordoba, with the fabulous Mezquita, is nearby, as are Ronda and Granada. Since you have so little time, I would settle for just one other city.
I think you need to do a little research on these other places and see what strikes your fancy.
My advice on an itinerary is similarly simple:
3 or 4 nights in Seville plus 2 nights in Cordoba OR Ronda OR Granada. That's about right for a 5 or 6 night stay in Andalusia.
A more typical time-frame for seeing more of Andalusia is two weeks.
On further reflection, some (important) parts of Ronda and Granada are very hilly. Just a heads up to consider while doing your research...
Since you will be flying internationally, and have less then one week, you should consider flying into and out of Sevilla. Iberia has a couple of one-stop flights from Miami to Sevilla through Madrid. One flight would get you into Sevilla at 1:00 pm, the other at 4:55 pm.
The first day will be pretty much of a loss due to the time change and adjusting to the dining times in Sevilla. And with only 5 to 6 days total, I would stick with Sevilla, with a possible day trip to Jerez de la Frontera for the horse show, Flamenco and Sherry. You can take the train and be there in about an hour.
Granada does not make for a good day trip from Sevilla. It's nearly 3 hours by car, just over 3 hours by train and up to 4 hours by bus.
It's generally considered good etiquette to give threads a proper, meaningful title. SPAIN doesn't really qualify in my opinion.
I think you should concentrate on wonderful Sevilla with perhaps a daytrip to either Córdoba with the Mezquita and Madinat al-Zahra, or Jerez de la Frontera for the horses, sherry and flamenco or perhaps small and charming Carmona.
No need to go to Jeréz to experience real deal flamenco, Sevilla is in itself very much a cradle of flamenco culture and it's all around town. Only top artists perform in intimate Casa de la Memória in Calle Cuna, 6. No food, no drinks, just flamenco and entrance is much less than the tablaos (flamenco restaurants). Watch out for Pastora Galván, she was voted best female flamenco dancer 2010 by Spanish critics and has used to dance here about once a week for a couple of years. But all artists performing here are up there, Adela Campallo, Rafael Campallo, La Choni etc. etc.
All the greatest flamenco artists in the world tour Sevilla theaters on a regular basis. On these events there will mostly be a local and knowledgeable crowd. Could be an experience for life. The program is updated here: http://www.deflamenco.com/conciertos-flamenco-en-sevilla.html
Sevilla is mostly flat and very walkable. Excellent info on this site: http://www.exploreseville.com/
Great recoemmndations for tapas bars and restaurants, Azahar lives here and knows what she's talking about. Be sure to visit places also outside the beautiful but very touristy Santa Cruz district. Much more local atmosphere in other parts of town: http://azahar-sevilla.com/sevilletapas/
Be aware that the Feria de Abril is celebrated April 16-21. Could be great fun, but be prepared: http://www.exploreseville.com/events/feriadeabril.htm