10 days in andalucia spain
 

Please help. I am planning 10 days in March 2016 and the more I read the more I change my plans. I was planning on driving and will start and end in Valencia.(unless there is a better place)? then the rest is up in the air. Is benidorm worth it? or Malaga versus Ronda? I plan to see Seville, Granada and Cordoba, but how long seems to vary daily. We enjoy moving around a lot so the speed of this trip doesn't concern me We find a couple days in most places are good for a first trip. I just want to hit the high points. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

This could give you some good ideas
http://andalucia.com/
"Top ten": http://www.andalucia.com/top10s/home.htm

I've been to Málaga twice, for Semana Santa. It's a great place for Semana Santa, but aside from being a nice little city, I wasn't as impressed with it as I was with Ronda.

Why are you beginning and ending in Valencia? I would start in Sevilla.

I also wonder how/why you picked that as a start point. I know there is a direct flight from London on Easyjet there (and I'm sure Ryanair from some places, but otherwise, I wouldn't think it a very convenient start point as most people fly into Madrid (or maybe Barcelona). Although you can get there in a couple hours on AVE from Madrid, I think, so maybe in that sense it doesn't make any difference compared to Seville (although I flew into Seville from Brussels, a flight from US with only one stop, and I can't fly direct into Madrid or BCN anyway).

I wouldn't go to Benidorm. It's skyscrapers-by-the-sea plus it's too cold for the beach in March. If you're going into Valencia, perhaps you'd enjoy Las Fallas festival March 15-19. From there I'd head for Granada, Cordoba, and Seville. Both Ronda and Malaga are good destinations, if you have the time. In 2016 Easter is March 27, and the week before is Semana Santa. While the big processions in Seville and Malaga are interesting, it is very crowded and prices for hotels are higher. Think you have some research to do.

You could fly in and out of the big international airport in Malaga. 3000 year old Malaga is also a great city in itself. But as Bedar says, Semana Santa is very serious business here, devotion and fiesta hand in hand 24/7 for the whole week, extremely crowded and higher prices. Could be an experience for life if you are prepared for what will hit you:
http://www.andalucia.com/festival/easter/malaga.htm http://www.semana-santa-malaga.com/e...ek-malaga.html

About Malaga city in Guardian yesterday: http://www.theguardian.com/travel/20...rs-restaurants

"Malaga: Spain's best kept secret", in Telgraph a couple of months ago: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/de...pt-secret.html

Have got tons of tips about things to see, explore, experience and do here.

Thanks everyone for all your advice. It has given me more to think about. As for why Valencia, coming from Canada it has the best flights for us. otherwise it's over 35 hours and 3 stops home which holds no appeal what so ever. We would rather drive a few extra hours.
Cheers

We did 9 nights in Granada, Sevilla and Malaga. See if this helps:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-with-kids.cfm

Sevilla, Granada, and Cordoba are gems, IMO -- should be a great trip!

How long for each place and which places, all together, really depends on what YOU want to see and experience. I recommend that you consult a good guidebook or two (always a worthy investment, IME, but you can also check your local library), note the things that you most want to see and experience, check their opening hours (lots of things in Spain are closed for long lunches, are closed on Mondays, and are closed on Sunday afternoons), and mark them on a calendar. Block out your time for transportation, checking into / out of hotels, meals, etc. Then see where you stand.

I have to admit that I'm surprised that it is easier for you to get to Valencia than Madrid, from which you could take a high speed train to Sevilla. Learn something new every day!

Living on the US West Coast, I do understand how awfully long those flights can be, but try to see if you can find a flight into Madrid and then either take the high speed train south or pick up your rental car there and drive south. Valencia is really too far out of the way and you only have 10 days.
Last month we got to Madrid and were supposed to have a 4 hr wait for our flight to Malaga. It turned out to be a 6 hr wait.
Next year we plan to fly to the East Coast, spend a couple of days with a friend there, carry on to Madrid, and pick up a car to drive south, as we usually do.
Believe me, you don't want to hear about our award ticket flights to Amsterdam on Delta last year. Awful, just horrible. Needless to say, we've dropped Delta's program.

sorry I meant getting to Malaga or Seville was difficult. Madrid and the train may be the best way to go. Again I really love all this help!

Good for you getting a good price for the flight to Valencia. It always seems like such work to get over there. Valencia is on our list.

The high speed AVE train take you from Madrid to Cordoba, Sevilla and Malaga in no time, city center to city center. 1h 40 mins Cordoba, 2h 30 mins Sevilla and Malaga.

The Fallas festival in Valencia is amazing. If you can get lodging, stay there for a few nights.

Some suggested "high points" on a ten days driving trip.

- The Mezquita in Cordoba, the most important city in Europe in the 10th and 11th century. http://www.lonelyplanet.com/spain/an...gious/mezquita

- Alhambra in Granada: http://www.andalucia.com/cities/gran...hamhistory.htm

- The drive down the "Suspiro del Moro" road from Granada to the Med: http://www.holavalencia.net/2010/02/...and-almunecar/

- Then you are close to the Nerja Caves, lived people here more than 30 000 years ago: http://www.cuevadenerja.es/index.php?lenguaje=en

- Have a typical Malaga lunch with the locals in one of the many great seafront restaurants in El Palo/Pedregalejo, just east of Malaga city. For example El Caleño: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran...Andalucia.html

- 3000 year old Malaga: http://www.theguardian.com/travel/20...rs-restaurants

- A short drive to Ronda: http://www.andalucia.com/ronda/home.htm

- Then on to spend the rest of the time in Sevilla, the undisputed queen of the cities in Andalucia: http://www.exploreseville.com/

Thanks Kimhe, I believe that's just what I was looking for!

And Madrid to Cordoba is only 1h 40 mins on the high speed AVE Train. Then you could pick up a rental car at the train station in Cordoba, and then you could have a fabulous round-trip ahead. Pehaps leave the car in Sevilla and take the high speed AVE train back to Madrid in 2h 30 mins.

Hello,
I believe I have my itinerary worked and would appreciate some advice on where to stay for one night in costa del sol.
THere are too many choices.
thanks

<advice on where to stay for one night in costa del sol.>

3000 year old Malaga city itself if you want big city, museums, history, great tapas bars, restaurants and nightlife.

Maro if you want very small and easy-going, and one of the finest beaches in Andalucia: http://www.absoluteaxarquia.com/areas/maro.html

Nerja - Moorish Narixa - is in between. Touristy, but it has has retained much of its small town Andalucian charm, especially in the old town up from Calle Carabeo along the cliffs, the oldest street in town. Fabulous tapas bars and restaurants: http://www.nerjatoday.com/