I'll be attending a conference in Seville in late Sept/early Oct and will have a few extra days before I fly home to do some sightseeing. The conference wraps up on a Thursday and I will likely fly home the following Monday, which leaves Friday-Sunday free. I'm looking for some ideas of where to spend this extra time.

The current plan is to fly in and out of Madrid and travel by train (or bus) in Spain, so wherever I go must be easily reached by train or bus. I don't have my plane tickets yet, so I could potentially fly home (to San Francisco) from a different city. I've been to Spain a few times before - Madrid, Leon, and walked part of the Camino de Santiago. My Spanish is decent, so that's not an impediment to travel. I'll be traveling by myself and am looking for a town or city with interesting architecture, places of historical significance, someplace with good food and friendly bars. I'm interested in a variety of things and really just want to see more of Spain. I know I could find plenty to do and see in Madrid for 3 days, but I want to take the opportunity to see another part of Spain.

I am considering just staying on in Seville for a couple of days after the conference, but I am open to other ideas as well. I will have a chance to see some of Seville in the afternoons and evenings during the conference. Toledo looks interesting. I've also thought about going somewhere on the coast, which I know nothing about - other than hearing about the craziness in the summer time with at the British tourists I could happily spend a few days in the warm sunshine, and it will be October so I imagine the summer crowds will be gone.

Malaga is a lovely costal town..a couple of hours by train from Seville.

Cordoba is very close and one of the most old-looking cities in Europe IME - and it has a former mosque now a Christian cathedral that is stunning - easy day trip from Seville - Toledo is much further (and also to me Spain's finest old city but Cordoba comes close. Check train schedules at www.renfe.com - Spanish Railways - AVE tickets can be cheap if you book far in advance but I believe regional trains run that route at walk up prices that are affordable but of course take longer. www.seat61.com has great info on discounted tickets - for general info on Spanish trains: www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com.

You could also day trip to Jerez de la Frontera if you like to see the famous behemoth Adalusian Riding School horses going thru their practices and also tour any of several sheryy companies (sherry being an English corruption of the word Jerez - the sherry market being for long dominated by English importers appealing to old ladies penchant for the drink - hot or cool. Jerez is about an hour by train - similar to Cordoba.

Go to Cordoba and then on to Granada. From there back to Madrid and out.

Stay in Sevilla, the undisputed queen of the cities in the South. <interesting architecture, places of historical significance, someplace with good food and friendly bars>, thats's Sevilla. http://www.andalucia.com/cities/sevilla.htm

Or go down to 3000 year old Malaga city by the Med. Genuine and laid-back Andalucian atmosphere, important Roman, Moorish and Christian sights right in the city center, and friendly bars and good (honest, not fancy) food is Malaga's middle name. 1h 55 mins with train from Sevilla, and a huge int airport in Malaga. You could expect warm sunshine and the by then declining summer crowds tend to go to the more touristy resorts west of Malaga city. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/de...pt-secret.html

PalenQ and Bedar's suggestion of Cordoba is also a very good one. The most important city in Europe in the 10th and 11th century, and it still shows why. 42 mins with the high speed AVE train from Sevilla. This gives you an idea of the Cordoba "life and spirit": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyfGdpF55Uk

You've got a luxcury problem...

Sevilla would be a great choice. If you feel like you've seen enough of Sevilla in your off-conference moments, Cordoba would be my choice (JMO), but other options include Granada, Ronda and the white villages, and a bunch of other places, all of which are winners IMO. A good guidebook or two should help you choose -- and it will probably be a difficult choice -- good luck!

I would probably spend another day in Seville - which has a TON to see and then head for Cordoba which is charming and lovely. (I hate to exclude Granada - but we really enjoyed Cordoba more.)

Our favorite spot on our last trip (although we loved virtually everywhere we traveled) was Toledo. We spent 2 1/2 days there and could have spent another one. It's a long trip ride and you have to connect in Madrid.

My other choice would be Granada. We spent 2 1/2 days there, too.

Both them we liked much, much more than Cordoba.

...although Cordoba has the Mezquita, which might be the most incredible sight we saw on our entire trip (we're still tabulating the votes). You might take a day trip there and spend the rest of the time in Sevilla.

BTW, I loved Toledo, too! But it is very easily reached from Madrid, which has a major international airport. Getting to the cities in Andalusia is a bit more complicated for many of us; hence my recommendation to focus on places near Sevilla.

With only three days, I think I'd avoid too long on trains or buses to maximise your time. Can you fly back to home from Barcelona? Train from Madrid would then be the only time in transit and 3 days in the city especially over a weekend would be busy but fantastic.

another sweet day trip from Seville is to take a bus to the fabled perched white villages east of Seville - but yes you do not have much time - so many options so little time.

Both Malaga city and Cordoba are easy to reach from Sevilla, and the high speed AVE train takes you to Madrid from both cities in no time (Malaga-Madrid 2h. 30 mins, Cordoba-madrid 1h. 40 mins, Sevilla-Madrid 2h. 30 mins) And as said, a huge int airport in Malaga (and Malaga is 50 mins from Cordoba with the AVE train).

But three days is little time for just Sevilla alone: http://www.exploreseville.com/51things.htm

... and regarding "good food, friendly bars", here are a few suggestions in Malaga based on frequent travels here the past thirteen years.

- El Cortijo de Pepe, excellent traditional no fuss tapas bar, also sit down meals, but I use to line up in the bar: http://baresdeandalucia.com/cortijo-de-pepe/

- More cutting edge at Dom Vinos, excellent place and very serious about their wines: http://azahar-spain.com/azahartapas/dom-vinos/

- Nerva for a great lunch with the locals: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran...Andalucia.html

- fabulous Malaga wines on barrel in Antigua Casa de Guardia from 1840. Not much have changed since then. Combine with some conchas finas, the pride of the Malaga coast - with a sprinkle of lemon and some pepper - and you're in heaven. http://antiguacasadeguardia.com/

- Casa Aranda is perhaps my favourite cafe in all of Spain: http://www.casa-aranda.net/

- Later in the evening and into the night, Bodega El Pimpi is an institution in town: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEeWyHdIJ5c

- Some places of historical significance (there are many, many more): http://www.malagaturismo.com/en/sect...al-monuments/4
http://www.andalucia.com/cities/malaga/history.htm

If you stay on in Sevilla, Azahar lives here and knows what she's talking about when it comes to tapas bars. Check out her guide by district/barrio and be sure to go to places outside the famous Santa Cruz area. Many fine places there as well, but the best and more local atmosphere places you'll find in El Arenal and in the San Lorenzo/San Vicente areas. http://azahar-sevilla.com/sevilletapas/

Also highly recommend the vibrant Alameda/Macarena district as well as Triana, right across the bridge over the Guadalquivir river. Lots of great tapas bars and excellent nightlife in both areas. And Triana is a cradle of flamenco culture:
http://www.andalucia.com/cities/seville/triana.htm

If you go to Córdoba, I suggest you go only some 300 meters north of the Mezquita and the most touristy area and into Roman Córdoba around central Plaza de las Tendillas and Plaza de la Corredera. Great terraces long into the night in Plaza de las Tendillas, at least in the week-ends, and early October should be warm enough for small hours in the open. More local atmosphere up here and affordable and traditional tabernas on every corner. Taberna Salinas is one of the more famous, recommended by the Michelin guide: http://www.tabernasalinas.com/

Or perhaps go to La Cazuela, just off Plaza de la Corredera. http://lacazueladelaesparteria.es/

Here's a list of more tabernas in Córdoba. http://www.cordoba24.info/tavernen/h...vernen_en.html

Seville is one of my favorite cities! We toured the bull ring where there were no fights, but an interesting tour and education about bull fighting. A food tour is always fun and ours was in Triana across the river from Seville. I still day dream about the food! Wish I had spent more time in Granada, there is loads to see and do there besides the Alhambra. Enjoy your extra few days! I'm jealous!

If you will not have much time to sight see during your conference I suggest staying in Sevilla those days and doing a daytrip to Cordoba. Also, not sure if Iberia flies from San Francisco , but if they do maybe look into flying with them with a flight connection in Madrid to Sevilla and the same on your way home (unless you want to spend anytime in Madrid).

Visit as much as you can, go to Cordoba, Granada and Malaga. I think every single city in Andalucia has something great, nice views, good food and friendly people, search for airbnb, there are nice people who likes to meet people from another countries.

It does not make sense to go all the way to Andalucia and not see the alhambra. You can visit cordoba as a daytrip from Seville. I would spend an extra night in Seville and two nights in Granada.

Thanks for all the idea. It gives me a lot to consider - it does appear that there isn't any wrong answer here, just a matter of what I want to do I like those types of choices.