Vera

In March my husband and I traveled by car for three weeks in Spain. We stayed one week in a time share on the Costa del Sol and spent every day driving into the mountains, visiting white villages. Among them, Casares, Antiquerra, Gaucin, Mijas, Ronda. Then went to Granada for two nights, overnighted at Baeza and Carmona, and spent three nights in Sevilla. We ended with three nights in Madrid.<BR>I have already added some comments to some threads, but would be glad to answer questions where I can.<BR>Vera

Karen

What was the weather like in March?

Maira

Vera-- I think I remembered your trip. How did it go? Did you enjoyed it? Any shopping recommendations? How was the drving into the mountains on to the White Villages? Do you recommend the hotels? Good question RE: Weather.

Denise

Vera, I am going back to Spain this June and would like some recommendations on superior lodgings and restaurants. I am also looking forward to seeing these lovely white villages. Madrid and Costa del Sol are on our itinerary. Thanks!

Alice

Vera,<BR>We are going to Madrid this June and hop to stay in the Costa del sol for a week. Villas are expensive for two people. Any suggestions on hotels and/or good areas to stay?<BR>Thanks<BR>Alice

Vera

Hi all:<BR>Glad to answer what I can, because this board was very helpful to us in planning our trip.<BR><BR>March weather: A few cold and cloudy days at the beginning. Never really beach weather in our opinion, although we're from Arizona and the northern Europeans might differ with us. I was happy that I took a all weather jacket. Most of the time the weather was lovely and flowers were spectacular.<BR><BR>Driving in the Mountains: You have to REALLY enjoy driving in mountains, which my husband does. We found we could not cover nearly the territory we thought we could because the mountains up from the coast are very high, and the roads circle gorges rather than bridge or tunnel. The scenery was spectacular. We got on a few roads with no guardrails, but no really bad roads, and all well signed. There are a lot of nature preserves in the mountains just north of the coast.<BR> We enjoyed discovering some little white villages that were not touristed to death.<BR>Shopping: I'm not a big shopper, so can't help a lot there. I did buy a bunch of pottery from one store in Granada just across from our hotel. Had taken bubble wrap and extra suitcase to handle it.<BR>Hotels: We stayed in a variety. Those I could recommend: Palacete de Santa Ana in Baeza; Alcazar de la Reina in Carmona; and the very funky and cheap Hostel Landrizini in Granada. As I've mentioned elsewhere, we visited the Casa de la Juderia in Sevilla and would go back there in a heartbeat. Also saw a charming little hotel in the white village of Gaucin, but that is really off the beaten track.<BR>Costa del Sol and White Villages.<BR>Personally, I would not go back to the Costa del Sol. It is truly over built, and caters so much to English and other tourists that you hardly know you are in Spain. We did enjoy the center of Malaga. But we mostly loved those small White Villages. Even Mijas which is 90 percent populated by English rather than Spanish, still is a beautiful place. But we liked Casares, Gaucin, Antiquerra and others.<BR>The biggest challenge is getting there when things are open. Not easy when you are doing day trips as we were. We'd get there about the time everyone went on siesta.<BR><BR><BR>

Carin

sorry for my ignorance, but what are white villages???

Vera

Alice: Sorry, I can't help with recommendations for hotels on Costa del Sol because we were in a friend's timeshare. There are a million or so places, so you shouldn't have a problem. <BR>Vera

Vera

Carren:<BR>The small villages scattered in the mountains just north of the Mediterranean Coast are all painted white, and are called the white villages. The nearest to the coast and most famous is Mijas. Bigger and also famous is Ronda, but there are dozens and dozens of them. At one point on a mountain road we could see six white villages scattered across the landscape.<BR> Anybody who has been to the Greek islands will feel deja vu.<BR>Vera

Vera

Any more questions?

Frank

Vera, what kind of rate did you get on your car, and who did you rent from?

Vera

Hi, I blush to admit that I probably did not get the best possible rate. I have a Hertz gold card and went through them (internet). Picked the car up at the train station in Madrid, where the Hertz office is in a rather obscure location. We were treated very nicely, in contrast to another poster here who had a bad experience with Hertz. I usually go through Auto Europe, but this time the rates didn't seem that much better. For sixteen days, we paid just over $500.