Folks

My son and I will spend about 9 days in Spain in June. We have been to only Barcelona before, though I have been to Madrid briefly on business.. We are flying to Madrid to spend just a day there ( as it was easiest to fly there) and then head south, or north. First of all, I have to tell you that my son, who will soon turn 18, has special needs and has limited attention and interest levels, so I don't tend to do nearly as much in-depth historical sight seeing as I like, but we manage it and both enjoy our trips. We do go to many old churches and museums, etc., but I also try to take him to some beaches when I can, and we both enjoy walking in the towns and villages, seeing how the locals live, and driving in the country. We are both foodies, though his pallet is a bit less adventurous than mine. With this in mind, please help me decide which part of Spain to explore:

I'd like to do the Toledo, Sevilla, Granada, Cordoba and the white villages in Andalucia (as much of it as we can fit reasonably), possibly with a stop at one of th less commercially exploited villages in cost del sol (if there is such a thing - I just hear horror stories about how Costa del sol looks like a terrible concrete jungle). We will rent a car in Madrid and drop it off in Granada, flying from there to our next destination (Murren, Switzerland).

On the other hand, I really love to see San Sebastian, both the city and the Basque cost, and try some of its fine food. There are of course a number of other cities we could visit if we go north, or north east/west.

By the way, if we end up in Barcelona with either itinerary, it will work well as our flight is through Barcelona to Bern Switzerland.

I am open to other suggestions, just bear in mind that we tend to do more cities and villages than most Fodor travelers advise, but it works for us. Thanks for your help in advance.

In June, the North might be more pleasant ,
Bilbao, SS, Barcelona

Nerja some 50 km east of Málaga on Costa del Sol has retained much of its Andalusian charm. Population 20 000, nine beaches in all sizes. Very nice old town. Lots of great tapas bars/restaurants. Free tapas to choose with every glass of wine/mineral water or whatever for some 1-1.50€ in almost all places.

I can recommend bustling La Marina or La Puntilla to get a feel of the local flavour. Especially La Marina in Plaza la Marina is in my opinion as good as you get a seafood freiduria in all of Andalucía. http://www.guideofnerja.com/pages/gu.../marina_en.htm
http://www.nerjatoday.com/barsandres...s/la-puntilla/

Top tapas grilled on the spot (conchas finas, mussels, clams, prawns, monkfish, whitebait, baby-squid, sausages, pinchos morunos, mini-burgers etc.) and great atmosphere at El Pulguilla in C/Cristo, just off Balcón de Europa. Free tapas to choose with every drink in the bar area (as in most bars and restaurants in Nerja).
http://www.nerjatoday.com/barsandres.../el-pulguilla/

Some of my favourites in the old town/casco antiguo:

Los Cuñaos (The brothers-in-law):
http://www.nerjatoday.com/barsandres...ts/los-cunaos/

Taberna del Pescador. Next door to great restaurant El Niño where they also do delicious tapas: http://www.nerjatoday.com/barsandres...-del-pescador/
http://www.nerjatoday.com/barsandrestaurants/el-nino/

Los Bilbainos: http://www.nerjatoday.com/barsandres...los-bilbainos/

El Cangrejo: http://www.nerjatoday.com/barsandres...s/el-cangrejo/

Photo of Nerja: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2622/...de6a8146_o.jpg

Old town street in Nerja:
http://www.minube.com/fotos/rincon/131879/629455

The spectacular prehistoric caves just outside Nerja: http://www.nerjatoday.com/nerja/nerja-caves/

All the info you could ask for about Nerja: http://www.nerjatoday.com/

But San Sebastián and the Basque country is just fantastic. This gives you an idea of the city and the region. Have come back here almost every year since the late 80's.
http://marshlands.blogstream.com/

Both choices offer great possibilities for you and your son. If you choose the South, the horror stories are a bit overblown. When you arrive, it might look like a sea of white stucco and red roofs, but not enough to distract from the natural beauty of the coast. Inland, cities like Cordoba and Grenada are a must, and a welcome contrast to the coast.

San Sebastian is where I would go in June. Just relax and enjoy the town and surrounding smaller towns like Getaria, Lekeitio, Zumaia. These are the best beaches in Spain. If you want to travel from town to town and see a lot of tourist sites then you can't go wrong with Andalucia. It can be extremely hot especially in Jul. August and early Sep. June can also be 100 degrees though. Seville and San Sebastian are my two favorite cities anywhere.

Thanks Kimhe- these are wonderful suggestions. I had heard about Nerja and it's good to see these fun pictures of the charming places there. Are there any good beaches there?

Thanks Egbert - the heat does worry me (it's already 84 F there today!), though I hope for it not to be so bad in mid June - I wish I had time to do both San Sebastian and Andalucia, but I think my son will have more fun in South, and I am very interested to see all they Moorish history there.

Nine beaches in Nerja, from large Burriana and Torecilla beaches with all services to small and sheltered hide-aways among the cliffs. My favourite in town is relatively quiet El Salón, just to the west of the Balcón de Europa: http://www.nerjatoday.com/nerjabeachguide/el-salon/

In all of the Málaga region there were eight top quality rankning beaches (the Q-mark set up by the Calidad Turística Española (ICTE) bureau) by 2008. Two of the nine beaches in Nerja with this distinction as well as with the international Blue Flag based on criteria dealing with water quality, environmental management, safety and services.
http://www.spainaway.com/nerja-beach-guide.html

Just 7 km inland from Nerja, you'll find beautiful Frigiliana: http://www.absoluteaxarquia.com/areas/frigiliana.html

And six daily direct buses from Nerja to Granada with the world famous Moorish Alhambra. If you go by car, I strongly recommend you to go back from Granada down the spectacular A-4050 road known as the Moor's Sigh. The name comes from the legenedary sigh of Boabdil, the last emir of Granada, when he at the mountain pass known as Puerto del Suspiro del Moro, for a last time had a look back upon the now lost city (1492). His mother shall then have said: "You cry like a woman over a city you couldn't defend as a man". http://www.holavalencia.net/2010/02/...and-almunecar/

In Nerja, you are also close to great Málaga city itself. Genuine Andalusian atmosphere and lots of sights. Within 300 metres in the center you find a quite recently excavated Roman theater, the 8th century Moorish Alcazaba/fortress, the grand 16th century Cathedral, Picasso's birthplace and the new Picasso museum), great tapas bars, cafés, shopping etc. http://www.andalucia.com/cities/malaga/home.htm

The Alcazaba fortress in Málaga, mainly built between the 8th and 11th century: http://www.google.no/search?q=Alcaza...w=1379&bih=802

Granada is some 1 hour+ drive from Nerja, Málaga is 30 mins away by car. Wonderful mountain areas just inland from Nerja, lots of nice small villages and stunning landscapes. Some suggestions:
Axarquía: http://www.rusticblue.com/axarquia.htm
Alpujarras: http://www.andalucia.com/villages/alpujarras.htm

I also very much like Antequera just north of Málaga city (some 1 hr drive from Nerja). Known as the "heart of Andalucía" with its dolmens, Roman baths, a Moorish Castle, Gothic churches, Renaissance fountains and baroque bell towers. Antequera was the first of the Granada emirate towns to fall to the Christians in 1410.
http://www.andaluciacoastandcountry.com/antequera.html

Just outside Antequera, you'll find the spectacular limestone rock formations in the Torcal nature reserve: http://www.andalucia.com/antequera/torcal/home.htm

Also a popular wolf park here: http://www.lobopark.com/en

Like most of the coast, there are some very good VRBO rentals in Nerja. Many owners are British, so you dont have a language barrier when booking. We find the condos on the cliff next to the Parador an excellent choice for us. Quiet beach down below and an easy walk to the busier beaches w/restaurants

Like kimhe mentioned, Frigiliana is close as are the Nerja caves

As FrankS says, you should stay in the center of Nerja, close to the waterfront. Some of the tourist urbanicaciones are some 20-30 mins walking to the center, and from the Burriana area you have to climb some serious steep hills to get to the center.

Many hotels/hostals in all price ranges in the central area, but it might be an even better option to rent an apartment. All these suggestions would be in a perfect location:
http://www.nerjatoday.com/nerjaareaguide/delfin/ (we've used to stay here, affordable and great terraces with fabulous views)
http://www.nerjatoday.com/nerjaareag...on-de-carabeo/ (next door to some friends of us, would be absolutely as good as it gets, 66-84€/day in June)
http://www.nerjatoday.com/nerjaareaguide/carabeo/
http://www.nerjatoday.com/nerjaareaguide/las-palmeras/
http://www.nerjatoday.com/nerjaareaguide/tuhillo/
http://www.nerjatoday.com/nerjaareaguide/verde-mar/

Good choices kimhe,
We last got a VRBO rental in the Tuhillo complex you linked. That complex must have one of the nicest pools in the area

Thank you so very much Kimhe and FrankS. These are wonderful choices and I am very much tempted to have Nerja as our second base (with Seville being the first). I will look at the apartment options but I thin give our short stay, I'd prefer a charming inn or nice hotel with good views. Thanks again. I will post what i am considering booking soon for any feedback.

Best

Kimhe, et al

Since you seem to be very familiar with this area, I wonder if you have any thought on my second post about this trip, which had to do with choosing a home base vs. staying in each town. Would love to get your perspective.

Here is the original post - you can also check out a few replies on it.


Folks

After some good feedback and thinking, my son and I are going to Andalucia, saving San Sebastian for next time. We were going to stay a couple of nights in each of the towns I had in mind (though I have since added some other places to my list). But I realized that all these towns are within 1.5 hr or so of each other, and since we are driving, I am wondering if it makes sense for us to just have a home base, say in Sevilla, and make day trips to these towns:

Cordoba
Malaga
Ronda
Nerja
Granada

you can see on the Google map that I created (link below), and perhaps even suggest a more central ( and still charming- more important than location!) home base? The advantage of not packing and moving every two days is great for us, but if you think it's a crazy idea, please let me know.

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UT...1,4.938354&z=8

We did something similiar, but I dont recommend others try. Stopped only foe a few hours in Seville drove some more and stayed in Rhonda(long day). Then used Nerja has a base, and even did a daytrip to Granada then flew back out of Malaga

Each has their own distinctive charms that are rightfully earned. The Alhambra is one tourist destiantion that is worth the time and effort. Sevilla is a wonderful walking city with rewards around many corner. But it will hot in the south.

San Sebastian or Donostia in Basque has Belle Epoque archicture, the best food in Spain, and picturesque coastline. From there are many other worthwhile places to visit nearby.

Please note the town of Ronda is not spelled with an "h."

Here's some good suggestions for acommodation in Nerja:

From low cost to luxcury, all these places would be great. Right in the center of everything and virtually on the seafront:

Hostal Mena, basic but excellent value. Been around for fifty years. Stayed here several times, and can highly recommend it. Some 45€ for a double with terrace with great views of the sea: http://www.hostalmena.es/hostal/eng/

Hotel Plaza Cavana, 50 meters away from Mena, on central Plaza Cavana. Swimming pool, gym etc.: http://www.booking.com/hotel/es/plaz...fbf859ad4bf9X5

Hotel Carabeo, right on the cliffs in the oldest street in town, seaside Calle Carabeo: http://www.hotelcarabeo.com/

The modern Parador is tranquile luxcury and seven min walk to the Balcón de Europa. Elevator down to the Burriana beach: http://www.booking.com/hotel/es/para...fbf859ad4bf9X1

Here are more hotels in Nerja with guest reviews. Remember to stay in the center of town in some 500 metres radius of Balcón de Europa. http://www.booking.com/searchresults...l?city=-393985

Hostal Don Peque gets fabulous reviews: http://www.booking.com/hotel/es/host...bf859ad4bf9X17

Take also a look at Marissal, as central as it gets: http://www.booking.com/hotel/es/host...fbf859ad4bf9X4