Barcelona and .... ??
 

My husband and I are in our mid-30s. We will be leaving our 1 year old with the grandparents while we go off for 7-9 days. We would like to split our time between Barcelona and somewhere else ... but we are not sure what to do on our second leg. We will likely fly into Barcelona (from San Francisco) and fly out of destination #2. We would like somewhere that offers any mix of hiking, walking around, biking and relaxing on a beach (i.e. not Madrid). Places that we've thought of (and/or places others have told us to look at) include San Sebastian, the French Rivera and Ibiza ... but we are not at all familiar with these places, what they offer and how much time we'd lose in travel time. Do you have any thoughts on what we should do!? We welcome your suggestions!! Thanks!

You could sail to Ibiza overnight on a luxurious ferry with cabins with shower & toilet - www.trasmediterranea.es or www.balearia.es - this saves a hotel bill and takes hardly any daytime time at all out of your trip.

With such a short time on the ground, the less time you spend in switching locations the better. You don't say how long you'll be in Barcelona, unless split means 50/50?

If this is the case, then catch a train or hire a car up to Tossa de Mar and base there. It's less than an hour from Barcelona and you can still fly out of Barcelona to return home. The area offers good walking, nice hotels, excellent beaches, good restaurants and fantastic scenery.

We just did a 10 day trip to Barcelona and San Sebastian and loved it! The beach in SS is gorgeous and super clean, and the food amazing.

You can read our trip report and see our pics here:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-sebastian.cfm

A couple of thoughts...

You can also take an overnight ferry to Majorca which is a beautiful island to explore.

You can drive north into France. The Languedoc is very nice and there is much to explore and do.

Belle Epoque San Sebastián has some of the finest city beaches on the continent, great landscapes ideal for hiking, a biking city (home of the San Sebastián professional classic) and European capital of culture 2016. The food capital of Spain if not all of Europe: http://www.sansebastianturismo.com/en/

San Sebastián beaches: http://www.sansebastian.co.uk/beaches/

A couple of articles:
"To visit San Sebastián, on Spain’s northern coast, is to fall in love" http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/07/tr...anted=all&_r=0

"three bewitching beaches – broad sweeps of golden sand fringed by the clear waters of the Cantabrian Sea – alluring Art Nouveau architecture, pulse-quickening panoramas, exhilarating walks" http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/de...ity-guide.html

Seven daily low cost flights between Barcelona and Bilbao with Vueling in 1h 10 mins. Direct bus from Bilbao International Airport to San Sebastián in 70 minutes (Pesa bus): http://www.vueling.com/en

Looking at your interests : Mallorca no doubt about it.

One of Europe's best cycling destinations.

Bookmarking

As Dickie_Gr says, Mallorca for sure is an excellent option. Great beaches and a true bikers heaven. Many professional teams and die-hard enthusiasts go here to train. Palma de Mallorca is a genuine Spanish medium sized city, and in general beautiful landscapes. http://mallorcacycling.co.uk/

But nothing beats San Sebastián, just plain fantastic and also serious biking area: http://www.theguardian.com/travel/20...in-biking-tour
Suggested routes: http://www.mapmyride.com/es/san-seba...asque-country/