first trip to Spain - Madrid or Mallorca
 

I've gotten some great advice here and am coming back for more.

Basically, we are planning a fall 2015 trip to Spain (September/October) and are having trouble trying to decide between seeing either Mallorca or Madrid. We so far plan to see Barcelona, Seville, Granada and Cordoba. Trying to decide between Mallorca (for hiking, beaches, and beautiful scenery) or Madrid (stop at Merida for Roman sites, see Segovia, and a few sites in Madrid). This is our first trip to Spain and I'm not sure what to expect...While we do like cities, we also enjoy smaller towns/villages and seeing some countryside / scenery / landscapes. I hope this doesn't sound crazy, but I'm concerned that if we choose the Madrid for our itinerary, that we might get tired of all the cities. Mallorca looks like it'd be beautifully scenic but then I wonder if I'm crazy for not going and seeing more of the classic sites in Spain...any advice is very appreciated!

How much time do you have?

Merida is no where near Madrid.

It would appear you haven' t looked at a map to see where these places are. Madrid, the capitol city, is located in the exact center of the country, often referred to as km 1. Mallorca is an island in the Med. Merida is located in Extremeadura, several hours southwest of Madrid, and a world away from Mallorca.

We visited Mallorca this past summer ( 2014) and LOVED it!

We did not love Barcelona the year before however.

We also loved our visit to Tossa De Mar on the Costa Brava..

Both our visits to these smaller places were in the midst of longer holidays( 24, and 28 days respectively ) of big city visits. they were our down time.

with the rest of your itinerary I vote Mallorca.

Look at cheap flights with Easyjet and Vueling.. have used both myself.

Another vote for Mallorca as you have covered the other cities well and Mallorca would be a nice contrast, with lots of local flair. Mallorca is really scenic and has plenty to see and to my mind would be more pleasant than another city.

We will have two full weeks, departing September 26 (arrive 27) and departing October 11. I have actually done a lot of research (which has included reading 3 guidebooks, looking at maps, and looking at Renfe, Alsa, and flights for my best travel options), just didn't want to bore you all with the details. If it would help, I will give you the two itineraries I've narrowed down to.

Option 1:
4 nights Barcelona
2 nights Granada
1 night Cordoba
3 nights Sevilla
1 night Merida or Caceres
3 nights Madrid

Option 2:
3 nights Mallorca (probably up north, not Palma or other resort areas)
4 nights Sevilla
1 night Cordoba
2 nights Granada
4 nights Barcelona

For Option 1 -- We would see Merida using public transportation between Seville and Madrid, overnighting in either Merida or Caceres depending on what time of day we finished in Merida. I completely realize that if we do stop in Caceres we will in no way be able to do it justice with this timeframe, but at least we could get a taste of the place.

For Option 2 -- I thought Mallorca might be a nice start to the trip and a good place to get over jet lag. Perhaps we should consider flying to Seville to start the trip (see Granada and Cordoba), and then fly to Mallorca, and then end the trip in Barcelona? Another factor to timing Mallorca is the weather. I was thinking the earlier the better for the island.

You're trying to compare chalk and cheese here. The question is whether you want to visit another city, or chill out on a holiday island. Only you can decide that. If you're not likely to ever come back to Spain, then I'd go for Madrid, if you are, then Mallorca.

You don't say how long you will have in Spain though. If you share that it may help us give a bit more focused advice.

Ok, from your detailed itinerary, it seems you should rather go for Mallorca. In that way, your trip will be also more balanced and you'll have a nice combination of cities & beach/landscapes. Mallorca's laid back atmosphere will be better for your jet lag too :)

It should still be pleasant, even at the beginning of October. Just the evenings and nights might get a little chilly.

I agree with avoiding Palma.. but theres a few other cities to avoid there too( spring break atmosphere) .. we stayed in Cala D'Or( south east, about an hour from Palma) and had an amazing time.. so beautiful.. lovely little town.. incredible water/beaches. Our visit was last july , so weather was great.. it was hot, but since you are basically by the water or in the water it was mangeable.. I bet September would be perfect.. !!

Loved the food, the people, its just so nice there.. I would return in a heartbeat.