scdreamer

Planning a month-long trip to Spain for next spring. Starting in Madrid, ending with 6 days in Barcelona.

This much is already arranged: Begin in Madrid (2 nights) then to Seville for 6 nights - Semana Santa - (day trip by train to Cordoba), and then picking up a rental car and heading to Malaga for 6 days (side trips to Cadiz and, maybe Gibralter). After that 2 nights in Ronda at the Parador and then Granada for 3 nights.

We will be returning the car in Valencia (stay 2 or 3 days and then take the train to Barcelona for the final 6 days), but this next part is not arranged - We will have 2 or 3 days to drive from Granada to Valencia. Initially I had thought to drive along the coast, stopping in Javea, and staying in Alicante for a couple nights, but now I am wondering about keeping inland and stopping at some of the small villages along that route, spending a night or two along the way. I'm interested in Ubeda and Alarcon - .but maybe that's too much driving? Or too out of the way? Or not interesting enough to forego Alicante? Okay, I guess I always want my cake and eat it too, but not enough time for both itineraries. .

twk

I just got back from Spain. Can't give you any personal knowledge on the Granada to Valencia stretch, but given the rest of your itinerary, I think you might have had enough mountain driving by that point in time. We only had a car for 3 days, which we picked up to Seville, then drove to Marbella (wanted some place smaller than Malaga), which we used as a base for a daytrip to Gibraltar. On the way from Seville to Marbealla, we drove through the Sierra de Grazalema, and spent an afternoon in Ronda before heading on to Marbella. It was a fun day of driving, but a lot of mountain roads. Driving along the coast the next two days (for the most part, until we turned inland at Motril for Granada) was more relaxing.

ribeirasacra

The coast from Salobreña Northwards has little to offer. Only one or tow locations and then it is not worth a detour form the more direct inland route.
After Motril the area becomes play tunnel land Costa Plastica.
https://geographyfieldwork.com/CostadelPolythene.htm
I do not know what you are looking for as you have not said, but maybe
Guadix
Sierra de Baza
Lorca
Sierra Espuña

joduhl

We drove last spring from Granada to Nerja - a lovely small seaside community with lots of British ex-pats. It was a beautiful ride through what were pretty quickly high mountains – Sierra Nevada. Many tunnels through mountains. Very windy – red and white wind stocks hanging along bridges to show how strong wind is. And then suddenly the sea. It was a quick ride – about 1 ½ hours. From Nerja we drove to Valencia - a magnificant drive on Auto Via de Mediterraneo. Miles and miles (km & km) of terraced crops, greenhouses/covered crops and so many tunnels through the mountains – we did not appreciate how mountainous Spain is. There were quite dramatic cliffs all along highway. It was a very nice road, well maintained and almost the entire route was just beautiful. We saw some industrial areas, but it was mainly agricultural. Then parts were like the desert – dusty, desolate, clay.
It was six hours Nerja to Valencia - long drive but quite beautiful and interesting. I had not been prepared for how breathtaking the scenery would be and we have consistently been impressed by how good roads are in Spain. .

Traveler_Nick

Granada to Valencia isn't that long a drive. You could do it direct.

I did the coastal route stopping in Cartagena but you can just drive direct without too much trouble

scdreamer

Yes, I would imagine we could do it direct, but we don’t want to do that. We have a little over a month to explore southern Spain over to Barcelona, and we’re not looking for long days in the car.

We have decided to stop in Ubeda for one night and then in Alarcon for the next, before driving on to Valencia. There are paradores in both towns, so we’re treating ourselves to stays in each.

Thanks for all all the great suggestions. Funny how one person’s take on endless greenhouses can be so different from another’s! Also the varying prospects of navigating winding mountain roads ... of course, that’s what makes the world such an amazing playground.