In November we want to spend about 8 days in southern Spain, after a week in Paris. We've been to Seville and loved it, so we wanted to see more of Andalucia. We booked a flight to Barcelona and train from then Barcelona to Cordoba.. Our plan right now is to be in Cordoba for 2 nights, then we have 3 nights in Granada and 3 nights in Malaga, before flying out of Madrid.

All our hotels booked so far can be cancelled without penalty, so I'd love some feedback on our itinerary. We plan on using the train between Cordoba and Granada, then probably the bus to Malaga, then we'll take a late train to Madrid, staying near the airport to catch our 6.30am flight home. (Have spent enough time in Madrid so no desire to go into the city)

A few questions: Should we think about renting a car along the way to try to squeeze in some white villages, or just stay in the cities?

Also, any comments on our hotel choices - Eurostars Patios de Cordoba, Hotel Almenas in Granada and Hotel Don Curros (on a recommendation by kimhe) in Malaga?

Any suggestions for restaurants, activities etc would also be very welcome. We're a 60 something couple with interests in art, culture, music and dance - loved the flamenco museum and tablaos in Seville.

FWIW, you might consider shifting 1 night from Granada to Cordoba so you have 2 full days in Cordoba. You can visit Ronda and/or Las Alpujarras without a car; if you want to visit other white villages, a car would help. Enjoy!

Thanks for the suggestions, kja. So would Ronda be a day trip by bus from Malaga?

I didn't visit Malaga, so I'm not sure -- I just know that Ronda is accessible by both bus and train. Any good guide book should give you the info you need.

When we did this trip a decade ago, we rented a car for the entire time. Driving wasn't a problem then, maybe someone else can tell you how it is now. We liked having the car because we could travel at our own speed and not be tied to schedules. We don't speak Spanish and had no trouble with road signs, etc. You might want to think about renting a car.

<interests in art, culture, music and dance - loved the flamenco museum and tablaos in Seville.>

If you land in Barcelona before Nov 10, you could be in for a major flamenco event. "La Capitana" is a celebration of the greatest in flamenco dance history, the barcelonesa Carmen Amaya (1913-1963). Every night from Oct 30 to Nov 10 in majestic Teatre Nacional de Catalunya at 9pm. This is the highlight of the Carmen Amaya year, 100 years after she was born and 50 after she died. Could easily be a highlight of your trip. Plain fantastic Rocío Molina dances all nights. Info and online tickets: http://www.tnc.cat/en/la-capitana-ho...en-amaya-info/
Rocío Molina: http://www.rociomolina.net/

If you stay one night in Barcelona for this very special flamenco night, I can recommend Hotel Banys Orientals in the central El Born area. Five minutes and 5-6 € with taxi to the theater or 1,5 miles walking. http://www.hotelbanysorientals.com/en/

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Barcelona-Córdoba is a very long train ride, will cover almost one whole day. I would suggest Granada before Córdoba, and fly from Barcelona to Granada in no time.

Perhaps take the 10.45 Vueling flight from Barcelona and be in Granada at noon? At least three flights/day, costs some 50-100€ luggage included. Barcelona El Prat airport is some 15 minutes and 20-25€ with taxi from Barcelona city center (and Hotel Banys Orientals).

Then bus or train to Córdoba.

Córdoba to Málaga is only 50 minutes on the high speed AVE train.

Eurostars Patio de Córdoba is in an excellent location and gets great reviews. http://www.booking.com/hotel/es/euro...ordoba.en.html
Local atmosphere tavernas on every corner up here in "Roman Córdoba", just some three hundred meters from the much more touristy area around the Mezquita. Taberna Salinas is one of the more famous, mentioned in the Michelin guide.

Hotel Las Almenas in Granada also gets great reviews.
http://www.booking.com/hotel/es/las-almenas.en.html

Thanks so much for your insights, kimhe. I saw your previous posts about the Carmen Amaya celebrations in Barcelona but couldn't figure out how to make reservations, so thanks for the link. We were considering doing dinner and a show at Tablao Cordobes, which you also recommended, but I guess you'd rank "La Capitana" higher than that as it's a special opportunity? Any suggestions for restaurants near the theatre? I've emailed the hotel you suggested too, thanks.

I wish I had posted my questions before starting to make reservations. I'm not sure I can cancel our train to Cordoba, as we booked the promotion fare. I knew it was a long train ride, but figured it would be relaxing and hopefully scenic. I'll check into the flights and see if I can change things around.

The "La Capitana" will almost certainly be something quite extraordinary. Mostly locals and flamenco "aficionados" who come to Barcelona from far away for the sole purpose of this Carmen Amaya celebration. Usually great artists at Tablao Cordobés, but these nights in the Catalan National Theater will be a totally different and more unique experience. And Rocío Molina (1984) dances.

In June this year the Spanish daily El Mundo presented Rocío Molina as "the new queen of flamenco". She's Premio Nacional de Danza 2010.

International press about Molina:
- "one of the finest soloists in the world today", New York Times 2009
- "Molina has genius: irresistible, all-consuming, all-powerful", Financial Times 2011
- "as if she were sharing the stage with the ghosts of all the dancers whose art she has absorbed – and reinvented", Telegraph 2013

I've travelled far to see her eleven times in the past six years.

A little Carmen Amaya history and the cause for all this celebration: http://www.tablaodecarmen.com/histor...rcelona/en/94/

NOTE! The performance starts at 8 pm, so I suggest you find a restaurant after the theater (most restaurants don't open before 8pm).

Perhaps a late night dinner at Barcelona classic Set Portes (Seven doors) from 1836? Lots of Barcelona history in the walls, and still very popular with locals. Carmen Amaya used to dance here as a little girl accompanied by her guitar playing father. The Carmen Amaya year in Barcelona opened here on May 2. We've always had excellent traditional local food here. http://www.7portes.com/angles/index.php

Or perhaps just some tapas/pintxos and a glass before and/or after "La Capitana". Plenty of excellent places in El Born close to Hotel Banys Orientals. I recommend Txakolín and Euskal Etxea, they both give you an idea of why the Basque Country is the culinary heartland of Spain.
Txakolín: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran...Catalonia.html
Euskal Etxea: http://www.euskaletxeataberna.com/co...etxea/?l=en_en


Regarding the train vs. flight. Go with the train. AVE is excellent and it's not that long, some 4,5-5 hours from Barcelona to Córdoba, city center to city center.

Have a great trip!

.. or maybe a meal at La Generosa 200 meters from the Teatre Nacional. Haven't been there, but looks like a fine place and it gets good reviews. Open from 9pm to midnight: http://www.bcnrestaurantes.com/eng/b...te=la-generosa
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran...Catalonia.html

Thanks kimhe.