"Home base" in Spain?
 

We're going to take a cruise in May 2018 around the coast of Spain and Portugal. For 1-2 weeks before that, we'd like to stay in a place in Spain that is a good location to take day trips to towns and cities with food, wine, shopping and history. The cruise will take us to Barcelona, Valencia, Alicante, Malaga, Gibraltar, Seville, Portimao, Lisbon, Oporto, La Coruna, and Bilbao, so we want to stay elsewhere during the time before the cruise. Where do you suggest? Thank you.

If it was my trip, I would spend a week in and around Barcelona, up the coast to Girona, Roses and surrounds. You won't actually see much of any of Barcelona on your cruise.

Then I'd take another week at the end (Bilbao??) to see San Sebastian, sample some of the best food in Spain, the Basque region, then tour the Rioja wine region, so much to do in a relatively small area.

I think this would fulfill your desire for food wine shopping and history.

I would fly into Madrid. Not only does it have world class museums but there many wonderful towns for nearby day trips. Then you take the hi-speed train AVE or fly to Barcelona to pick up your boat.

Your cruise starts in Barcelona?

Madrid, Toledo, Segovia for about a week, Córdoba for a couple of days, Granada for a couple of days. Fly to Barcelona for three days before the cruise.

Madrid, Toledo, Segovia, train to Barcelona.

Instead of Spain, a week in Provence, France. Base someplace in vicinity of St Remy or Arles, then train (or fly) to Barcelona

Madrid..

Consulting a good guidebook or two would serve you very well. The cost will be nominal in comparison to the cost of your trip (and might actually end up saving you money because of things you can learn from them), or you can go to your local library instead.

Madrid. Though missing the Granada or other Adalusian towns due to wanting to keep a home base is a shame. Maybe take the two weeks but use Madrid as a home base for the first week.

My suggestion would be San Sebastián close to Bilbao. The food capital of Spain, one of the most beautiful cities in the country, some of the finest city beaches on the continent and a distinct culture that people take great pride in. And a couple of months before the hordes of summer visitors flock to town, among them myself and a group of about 20 people ;-)
http://www.euskoguide.com/places-bas...stian-tourism/

About the amazing food culture up here, "8 reasons why San Sebastián is the food Capital of the planet": https://theculturetrip.com/europe/sp...of-the-planet/
"Is San Sebastian the world's greatest city for foodies?" http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/de...y-for-foodies/