Digbydog

I am in the early stages of trying to figure out where in Europe to go in June. Unfortunately, because we have children, we must go in the summer. It appears that most of the posts for Spain are about Andalucia, an area which interests me quite a bit. Does that mean that most tourists head to that area? We visited Italy 2 summers ago, and I swore that I would never return to a big European tourist destination in summer again. Are there cruise excursions to Andalucia? I found the giant cruise groups in Italy especially irritating. (Sorry cruise lovers!) Would Portugal be less busy?

nytraveler

No, there aren;t a lot of cruise tour groups - but in June a lot of schools are out so students and teachers are alredy travleing.

Also, although I love Andalusia - to me the most fascinating part of Spain- it's also the hottest - you can expect temps in the 90's and need to make sure your hotels have good (american) AC and pools. (We've been there in April a couple of times - and it was in the high 70s/80's during the day.)

Robert2533

Yes, Portugal will be less busy in the northern part of the country, but Lisbon and the southern coast are fairly busy during the warm summer months.

Andalucia is a very large province. As long as you are not going to be spending that much time along the Costa del Sol, then you should find the rest of Andalucia quite attractive, less crowded and very Andalucian. The coast is crowded with mostly foreign tourist. As already pointed out, it can get very hot inland; Sevilla, Granada, etc., so go prepared and enjoy yourself.

Cowboy1968

The western part of Andalucía's coast, the Costa de la Luz, does not get as hot as the Costa del Sol.
As Andalucía is quite large, you fill face longer daytrips to Granada. Same is true vice versa for going to Sevilla from the Costa del Sol.

You can stay cool when you rent a finca bit uphill in the Sierra Nevada foothills. This usually means more driving to get to the beaches, though.

Much less tourists but an equally impressive scenery will be found on the less-travelled Northern coastline of Spain.. think Galicia, Santiago de Compostela, Bilbao, etc.

NEDSIRELAND

Digbydog writes: << I am in the early stages of trying to figure out where in Europe to go in June.... because we have children, we must go in the summer. It appears that most of the posts for Spain are about Andalucia, an area which interests me quite a bit. Does that mean that most tourists head to that area? ... Would Portugal be less busy? >>
In Spain, peak summer season begins on 16 Jul. (la Virgen de Carmen). Most European tourists don't begin srriving until after that date; and most have a full month's vacation.

June should be fine, as far as crowds go. Most early season tourists are American students. They head for the Algarve (Portugal). So, although the Algarve may be busy, Lisbon and points north will not.

I agree with Cowboy1968 on Galicia and northern Spain: Principality of Asturias, Cantabria, Vigo and Santiago de Compostela, and some País Vasco (Bilbao).

Digbydog

Thanks so much for your replies. We are not really interested in the coast, more in Granada, Seville, the White Towns, etc. If we get there around June 10, is it usually in the 90's? I had wondered about the Northern part of Spain. Is the coastline there fairly undeveloped. I have no interest in visiting a big resort beach.

Cowboy1968

Yes, it should be in the 90s (or around 30C) by early afternoon. That does not mean that you will wake up to 90 in the morning. But the heat will be there by mid-day.

That's why the so often lamented siesta exists -- even with AC in your hotel, in your car, and in every store, it is not THAT much fun to walk in Sevilla or other big cities in the midday heat.

Visiting the White Villages also means walking. Few are "drive-in". In some villages you park your car outside the walls at a central parking lot and walk (usually UPhill) to the village center.

So, you should adjust your travels to the climate. Visit towns and villages in the morning, relax at the pool or take a nap from 2-4, have lunch, more sightseeing after 5, and finally dinner at 10.

And for the "resort haters" (incl. myself): the Costa de la Luz near Vejer de la Frontera has beaches for miles and miles with little "resort style" mass tourism (compared with Costa del Sol). And since you are taking your kids, I was wondering if beaches aren't on top of their list..

Digbydog

Cowboy--thanks for your reply. The Costa de la Luz looks very interesting, and the ocean would be a nice respite from the heat. I was turned off by the Costa del Sol, but this looks appealing. Thanks for the tip.