Our Family is going to Southern Spain, June 25-July 2. We fly into and out of Malaga. We arrive the 25th around 5:00 pm and leave the 2nd around 11:30 am. We are renting a car. My kids are 17 & 20. We would like to visit a coastal town, Alhambra, and my daughter who rides horses really wants to see the Andalusian horses in Jerez. I'm having a really hard time coming up with an intenerary. The horse shows in Jerez are only on Tues & Thurs. From what I have read about the beach area between Malaga and Marbella, I don't think we want to stay there. That looks like the route we would take over to Jerez (Malaga to Marbella through Ronda and to Jerez. We were interested in visiting Ronda as well).

What is the coastal area around Cadiz like? That might work into our schedule better than Nerja since it is near Jerez.

I'm just looking for advice from those of you who have visited Southern Spain. If everyone tells me we should skip Jerez and should visit maybe Nerja, Granada, and take in Cordoba then we are good with that (she can see horses anytime!) I want to make this trip enjoyable and something they will remember. We prefer small towns over larger cities. The kids will only tolerate so many days of museums and such.

Any suggestions anyone can give me are greatly appreciated. I'm starting to panic because I want to get hotel reservations yesterday!!!

Thanks!

You will have much better luck if you repost with a descriptive subject. "Need Help Deciding" doesn't tell anyone anything. Try "Need Help Deciding - Southern Spain" or "Andalucia -- Jerez, Ronda, Cadiz Questions". The people who know the answers to your question will see it then.

It is sometimes unclear that there are no country forums under "Europe", so you may think you are posting under 'Spain', but if just goes into the main forum. That's why the title of posts should have a country or city tag in the title.

Welcome!

Thank you! Changed the title as you both suggested.

Well, why should your daughter miss the horses? I have read a review from posters who stayed at Vejer de la Frontera, very near Cadiz province atlantic beaches, much better than the Costa del Sol (speaking of beach-sand quality. And another review with a report on the Jerez horse show. Shall try to find them and pass it to you.

Hello again.
The link to the Jerez horse show blog is http://soultravelers3.com/blog/CE3D6...663F9D9F7.html they are a nice family from California, so kind as to share their travels.
About Vejer, it is a charming town I visited some years ago, and stayed at Hotel Convento de San Francisco, just opened. A friend stayed in the town last Sept, and said she enjoyed it very much, good comments on hotels Casa del Califa and Escondrijo (webs: www.infovejer.com and www.lacasadelcalifa.com
Vejer is on a ridge, very near the beach, 1h (70km) from Jerez, 1'15h from Arcos de la Frontera and Pueblos Blancos route, and 3hrs to Ronda (2'30 if you take the fast route). It is far from Granada, so it may interest you divide your stay with Nerja (nearer Granada, and visits to Caves, Maro, Frigiliana, Alpujarras)