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serendibtrav Jul 22nd, 2016 07:32 PM

Need some suggestions for Andalucia / Barcelona / Madrid starting Dec 25
 
Hi All,
We arrive in Spain on Christmas Day from Tarifa after 7 nights in Morocco. We are undecided where we should spend Christmas day and the next few days. (Dec 25th - 29th). We are two older adults and two children in their twenties.

We like to see:-
Granada
Cordoba
Seville
and maybe Malaga if it is recommended.

Can you please give us some ideas and the order of places ? We were thinking....
25th Tarifa-Malaga 1 night
26th Malaga-Granada 1 night
27th Granada-Cordoba 1 night
28th Cordoba to Seville 1 night
29th Seville 2nd night

30th Seville to Barcelona
31st Barcelona
1st Barcelona
2nd Barcelona
3rd Madrid
4th Fly out from Madrid

Should we do it in this order ? What is the most time efficient way to travel between places ?
Many thanks in advance fellow travellers

kja Jul 22nd, 2016 07:50 PM

I wanted MUCH more time in each of these locations. Your call. Note that if you want to see the Alhambra, 1 night in Granada is unlikely to be enough.

Have you plotted your priorities on a calendar? Taken into consideration that many things in Spain are closed on Monday, and often for all or part of Sundays too; and many things in Spain will also be closed daily for a very long mid-day break. Consulted some good guidebooks?

For routing options, you might start with rome2rio.com

Good luck!

kimhe Jul 22nd, 2016 10:59 PM

Málaga at Christmastime is special, and lots of things going on after the 25th. People travel from far to experience Christmas in Málaga:
http://www.spainforpleasure.com/2014...ime-in-malaga/
http://www.guidetomalaga.com/5-reaso...mas-in-malaga/
What is open when etc: http://www.guidetomalaga.com/all-you...mas-in-malaga/

Thrre thousand year old Phoenician Malaka is a fabulous city any time of year, and only 50 minutes from Córdoba (high speed AVE Train) and 90 mins from Granada with Alsa bus. Departures all the time.

inspiredexplorer Jul 23rd, 2016 05:53 AM

Barcelona looks like your outlier: if you moved those four nights into the Andalusian cities and Madrid, you'd still have a fast pace but be able to see more of each place. Maybe from the 4, move 1 each to Malaga, Granada, and Seville, and 1 to Madrid? Then you can get the train easily from Seville to Madrid and fly home from Madrid after 2 nights in the city.

Alternatively if Barcelona is your priority, fly home from there and still try to shift 2-3 nights into Andalusia, and cut out Madrid.

kimhe Jul 24th, 2016 01:42 AM

And Málaga is now on the New York Times "where to go list" for 2016 together with San Sebastián and Barcelona. Good judgement, fabulous and very different cities: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2...-to-visit.html

serendibtrav Jul 24th, 2016 03:51 AM

Thanks ever so much for all your tips and advice. I am starting to plan now. Please give me more ideas.

Is the best way to travel between these places by train ? (except for Malaga - Granada by bus ?)

Where can we have a nice christmas dinner in Malaga ? Are most restaurants closed on the day ?

ribeirasacra Jul 24th, 2016 07:48 AM

You arrive on the 25th December?
"Everything" will be closed. Well all shops all offices, all museums and 99.9% of restaurants.
Trains will be running so to get to Málaga for that dinner in the closed restaurant. You have to take a train from Tarifa to Málaga you have to go via Sevilla. That is a very long journey.
Maybe the buses will be running. The timetable says daily so I hope so.
http://www.tgcomes.es/horarios_3.htm
I would suggest you stay at a hotel which has a restaurant that is going to be open.

kimhe Jul 27th, 2016 12:23 AM

Some restaurants will be open in Málaga on Christmas day, most hotel restaurants are open, and excellent places such as El Caleño, Restaurante Café de Paris and Vino Mío also use to be open.
Restaurante Café de Paris: http://www.rcafedeparis.com/home_eng.htm
VinoMío: http://www.restaurantevinomio.es/en/
El Caleño, very popular with locals: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaura...Andalucia.html

And since El Caleño uses to be open on Christmas day, I guess some more ot the many other excellent seaside restaurants on the rest of the beach promenade in Pedregalejo also are.
http://www.spain-holiday.com/Malaga-...nt-restaurants

And you probably might have a spectacular Christmas day dinner in the by then newly reopened 5 star Gran Hotel Miramar dating back to 1926, but not been a hotel for ages. Will be five restaurants in the hotel, and I'm pretty sure all or most will be open on Christmas day: http://www.granhotelmiramarmalaga.com/en/

And book as soon as possible!

kimhe Jul 27th, 2016 03:01 AM

On the 28th of December Málaga celebrates the annual verdiales competition, the flamenco inspired local music-, song and dance culture from the mountain villages to the North and east of the city. The festival starts at noon in the Recinto Ferial in Puento de la Torre, some 35 min bus ride from Alameda Principal in the center of town (bus no. 21) or 15 mins by taxi. http://www.andalucia.com/festival/verdiales.htm

This is what to expect: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFq4c9sDXW8

Egbert Jul 27th, 2016 07:17 AM

I would skip Barcelona. Malaga at Christmas, 2 nights in Granada, 3 in Seville at least. It's a good thing you're putting Spain after Morocco.


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