My husband and I will be in Spain for 16+ days, leaving on May 6th, flying in & out of Barcelona. We plan on spending 4 nites in Barcelona, then heading North maybe to Cadaques for another few days, definitely into the Pyrennes for some great hiking & then to the beach - Sitges or somewhere a little further south. We'd like to make a loop of sorts, spending approx. 4 nites in each spot. Barcelona, mountains/hiking & the beach are our priorities.

We like to travel at a relaxed pace, immersing ourselves in local culture, great food, etc. We prefer small, non-touristy villages over cities. Like the idea of staying in Paradores or hotels with local/historic flavor. Our plan is pretty loose, but we want to book hotels for the weekend.

Please help w/ our intinerary (spefic villages needed), any hotel/parador suggestions would be great & see questions below also.

Questions:
- Does Cadaques have a beach to chill on? Will it be too cold in May for relaxing on the beach?
- We need a specific spot in the Pyrennes - we really want to do some serious hiking, really stay at a place close to trails, with mountain vistas.
- Do we need a stop over in Arragon from the Pyrennes to the beach (Sitges area)?
- Sitges or another beach town? Will it be warmm enough to beach it around May 16th?

Thanks so much in advance!!

I'm thinking the Arragon Pyrennes - ideally 2 hours from Cadaques?? Thoughts of specific village/hotel? Thanks again!

do a search on this, as i feel like i answered this question or one strikingly similar a few days ago.

That said. . .
Answers:
- Cadaques is a beach town, so yes, and it should be warm enough to be on the beach and possibly get in the water.
- I only know the Aragonese Pyrenees really well, so I decline an answer.
- There are Catalan Pyrenees, so you have no reason to even go through Aragon, and certainly do not have to stop there on the way back.
- Sitges is a vibrant, wonderful beach town and there is lots to do as well as great night life. I can't think of anything else I would recommend, though I do love Castelldefels, which is one or two villages closer to Barcelona from Sitges.

laclaire,

Thanks for the info. Any thoughts on where to stay in the Aragonese Pyrenees - as mentioned, we really want to be at the base of great hiking, immersed in the mountains.

Well, I really enjoy Jaca, which is a gorgeous village right in the mountains. I have hiked around there a lot, but never on set trails. I actually don't know if there are any, though I imagine there are.

Perhaps you could contact groups who practice "orientacion." It is a sport that deals with hiking and, you guessed it, orientation. They have competitions where they send people off with compasses, a map, and their gear, and they wait for them at the finish point. They train all over the place and I know there is a big Aragon contingency.

Here is the Jaca website:

http://www.jaca.es/

Click on the English portion and you can find a few useful things.

We're pretty much decided on the Parador in Bielsa or Hotel Riberes in Llavorsí. Which hotel would offer more of what we're looking for - great mountain vistas & hiking AND close by to villages?