I would like to stay in at least one Parador during our time in Spain. Please share your favorite...we will be seeing Seville, Granada, Toledo, Cordoba, Barcelona and Madrid. Do any of these have a parador you particularly recommend. We will be using mass transit for the most part (though ok with using a taxi if necessary) so it can't be anything too far afield from the city itself. Gracias.

The one in Granada is very desirable, but you must make reservations way in advance.

There are no paradores in Sevilla and Barcelona. The one in Granada is one of the most popular in the system and hard to book. The one in Toledo has a spectacular view of the city but is a bit of a schlep into town.

I think the one in Cordoba is also too far from where you want to be. If you can't get Granada, then because of the view I'd vote for Toledo - you'll likely want to go up there for the view anyway.

We were told that we needed to book the Granada parador a year ahead thus didn't get in there. We did stay in the one outside of Cordoba which was nice.
We did stay in one in tne Costa Brava north of Barcelona.
Just returned from Madrid where we enjoyed our stay at The Principal, lovely design hotel in a great location.

I just received an email from Parador.es announcing a flash sale Jan.10-17 and thought it might be helpful for you and your trip.

On relatively short notice we managed to book the parador in Granada for two nights in early April. So do at least try. It's on the grounds of the Alhambra so makes visiting there very convenient. And there's a bus into the center of Granada.

Even if you don't get to stay at the parador, you can go there to see the original graves of Isabella and Ferdinand. And eat in the pleasant restaurant with a view of the Generalife garden.

I stayed at the parador in Toledo. The parador itself was just ok (the food was solid though) but oh my, the view of the old city is jaw-dropping! I would recommend it. And they have a shuttle that takes you into town, if I recall correctly. You'll have to taxi it back but it wasn't too expensive.

ok, I shall try for Granada and if not Toledo - thanks for the tip about the flash sale

oh dear, just tried for Granada - only rooms left were $1000 a night lol - maybe I'll try moving the schedule around a bit

You could stop in Ubeda on the way to Toledo. The parador there is in a Renaissance palaca. If you don't have a car, the bus goes there from Granada.

Look at the paradors in Carmona, Cordoba, and Jaen. You could stay in one of thse en route to Granada from Sevilla. Go to the paradores.es to see the locations.
We have stayed in paradors all over Spain and had wonderful experiences except one time in N. Spain. Portugal's pousadas are even nicer. I hope you the chance to stay in one of them. Their on site testaurants feature foods of the region.

If you are willing to give up a night in Madrid you could consider Siguenza, Cuenca or Oropesa.

We have stayed at Siguezna, and Oropesa.

Siguenza is a historic (castle) parador, and the town itself is worth a visit for the cathedral and its art collection . Of all the paradors we have experienced, Siguenza parador and the town has ridiculously high restaurant prices.

Oropesa is another castle parador, with excellent staff, and a very good restaurant.

The castle/parador complex is probably the only reason to visit Orpesa. The town basically shuts down at 10:00 PM, after which you have the dimly lit streets of a medieval town all to yourself.

Cuenca parador is in an old monastery or convent, right by the gorge and the bridge. It gets a low score for service.
Based on our experience, it is justified.

We don't travel by train, but I think there is a high speed train to Cuenca, a train to Siguenza, and a bus to Oropesa.

Hands down, no doubts about it, our best parador experience was in Alcaniz. At check-in we were offered the suite in one of the towers for additional 30 Euros. Still smile thinking about that one.

Mark

I have found that if you have your heart set on a particular parador, even if it is booked, if you keep inquiring, very often people cancel. That is how I got to stay at the Alhambra parador. A room opened up two weeks in advance. It has been my very favorite parador.

Another tip about parador stays is that while some have excellent restaurants, many do not. Or even if the food is nice, it is nowhere near as much fun as going out on the town and enjoying the life of the town.

For someplace like the Alhambra parador, it is inconvenient to go anywhere else for dinner, and the food is nice, and the outdoor terrace is lovely if you are traveling in nice weather. But for someplace like Sevilla or Cordoba, definitely plan to eat in town in the evening. I didn't stay overnight in Toledo, but I got the impression (possibly wrong) that local life has mostly been replaced by tourism.

I've stayed in Carmona and Toledo. It was years ago but I still remember the Toledo experience. As I recall the food (then) was nothing to write home about but the view is spectacular. Sorry to hear Toledo's gone touristy... it was a lovely place when we were there. Had some good food in town.

oh wow everyone, so much to think about - I need the map to figure this out - but since Cordoba is one of our planned stops maybe that one makes sense... but I will also check out the ones near Madrid.

Happytrvl we did stay in a pousada in Evora and loved it - swimming on the rooftop pool and looking out over the city was priceless, and the food was wonderful.

and thank you Mark and Frencharmoire for your ideas...I will pursue