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xyz99 Aug 1st, 2022 05:28 AM

I am very torn, and trying to shift some time to allow for a stop in Cadiz. The only way I see (other than adding days), is to skip the Guadix day trip. We've seen cave houses in Turkey, are these much different? If we do that, we have:
5n Seville
2n Cadiz
5n Ronda -> 4 days: 1 Ronda, 2 villages, 1 Caminito del Rey
3n Granada
3n Cordoba
4n Toledo
Does this look better?

jpie Aug 1st, 2022 06:23 AM

xyz99, I think your dates should be okay after Easter, but you will be able to tell immediately just by looking a pricing calendar on any of the hotel sites you for April. It will give you an idea of what dates they consider premium.

In terms of your trip plan, I must say that we weren't in love with Cordoba, so I could happily only do 2 nights there. (However, as a caveat, we had mechanical car trouble while we were there and had to spend most of our time dealing with getting a rental replacement, so that may have soured my view a bit).

We did spend almost a month in Nerja doing a Spanish immersion course and it would definitely be worth a visit if you are close-a fairly strong (especially expat British) community, so you might or might not like that part. There is also a cave visit there that is fun to do. It does have a fair amount of stairs if that is an issue:

https://www.nerja-turismo.com/en/nerja-caves/

xyz99 Aug 1st, 2022 03:06 PM

jpie, thanks for the tip on hotel prices, I'll check.
Sorry about your car problems in Cordoba, I think those are the biggest one could have on a trip (after any health issue or being mugged, of course). I've heard others having good words about Nerja, unfortunately I don't think we'll have time to divert too much from the itinerary. There is so much to see/do, narrowing it down is really difficult.
But I think I'm god (for now) with the new itinerary that includes Cadiz.

Sassafrass, "Racing horses on the beach is a big sport." Now, that's something I would love to see!

Faedus Aug 1st, 2022 05:55 PM

I'm usually reluctant to add further comments to such a long list; I'll just say that the revised itinerary you posted a couple of notes above looks good. You will note that someone farther above reported not loving Cordoba much and staying only two nights; however I did love Cordoba and gladly stayed four. All this means is, don't tweak your latest itinerary too hastily. As a very loose rule, the more interested you are in Spain's medieval history (and you didn't say you were), or in slower travelling (you did say you were), the longer you may want to consider staying in Cordoba.
A personal anecdote about the Toledo cathedral: it may well be the grand sight someone above said it was, but unfortunately I didn't get a good chance to find out. At least as of my 2006 visit (things may have changed) photos inside were permitted provided there was no flash. I had a new digital camera and thought I understood it, but when I tried to take a flash-less a photo, I botched it, and surely enough the flash went off. Almost at once, a voice came over a loudspeaker, sternly announcing, in both Spanish and English, that flash photos were not permitted! Naturally I scurried out of there as fast as I could. This need have no affect on your planning -- but make sure you know your camera thoroughly, and if you do visit the Toledo cathedral, keep in mind that maybe there's still someone up there watching everything!

Sassafrass Aug 1st, 2022 10:00 PM

https://www.andalucia.com/rural/horseriding/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxX5-8OW16s

BAHItaly Aug 2nd, 2022 04:14 AM

We visited 6 years ago...stayed in BNB on the hill in Antequera,
A la Alhambra was beautiful at night with beautiful music and lights and candles, must reserve tickets.
Enjoyed the tremendous Seville, Nerja, Frigiliana.
Not a fan of Gibraltar. Moracco could be amazing given the time that you have.

xyz99 Aug 2nd, 2022 04:27 AM

LOL, Faedus, the voice in the sky...or at least, top of the Toledo cathedral. My flash is always off, so no worries there. I don't think I'll tweak my itinerary anymore, but please don't be afraid to add your opinion. Our interests are diverse, and they include history, architecture, nature, food a lot more. There will be some (or a lot) of each during this trip, and I'm getting very excited about it. Different things and places appeal differently to different people, and that's why hearing multiple opinions is good. I think 2 full days in Cordoba will be good for us, we like exploring the small streets, not only the main touristic sites.

Sassafrass, sadly the horse race is in August, but wow, what an event that must be. I would love to see it. Thank you so much for telling me about this!


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