We'd like to go to Spain this next winter, just the two of us, and want to stay someplace where we can walk the trails along the coast of the Mediterranean.

Does anyone have any special recommendations for mid range cost places to stay. We are not rolling in money so we are limited & we want to stay where local people would put up family or friends who are visiting.

We know nothing about Spain so will welcome any suggestions anyone can offer.

I think that maybe you should narrow your scope of search down to one or two locations. If you want specifically some walking routes then the following website maybe of help.
http://www.everytrail.com/browse.php...ularity&page=1
or even this one.
http://www.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/map.d...&z=9&k=1&tab=0
Routes from both are downloadable to GPS.
Once you have got an area then let us know and also the month would be good as a lot of places close down during winter.

For reliable winter weather, either south (Andalucia) or south-east (Costa Blanca). Plenty of affordable places to stay in both, esp in low season. Most places stay open year-round.

Thank you both so much. I'm following your suggestions now and will repost when I have something more solid. You've given me just what I needed to start off.

Don't mean to highjack your post Timlin, but do the same recommendations apply for New Year's week?

I'm thinking of going to Malaga, Nerja, Ronda, maybe Sevilla for New Year's ... how is the weather then? how cold?

thanks ...

This couple and their child have been traveling Europe for three years and have been wintering every year in Spain because they are from CA and want sun and warmth in the winter. She has a website, but also posts on Fodor's sometimes (sorry can't think of her name at the moment- WT something) and I believe Slowtrav. I'm sure she would have suggestions or you can locate it on their website. I think they rent a house for several months.
http://soultravelers3.com/

She has a long post on this thread about it.
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...m#last-comment

Kybourbon thank you for sharing that blog!

If you really like hiking and you want to walk the routes close to the Mediterranean, you would like Costa Blanca area (Valencia) and the Nature park of Cabo de Gata-Nijar in Almeria (Andalucia).
Costa Blanca may be more expensive, but the routes are very interesting. There are some routes very close to the sea, like Montgo route in Denia, Ifach route in Calpe, Sierra Helada between Albir and Benidrom plus the routes in Puig Campana, Aitana, Monte Ponoch, Sierra Bernia. You could stay in one of the charming small towns Altea, Calpe, Moraira, Javea or Denia.
I would still prefer Cabo de Gata-Nijar, because there are some special flowers, which a blooming during the winter months.
You will find information on walking routes from the Topwalks website: http://www.topwalks.net/en/index.htm
The route descriptions are very detailled and also in English. There are a lot of photographs and routes are graded by lenght and difficulty, so it is easy to pick up the most interesting ones. The website offers the GPS waypoints as well and the driving instructions are very useful.
I have been staying in San Jose (Almeria) a couple of times and liked it a lot.

snt: weather at new year is generally good during the day - highs of 15-17C inland, warmer on the coast, often clear sunny days; nights can be cold then - certainly below 0C in the mountains around Ronda. But it's a dry cold generally so if you're somewhere where you can keep warm it's a great time.
Sevilla on New Year's Eve is pretty lively. Don't forget your grapes

Thanks portuense, that sounds a lot better than I thought - better than NY weather that time of year anyway!
Grapes? I've heard of figs and lentils , but didn't know about grapes...

I have been in Seville for NYE and it was only 9 centigrade tops. Windy and very very wet.

I'll keep that in mind ribeirasacra - still better that 0 or below in NY. How about Malaga on New Year's Eve?

ribeirasacra must have lucked out. i live not far away and i don't remember a bad new year in weather terms. i do remember a new year's eve in sevilla which was frosty and clear and a fantastic experience.
grapes: you get hold of 12 then you eat one on each stroke of midnight and have to finish them all by the last chime. brings good luck through the year. may also bring choking unless you locate seedless grapes, or buy tins of pre-prepared.

Hi, we spent a couple weeks in Spain over Christmas & New Years a few years ago. Unfortunately, we only spent 2 nights in Madrid because I was on a mission to see some of the other sites. We rented a car and drove from Madrid to Malaga. We did spend some time in Granada. Stayed in Malaga at a resort for a week and spent time along the coast. Did go to Ronda - amazing. Also were able to go to Tangiers. It was a wonderful experience. The weather was perfect. We are from Chicago so the 60 - 70 F was perfect. I don't think I used a jacket at all. Our son swam in the pool at the resort. There were tourists but most we ran into were from Germany and Great Britain. Nothing was crowded except the boat to Tangiers but it was worth it. We found plenty to do. New Year's Eve we stayed at the resort as they had activities planned so I can't speak to what Malaga would be like outside a resort. Enjoy

Oh this is perfect! I hadn't checked back to this thread in a bit and what a pleasant surprise this morning to see what's posted from all of you.

BIG plans about to go into action!!! (Can I get by without any ability to speak the local language. I'm afraid I have to admit English is my only fall back.)

(Can I get by without any ability to speak the local language. I'm afraid I have to admit English is my only fall back.)

It depends on where you go to. Maybe post some plans and we can comment a bit more.

You should try Murcia area. It's not well known but it's worth while. You have cheap flights to San Javier airport (Murcia airport)and also to Alicante's el Alter airport.

Timlin,

I think Nerja, some 35 miles east of Málaga, would be a good option for you. The best climate, and a nice city (pop 20 000) that have all the amenities that goes with being popular with tourists, but with lots of charm and character.

You should be able to rent an excellent apartment in or around the city's oldest street, seafront Calle Carabeo, for aome 40-50€/day in winter. You should stay in this part of town, close to the central Balcón de Europa, the beaches, tapas bars, restaurants etc.

A couple of suggestions:
http://www.rentinnerja.com/apartments-nerja/AVL2/
http://www.rentinnerja.com/apartments-nerja/AVL13/
http://www.rentinnerja.com/apartments-nerja/CA093/

About Nerja: http://www.nerjatoday.com/

About walkning in the region:
http://www.freewayspain.com/walking.html

Hello from France ( on our way back to Spain tomorrow) ...got a link from my blog about this thread. Yes, we have wintered the last 4 winters in southern Spain and it is a fantastic and cheap place to winter very luxuriously.

I've written a couple of posts on this topic:

How to get a winter rental in Spain -

http://www.soultravelers3.com/2009/1...ww-travel.html

What's a Winter Rental in Spain Like?

http://www.soultravelers3.com/2009/1...vacation-.html

They should help you a lot. I would research before going, but do not commit any money until you see it in person as you will have a TON of possibilities in the winter.

Yes, it will be more difficult without any Spanish, but staying in a place like Nerja where there are many UK expats will help and do learn a few key phrases or have a phrase book with you as you will run into many who speak no English. ( ALL over Europe, outside of the major cities you will run into the majority of people who do not speak English, just as Americans speak few languages...except in Scandinavia & Holland). It is doable without Spanish, but just harder. You will learn some there. The festivals in the winter are fabulous and it's easy to get around to all the wonderful places nearby by mass transit, train or bus. Even rental cars for short periods are cheap.

Look up levels of rain in the area that you pick as some areas are colder and rainier than others and Andalucia is a very large area. Near the sea tends to be warmer than inland.

Mostly it is warm, but you will have some rain and cold nights, especially in Jan and Feb. Mostly you can wear T-shirts all winter during the day in the sun. Most locals dress more wintry than the tourists. The houses/apts do not tend to have central heating and are made for the heat, so can get chilly ( often colder than outside).

You can easily find a 2 bedroom, new, nicely furnished with sea view apartment for 300 or 400 euros a month. You will have endless choices as July and Aug are high season and most will sit empty all winter. We use to get our groceries delivered and walked or used mass transit to everywhere.

We have a ton of info about our life in Spain on our website. You will love it and I am shocked that more Americans and Canadians wintering in the cold, miss this gem. Andalusia in the winter is awesome! Good luck!