Ronda or Cadiz?
 

Hi all,

I thought I was done with my itinerary but I started to read up on Cadiz and was wondering if it was worth it to go there instead of Ronda. Both seem to have great "old" towns and sites to see. We (mom, brother, and I) will be coming from Granada. Ronda is only a couple hours away by train, while Cadiz is about 5hrs but with the train schedule we'd be getting into Ronda around 4pm. So either way we'd only have about a day and a half in either city (2 nights). We'll be travelling to Seville afterwards.

From your experiences, which place do you think is more worth it to visit? We'll go to any museum if they are of any interest to us, we like walking around, we like to eat. Please note we'll be going in July.

Thanks for any input.

Thank you.

Or perhaps skip either cities and go to Cordoba instead? (we have Cordoba as a possible day-trip from Seville, if we have time)

mucho gracias.

You can't go wrong with any of them, it just depends on what you are looking for. Here are my impressions:
Ronda if you will be able to go hiking in the vicinity. I like Ronda for its stellar sunset views and just the feel of the place (at night the day trippers depart and it is magic).
Cadiz if you want beach time and some partying (not night club type partying so much, but finding cool bars and enjoying the people watching).
Cordoba for the cool alleyways and flowers. La Mezquita was one of the more interesting sites I saw in Andalucia.
Have you checked bus schedules for getting to Ronda? It might be quicker than the train.

A strong vote for Cordoba - I have been to all three, pretty brief visits, but the Mezquita in Cordoba is head and shoulders above any of the sights in the other two. I find it one of the most unique sites in Europe, really, and it does not take too long to see. You could actually do it as an easy daytrip from Seville and save youselves a pack up and move.

How long have you allotted for Granada and Sevilla? You could visit Cadiz, Ronda and cordoba as a daytrip from Sevilla - all depending on how much time you have. If you decide on Cadiz it may also make more sense to go from Granada to Sevilla and then to Cadiz. Where is your next destination? Finally what time of year is this trip?

Thank you; guess I should do a bit more reading up and then see if my mom & brother are more interested in one place than the other. Although, from your tips, I think Ronda or Cordoba would make more sense. I was just thinking how nice it would be to be near a beach in July in Andalucia.

@yorkshire: there's no direct bus from Granada to Ronda
@suec1: how long did you spend in Cordoba?
@CathyM: Granada - 2 days (get in at 8am, so it'll be a full days there), Sevilla - I only have 2.5 days (counting travel time from Ronda), I fly out to Bilbao on the eve of the 3rd day and mom & bro fly to Paris the next day.

or, we could go directly to Sevilla from Granada so we'll have 5-6 days there and just do day trips...sorry, re-reading your tips/advice and thinking out loud. :)

Thanks again.

Both times I visited Cordoba it was as a daytrip - it does not take too long to see the Mezquita, there is also an Alcazar with gardens but if you are visiting the Alhambra, they would be more or less redundant. Its a very pleasant city with some nice restaurants for a long lunch and would probably be a very nice place to spend a night or two and relax if you were so inclined.

Well, with only 2.5 days I'd travel directly to Sevilla from Granada and base myself the entire time in Sevilla. 2.5 days is just not enought time for Sevilla IMHO, one of the most atmospheric places in Andalucia. I'd definately do at least one daytrip - Cordoba. I doubt you'll have time for another daytrip but if you do then you could visit Ronda or Cadiz. This would give you more flexibility to play it by ear and relax, especially since this seems part of a larger trip to several places. Visiting in July you may end up taking afternoon siestas to avoid the heat so you may not be able to get as much sightseeing in as one normally could.

Andalucia and then Bilbao - what a treat!

Good to know, @suec1 and @CathyM. Much thanks for your input! I will discuss with mom and bro and see what they think.

@CathyM: Yes, last week in Spain will be spent in San Sebastian, then a music festival in Bilbao, and then Running of the Bulls :)

Cádiz is 3000 year old Phoenician Gadir (one of the oldest cities in the world), cradle of flamenco, home of the liberal 1812 constitution (the bicentennial of "La Pepa" is celebrated through all of this year), a Havana-like old town, magical light and some of the finest beaches in the country. Sara Baras from Cádiz is one of the most famous flamenco dancers in the world, and she is currently touring with her homage to her hometowns 1812 constitution "La Pepa":
http://www.flamencotv.es/es/actualid...--la-pepa.html