Southern Spain for a week
 

Planning a week in Spain with tentative plans to stay in Seville 3 nights and Granada 2 nights. Suggestions needed for a 3rd place to spend our other 2 nights- perhaps more of a village setting. We will have a car and plan to stay in self catering accommodations. Thanks for any help.

When will this happen?

You won't need, or much want, a car in Sevilla unless you already have a place to park it.

There is o way I would ignore Cordoba - in it's day the most advanced city in europe - and completely fascinating.

Cordoba would be good but it's quite large.

How about http://www.andalucia.com/province/gr...necar/home.htm

It's on the coast so you'd get a different feel than the cities.

It will be in May-yes cars are really not an asset in old European towns-will make sure we have a a place for it.

Sevilla has a lot of narrow, one-way streets and traffic can be confusing if you are not used to it.

Take a look at the map of parking garages available on Explore Seville (http://www.exploreseville.com/map/se...garage-map.htm)

We spent a week in Seville last month with a car and parked at Parking Paseo Colon (that link is broken above -- click through to Explore Seville and search for Parking and you'll get to it. The URL above is right but isn't working for some reason).

Parking Paseo Colon is very accessible for driving in and out of Seville and near to the Santa Cruz neighbourhood for hotels. (you'll likely have to roll your bags but it's flat).

We spent 3 nights in Granada and stayed at Hotel Guadalupe which is right by the main gate of Alhambra. They have an arrangement for parking at the main Alhambra parking so it's about a 3 minute walk (you can pull up to the hotel to drop off your bags).

We liked the location and took the bus up and down to the main town - it runs every 8 minutes.

Cordoba is an obvious addition but if you want more of a town you could stop at Ronda (but it will be busy) or perhaps the less busy Antequera.

Elizabeth I looked at both of these smaller towns and they are very appealing-many nice hotel options.

Also I am going to give you a crazy food suggestion en route if you happen to get near a town called Jaen. It is a Chinese "self service" buffet called Iron Wok Calle Torredonjimeno 7, Jaen, Spain

We stumbled upon it on a Sunday early like 12:30PM Sunday is a big family eat out together day for comida. We couldn't find any parking in town itself easily so we were going back to the highway and this place is basically set in a little "industrially" shopping area just outside the center.

So when we go in, we see this amazing spread of food for 12 euros! Just ignore the Chinese food-they have oodles of fresh seafood they cook for you "on demand" on the plancha grill and legs of amazing hams you can choose from and great salads. It was incredible.

When we got there, we were one of 4 tables but about 1pm the families started coming in and the place was filled by 2PM when we got ready ready to leave. It was amazing-we still talk about it being the best meal we ate in Spain! And of course you have to have a car to even find it!

Also, just FYI many of the small villages are extremely challenging to drive in and even have closed off street, so you can find yourself basically perched on a cliff in a stick shift car needed to do a u turn! I still have a couple times that I thought we wouldn't make it out of there. They can also be very narrow so a small car is better. Alternatively, many of the villages have paid parking below which is great but then can have daunting walks to get up to them. So just be aware of that especially if you choose to base in one of the villages. Have a great trip! We spent a month there and it still wasn't long enough!

Also I am going to give you a crazy food suggestion en route if you happen to get near a town called Jaen. It is a Chinese "self service" buffet called Iron Wok Calle Torredonjimeno 7, Jaen, Spain

We stumbled upon it on a Sunday early like 12:30PM Sunday is a big family eat out together day for comida. We couldn't find any parking in town itself easily so we were going back to the highway and this place is basically set in a little "industrially" shopping area just outside the center.

So when we go in, we see this amazing spread of food for 12 euros! Just ignore the Chinese food-they have oodles of fresh seafood they cook for you "on demand" on the plancha grill and legs of amazing hams you can choose from and great salads. It was incredible.

When we got there, we were one of 4 tables but about 1pm the families started coming in and the place was filled by 2PM when we got ready ready to leave. It was amazing-we still talk about it being the best meal we ate in Spain! And of course you have to have a car to even find it!

Also, just FYI many of the small villages are extremely challenging to drive in and even have closed off street, so you can find yourself basically perched on a cliff in a stick shift car needed to do a u turn! I still have a couple times that I thought we wouldn't make it out of there. They can also be very narrow so a small car is better. Alternatively, many of the villages have paid parking below which is great but then can have daunting walks to get up to them. So just be aware of that especially if you choose to base in one of the villages. Have a great trip! We spent a month there and it still wasn't long enough!

I'll add my voice to those recommending Cordoba, even though it isn't a village. I can't imagine being in the area and skipping the Mezquita....

We enjoyed Ronda very much. It is very picturesque and if you take the drive from Seville to Arcos de la Frontera, then on through the mountain roads to Ronda it's a very enjoyable drive. We did not find that Ronda was all that much of a challenge to drive into, as long as you plan your route beforehand.

We haven't made it to Córdoba yet; next time we will.

Cordoba is great. The streets in the old city are harrowing though.

Cordoba in may is something very special, starts With the Cruces festival, then the famous patio festival and then the flamenco inspired Feria by the end of the month. Would be almost 24/7 fiesta, food, drink, music, dance and a great opportunity to experience the Andalucian culture and get under the skin of things: http://www.andalucia.com/cities/cordoba/festivals.htm

This will get you in the Cordoba mood:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyfGdpF55Uk

Or, if you want a smaller town and genuine Andalucian feel between Granada and Sevilla, go to Antequera, the first of the Granada emirate towns to fall to the Christians in 1410.
http://andaluciacoastandcountry.com/antequera-spain/
http://wild-about-travel.com/2011/07...ing-antequera/

Hmm-for some reason it posted my second posting twice but not my first one! In that posting I was saying that we stayed at a nice place in Sevilla, hotel not self-catering though. It was the Regina Eurostar Hotel. It has(paid parking and is a nice location near the river which allos easy access to the bus system, although most of the core of Seville is pretty walkable-flat and not too large. It is also near one of our favorite restaurants, Eslave. They actually also have apartment to rent. Very fun nice neighborhood-more low key than the heart of the more toursity center IMO

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaura...Andalucia.html

http://www.espacioeslava.com/es/apartamentos_en_sevilla

We have driven in northern Spain but were often in more rural areas and even that could get dicey!
Perhaps we will rent car after Seville and at least eliminate one city of driving.
Thanks for all the great suggestions and links.

If you are visiting only Sevilla, Granada, and either Cordoba or Ronda, you don't need a car -- which, as noted, could easily be more of a detriment than a help.

I stayed for a week just outside the small town of Iznájar, smaller and not too far from Antequera and convenient to the highway between Granada & Seville. I liked it very much & recommend it.