Hi,

I am going in Spain at the end of August for (at least) 15 days. I am coming from Canada so I guess I have the option to land in Madrid or Barcelona.

I love culture, music, architecture, landscape (nature) and food. I have seen A LOT of museums so I don't fancy seeing a hundred but if one REALLY worth it, I would of course be down.

So my question is, what would be the "perfect" trip? Is it better to rent a car or using trains, buses...?

I really want to go to Barcelona and Granada. What about Toledo, Sevilla, Tarifa, Nerja, Salamanca? Would you suggest a trip to Morocco, or Canary island (Tenerife)?

Well, I don't know Spain much and I am open to suggestions!

Thank you a lot

In August, the temperatures in Andalusia can be prohibitively high. You might consider skipping that region of Spain on this trip.

With 15 days, you could, IMO, have a nice (hot, but not miserably hot) trip that includes Madrid and surrounds (including Toledo and / or Salamanca) and Barcelona and surrounds.

With only 15 days, and the time of year, I would NOT try to include Morocco or the Canary Islands.

It sounds to me that you would really benefit from a bit more research. I found the Rough Guide and Michelin Green Guide particularly useful for Spain and strongly recommend that you consult them, and perhaps some other guide books (try your local library) before making a decision.

No matter where you go in Spain, you should find interesting culture, music, architecture, landscapes, and food, so no problem on any of those fronts!

Lots of options for traveling with public transportation -- but you need an itinerary first. The Rough Guide also provides great info about transportation options, as does rome2rio.com

Hope that helps.

Southern Spain will be very hot in August, Madrid can easily break 100F at midnight. Morocco can soar up to 120F during the day if the Serroccos are blowing (the hot winds off the Sahara Desert).

I would stick with Barcelona and the north coast.

As a note, last year was the warmest on record and this summer could beat it.

Here is our three week trip report to Spain last year (with photos). This could give you lots of ideas.

<B>http://travelswithmaitaitom.com/spain-2015/</B>

Way too hot in southern Spain in August, I would think. Very hot on the plain in Madrid, I would think.

I spent 3+ weeks in northwestern Spain in July a couple of years ago and it was hot there but not as bad as the other areas.

Click on my name for a link of the photos of that trip. Hope it helps you decide where you would like to go!

Hi, your 15 days is a good intro to Spain.It's gonna be hot. Especially the south. I was there last summer 2015, (june/July) when Europe was gripped by heatwave. So I highly recommend the north:

You love food, so a few days in the foodie capital: Basque Country - Spain and France. San Sebastian Donostia is a 5+-hour train ride from Madrid or Barcelona. 4 days at least or 5 nights to make it worth the long train ride. Or you can fly. Make sure that your days fall on Tuesday to Saturday. Some restaurants close on Sunday dinners/Mondays.

San Sebastian Crowds - Last summer, July 2015, La Concha beach was sizzling and crowded. But three years ago, when I was there 1st weeks Sept 2013, the weather was cooler the summer crowds were gone.

Of course Barcelona, 5 nights at least. Take a daytrip to Montserrat. I recommend staying in the Eixample district. I have been in 2013, but wanted more so I went back there in 2015.

Costa Brava is another favorite. At least 5 nights there. You will need a car though. We rented a car from Girona.

I love Andalucia, and I enjoy Costa del Sol (Malaga and environs) but I won't go there when it's too hot. Seville in general (food/accommodations) is cheaper than Barcelona or San Sebastian. Seville's food is divine. I visited there in 2014 for 4 days and loved it. Do Cordoba as a daytrip.

It took me 3 trips or a cumulative total of 7-8 weeks spent in Spain to see and visit a LOT of places. So pick and choose your priority destinations. What you will not visit, not see, nor do on this trip, you can, when you go back.

Good luck.

Although you didn't mention them, I agree that there are many wonderful destinations in the north of Spain, too. It's a country with much to offer! Seriously, consult some guidebooks to narrow down your options....

Hi,
Thank you for those informations. I honestly didn't think about the weather (first travel in a hot country). I will try to stick to the North then, even though it's a bit a shame!
Do you suggest better country in Europe to visit during end of August?

Thanks again!

It's not a shame, Northern Spain is wonderful too so you don't have to think of another country instead! We did a trip in August one year from Barcelona drove across Castille via Burgos and Leon (wonderful Gothic cathedrals)to Santiago de Compostela then headed north-east to Asturias and along the Bay of Biscay coast.

https://www.turismoasturias.es/en/home-en/
http://www.roughguides.com/destinati...-and-asturias/
http://www.spain.info/en/que-quieres.../asturias.html
Rough Guide and Spain info websites would show you about the other provinces too

We headed inland at Santander but you could go all the way to San Sebastian. Include Zaragoza too, it was part of Al Andalús for several centuries so has a heritage from Muslim Spain

...I was in Spain at the end of August( long time ago)
Visited wonderful museums in Madrid and Toledo.
It was hot, but manageable( I am Canadian!)

I would suggest Barcelona for several days, fly Vueling to San Sebastian or Bilbao for
4-5 days, fly or train to Madrid at the end of the trip for 3- 4 days .
Air Canada has direct flights to both cities.
Skip the South this time.

Here is our three-week trip report to Spain in May/June 2015 (plenty of photos, too). Should give you a good idea of what to see. We traveled to Barcelona, Granada, Ronda, Sevilla, Cordoba, Toledo and Madrid.

<B>http://travelswithmaitaitom.com/spain-2015/</B>

If you want somewhere cooler in August you need head further north, like Scandinavia and the Baltic north, although I was still glad of AC in Stockholm last August.

However, you might still enjoy Barcelona and points north in Spain and perhaps southern France. Maybe Barcelona - Pamplona - San Sebastian - Bayonne or Biarritz. I enjoyed Pamplona and Biarritz more than I expected on my recent trip. For posts with photos see my blog:

https://mytimetotravel.wordpress.com/

(@maitaitom - thanks for the warning about buying tickets for the sights in Barcelona ahead of time.)

Alright, I will look at it more closely then! Barcelona then some northern cities would be great I could include some spots in France too.

Thank you!!

Maitaithom, was it that hot in south?

For climate information, see wunderground.com

Well, it is a bit of a shame in that there are so many incredible places to see in southern Spain. But, on the other hand, there are also many incredible places to see in the north. Save the south for a trip at a more pleasant time of year.

Here's a link to my photos from northwestern Spain in July, 2013. Maybe they will provide some thoughts on where to go.

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...n-pictures.cfm

Have you bought the Geo guide for Spain? It's en francais and is our favourite travel guide.

"Maitaithom, was it that hot in south?"

We were in the south in late May. Sevilla and Cordoba were hot for that time of year, although a few of the locals said it was unseasonably hot for late May. They told me summer in Sevilla is very, very, very hot. By the way, we loved Toledo. Many say just go for a day trip from Madrid, but we spent three nights there and loved it. Hot or not...Spain is wonderful!

Info about the Basque region in the north of Spain, among many things, the culinary heartland of Spain, great cities, nice villages, some of the best beaches on the continent: http://tourism.euskadi.eus/en/
http://www.euskoguide.com/

Not that hot in the South, along the Malaga coast weather statistics for late August says average 86-90F. I have been here many times in July/August and not been troubled by the heat, some friends go here with their kids the past ten years or so for several weeks in July/August and of course love it. The only thing is that the coast is quite crowded with tourists at this time of year. Inland is usually hotter. http://www.wetteronline.de/klima-temperatur/malaga

I will try to stick to the North then, even though it's a bit a shame!>>

as others have said, no it isn't! our first trip to Spain was to the north and the costa verde - we crossed over the Pyrenees from France and then drove from San Sebastian down to Burgos, Valladolid, & Salamanca, then north to Leon and through the Picos de Europa [mountains] to the coast and Santander - all in about 2 ½ weeks. We did not feel deprived because we hadn't seen the south, or indeed Barcelona as the places we did see were marvellous and though it was about 30 years ago, I can still remember what a great trip it was!

so if your choice is the north, you should not feel short-changed.