Spain 20 day itinerary June
 

Hoping for some advice re itinerary for our up coming holiday to Spain. We are in our fifties and enjoy seeing museums, art, music and beaches as well as experiencing diverse cultures. We are flying into Barcelona and spending 6 days there. Then flying to Granada (4 days) and then getting train to Seville (4 - 5 days). We know it will be hot in the south but are prepared for that.

My question is whether to then travel to Lisbon or head back north and see San Sebastián and Bilboa. We will be visiting friends in Germany after that and can fly there from Bilboa or Lisbon. Wondering what people think of this itinerary? And if you have been to Lisbon and San Sebastián/ Bilboa which did you prefer?

Lisboa, Bilbao and San Sebastián are very different cities, so here you have a real choice. Lisboa is old world/lost empire feel and melancholic atmosphere. https://www.lonelyplanet.com/portugal/lisbon

Nothing capture the Lisboa spirit better than the fado music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=on9lKHZc5jA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdOE5ERp-s4

The sister cities Bilbao and San Sebastián couldn't be more different. The old indutrial and financial capital Bilbao is hectic, vibrant, cutting edge architecture and museums, and Belle Epoque San Sebastián is arguable the most beautiful city in Spain, the culinary capital of Spain and perhaps all of Europe and some of the finest city beaches on the continent (sensational food in Bilbao as well, they are totally food crazy in all of the Basque Country).

Bilbao with the spectacular Guggenheim, the Fine Arts museum etc: http://www.euskoguide.com/places-bas...ilbao-tourism/

San Sebastián, my favourite city on the planet since I first visited in 1987, have lived here and been back almost every year after, could give you all kinds of tips here in my second home town:
http://www.euskoguide.com/places-bas...stian-tourism/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/de...y-for-foodies/

You might consider adding a night or two for Cordoba, or shifting time from Sevilla to Cordoba. Many people visit it as a day trip from Sevilla, but I found plenty to keep me happily busy for about 48 hours. And even if you don't stay overnight, the Mezquita is, IMO, among the world's gems. Do consider making time for it!

No time in Madrid? I know that's not part of your question, but given that you enjoy museums and art, I'm a bit surprised that you don't mention it -- I would have expected to see you plan on at least 4 days there, plus 2 days for Toledo and maybe another day or two for other possible day trips. JMO!

Enjoy!

Thanks to both of you. Despite the wonderful sounding art museums in Madrid this city does not appeal to us. We will look into visiting Córdoba though.

Kimhe your description of San Seb. and Bilboa make it very appealing. Not looking for a melancholy vibe. Any suggestions regarding accommodation there?

FWIW, I <b>far</b> preferred Bilbao to San Sebastian -- but I seem to be a bit unusual among Fodorites in that preference. I enjoyed both, but Bilbao fit my interests much better -- I found it more dynamic and less touristy. And, of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder -- while San Sebastian is quite lovely, my nod for "most beautiful in Spain" would go to Salamanca. ;-) In contrast, I thought San Sebastian a bit past her prime. JMO.

If you do go to Bilbao, do consider making time for the Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao. WELL worth seeing, IMO!

In San Sebastián I can recommend the Hotel Londres right on the famous La Concha beach promenade, the new attics with sea view are out of this world: https://www.hlondres.com/en/

Or old world Hotel María Cristina, one of the finest hotels in Spain: http://www.hotel-mariacristina.com/en

Both hotels are close to the Parte vieja/Old town with the geratest concentration of bars and restaurants in Europe. Here people sample the small gourmet style pintxos with a glass of the local white wine txakoli before a late night meal in one of the many world class restaurants. https://www.sansebastianturismo.com/...e-culinary-art

Many of the finest places in the Parte vieja are in emblematic Calle 31 de Agosto, named after the attack during the Napoleonic Wars on August 31 in 1813, this was the only street standing, and now one of New York Times' 12 favourite streets in Europe: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/...eets.html?_r=0

San Sebastián was European Capital of Culture last year, and here's a fine video intro to the city: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRWCdjw1C8Q

Grat concerts, theaters, live music venues, and I highly recommend the San Telmo Museum, dedicated to Basque society and culture, a great mystery, nobody knows where the Basques and the language comes from: https://www.santelmomuseoa.eus/index...mid=10&lang=en

And here is a fun video intro to the San Sebastián food culture, the many Michelin star restaurants, and the art of having pintxos in the Old town: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwmBAvqa_0U

... and of course the San Sebastián beaches, three of the finest city beaches on the continent, family friendly Ondarreta, famous La Concha and the surfer beach Zurriola: https://www.spain-holiday.com/San-Se...-san-sebastian

And, if you have time for it, I higly recommend a coastal walk over the Ulía hill in the eastern part of town into tiny and picturesque Donibane/Pasajes San Juan, several excellent seafront restaurants here, perfect for a lunch before taking the bus back to San Sebastián. I use to take new vistors to San Sebastián here, and you can of course also go here by bus or taxi: https://www.spain-holiday.com/San-Se...resque-pasajes

See more of Donibane/Pasajes San Juan at the end of this fine video from the coast around San Sebastián. They start out in beautiful Hondarribia just east of San Sebastián almost on the French border: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fP2tNtDZ6Vs

Thanks very much for all that information Kimhe! I will look at it all.
Salamanca does look beautiful kja. It's strange I haven't read about it before now.

If anyone else has an opinion about Lisbon versus San Sebastián and Bilboa, I'd like to read it.

... and it's Bilbao, probably the most commonly misspelled Spanish city on Fodor's ;-)

I very much agree with kja that Bilbao is dynamic and not touristy, I always have to go here once a week or so when I'm in San Sebastián to come back to "real life"... And the Casco viejo/Old town in Bilbao is the best atmosphere and fabulous pintxos bars and cafés. "What to Do in Bilbao, Spain | 36 Hours Travel Videos | The New York Times": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joQ97DBM344

And while we wait for others to chime in on the Lisboa or Bilbao/San Sebastián question, I also think you should take a look at 3000 year old Málaga city because you say you are interested in "museums, art, music and beaches as well as experiencing diverse cultures".

Málaga is the major museum city in Andalucía. Here are world class art museums (Picasso, Carmen Thyssen, The Pompidou Centre, the St. Petesburg Collection of the Russian museum, the Contemporary Arts Center etc. etc.) and the newly reopened Museo de Málaga is the biggest in all of Andalucía, dedicated to fine arts and archeology. https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...-culture-spain

Right in the heart of the city you'll find the Roman theater, the Moorish Alcazaba palace fortress, the huge 16th century cathedral and Picasso's birth-house, all within a few hundred meters. http://www.malagaturismo.com/en/tour...tro-romano/413
https://www.lonelyplanet.com/spain/andalucia/malaga

Great city beaches with traditional and affordable chiringuitos/seafront restaurants: https://www.spain-holiday.com/Malaga...ty-beach-guide
The seafront restaurants in Málaga: https://www.spain-holiday.com/Malaga...nt-restaurants

Málaga also attracts the finest national and international artists to its many excellent theaters, and in the warmer months there are often outdoor concerts up in the Gibralfaro Castle, in the Malagueta bullring or in one of the many wonderful parks.

Malaga's newly reopened Gran Hotel Miramar from 1926 is now perhaps the finest hotel in Spain. http://www.granhotelmiramarmalaga.com/en/

And Málaga is only 90 minutes from Granada by bus, 50 minutes from Córdoba by train, and it's the major airport city in the south of Spain.

I'd halve the time in Granada. Other than Alhambra and the burial place of Ferdinand and Isabella, there's not much to see. It's a commercial/industrial city.

If you're interested in some place that's not a big city, go to Salamanca.

Granada is small and incredibly hot...a couple of days was enough for us.
We liked Seville very much ...a day trip to Córdoba worked just fine.

I agree with kimhe's description of Lisbon, Bilbao and SS

Malaga is lovely ...an Andalusian town with beaches, but I would go north
for a very different part of Spain....
SS for some beach time (and a day in Bilbao.)?

I found much to appreciate in Granada, more than enough to keep me fully engaged for 3 days. YMMV.

I would limit Granada to 2 days. OP question re Lisboa, San Sebastián and Bilbao: I don' t find Lisboa "melancholy". I really enjoyed the "old world" feel, the beach , the open air market, the trolleys, hills, views and excellent food. I also enjoyed San Sebastián but preferred Lisboa. While I really enjoyed the Guggenheim, the rest of Bilbao didn't do much for me.

Thanks very much for all your replies. I will do some research taking into account the different opinions expressed here!

I think you can't go wrong with Lisbon or San Sebastian. Both have great beaches and are a bit cooler in the summer than Spain. San Sebastian is a bit posh as the very wealthy Spaniards and French vacation there in the summer. I like it because I can walk from the beach to the old town and back for tapas and beer anytime I want.