SPAIN- Barcelona to Gibraltar
 

My wife and I are going to drive from Barcelona to Gibraltar for two weeks in the month of September. We want some good tips for what are the destinations we should visit. We are not going to Madrid hence staying close to the Mediterranean coast. Also, we enjoy staying at Bed & Breakfast place to meet local people and mingle with them. We would sure appreciate some good ideas of how to make our trip enjoyable and memorable. Please send any and all comments. Thanks.

If I understand correctly, you will spend two weeks driving from Barcelona to Gibraltar. This means you can drive for 2 hours then stop in whatever your village is in and spend 1-2 nights there and walk around exploring the area. Suggested ust visit places are Valencia, Malaga Granada, Nerja, and Almeria.

Definitely, definitely hit Granada. The Alhambra is worth every penny.

If you have not yet done so, grab a copy of the Lonely Planet Andalucia. Lots of good info in there.


<i>Also, we enjoy staying at Bed & Breakfast place to meet local people and mingle with them. </i>

I don't know what that means. The only locals you'll meet at a B&B are the owners and staff.

if you want to mingle with locals, go to the local bars. If people aren't directly connected with the tourism industry then don't expect them to speak English.

"Suggested must visit "

I found some interesting itinerary on www.seekatrip.com for Barcelona, it was send to us by a couple who planned a very good trip with flamenco show and concert. We can give you their contact details if you have some more questions.

Definitely visit Granada -- you can easily spend 2-3 nights there. It is a wonderful, vibrant city and the Alhambra is incredible. Just remember to book tickets in advance or you may not be able to get in to the main palace area.
Valencia is another good place to stop and spend a few days.
Have a great trip

Hello Only Tavel,

My husband and I are planing a similar road trip: Barcelona to Gibraltar and was wondering since you already went could give us any good tips/advice.

We are flying from US to Madrid with family for 4 days then us two will depart by train to Barcelona (stay 1 day) and rent a car to drive from Barcelona to Gibraltar.

We are planing this trip in September 2017.

Thank you,
Liz

I will recommend you what you should not see: Castellon, Murcia, Almeria, Malaga. I mean only the cities, the surroundings are different

thank you Rindaroy! I will take your recommendation.

why? I like Malaga, so do other people. I wouldn't not go to a place based solely on one stranger's opinion on the internet.

I'm starting my travel research in advance so I have plenty of time to learn about the places/stops and things to do in that area.

I have seen other forums and they do recommend Malaga as one of the stops.

Each city/town has its own beauty.

Curious as to if you can even drive into Gibraltar or must park the car in Spain and walk in over the runway as I had to several years ago - Spain often makes access for vehicles difficult though individuals can freely enter.

Rindaroy how can you recommend not to visit Murcia, Almeria or Malaga, they are amazing and vibrants cities. One of the Weirdest opinions I ever read.

NYTimes travel section recently had a glowing report on Malaga and especially it flock of neat new museums:

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/21/tr...days.html?_r=0

I stayed a few days in Malaga several years ago and liked it - unique look and feel.

Thank you PalenQ for the link! it does offers very good info.

Since we have about 2 weeks of travel we plan to make a stop in almost all the cities/town around the Mediterranean/Alboran Sea.

I also read in a different travel forum that since there are few parking places in Gibraltar is recommended to leave your car at an underground parking garage by the airport.
The walk to the city is about 10 min or another option is to catch the regular bus.

Thanks PalenQ for bringing this up!

@ Liz8086: You might want to start your own thread, since many people will not realize that you have questions that differ from the original posters. FWIW, I find your itinerary confusing: Why only one day in Barcelona? It's easily worth 5 or 6 full days, not counting the wonderful places within easy reach of that great city. And are you not planning to visit Toledo or Segovia or any of the stunning destinations in the Madrid area? With only two weeks, I think you will need to be extremely selective....

Kja: thank you for the advice! I will start my own thread, post my questions and would appreciate if you could add your input/advice. I appreciate your suggestions about visiting Toledo or Segovia. I searched about the cities and they are definitely a destination we would love to check.

I'll watch for your post!

Barcelona 3 days
Hotel recomendation: Musik Boutique Hotel
http://www.musikboutiquehotel.com/en/index.html
Amazing city, you have to go to Sagrada Familia, Parc Guell, Casa Batlló, Barrio Gótico, Picasso Museum or Mercado de la Boquería.

Tarragona 1 day
Recommendation to stay
Hotel Lauria
http://en.hotel-lauria.com/
Old Roman city, small place but interesting to go to the Roman Theatre, Cathedral, Acueducto and the roman walls

Valencia 3 days
Hotel recommendation: San Lorenzo Hotel Boutique
http://hotelsanlorenzoboutique.com/
The 3rd biggest city in Spain, very mediterranean style, not to miss the Oceanographic, Iglesia de San Nicolas de Bari, Mercado, Lonja or the Miguelete where you can find a fantastic views of the city

Murcia 1 day
Hotel Celtina
http://www.hotelcetina.com/en/
Don´t miss the Cathedral, a walk around Trapería y Platería or the Salzillo Museum.

Granada 2 days
Hotel recommendation El Ladrón del Agua
http://www.ladrondeagua.com/
Don´t miss Alhambra and Generalife, Albayzin and Sacromonte, the Cathedral and the Corral del Carbón

Nerja 1 day
Hotel recommendation, Hotel Puerta del Mar
http://www.hotelpuertadelmar.es/?lang=en
After visiting so many cities, I recommend you to stop and relax in a small village, touristy but nice.
Don´t miss Balcón de Europa, the Caves and a visit to the white village of Frigiliana 4 kms to the north.


Málaga 2 days
Recommendation to stay in the new brand hotel: http://www.hotelteatroromano.com/

Last stop before to get to Gibraltar, it´s called the hidden gem of the Costa del Sol. It is certainly the City of Joy.
Go to the roof top of the Cathedral and sit for a coffee facing the impressive front of the cathedral.
Visit the Picasso birthplace and its museum. Go to the Roman Theatre, Alcazaba and Gibralfaro, enjoying the view of Malaga.
Go to the historic garden of La Concepción awesome collection of trees, plants and history all together.
Don´t miss the Old tobacco factort, nice building where you can find a couple of museums: Automobile and Russian (collection of Chagall)
Mercado de Atarazanas, the most genuine market in Andalucia.
Go to the the Pedregalejo district on Malaga east and order sardines (espetos de sardinas) and anchovies fried (boquerones fritos) in a Chiringuito by the sea.
Museo Carmen Thyssen Málaga, the most impressive collection of Andalusian art.


Gibraltar 1 day - Finally your last destination. Congratulations!!

Good itinerary from Alvamo. While there are some beautiful spots along the way, expect a lot of orange desert on the right and concrete buildings on the left. One of the exceptional things about Spain is its fantastic cities. For spectacular ocean views and beaches the Northcoas