Spain in August Advice
 

I have a trip booked to Spain leaving from Chicago on 8/12. The first 4 nights are booked in Barcelona. Then we fly to Seville for 3 nights. i Have the last 3 nights booked in Madrid. the question is - i have 3 open nights between Seville and Madrid. Can anyone recommend the best way to spend our time. we would like to see the southern coast if possible but i hear the beach at this time of year is packed - what about Cadiz?? also, would we be crazy to miss Granada?? Let me know your thoughts???

also, please don't warn me about the heat in Spain in August. i am from Chicago and i am no stranger to 100+ weather.

The beaches of the Costa de la Luz between Cadiz and Algeciras should not be too crowded-- they are huge, wide, and go on for miles. If you have a rental car, you should have no major problems to find a place away from the masses. (fewer masses here than at neighboring Costa del Sol).
You could rent a car for 2 or 3 days, get into a small hotel in Vejer de la Frontera (which sits on a hill looking over the Atlantic), do some sightseeing in the other white villages, or along the coast, and go to the beaches which are just 5-10kms away from Vejer.

Is this your first trip to Spain? If so, I'd not miss Granada.

Have you already booked your ticket from Barcelona to Sevilla? If not, you may want to consider flying from BCN to Granada then from Granada head to Sevilla where you can easily get the Ave train to Madrid. If you want to rent a car you could spent 2 nights in Granada then rent a car and head to Sevilla via the Pueblos Blancos. There are several villages you could spent 1 night along the way (Arcos, Ronda, Zahara, etc...).

If you're already locked into a plane ticket from BCN to Sevilla then I'd ask if you were planning on renting a car or using public transport. This would weigh into how I'd spend the next 3 days (but I'd still reserve at least 2 nights for Granada).

I grew up in Puerto Rico and I WOULD NOT go to Seville in August, so go figure!

If you are set in doing this in August, please be forewarned that Spain beaches are where many (many!) Europeans go in August. Not a chance of a non-crowded beach. I would only recommend La Barrosa Beach (Costa de la Luz), maybe Bolonia beach near Tarifa also very close to the Roman Ruins of Baelo Claudio. That is where I would go after Seville. Othwerwise, consider Merida, with the most amazing Roman ruins outside Rome (seen many...Merida is out of league!)

Granada only if you get advanced reservations for the Alhambra.

The heat in Chiago is noting whatsoever like the heat in Spain.

First chicago may hit 100 on the odd day during the summer - it's the norm in southern Spain.

Second, most places in Chicago have AC. Many places in Spain do not.

Be sure your hotels have stong AC and good pools (not much else to do in the afternoon). And, yes, it would be a crime to miss Cordoba or Granada.