Spain Itinerary - Andalusia
 

We will be in Spain for 16 nights starting mid-September, flying into Madrid. It will be our first time in Spain. I'm 63 and my husband is 70 (he's athletic and in excellent shape but had knee replacement surgery 4 months ago--recovery going very well). We love museums, art, history, wine and great food (not necessarily in that order). I've booked Madrid for 4 nights and Barcelona for 4 nights at the end. (We're heading to Provence after Barcelona where I am doing a painting workshop.)

It's the 8 nights in the middle I need to plan now. I'm thinking Madrid to Cordoba (stay 2 nights), Cordoba to Granada (stay 3 nights), Granada to Sevilla (stay 3 nights), then Sevilla to Barcelona. Perhaps I need to do shorter stays, but I do enjoy a leisurely pace and the chance to enjoy a city.

A couple of friends have strongly recommended we see Ronda, so I'm wondering if I should cut a night somewhere in order to stay there one night. Is it really worth the effort to get there? I usually prefer to stay at least 2 nights somewhere, but if one or two 1-nighters are worth it, I'll reconsider.

Also, any great hotel suggestions are welcome. (I've already booked Madrid--the NH Paseo del Prado. I want to stay in Eixample in Barcelona, and I'm thinking the Murmuri. I don't know too much about the other cities as far as places to stay.)

Thank you to anyone who takes the time to give advice.

Your itinerary is already very good.

If you want to cut something, you may do it in Granada. Two nights will give you one full day, enough to visit the Alhambra (make sure to buy online tickets in advance).

I find Cordoba very interesting, with probably the best cathedral in Andalusia and a very intact Old Town.

From Sevilla, you might consider a daytrip to Jerez and Ronda. No need to stay overnight in Ronda - it is a one-trick-pony (I adopted this phrase from a fellow Fodorite who used it for a similar site in Greece).

You might cut a night from Granada, but you'd have to take the train (or bus) to Ronda and then the bus to Seville. Ronda is a sweet place but is a 2nd tier town. It can be seen in half a day.

It depends on what you are after. I am very fond of Ronda, and I went there so I could hike in the vicinity and enjoy the sunset. I enjoy the new town as well as the old town. It is better when the day trippers leave. It makes a pleasant break from intensive sightseeing, but I see no need to shoehorn it into your itinerary, which already looks quite balanced and pleasant.

Thanks so much for the responses. I'm getting so excited for this trip!

I also enjoyed Ronda, but am not sure what I'd cut to fit it in -- and honestly, only you can decide what you want to see and experience.

And while I agree that you should have a wonderful time, I admit that I would cut either Madrid or Barcelona from this trip to give you more time for whichever you keep. You could then easily visit Ronda and -- if you choose Madrid, at least a night or two in Toledo, or if you choose Barcelona, a day trip or overnight from it.

As you plan, keep in mind that many things in Spain are closed on Mondays, and often for all or part of Sundays too; and many things in Spain will also be closed daily for a very long mid-day break.

Hope that helps!

You will be in Servilla during the greatest flamenco festival in the world the Bienal de Flamenco Sept 8 - Oct 2. The greatest flamencos on stages all around town for three weeks, 78 concerts and eight theaters. A night at the bienal could be a never to forget encounter with this beautiful and powerful art so important for Sevilla and the region. Could easily be the highlight of your trip. Tickets are starting to sell out: http://www.labienal.com/en/

Teaser, an absolute no miss opportunity: http://www.labienal.com/en/teaser-la-bienal-2016/

In Sevilla there are plenty of excellent and relatively small hotels in and around the famous Santa Cruz district, close to the cathedral, the Alcázar etc etc.

And if you want to splurge for a couple of nights in one of the finest hotels in Spain, you have of course Hotel Alfonso XIII: http://www.booking.com/hotel/es/star...nso.en-gb.html

Are you driving? Going from Granada to Sevilla via Ronda is a no-brainer.

If you do, as you arrive in Ronda, look for Av. Martinez Astein (the train station is at one end of it) and as you drive along Astein you can enter the underground parking - much easier than trying to get closer to the Plaza de Toros and then the Bridge with the "abyss" that makes Ronda the attraction it is.

From Astein, walk down the pedestrianized narrow Ctra Espinel.

We were in Sevilla/Ronda/Granada/Cordoba/Madrid two years ago (after a family trip to Prague and Croatia) - We used Ronda as a 'chill-out' stop (although it was very warm). It turned out that there was a super picturesque festival in progress. For more details, including much agonizing about hotels and restaurants, check out my trip report.

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...m#last-comment

Here are the boutique hotels (all with views) where we stayed:

Sevilla - Hospes las Casas del Rey de Baeza
Ronda - Hotel Enfrente Arte
Granada - Hotel Casa Morisca
(day trip to Córdoba)
Madrid - charming airbnb

We did this trip last September. Madrid 4 nights day trip to Toledo, Cordoba 2 nights, Seville 3 nights day trip to Jerez, train/bus to Granada 2 nights flight from Granada to Barcelona with 4 nights in Barcelona and day trip to Girona. Very easy and every place was amazing. Enjoy

Hi Kate, Here is my trip report with photos from our 2015 trip to Barcelona (5 nights), Granada (3), Pueblos Blancas (1), Seville (3), Cordoba (1), Toledo (3) and Madrid (4). You really only need one night in Cordoba in my opinion. We saw Ronda, and it was not our favorite to be sure, but that's a decision you can make. We spent 20 glorious days in Spain. We absolutely loved Toledo! Hope this gives you plenty of ideas.

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

((H))

Bookmarking.
Kate 101 I will read with interest any trip report you write, as we are going at the end of October and our ages, itinerary and time allocation mirror yours almost exactly.