Spain with teens...
 

Hello
We( 2 adults and two boys-teens) are in the planning stages of a 12 days trip. (end of June 2010) We are thinking of Spain and perhaps Portugal also. If you had limited time, and wanted to get a taste of Spain (and Portugal), what would be your recommendations? ( spending two nights min. in a location~ but would stay longer if needed and limiting other locations) Our only desire would be to end the trip with three days (2 nights) on the coast for R&R.

Thank you for helping to guide me in a place to start our research. ( I will purchase guide books but wanted to make sure this is for us before doing so.)

fyi- The boys are well traveled and still love to sight see with us. (so in other words… we are not worried about finding things to entertain them.. the trip will do that)
thank you again

I think you are really on the right track. Personally, I would restrict it to Spain only during that period of time. Also, parts of Spain at the end of June will be hot, so bring a variety of clothing.

I would imagine you will fly into Madrid? There are tons of things in Madrid, including one of the oldest continuous operating restaurants in Europe.

Other places I would hit are:

Toledo (historic old capital with two bridges that date to Roman times)

Cordoba (site of the Mezquita Cordoba Mosque, which is huge, but more. A portion of it was converted into a cathedral after being captured by Spanish forces from the Mores. The contrast between the cathedral and the mosque is simply breathtaking. Cordoba dates from the Roman empire)

Granada (site of the very impressive Alhambra, a Morish palace). It was in Granada were Queen Isabella gave Columbus funds from captured Morish loot to finance his exploration. She and King Ferdinand are "buried" in Granada, the only Spanish monarchs not at El Escorial, the tranditional burial site)

Salamanca (site of one of the oldest universities in Europe)

Torremolinos (on the Costa del Sol, a great place with lots of beautiful beaches. At that time of year, it will be very busy and very touristy.)

Any chance you can go earlier?

There are TONS of other very interesting places in Spain, but with 12 days, and spending 2 to 3 days in each place, you will not be able to hit them all. This will give you a very good overview of Spain.

We took 4 teen age grand children to Spain several years ago. They loved the cathedral in Seville and the palace there as well, They also enjoyed Alhambra. We also spent a bit of time in Rhonda. We only had a week, so that's all we had time for.

You really have very limited time. If it were me I would stick to Andalusia and a couple of days on the Costa del Sol. IMHO this is the most interesting part of Spain since it is the most different from the rest of europe due to the Moorish history.

If you prefer you could spend a couple of days in Madrid first, then rent a car and head south. At that time of year assume very hot weather (highs can reach 100) and make sure hotels have good AC and a pool.

One of the best resources for planning a trip to Spain is Maribel's Guides at www.maribelsguides.com.

Thank you all for your replies and helpful information. We cannot go earlier since the boys will still be in school.

Last summer we spent 7 weeks traveling in Europe... we were able to spend at a minimum five nights in each location, I fear only two nights like I previously quoted for each town/city will be a disappointment. I will have to limit it to just a couple spots.

Thank you again for pointing me in the right direction.

" I fear only two nights like I previously quoted for each town/city will be a disappointment.'
You are right!
Spain is a big country with variety of cultures an scenery.
If you like big cities, Madrid with several trips ( Toledo or Segovia or Salamanca) and Barcelona (the beaches in the city and in many nearby towns) would give you some insight in diversity of Spain. Lots to see and do for teenagers in both cities!

I understand some consider Andalucia the "real" Spain, but I think it is too limiting ( plus it is hot as hell in the summer).

How do your teens cope with heat? Andalucia is a furnace in summer. There is wonderful surfing in the Basque country, and the possibility of forays into France.

Another quite fascinating area of Spain is Catalonia, with a choice of Barcelona, Girona and Vic for major sightseeing, some Greek ruins along the coast (Empuries) and beautiful, beautiful seacoast towns like Calella da Palafrugell. It will also be hot, but you have both the mountains and the sea for cooling excursions.

Thank you both for your replies :o)
Last summer we found one day in Rome was quite warm, and in Athens. (but the gelato in Rome helped!) Athens, we just went out early and enjoyed REALLY late dinners. The boys thought it was fun to have dinner ending after midnight and are great sports in going with the flow.
I am anxious to look into Calella da Palafrugell. Thank you again.

As noted here is no typical Spain. We have visited many coutries but have spent the most time in Spain. And Spain is many counties united by a geographical fiction.

For sights Michelin Green is very good and for a broad and affectionate but maybe slightly outdated view read Penelope Casas Discovering Spain.

That why you can see the differences in the regions, cultures, languages, and histories. Maybe even give the boys the Michelin guide and see what appeals to them. I do not think they would like Penelope Casas as much.

oh on.. when I did that smile to thank you.. I had no idea it would do a clown. sorry.

thank you aduchamp1 for the help.

I agree with Aduchamp1 to let the boys page through a guidebook or two. I usually do that with the DK Eyewitness Guides because they have such great pictures and graphics (I borrow them from my local library). Last year our 16 year old son chose the Templo de Debod from the DK Eyewitness Spain Guide (it is located in Madrid near the Palacia Real) and it was fascinating. We may never have gone there if he hadn't spotted a picture of it in the DK guidebook. (As a matter of fact, we were there exactly one year ago today!)

I agree with others that spending your full 12 days in Spain is the best use of your time.

You are welcome.

There´s no "real" Spain. Andalucía has little in common with the Basque Country or Asturias, for instance. It´s one of the most diverse countries in Europe in terms of languages, habits, landscapes, climate,..., so it´s a difficult choice to decide where to go.

The "image" of Spain that has been exported over the years is that of bullfights, sun, beaches, sangría, tapas and paella. Well, that may be true...but only for the most touristic areas and mostly in Southern Spain.

Thank you mikelg... As you can imagine with only 12 days we can only get a taste of Spain on our trip. (and at that it will be a nibble at best.) we would like to combine 2/3rds of our trip with culture and history~ taking in what we can.. ending with a few days of R&R in So. Spain... (yes I know it will be hot and crowded.) That has never bothered us before, it is the nature of the beast when you travel in high season. With our children in school, this is what can work best for us right now.

Thank you for your comments.
and have a good day

Then you can start with Madrid, then south to Toledo, then south to Córdoba, Sevilla, Granada and end in any of the beaches in Málaga. That would be good enough for 12 days and you´d visit the most interesting places in Andalucía. It will be very hot, that´s for sure.

Many areas of Spain are now covered in snow, so I´m kind of missing that Andalucían hot summer...

Thank you for the help Mikelg. I have a great starting point to my research. It will be fun to see what I can put together. We are very cold here in Boston too. I am missing the summer sun as well.

cheers
Viv

I really agree with Mikelg. Especially with teen boys they will probably like Madrid and even more Toledo. You will all love Sevilla (especially the cathedral, giralda and alcazar and a tour of the bullring) I recommend 3 nights in Sevilla. They will love Granada because the Alhambra is a magical palace, read some of Washington Irving's "Tales of the alhambra" and get an audio tour. Also an end on the beaches near Malaga or Cadiz (my preference for better beaches) since your from Mass. Too bad you don't have time for San Sebastian and the Basque country which is the only place I've ever seen where the beaches can compare to the Cape and Islands. You must plan the North coast for your next trip.

I also back Egbert´s opinion on Cádiz beaches, or Almería´s...but it´s just that those in Málaga are full of teens, people, amusement parks, lively towns...and those in Cádiz are quieter (thinking of your teens)

Thank you Egbert and to mikelg again.. wonderful help! I may look into Cadiz. My boys are teens, but believe it or not they love it quiet. (last summer (First weeks of July) we spent 10 days on Santorini and they loved it. It was busy with mostly adults and they were never bored-- They prefer the rocky beaches to the ones with sand ( I have no idea why??? I like sand) I don't mind if they are not like the Cape, it is fun to experience new things.
I have started research on Sevilla and it sounds wonderful. We will plan on flying into Madrid. I would like to plan on three nights Sevilla... How many would you plan for Madrid? From the sounds of things...we would also like to see Granada and end in either Cadiz or Malaga.
Thank you again. my best to all for the holidays.

one more thing.. I wrote the boys love it quiet.. I know it will not be "quiet" when we travel in summer months.. I just meant.. they do not need a lot of activities...

sorry if that was misleading..
thank you all again.

a familiar theme but...cadiz province beaches win hands down every time over malaga's. el palmar, roche, zahara de los atunes, canos de meca, puerto de santa maria, chiclana, tarifa, sanlucar & across the river - all top beach areas

Then either Cádiz or Almería beaches will be perfect for you.

Two or three nights in Madrid, maybe you should stick to two nights per city (but also taking into account that Madrid is the capital city of Spain and has lots of things to do and see...so three is not a bad option either)

I visited Cadiz by taking the little and I mean little, boat ferry across from Puerto de Santa Maria-perfect for relaxing.I am sure you all would enjoy the boat ride!Puerto de Santa Maria is a lovely little town,great beaches and the boys would be safe to go out on their own.The castle there is supposed where Christopher Columbus stayed while waiting for approval/funds from the queen.As parents you would be able to go on a tour of the sherry places.

Granada should get 2 nights. Make sure to see some Gypsy flamenco in one of the caves in barrio Sacromonte at night and stop by the plaza san Nicolas around sunset for magical views of the Alhambra. Can you spend a night in Malaga and one in Cadiz? As much as I don't like the costa del Sol Malaga itself is a great city with a lot of character and the Alcazaba is a great sight. Madrid can be anywhere from 2 nights to 5 nights if you love art museums.

I used to take student groups to Spain for many years and one of the many things they rwally enjoyed was "free time". I had to make sure they had the name of the hotel and a map with them at all times. As mentioned Puerto de Santa Maria is one of the places they really enjoyed.
La Granja is beautiful little place outside of Segovia often forgotten or not known by tourists visiting Segovia.It's an easy bus ride -15 minutes from Segovia.They enjoyed walking around the landscaped and forest grounds of the palace and exploring the town on their own.
Another similar experience is the town of Tordesillas.It is here that the Treaty of Tordesillas was signed-great exhibit and they were fascinated by the story of Juana la Loca and the tour of the convent where she stayed for so many years.The Plaza Mayor is also unique.
Once again ,teenagers really enjoy the idea of being able to wander off by themselves and survive!
Just suggestions-not only for teenagers!