Visiting Spain for the first time in July - Destination Suggestions.....
 

I plan to take my family (2 teens included) to Spain this summer - 16 days. My daughter is an art major at UCLA so we would like to see things (architecture, museums, etc) that would inspire and interest her. If possible we may want to take a short peek into Portugal and Morocco for a day each. I would love suggestions on what we should see on a first trip. We have a lot of Starwood points so any starwood hotel suggestions would also be great. Lastly, it seems like it's a lot cheaper to fly from LAX to Heathrow and arrange your own flight to Spain. Do people agree? Any suggestions on whether it's best to fly into Madrid vs. Barcelona (or somewhere else)? All suggestions appreciated!! Thanks, Andrew

My exposure to Spain has been limited to Bacelona and Tarragona. I just commented on a similar thread: http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...visit-help.cfm

Gaudi's La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona is amazing and, Tarragona, a short drive down the coast, is an old Roman military town and has many good examples of Romans works.

In 16 days you have barely time to touch on spin - I would leave Portugal for another trip.

Also you need to decide what parts you will visit.

I love Andalusia - which to me is different than anyplace else in Europe due to the Moorish heritage - but we have been twice - once for 10 days and once for 12 - and still have a lot to see. To see Andalusia, Madrid, Barcelona and anyplace else in only 16 days is really pushing it. Also the south is VERY hot in summer - with high temps routinely over 100. (Madrid is a few degrees cooler)

Forget Portugal and Morocco. You barely have the time to cover parts of Spain. Here's what we did in a little over two weeks in 1985 (no trip report) and it leaves out Madrid with its major museums and Toledo:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/...7622975757180/

My understanding is that the UK has heavy exit fees on flights, which may eliminate savings through Ryanair or other airlines. Besides, you would have to find a same day transfer, possible if landing in the morning and taking an afternoon flight even from Stansted (we did it going to Porto), but on the return trip you would have to spend the night in London (U.S. flights usually leave before 2 p.m., making a connection from Spain difficult). Unless you wish to see London for a day or more, the overnight again might eliminate savings on your flights.

There are some other posters who are really knowledgeable about Spain, and I am sure you will hear from them.

Perhaps if you can get a fight from Heathrow to Spain, it will work for you to make you own flight arrangements from England. However, if you have to get a flight from Stanstead or another airport, it will be more inconvenient and more costly than you might think. Also, be sure if you are using one of the cheaper European airlines (like Ryan Air) that the cost of luggage does not increase your costs too much.

It will be super hot in S. Spain in July. If you choose S. Spain, be sure to get a hotel with a pool if at all possible, or a place near the beach.

I would skip Morocco and Portugal this trip: too hot and too much time traveling.

Barcelona will be a little cooler than S. Spain.

For Architecture, the Alhambra in Granada (stay at least one or two nights) and all of Gaudi's work in Barcelona is awesome. I also love the Cathedral in Toledo.

For your art major Daughter, there is so much in Spain, and everybody has their favorites, but do visit the Prado in Madrid and see the El Greco paintings in Toledo.

I have not been to N Spain, but you might consider San Sebastian and other more northern areas for a week or so.

I loved going to Andulucia on my first trip to Spain. It will be very hot during June. In Seville, you can use Starwood points to stay at the gorgeous Hotel Alfonso XIII.

Here's what we did one year in February:

Feb 2, 2001: Flew from JFK – Madrid – Malaga (arriving on Feb 3)



Feb 3: Pick up rental car

Lunch at restaurant on beach (literally) in La Herradura on the Costa del Sol

Drive to Granada

Hotel - Hotel Alhambra, Granada (only available 2 nights, we were supposed to stay in a gypsy cave... he chickened out!)

Dinner in the hotel’s dining room



Feb 4: Hire private guide for day tour of Granada (very well worth the money!)



Feb 5: Tour Alhambra Palace and Gardens, Granada

Tour Cathedral and other siteseeing

Hotel - Paradore de San Francisco Hotel (formerly a convent, 1 night, the paradores in Spain are former palaces, convents, monestaries, etc. and are beautiful!)

Dinner at Los Manueles Restaurant, Granada



Feb 6 (not on original itinerary.. a spur of the moment decision): Drive to Alpugarra in the Sierra Nevada (one of the mountain towns)

Continue up to top of Sierra Nevada where skiing trails located

Hotel at top of mountain – 1 night, don’t remember hotel name



Feb 7: Sierra Nevada – no skiing today, 100 kph winds and mountain is closed

Drive to Cordoba, 1 night (don’t remember hotel name)

Tour Cathedral and town



Feb 8: Drive through Baena (wonderful olive oil at Nunez de Prado)

Arrive Carmona

Hotel – Casa de Carmona (formerly the mayor’s home and 16th century Lasso de la Vega Palace), 1 night

Dinner at hotel



Feb 9: Drive to Seville

Hotel – Hotel Alfonso XIII

Tour Cathedral

More siteseeing

Flamenco show at Los Gatos



Feb 10: Tour Museo Taurino (bull ring)

Tour Monestario

Tour the Real Alcazar Palace

More siteseeing



Feb 11: Drive to Palos de la Frontera (where Columbus sailed from to America)

Picnic lunch at La Rabita (the monastery where Columbus planned his trip to America). 'Borrow' a big bath towel from your hotel to serve as your table cloth.

See the replicas of the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria

Drive to Jerez

Hotel – Hotel NH Avenida Jerez (1 night)



Feb 12: Tour Domicq distillery (Sherry and brandy of Jerez) and more siteseeing

Drive to Ronda, stop at Arcos de la Frontera

Hotel in Ronda – Hotel Husa Reina (1 night)

Siteseeing around Ronda

Dinner – Restaurante Pedro Romero



Feb 13: Sunrise horseback ride in Ronda

Drive from Ronda to Algeciras

Picnic lunch along the way with fabulous views

Hotel – Hotel Guadacorte Park in Algeciras



Feb 14 (original itinerary called for multiple days in Morocco): Ferry to Ceuta, tour of Tangier, Morocco



Feb 15 (not on original itinerary but added since Morocco was dropped): Gibraltar

Hire taxi driver to be our guide for the day

Hotel – Rock Hotel (2 nights)



Feb 16: Tour around Gibraltar some more and relax on the Mediterranean side



Feb 17 - 18 (not on original itinerary but added since Morocco was dropped): Brunch in the Gibraltar Marina

Drive to Costa del Sol

Hotel – Marriott Marbella Beach Resort (2 nights)

Dinner at Marriott’s restaurant both nights

Mimosas on the beach at sunrise

Drive around Costa del Golf, visit markets, etc

Lie on beach

Have a great time!



Feb 19: Flew Malaga – Madrid – JFK


I would probably drop the unexpected detour to Sierra Nevada. Also, there was probably no need to spend the night in Carmona although the hotel was extremely lovely and the food terrific!




Tangier was fun even if it was the hokey tour with the mandatory stop for a camel ride photo op. etc.. The bus ride from Ceuta to Tangier was extremely sobering... you really do see what third world countries look like. Very sad.

In other travelers' eyes, we probably did too many 1 night stays... I would probably stay 2 nights in some of the places we stayed 1 night.


But, in the end, we were happy with our choices... only wished we had more time to spend. Morocco will be a separate trip for me some other year.


There is a program on PBS called 'Spain... On the Road Again' with Mario Battali, Gweneth Paltrow, Mark Bittman (food critic from NY Times) and Claudia something (a Spanish model/actress). I'm a foodie so I really enjoy it. But, in addition to the food, they shot all over Spain for this production. It's now in re-runs but worth looking out for. I think I've watched each episode 2 or 3 times.



And, for car rentals, check prices at kemwel.com... I've found them to be cheapest. They are a reservation service. All cars that I've rented with them have been with Europcar (although they do deal with many car rental agencies). They are certainly cheaper than renting w/ American rental car agencies and just as reputable. But, for the best prices, be prepared to drive a standard shift, automatics are very expensive in Europe.


Don't forget that the Spanish take a siesta every afternoon which can really mess up your itinerary unless you plan for it!


Buy your picnic lunches early before grocery stores close for siesta... wine is soooo cheap in the grocery stores. My favorite wine in Spain cost about 1.50 USD per bottle in the supermercado.



See the museums and sites that you want before/after siesta hours!

I think a trip through the Rioja in rental car would give you opportunity to see all the newest wine cellars by world renown architects PLUS quaint towns. Staying north will be a welcome respite, hopefully, from Spain's beastly hot summers in the South.

There is so much to see that whatever section of Spain you do this trip will just scratch the surface of what is available.

The hub around Madrid has many wonderful day trip towns, too.. Toledo, Segovia.. then up to the coast for S.Sebastian and fishing villages , great scenery and amazing food there.

I do suggest including a lot of rural Spain,as it is there you feel like you are in a foreign country where in some places the clock has seemed to stop.. if only for a few decades at least.

I recommend Barcelona for great & unique Gaudi architecture, such as Sagrada Familia, Casa Battlo, Casa Mila, & Parc Guell to name a few. There is the Picassoa museum & other art museums. Great tapas, Mediterranean location, cooler weather. You could also rent a car & drive up Costa Brava. You can click on my name to read my trip report from this past October.

Wow, thanks for all the great suggestions. I ordered a couple of travel books and now I need to piece it all together. I'm taking everyone's advice to limit the trip to Spain. Please keep the suggestions coming! Andrew in Los Angeles

The Atlantic coast in the North is very popular with the Spanish themselves, especially in the summer months. Many consider Belle Epoque San Sebastián to be the no.1 city in Spain. The food capital of Spain (if not all of Europe), some of the finest city beaches on the continent and a local culture that people take great pride in. I've lived here and visited almost every year since 1987. This should give you an idea: http://marshlands.blogstream.com/

The coast from San Sebastián in the east to Galicia in the west holds a dozen medium sized cities, fabulous villages both inland and along the coast and great and shifting scenery. 16 days up here could be a dream introduction to this very diverse country.

San Sebastián is candidate to be cultural capital of Europe in 2016. The 46th edition of the famous jazz festival is celebrated July 21-25. http://www.heinekenjazzaldia.com/?language=en

And between 6th and 14th of July the bulls run in close by Pamplona... The Sanfermines is a fabulous party for all ages and perhaps the most famous festival in all of Spain. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Ferm%C3%ADn

Fly into Bilbao (a major airport), little more than one hour away from San Sebastián by bus. In Bilbao you find the spectacular Frank Gehry Guggenheim museum. Has turned already vibrant Bilbao on its head since it opened in 1997. Should be of great interest to your daughter: http://www.guggenheim.org/bilbao

Also an excellent Museum of fine arts in Bilbao: http://www.museobilbao.com/in/


Some other cities in this part of the country that you might want to visit:

Santander, almost as popular as San Sebastián: http://www.santanderspain.com/

Gijón: http://www.asturiasguide.com/Gijon.html

The world famous pilgrimage city Santiago de Compostela:
http://www.santiagoturismo.com/

Some villages/small towns:

Getaria close to San Sebastián (had the meal of my life in the harbour here in 1996):
http://thepauperedchef.com/2007/12/elkano-in-getar.html
http://www.booking.com/hotel/es/saia...hotela.en.html

Lekeitio (from Mikel, a Bilbao local):
http://mugalari.wordpress.com/2009/11/23/lekeitio/

Guernica (the historic Basque capital, terror bombed on April 26th 1937 during the Spanish civil war, Picasso's painting):
http://www.spanish-fiestas.com/art/picasso-guernica.htm

Llanes, a true gem on the Asturian coast: http://www.llanes.com/

A first trip to Spain should include Seville and Granada but, Andalucia will be hotter than Palm Springs in July so I would go to Madrid (also painfully hot), San Sebastian, and Barcelona (don't miss the Picasso museum).

We didn't find Madrid to be one of our high moments while on the peninsula. If you like night life then yes. We liked Seville and Barcelona much better. The small rural towns of Spain are fascinating.

Thanks everyone! Now if I could just line up some reasonable airfare for July 2011. $1500 x 4 tickets is a killer! May have to delay trip if I can't find something reasonable.

Hope you find some good airfares, but you won't be able to use points for the Alfonso in Seville - per the website: From June 1, 2011 through March 30, 2012, the hotel will be closed entirely to undergo a complete restoration.

bookmarking

If she an art major than a stay in Barcelona is mandatory. There is a sense of design that is rare and it is attributable to Gaudi and to a lesser extent Lluís Domènech i Montaner and Puig. The art is in the streets not in the museums in Barcelona. Unless she a Picasso scholar, she will find the Picasso Museum unsatisfying. And if she like Miro there is a museum on Monjuic.

For pure kitsch, there is little that comapres with Poble Espanyol.
_____________

Madrid is the center for museums. She would also appreciate the aqueduct in Segovia, the hanging houses in Cuenca, and the Palace in Aranjuez. Sevilla has one of the largest Gothic cathedrals in the world and is a wonderful walking city. The Alhambra is an architecural spectacle that should be missed.

It is the actual form of the Guggenheim is Bilbao that is worthwhile, not the collection.

San Sebastian has Belle Epoque architecture plus the best food in Spain.

And that is just touching the surface. One sister-in-law spent five days in Soria just exploring the various forms of architecture.

Thus, I suggest you do your home work and decide what both of you will like. And remember what Chuck Close said about inspirations:

"The advice I like to give young artists, or really anybody who'll listen to me, is not to wait around for inspiration. Inspiration is for amateurs; the rest of us just show up and get to work. If you wait around for the clouds to part and a bolt of lightning to strike you in the brain, you are not going to make an awful lot of work. All the best ideas come out of the process; they come out of the work itself. Things occur to you. If you're sitting around trying to dream up a great art idea, you can sit there a long time before anything happens. But if you just get to work, something will occur to you and something else will occur to you and something else that you reject will push you in another direction. Inspiration is absolutely unnecessary and somehow deceptive. You feel like you need this great idea before you can get down to work, and I find that's almost never the case."

My friends know that I habitually exclude the word "not" when writing and I did it once again while describing the Alhambra. The Alhambra should NOT be missed. It is one of those tourist destinations that survives its reputation. It adheres to one of the basic tenets of Islamic architecture that the facade should be unassuming and the interior ornate, just the way humans should be.

I would maybe start in Barcelona and head to San Sebastian. If you have time the whole North coast is spectacular in the summer but San Sebastian is worthy of at least five nights if not ten. Did anyone mention how hot spain is in the summer?

Thanks for all the suggestions. We live in Los Angeles so I hope the July heat will be no more than what we are used to in the city.

Your daughter might to check out the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Spain:
http://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/es

More info about that sites:
http://www.spain.info/en/