We are visiting Spain for a month on 14 September and will spend the last 10 days in Barcelona. We fly in and out of Barcelona and could hire a car and do some touring from there. What to do and where to go first of all is our question. We prefer natural and small scale places...villages and towns rather than cities, and mountains and countryside rather than built up coastal areas. We are unsure as to whether it is best to go North to the Pyrenees and across to Bilbao or South to Granada and Seville?? Having said that, however, we are in need of some sun and beach initially...is there anywhere quiet and not part of the group tour market? We did think of flying over to Menorca to start with...is that a good idea, or is there somewhere in the vicinity of Barcelona where we can recover the flight and have some R&R before travelling?

You could head west across the south and back east across the north of Spain. Many roads are single lane each way and slow going (though the Spanish are often in a hurry). Endless small towns. Get yourself a good map of Spain. If you want somewhere quiet on arrival with a nice beach, try:


http://wikitravel.org/en/Tossa_de_Mar


I did all but the drinking section. It is about an hour away by a regular bus service.

I kind of like the idea of heading west and visiting Galicia, Asturias, the Picos de Europas and the Basque Country, then having a few days in Catalonia before going to Barcelona.

I am sure others will chime in.

Thank you for those recommendations. Tossa looks lovely....just a bit afraid of the 1hr 40min bus ride on top of our flight to London from Oz and then to Barcelona...we had thought about hiring a car on arrival but realise our driving wouldn't be up to scratch at that point. Someone mentioned Sitges as being only 20/30 minutes by bus...too touristy??

If we stay North during Mid to late September will it be cold? What sort of temperatures could we expect?

This is an exciting journey for us - we will have to wait a long time to repeat it so do want to try to cover all bases.

So far no one has commented on the idea of going to Menorca...not a good idea??

Hello:
I think Sitges has suffered less than many of the coastal towns and I liked it as a place to stay outside of Barcelona. Others can help; it has been some time since I visited, but there was a film festival around September/October; is it still going?

The weather will generally be fine and warm. However, the north of Spain, especially Galicia will begin to experience stormier (ie rainier) weather towards the end of September.

I'm partial to heading south for one's first experience in Spain. One need not visit the areas that are so blighted along parts of the coast. If smaller villages and outdoor pursuits are what you are looking for then places like Carzola in Jaen province, Grazalema in Cadiz province and the El Torcal outside Antequera will more than fit the bill. One can rent a car with no drop-off charges and fly back to Barcelona from Seville, (or Malaga or Granada) with a no-frills airline.

I've not been to Menorca but it seems a long way out only to turn around a fly (or ferry) back to the mainland. I suppose prior to your final ten days in Barcelona island hopping around the Balearics could provide an alternative to more traditional routes.

However for my money, to miss the Alhambra, Seville cathedral and some of Andalucia's "white towns" would be a shame unless you are planning many subsequent visits to Spain.

My 2 cents.
Dennis

Thanks for that Dennis....I think we might risk Sitges unless someone else says a definite "NO". It is the easiest option when we will be exhausted and we don't have to stay long....just enough to recover.

I especially appreciate the names of those smaller places for a visit South...we will, of course, make sure that we see the historic features of Seville and Cadiz, and I think we will fly in and see Seville before hiring the car...the cities seem to be difficult with cars?

I have the AA map of Spain and will track your suggestions now...thanks again. Two Koalas.

Hello again:
My spelling is off; I just reread my post and found I mis-spelled Cazorla. Also the sierra nevada south of Granada has some interesting country in the Alpujarras. For a quieter seaside village we found Aqua Amarga just inside the Cabo de Gata protected area to be ideal.

I've found the Michelin travel site a good resource regarding route planning and estimating driving time: http://www.viamichelin.co.uk/viamichelin/gbr/tpl/hme/MaHomePage.htm?ck=OK .
Dennis

I follow the recommendation of Dennis about Menorca, too much transportation for just a few days rest, and his rec about staying in Sitges. It really is quite charming, many interesting streets to walk, nice long beaches, shops to see and good eating. You certainly don't need or want a car there.In September the hecticness goes down. It is a gay gathering place, lots of exhuberance in the atmosphere, in case that would be a reason for going, or avoiding, or a wash.

From the airport you could take the airport train, going into Barcelona,get off in the Sants station and get the other train heading back to Sitges, several every day.

Or right from the airport you could hire a taxi to drive you to Sitges. ( 15 miles about?) I don't know if now there is direct bus from the airport to Sitges, maybe other posters know.

You could consider renting a car from an agency in Sitges for the rest of your trip so that you don't have to drive it out of Barcelona traffic?
You will want to return for more visits to this country of much variety.
kathyk

Thanks very much Kathy....good to know that Sitges will serve our rest purposes so well. Will investigate the transport but believe it is about 20/30 minutes journey...very good really. We can hire a car in Sitges but if we are going South as far as Seville that might be too much driving? Maybe we should just take a Barcelona-Seville flight and hire a car after we see Seville properly? How would that be?

Cheers. Two Koalas.

Hi again;
It really is up to you and your desire to explore off the mark or not. It sounds like the Seville/Barcelona air route will be in the cards for one time. Both cities are hectic to drive in (Seville from personal experience and Barcelona from reputation!)Pick up and drop off will be easier from airports than from city centre locations.
Buen Viaje.
Dennis

Hi Dennis...thanks very much for those last two recommendations...the area near the Sierra Nevadas and the quiet seaside area....just what we had in mind. We will see the main attractions of the cities but once seen will get out of those places as quickly as possible and explore the quieter routes. I think our plan now will be to fly into Barcelona, bus it to Sitges and rest, then fly to Seville and sightsee, then hire a car for departure. For the other cities, Cadiz, Granada, Cordoba, we will try to stay on the outside and bus it in for the attractions. We will make our way around to all the places you have told us about and add whatever we can determine is nearby. Not sure whether to go to Malaga or not...some of the blogs say that it is not worthwhle?

Hi:
I hope others chip in to assist you. I'm always mindful of Shaw's "Do not do unto others as you would have them do unto you; their tastes might not be the same."

After cities of Seville, Cordoba and Barcelona, Malaga could disappoint. It has a fine Alameda, Castle, and Picasso Museum. But because it is the transport hub for the Costa del Sol it can be quite touristy.

Unless you have a particular reason for visiting the City of Cadiz, you might want to give it a pass. We were fortunate to visit during Mardi Gras celebrations but from my perspective it has little to offer outside that season.

Dennis

I think it may still be considered high season in Sitges - you are leaving in one week, right?

Have you made any hotel reservations at all? You might look into the paradores - they have them all over the place and usually have parking. Check this out:

Paradores

No Dennis...I think you read us very well,actually! John is even saying that he doesn't want to spend too much time in Seville and Granada, but I think he will change his mind when he takes in what there is to see. I visited there in Franco's time, would you believe....it is all a blur but I remember that it was wonderful and very different from anywhere else I had been.
We definitely want to be in small villages and national parks, with a bit of beach to cool off occasionally.....I gather it is still very warm at this time of year...the weather site said 85F for the next 10 days.

Would love the Paradores I know, but with a month of holidaying I am a bit afraid of the strain on our budget. At least we wont hire the car until after we have seen Seville and are ready to leave there....our next stop will be the Donana National Park. We read about one couple's experiences there and a stay they had in a little cabin at the edge of the park...it sounded very nice. It seemed to be fitted out to some extent but I imagine stays in places like this require one to have linen and towels? We should probably at least carry sleeping bags? As we are bushwalkers here in Australia and my partner is an Ecologist who does regular field trips, we don't mind the simpler life.

If you don't like the idea of Paradores then try Toprural.
There are reviews, most of which are honest, plus a variety of prices and types of accommodations. Not one is in a city.

Hello,
Here are some events that might interest you while you are visiting Spain. ...

Fiesta del Arroz & Concurso de Paella Valenciana, (5-14 September 2008)
If you like paella and other Spanish rice recipes, don't miss the Rice Festival of Sueca, where chefs from around the world compete in the international paella contest on the Paseo de la Estación. Held yearly in the first half of September, this events celebrates the excellent rice grown in the Albufera nature park with a giant paella.

21 - 28 September 2008: Fiestas de la Vendimia, Logroño
Celebrate the grape harvest in La Rioja.

Thanks for these....but we have decided definitely on Andalucia and to try to see it as well as time permits...around 16 days. After some very helpful posts and having also read many other great ones, the trip seems to be..Fly into Seville...3 days...hire car and drive to Donana N.P....2 days...Ronda area...2 days...possibly Grazalema 2/3 days....Would love to find somewhere quiet for beach 2/3....Sierra Nevada NP 2/3....Granada 3 days...drop off car and fly back to Barcelona. Are we missing a lot by doing this instead of going to Cadiz and Cordoba, or should we try to work them into the route somehow.
Hope this isn't too many questions. Cheers. Two Koalas

Thanks for this reference...had a bit of trouble getting on to the website..seems one has to put en.before the rest...choice looks wonderful. Cheers. Two Koalas

Hi;
I've found that alberques and hostels generally have blankets (sometimes very heavy - and scratchy!). You'll probably be OK with only bag liners (if that). Sleepingbags won't be necessary. Sometimes casas rurales don't supply linen but that is clear in their little blurbs on the website. Also a large synthetic, quick-drying camping towel works just fine.

Cordoba is worth a visit, especially earlier in the morning at the Mesquita before tours arrive from the the coast. You'll be able to find ample parking south of the river from the Mesquita and be able to avoid the labyrinthine streets of the old town.

I've found the Lonely Planet's "Walking in Spain" and "Landscapes of Andalucia and the Costa del Sol: a countryside guide" (authors John and Christine Oldfield) provide good information on walks. "Landscapes" also has car tours.

Time is growing short. You'll find your own special places on your journey.
Dennis

Thanks again Dennis....Cadiz is back in the itinerary.....it is gradually coming together....we are going to stretch it a bit to get over to Almeria but it sounds so good and still unspoilt...maybe not for long so we'd better go there on this visit. Cheers. Robyne - Two Koalas

A word of caution regarding Almeria province: it is the home of "plasticos", large unsightly plastic sheeting covered greenhouses. Inside the park and in the Eastern part of the province are not as afflicted as the area west of the city of Almeria along the coast towards Malaga.
D

Yes Dennis....I worked it out when I looked at hotels in Almeria...not at all what you described on the Cadiz side so we realised that you had good reasons for going around to the other side to Agua Amarga. Checked out Alistair Sawdays site yesterday and found Hotel Family...could be nice. Haven't booked though...hoping we can just turn up - this way we can stay a little free between our 3 days up high in the Sierra Nevadas 24-27, and our 3 days in Granada 30-3/10. Might be able to do the round trip return through Cordoba...depends on roads and drive times really. I imagine the main point of Agua Amarga is beach and the Park...is it necessary to be guided in that park the way one seems to need at Donana?

Cheers. Robyne. Two Koalas.