Planning a 16 day trip in August. Will land and depart from Barcelona. Will have a car.

Eager to see Seville, Granada, Cordoba, but concerned about heat. Is it better to stay in the North? If so any suggestion as to itinerary? Also, any suggestions about really pleasant hotels, paradores, inns, etc., either area?

Ellen2040 writes: August is Peak season at Coastal resorts and in the Mountains both South and North. Air conditioned accomodations may be difficult to encounter and very expensive.

Spain is a big country. Driving long distances can: 1. wear you down; 2. be very expensive; and 3. detract from your enjoyment of your Spain visit.

If I decided to visit southern Spain, I would fly or take the Hotel Train Barcelona to Sevilla, pick up a rental car (with A/C) there and drive around Andalucia. Then I would drop the rental car off at Sevilla's Santa Justa station and make my way back to Barcelona, stopping off in Cordoba and Madrid.

If I opted for northern Spain I think I would drive Barcelona-Zaragoza, then north to San Sebastian or Bilbao, and west to Santander. I would base myself in Santander (or Santillana del mar) a few days to visit the Picos de Europa (mountains) and other local attractions. Then I would continue westward thru the Principality of Asturias to Galicia, and finally to Santiago de Compostela. There are also a lot of excellent beach resorts (Baiona, for example, where the Castle of the Conde de Gondomar is a Parador).

Some of my recommendations depend on whether you will be travelling 'solo' or as a couple.

It's unlikely that Europe's historic Heat Wave will repeat another year; but it can routinely get up to 40 Degrees (Celsius) in Andalucia (i.e., the interior South).

I'd go to Galicia (Santiago de Compostela), this year is Xacobeo and you will find a lot of interesting things.

Hola, no se si hablan español, pero un sitio muy bonito y que hay de todo es Cantabria, aunque está un poco lejos de Barcelona. En Cantabria teneis ciudad(Santander), la costa(Comillas, Suances, Laredo, etc), la montaña(Picos de Europa), Parque de la Naturaleza de Cabarceno, todo a un paso, puesto que es una Comunidad muy pequeña. También está Santillana del Mar. A 12 km está Comillas o Suances, que son pueblos costeros y a la hora de la comida por 9 euros por persona se suele comer el plato del día que no suele estar mal. Si deseas algun dato mas contacta conmigo. Lfarnaiz@terra.es

Hi Good luck with your holiday!
An earlier reply stated that southern Spain can reach 40C in summer. Well, this is true of Madrid and central Spain, but actually places like Seville and Cordoba often have temperatures closer to 47 or 48 at the height of summer. This area is not known as the frying-pan of Spain for nothing!

The previous writer recommends you visit Cantabria, a place I also think is very nice. You have the combination of the sea, mountains and beautiful villages together with plenty of not too expensive seafood. If you are based here you are also not too far from Asturias or the Basque country either. Also, if you get a rainy day (which is not uncommon) you can drive south into Castilla-Leon to visit Burgos or Palencia and catch some more sun.