New to this great forum-

I will be spending 4 weeks in Spain and Portugal on a travel study in September; I will be studying modernist buildings all over the country. My wife will join me for the final week in celebration of our 10 year wedding anniversary. I am looking for recommendations on the most romantic place(s) to take her...we love the beaches, but are open minded. Any suggestions?
Thank You

Sunset on the Alhambra (Granada). Can't beat it!!

Madrid:

La Plaza de la Paja or even better La terraza del Viajero on a sunny sunday evening.

Andres

On the Alhambra theme... an evening visit to the Alhambra is also very nice... and the Parador there is supposed to be really romantic.

If you are in Sevilla, the river and torre de oro at night is very pretty.

I am partial to rocky coasts, so I would also recommend sunset on the west coast of Spain, but depending on when you are going, the weather may not cooperate.

And then there's always Mallorca, if you like beaches. I haven't been there but supposedly the village of Deia is beautiful (on a clifftop overlooking the sea).

The parador in the Alhambra in Granada *is* fabulous; I was there last summer. Very romantic.

I would also recommend San Sebastian as an exceedingly romantic locale. Stay in a hotel on the beach--I *highly* recommend the Hotel Niza. Very charming and romantic and much more reasonably priced (our room was only about 100 euros a night) than the Maria Cristina (which I'm sure is quite nice, just more expensive) up the street.

The Alhambra isn't technically a castle, but if you're there, you could be doing a slow dance, and sing to her the song, "My Romance," which includes the lyrics:

My romance doesn't need a castle rising in Spain,
Or a dance, to a constantly surprising refrain.
Wide awake, I can make my most fantastic dreams come true,
My romance doesn't need a thing but you.

If you decide on the Alhambra, see this Alhambra tickets thread.

funes writes: I don't know how flexible yout 'travel study' is but from reactions of some of the natives, Vigo, now Spain's busiest Atlantic port (in Pontevedra province, Xunta do Galizia) has some modernist buildings that they consider too 'far out.' At the mouth of the ria de Vigo is Baiona, Columbus' 'landfall' on his return from his first voyage of discovery. The Castle of the Conde de Gondomar in Baiona is a Parador & romantic setting.

Percentage-wise, I think Vigo surpasses Madrid or Barcelona for modernist architecture.

El dia de Cantabria (and the unofficial end of the Summer season there) is 15 Sep. Santillana del mar is a romantic setting and in nearby Comillas is Antonio Gaudi's Caprichos, a building that now houses an upscale Oriental restaurant.

There are beaches in Pontevedra, in Comillas and in nearby Santander (I love el Sardinero

What wonderful suggestions you have received so far!

Granada offers not only a beautiful view but one of the most sensually scented garden in the world. You can also stay at the Parador in the Alhambra and walk the grounds in the evening smelling the Roses and Jasmines, what can be more romantic!

Eddie-

My trip is very flexible. I'm an architect of 11 years and have subscribed to the fabulous "El Croquis", so I am quite familiar with what is going on in Spain. I'm coming primarily to see the work of Carlos Ferrater (Barcelona), Navarro Baldeweg (Madrid, Lapena/Torres; Cruz & Ortiz; Mansilla & Tunon, Campo Baeza, and Siza. In addition to the major cities, I will see Toledo, Zamora, Santiago de Compostela, and possibly others. My biggest task, like most first time visitors, will be to scale down my itinerary to something more deliberate and less hasty. But I would like to do something special for when my wife arrives, as she has seen quite enough buildings already.

Thank you all for the wonderful suggestions!