Hi! I just booked tickets for my 14 year old son an I to Madrid on 3/21. We had intended to go to Seville and explore southern Spain but just realized Easter Week is a big deal here. Can anyone suggest a couple of alternative cities/towns (along with cheap/charming accomodations!)? We hoped for better weather in the south which is why we picked it--willing to try something else if the weather is the same all over. Thanks! Bev

If weather recently is any indication you are likely to face colder than normal temperatures, even in Southern Spain...

I am doing a similar trip during Easter week with my 15 year old son. One place we are going is in Almeria, the most desert-like part of Spain. We are staying two nights in San Jose, a small town in a national park. If you are into hiking this might interest you. There are lots of tourist towns in this area. Of course I haven't been there yet... We are going to Seville for a couple of days before Holy Week, then to Grazelma in the mountains, then Grenada. But maybe Barcelona is a better bet for Easter week. Good Luck and report back.

Thanks, I'm still in the planning mode at this point. We arrive Madrid in the am (3/22), then will take the train to Seville for 3 nights. I have two nights after that that I can't decide what to do. I'm thinking about renting a car, driving to Ronda for one night, then driving to Cordoba the next day to catch the train to Madrid. The next night we could spend in Toledo, or add it to the 2 final nights we have booked in Madrid (and take a day trip to Segovia). Does this sound like to much? I'm a little frustrated by the small amount of time we have!!

Granada is a wonderful town worth the visit. From Granada you could drive down to the Alpujarras (50 km) and visit the little towns at the foot of Sierra Nevada. You could even drive 20 - 30 km more down south and enjoy a day at the beach.

We are also planning an itinerary (2 wks.) similar to yours and have scheduled the 1st 3 days in Madrid to include a day visit to Toledo, and then renting a car to drive to Granada and stay 2 nights. Then we will arrive in Seville for the remaining 5 days of Holy Week. After that we hope it will have warmed up and head west to the beaches. Cordoba, Jerez de la Frontera, or Granada and Rhonda could fit into your plans.

That's not 'Easter Week;' Semana Santa is the week leading up to Easter. Religious Processions peak in Sevilla on Good Friday (3/25). We have actually daytripped Madrid-Sevilla, catching an early AVE that got us to Santa Justa at 10:00; returning from Sevilla at 20:00 (arr. Madrid Puerta de Atocha @ 22:30 - just in time for supper). AVE had a 25% discount on same day roundtrips then.

You could do the same from Cordoba or Jerez de la frontera or Huelva. The latter is a big PetroChemical Port, like the port of Houston.

Be advised: that week is 'High Season,' all over the south of Spain. You're not likely to find cheap/charming accomodations available anywhere during that week.
Normally, it is quite a bit warmer in the south. Spain has had a very cold Winter but that doesn't carry over (i.e., one can't predict a colder than usual Spring or Summer based on that: as a matter of fact, the amplitude of atmospheric long waves might suggest just the opposite).