HELP... Last minute trip to Spain

I need HELP!!!! I just got plane tickets to go to Spain on a last minute trip... NEXT TUESDAY... I have 7 days in Spain and was wondering if anyone could help me with the MUST SEES! I fly into and out of Madrid.... I definitely want to see the most amazing natural beauty Spain has to offer (particularly love amazing coastlines) AND also want to experience SPAIN-- not just the touristy stuff!

Also, I need help finding cheap, but nice hostels... travel info... and great places to eat! If ANYONE could help with any/all of the info above I would be so GRATEFUL!!!

Please email me at sanfran19@aol.com if you can help out!

Gracias!!!

Jenny

A broad topic indeed!!!

Here are my two cents (of euro of course :P).

You could visit this places:
Madrid:
Museo del Prado
Palacio Real (get lost in the streets near Plaza de Oriente)
walk through Gran Vía
etc... (I'm sure someone can add tons of places)

El Escorial/San Lorenzo de El Escorial
Visit the Monasterio, it's worth the visit, and walk around

Barcelona
There's plenty things to see there (La Sagrada Familia is one of the best)

Mallorca, great!

Another coast places: Marbella, Benidorm,... But one of my favourite places: San José, in Almería.

Try San Sebastián in the Basque Country, beautiful.

Val d'Aran/Valle de Arán. It's wonderful, one of the best examples of the mountaineous Spain.

Santiago de Compostela (Galicia), if you want to try one of the beautifulest corners of Spain.

My suggestion is that you only do a basic plan (in which cities to stay every day), and then organize yourself on the fly.

Fernando

Fernando, that's some whirlwind tour!
With only seven days to play around with some painful decisions will have to be made. firstly, it's a little ambitious to try to get to see the coast. You'll need to spend at least two days in Madrid itself just to deal with your arrival and departure, and should ideally spend another day or so. Try sticking to day trips then, El Escorial as Fernando said, or Toledo and Segovia.
Realistically the only real rewarding trip far from Madrid would be to sevilla. The AVE or fast train makes it feasible to get the travelling out of the way quickly and take advantage of your precious time.
Try not to do too much. I know it can be frustrating to come so far and not cover everything, but try to see this trip as an appetizer for future visits. Should you require specific information, this message board will prove invaluable.