First visit to Spain; Where to go?

This will be my first visit to Spain. We will be flying into Barcelona and then onto Pamplona for a run with the bulls (or maybe just to watch).

Our plan is to be in Spain for 9 days so where else should we go from there?

You'll love Barcelona. Sooo much to see... Casa Mila is awesome. Climb the towers of La Sagrada Familia.. make sure you've had a good night sleep before that hike!! Some other places to visit... make sure you go to Madrid and Segovia. Madrid will require at least 2 days.. should stay a week!, and Segovia (go to the castle!!!) would take about a day as well. They modeled the castle in Snow White (if I remember correctly!) after the one in Segovia.. it's beautiful. If you have time, try to make it to Andalucia (Granada and Sevilla). I lived in Granada for a year, so I'm definitely biased. There's the Alhambra, Albaicin, teterias (tea shops... so nice and relaxing), the mirador de San Nicholas (an amazing view of the Alhambra and Granada from this overlook!!!), TAPAS!!, night clubs... oh you'd love it! Sevilla is nice as well, but quite large. I have several friends who've lived there, and they loved it. Just make sure you go to Granada!
ALSO.. make sure that the taxi drivers turn on the meter!!!! I've had friends pay 100 Euros for a trip from the bus station to the airport (should only be about 20). This happened in Madrid, but it's known to happen everywhere in Spain!! I'm very serious about this! I had one try to pull that trick on me, obviously unaware that I had lived in the country for a year and was not stupid! Have a great trip!

I share Granadina's feelings about La Sagrada Familia. I was totally awed and in my opinion it's worth a trip to Barcelona if for no reason other than to see this beautiful and spectacular place. I have to confess however that instead of climbing to the top, I took the elevator. Another spot from which to get a beautiful view of the city is from the top of the Colon Memorial on the waterfront. Also I loved walking along the Barcelona beaches. Send me a private email if you'd like me to forward some of the digital pictures I took.

Hi there!
I think one of your main concerns in July will be escaping the heat (and hordes of tourists). In Barcelona I would recommend either going to Parc Guell (to escape the madness of the Ramblas) or taking a day-trip to either Stitges (on the coast) or to Montserrat (in the hills).
Moving on from Pamplona, you are a lot closer to the north coast than southern Spain. Try Comillas in Cantabria or somewhere in Asturias for a mix of great mountain scenery combined with lovely beaches and small ports. Alternatively pop into the Basque country for an amazing experience. If you find some of the rain the north is famous for, you will appreciate it.. Your main problem is going to be finding accommodation vacant (the worst time is August when evreywhere is fully booked up).