hiya!
i'm visiting madrid for 7 days next month and would really love to spend a bit of time nr the coast too.
do you think this is unrealistic in the little time i have? any suggestions where i could go and how long it would take?
cheers, sara

I have a map with estimated driving times and they est. Madrid to Valencia (on Med.Sea) at just under 5hrs. and Madrid to Santander (on Atlantic)at just over 5 hrs. Hope this helps.

May isn't really beach weather (except for some hearty Scandinavians); the water's too cold. But Alicante is nice. You can get there on a Talgo from Madrid in 3hrs 45min; there are numerous trains daily. You can stroll among the palm trees on a beautiful paseo along the waterfront or catch a local bus to Playa San Juan or Campello to walk on the beach. Or you might have a Paella at the Hotel Palas. You might enjoy that.

The train from Madrid to Malaga takes a little over four hours. From Malaga there is a train to Fuengirola that takes about 40 minutes and runs every 30 minutes. This train makes stops at Torremolinos, Benalmodena and other towns along the coast.

Watching the news in the Spanish Channel, they said that the people from Madrid is going to the beach this weekend, and they showed the beach full of people,
I guess it is not so cold at this time.

Rafael

Madrileños who have a place at the beach always go there for Semana Santa, whether it be warm or cold. I have spent that week at Playa Muchavista (Campello) several times, even though it was too cold for bathing.

You should see my nose, which after a couple of hot days on the beach at Rota, near Cadiz, now resembles one of those reindeer.....just can't think of his name! One of our intrepid party did immerse herself in the waters of the Atlantic and it only took twenty minutes to stop her shivering after she came out!

yeah i was thinking it might be a bit too cold for swimming but a bit of sea air would be loverly!
is the train the best way to go?
thanks!

Alicante would be a great trip to make. And it's very easy. Just take the train from Madrid. It's a nice scenic ride and it takes less than four hours.
From the station, you can take a taxi to a hotel near the beach, or just walk towards the water, it's not too far.
You can see their El Corte Ingles from the train station. Just go inside and get one of their handy maps that will show you the city. Their bus system is great and will take you anywhere you need to go.
You can spend time on the beach, go shopping at their huge Centro Commercial or visit the Castillo de Santa Barbara, it's a castle that's built on a mountain right next to the water, overlooking the city and the sea. You can also spend a day visiting the Isla de Tabarca, a small island just off the coast.

Good luck.

that sounds great! i'll definately consider it!
Thanks!
Sara :-)