I am headed for Spain for 2 weeks and we were planning on going to the Costa Del Sol? Is is worth going? Where is it best to go? We are you and into going out, but also want to experience the culture and see things. Any comments? I here Nejra is nice?

My personal opinion is yes and no. Yes, it's worth visiting that area of Spain. No, because if you're in that area, I would suggest you spend more time on the western side, or Costa de la Luz. When I was in Andalusia last Dec/Jan, I found Malaga and especially Marbella, to be too touristy and overcrowded. I would have preferred the serenity of a small town like Zahara de las Atunes on the western side and perhaps spend a day or two at Melia Atlanterra hotel. Granted, the Atlantic side is a bit rougher but it much more quaint and more isolated. I visited Cadiz for a few hours and wished that I had more time to get a taste of the local flavor and that area lends itself well to this type of exploration. I regret not having had the time to visit Huelva. Just my 2 cents worth. Visit http://www.andalucia.com/costa-de-la-luz/home.htm

Sdnj33 writes: In a word: No!
Yes, Nerja is nice; but I agree with Cornelio. The Costa del Sol is overcrowded with tourists & timeshare condo people. And you are more likely to find bandera azul every day on the Atlantic beaches than you are on Mediterranean beaches.
Cadiz and Sevilla for experiencing the culture and nightlife; Arcos de la frontera, Doñana park and wildlife refuge and the beaches around Mazagon, la Rabida and Isla Cristina. You might even visit Palos de la frontera from where Columbus sailed on his first Voyage of Discovery or El Santuario de la Virgen del Rocio near Almonte (Huelva)

I have heard actually that Portugal has a much nicer coastline - they are a bit behind in development and have hence started to enforce more environmentally practical development. The nicest coastlines I've seen in Spain are north of Barcelona and along the Pais Vasco-Asturias-Cantabria, etc.

Of course, the southern coast is nice, but very touristy. Marbella they say is a beautiful town in its casco antiguo.

Well we are headed to portugal(lagos, sagres, salema, lisbon, nazarre) as well after we hit seville. I have already booked places to stay in barcelona and madrid so I don't think we can do the costa brava near barcelona, I was torn between del Sol and Brava and I guess I chose the wrong one. So maybe we will head to the costa del Luz as suggested earlier, maybe huelva...any other suggestions??

Go inland. See some actual history, not the overcrowding as mentioned prior. A beach is pretty much a beach no matter where you go, and if you're needing to relax, sit on a park bench under a tree in Cordoba or Madrid.

Better yet: Completely overhaul your travel plans and go to the less-touristy and less-travelled north!!!! The Basque Country awaits!!!!

Along these lines...I'm going to be in Spain in July and was debating how much time to spend in Seville and Cadiz (we're not going to do the Marbella/Malaga thing.. .thanks for the advice.) My question: Is is too hot to enjoy these southern cities in mid July? Also Huelva... is this a good, quaint place to stop in on our way to Portugal?

lmkga writes: It's never too hot to enjoy Sevilla, but to paraphrase Rudyard Kipling: "Only mad dogs and 'Brits' go out in the midday sun." Cadiz is a seaport, so it tends to be a bit cooler.
If you are driving, I would suggest a stop at el Santuario de la Virgen del Rocio just south of Almonte in the Province of Huelva. Then there is a Parador Nacional in Mazagon. It's on a bluff overlooking the best beach around. That might be a good overnight stop. It was called el Parador de Cristobal Colon but it's known by the locals as Parador de Mazagón .
If you stop there, be sure to visit one of the Ice Cream Parlors in Mazagon. There's one called la Alicantina that (IMHO) has the best Ice Cream you will find, anywhere.

Thanks for the tip... If I'm not driving is Parador de Mazagón still an option?

lmkga writes: It's kind of remote - it wouldn't be for me.