Hi All,

I ma travelling to Andalucia for the first two weeks of September. Have booked 4 nights in Ronda so far(Hotel Enfrente Arte - recommended by a friend) but hoped for some help with the rest of the itinary - had been thinking of Vejer, Canos de la Meca and Tarifa but not sure if that will be too quiet as we like to have plenty to do. Any suggestions? Also if anyone knows of good places to stay (pool preferable, nearby bars / restaurants etc) Had been thinking of Seville but worried about driving in a larger city?
Any help much appreciated!

Lindy Lou,
Try this web site: www.2abookings.com/cadiz
This may help you decide. Good luck!

Beware of these "hotel reservation/booking" websites like the one above. Most of the hotels they list have their own websites. So use them to get the names and then do a SEARCH on Google to get their individual website. Chances are probably decent that the prices on their website will be as good or better than on these bookings-for-commissions websites.

For other information on the places you're thinking to visit, be sure to conduct a SEARCH of this category ("Favorite Places") using the name of the city/location and you might just find something useful posted by our members.

Good luck and enjoy your time in Spain!

Saludos, MadridMan

Lindy Lou,
I'm sorry about that web site I gave you.Had no idea it was something you had to beware of.I found it surfing & decided to file it for a future time.
No matter where you go in Spain I'm sure you will fall in love with it. Once again, good luck!

Hi lindy Lou.
I see you're from Belfast, I'm from Dublin so we're practically neighbours!
Anyhow, September is a fabulous time to visit Andalucia, still warm and sunny but fewer tourists around.
Cadiz is a lovely friendly, intimate and historic city with beaches on the doorstep. I was there last Sept and the weather was perfect. It's best to stay in the old town I think, but where we stayed, Hotel Francia Y Paris does not have a pool. I'd check out the Cadiz parador which does have a pool and amazing views over the Atlantic. Just go to the Parador website.(Halle Berry et al stayed there during the filming of that Bond Movie set in Cuba!) From Cadiz you can do lots of daytrips - Jerez, Sevilla etc and also Tarifa are all in easy driving distance. I stayed in Tarifa this summer, it is a great place but maybe will be a bit quiet for long stay.. Check out www.tarifa.eu.com for possible accommodation. It's run by a very nice couple who went out of their way to help me get an apartment.

I'd recommend the old town (Santa Cruz district, I believe) in Seville. I just got back from a tour of six cities in southern and eastern Spain, and Seville was far and away my favorite: very charming, beautiful, and fun.....Jake

Possibilities:
Córdoba - my own favourite.
Antequera - good friendly town with dolmens and with the Torcal [unbelievably beautiful rocks on a mountain top] nearby.
E-mail me [davidcross@frogsmore72.fsnet.co.uk]
if you would like my own notes and some URLs.

Cadiz is a must see..............
Im in near bye San Fernando..
Its the best...

I went on a two-week Andalucia trip using a car rental a few years back, and here are my personal DOs and DON'Ts for this area. My trip was in late December/early January and it was, at first, quite discouraging when I landed in Barajas on Dec 27th and there was snow on the ground. However, things changed quickly after I took the high-speed AVE train to Sevilla where the weather was actually sunny and where I picked up the car rental, eventually returning it is Cordoba 15 days later.

DO visit Sevilla for at least 2 days. This may not be doing it justice but it would be a shame if you skipped it altogether.

DO visit Cadiz, probably one of my favorite cities in this area. To me, this city has the look and feel of "old Spain" especially as you wander through the port area where you can feel its "grittiness".

DO visit Vuelva though this may be a bit out of the way.

DO stop at small towns in the Costa de la Luz like Zahara de las Atunes.

DON'T visit Gibraltar. Nothing much to this Brit enclave. The rock is quite overrated.

DO take the ferry from Algeciras to Ceuta, a Spanish city in north Africa. From here, you can do day trips to Tangiers, Tetouan and others. Good shopping in Ceuta as well, especially for gold jewelry.

DON'T take the ferry from Algeciras to Tangiers because in Tangiers, you will be mobbed by hawkers and tour guides as soon as you get off the ferry. Ceuta is a much better option.

DON'T bother with Marbella, a seaside resort that does not even feel like it's in Spain. It's full of beauty parlors, spas, jewelry stores and most everyone speaks English due to the Brits. Might as well be in Cancun or Miami Beach.

DO visit Ronda though this is already in your itinerary.

DON'T spend too much time in the Costa del Sol towns of Torremolinos, Tarifa and others. Much too touristy for my taste and the beaches aren't all that great, though these places are probably unavoidable if you want to party.

DO stay at the Parador in Malaga, the Gilbralfaro parador sitting on top of this hill beside a castle with tremendous view of the Malaga bay and surrounding area. One of the best paradors I have stayed in.

DO visit both Granada and Cordoba, though I prefer the latter. And please try to stay awake when you drive from Costa del Sol to Granada/Cordoba because it's one of the most boring landscapes with miles and miles of olive trees. This area produces more olive oil than Italy.

DO consult the website www.andalucia.com

lindyLou - you mentioned being concerned about driving in the cities - specifically Sevilla.

Suggestion based on a numerous treks throughout Spain with a car - when you are in a relatively large city - often hostels have a parking area that is secure or can direct you to a secured car-park. You do NOT want to drive in the cities other than to get in and out. You miss far to much by not walking - plus, like anywhere, if you don't knwo the streets and traffic flow, its difficult.

Having a car gives you far more freedom to wander - it's well worth the hassle of having to navigate in and out of the larger cities - Sevilla and Granada to be exact. Cadiz and Cordoba are a breeze and Ronda even more so - you shouldn't have a problem with any of these.