I was wondering if anyone had a "must-see" city that can't really be done in a day trip from Madrid. I will be in the city for two months and would like to travel to at least one or two overnight locations. I have been to Valencia and Barcelona (altho I wouldn't hesitate to go back to the latter) - as well as closer locations like Toledo, Segovia, and Cuenca.

I was looking at Cadiz, Seville, Granada, and Cordoba. What would be most worth my time?

In April a friend and rented a car in Salamanca and did a "5 nt" parador card trip from Salamanca thru Galicia, returned to Madrid from Santiago de Compostela via Iberia Air. (19 € plus taxes) It was one of the best times I have ever had! To answer your question about 2 or 3 day trips from Madrid, I would put Salamanca at the top of the list, with Granada a very close second. A little farther away, we loved Baiona,
& Cambados & Zamora for one day each.

We had spent the previous week at La Alberca, a tiny medieval village about 70 km south of Salamanca, a magical place!

Thank you for your suggestions! It's hard to choose with so many options, but I will definitely put Salamanca and Granada on the list!