If you are returning to Madrid afterwards, consider stopping in Cordoba. It’s only 40 mins by train on the Madrid line and the Mezquita isn’t far to walk from the train station.
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I’m thinking of doing about a month there, we’re slow travelers, so a week a place is the minimum, frankly I don’t remember places that’s we stay less than a week. I also like to visit Madrid because I met a girl in my art class from Madrid and she said it has nice museums too and I also like to travel using the high speed train from Madrid to Sevilla.
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@taverngirl, I don’t plan on going there in the summer, most likely very late in fall, so hopefully I will miss the crowd.
Right now I have Marbella on my radar, possible a stop to do day trip to the other locations.
Given that much time to explore I would consider straying a little further along the Costa Del Sol to Tarifa. This town is the southern most point of Spain. The town itself is extremely historic and charming given its geographic importance.
It is not touristy (I have lived in Marbella) think the opposite. When in Tarifa you can easily see the Atlas Mountains in Morocco across the straits. Brave souls parasail, kite board, and wind surf with some transversing the straights on a calm day. World wind surfing championships are often held here.
It is a chill beach vibe adjacent to an amazing pre moorish port city and fortress. The freshest seafood you will ever find and relatively cheap. Not far off into the mountains you can find a Roman era excavation area and several farm were bulls are being raised to fight.
To get there you would likely drive past Gibraltar which is good for a day trip if you are cool with having your sunglasses stolen by a Barbary monkey. Not much else to see there but a nice parador in Algeciras if you want to stay over on the Spanish side.
Hear are a few shots of Tarifa but hard to capture.
That is North Africa in the background.
I would echo many of the positive comments about Granada and Cordoba being wonderful. I only mention Tarifa because to Spaniards it is a bit of a hidden jewel that tourists tend not to be aware of.
FYI feel free to DM me with Marbella questions. Lots of differences between staying close to town at a hotel like the Don Pepe, going more resort like the Marbella Club, the Don Miguel in the mountain hills, or staying by Puerto Banus at the Andalusia Plaza. There are also lots of private villas for rent along the way. It can be very touristy but it sounds like you are going off season. There are numerous day trips you can take into the mountains that may be of interest.
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Thanks @Catcherinthetoast, I think I looked at this town before, I can’t believe it was very affordable. I will replan my trip with your suggestion of this place.
After this trip, I found that trying to limit flying around is a better idea. I missed one day due to flight cancellation, it created a lot of anxiety.
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Buen viaje!!
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I like Malaga better than Marbella as a place to stay. There are beaches and a pretty but also excellent museums, the Alcazaba, the castle… and it’s less crowded/less touristy. I did Gilbratar from Malaga, taking the train, it was quite easy to do in one day.
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seconding Cordoba, absolutely!
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Casablanca isn’t that close. It’s on the Atlantic of Morocco and it would take 6 hours to get there via a combination of bus and ferry or a car and ferry.
A week in Marbella is a long time., especially if you have limited time and want to see other stuff. That said, Marbella is not a bad home base to explore the surrounding area. I have a friend who is Irish and she’s spent two weeks in Marbella, but then like most people from the Northern cloudy parts of Europe, she goes for R and R in the sun. I’ve heard mixed things about Gibraltar. Some people say it’s not that great, others say it’s worth a stop. My Irish friend that I mentioned above said that it’s worth a stop if you’re heading in that direction, but she doesn’t feel that it’s worth going out of your way for.
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