First time to Spain - Tips? Advise? Herf?

[MrGinger]

Hello all. My wife and I are heading to Spain for 26 days mid September. Some background: She is 32, I'm 40. Interests include exploring, culture, architecture, food, wine, beaches, art, flamenco, chilling out at cafes with a cigar and people watch, etc. We want to limit travel and prefer to stay for multiple nights in each location. We will only have one bag each. We are flying into Barcelona and out of Seville. So far, only our flights and hotel in Barcelona are booked, so we are quite flexible to delete/add towns to the list.

Any must not miss areas/towns? This is our very rough itinerary.

Barcelona - 5 nights -

Valencia - 3 nights -

Madrid - 4 nights - side trips to Segovia and/or Toledo

Granada - 2 nights -

Cordoba - 2 nights -

Nerja/Marbella?

Cadiz?

Portugal - Algarve?

Seville - 4 nights

If anyone want to meet up in Spain, let me know. It would be great to herf with another botl.

Thanks for any advise!

Scott

[shlomo]

Andorra, not far from Barcelona. Half a day trip, maybe less.

[treberty]

Andorra, not far from Barcelona. Half a day trip, maybe less.

Andorra is also tax free - Cava Benito for whisky and the Cigarshop for Cubans...

Enjoy Spain - fantastic country...

[ayepatz]

Go to the Prado.

Oh, and eat Jamón. Lots of it.

[kuma]

Great smoke shops in Barcelona, ht the Rambla and side streets for shopping.

Great leather goods last time there wife bought two motorcycle jackets

purple and olive green soft as a babies butt.

When there check out the Casa Camper Hotel (Camper shoes / maker) for

future stays. Smokers Mecca no dirty looks except from Americans (to much PC in their blood)

who still have to learn how to relax.

[MrGinger]

Thanks for the replies so far.

Senior Perfecto - You mentioned many of the places we are checking out. I plan to try many of the various jamons! It's too bad I can't bring it back to Canada with me.

Schlomo and The Monk - I'm not sure I want to cut a few days from Spain to go to Andorra to buy cigars. I'll look at day trips to see if it is worth it.

strider - I looked at casa Camper and it is way out of my budget at $400+ per night.

[davidl]

I just spent 2 weeks in Spain, in July.

Marbella is a MUST. Beautiful vacation spot with lots of culture, night life, and scenery. If you want to limit travel, i would drop Barcelona or Granada and go there. Weather is also significantly better in Marbella,

[nick2021]

I will be in Barcelona end of sept---if you want to hook up let me know. Had a lot of fun there in April and decided to go back again

[JoeyGunz]

I fly into Valencia on the 30th of September for a couple days, off to a wedding in Denia, then spending a few days in Madrid flying out on the 8th of October. I'll be with my other half. If our paths can cross let's make an evening of it!

[Perla]

Spain is really very nice to stay & relax.

Try / eat the Tapas/Pinxhos as much you can. Try the Cava (spoken Caba) Spanish fizzie wine.

Barcelona - go to the little districts there is much less fuzz and pickpockets.

Every district has a food market hall, go there for lunch. Awesome authentic food for little money

Valencia - had been there in June. Very nice small town, you can do everything by foot. Valencia is know for the Paella, The original Paella is with Snail, Rabbit and Chicken.

This Restaurant has the best Paella in town. Its a bit outside the City core center, but it is worth to go there. They speak a little bit of English and do a reservation before head. Ah its only open from 11-15 o'clock.

http://www.tripadvisor.es/Restaurant_Review-g1117466-d2475176-Reviews-El_Raco_De_La_Paella-Valencia_Province_Valencian_Country.html

Close of the restaurant is an Estanco (B&M)

Valencia is also known for Horchatta its a nice drink for hot days, really very refreshing.

Best Horchata in Town:

http://www.horchateriasantacatalina.com/

The beach is great, nice sand and it is open to public.

Here a link for the Puros. Type in the "Buscar" field the name of the brand and you get an idea what to pay.

http://www.preciotabaco.com/precios-de-puros-y-cigarros

If I have it right in my mind there is a thread about where to buy cigars in Barcelona. Just use the search function.

And yes it is worth to scarify a day to drive to Andorra.

[Ryan]

Cordoba, the Mosque/cathedral is a must see. there's also a little museum of the Spanish Inquisition near it, some odd stuff in there. Good for Flamenco. Nice silver-work if you or your wife like silver jewelry.

Granada, the Alhambra is a must, though you need to book well in advance, I think you can do that online. The Generalife gardens there are worth a look too.

If you are travelling from Granada to Cordoba/Seville, Ronda is well worth a look. One of the most picturesque towns in the world.

Unbelieveable views from the bridge and rose garden. Good shoe shopping, if your wife likes that. A tour of the bullring is good too, even if you don't like bullfighting, it's an impressive place. One of the oldest in the world. Ernest Hemingway supposedly said "the best place in the world for a first date is a bullfight in Ronda".

Seville, the Alcazar and the Cathedral are worth a look. The Alcazar is more or less like a mini, more modern Alhambra. The Cathedral is impressive. Christopher Columbus's tomb is there. Good cigar shopping in Cava de Betis. The Triana neighbourhood for tapas and Flamenco. Triana has a bad name regarding security at night but I've never noticed anything dodgy.

Jerez is very nice, there are tours of the sherry bodegas, Tio Pepe etc. Good cigar shopping in Cava Paul on Calle Paul.

Cadiz is nice but not necessary, quite a drive to get to the old-town. Some very good Tapas on the way in to the old town but that is in the more modern (ugly) part of the city. There is one very nice cafe with a terrible name, http://www.caferoyalty.com/ . I got there too late to eat but worth a look if you're in Cadiz.

Bolonia is very nice, a great beach with good food on it and one of the best preserved Roman towns outside Italy, with a nice little museum, Baelo Claudia. You can see the Atlas mountains in Morocco from there too.

Gibraltar is close too, worth a trip, interesting history and good cigar shopping. Park on the Spanish side in La Linea and walk across the border. The cable car and a walk through the caves is nice. Interesting history.

As for Malaga and Marbella, the old towns of both are interesting but I generally don't like much of the Costa del Sol, a lot of high-rise horribleness right on the beach. I get the impression that the entire region has been designed around places for tourists to park their cars.

[madandana]

Awesome beach town 45 min. South of Barcelona. Sitges. Breath taking views, shops,reasturants cool beach side boutique hotels. Easy day trip but I would spend a night.

Theres a cool wine tour about an hour from Barcelona. Freixenet,you can take the train. Cool town with a chocolate factory/museum.

[MrGinger]

Thanks everyone! Some good info on here for sure!

I just spent 2 weeks in Spain, in July.

Marbella is a MUST. Beautiful vacation spot with lots of culture, night life, and scenery. If you want to limit travel, i would drop Barcelona or Granada and go there. Weather is also significantly better in Marbella,

lol. I can't drop Barcelona, nor want to as we are flying there first.

[MrGinger]

I will be in Barcelona end of sept---if you want to hook up let me know. Had a lot of fun there in April and decided to go back again

We are in Barcelona Sept 17-23, so if you are there then, lets meet up!

[MrGinger]

I fly into Valencia on the 30th of September for a couple days, off to a wedding in Denia, then spending a few days in Madrid flying out on the 8th of October. I'll be with my other half. If our paths can cross let's make an evening of it!

Sounds good. Let's try to make it work in either Valencia (if we end up there) or Madrid.

[MrGinger]

Perla - Thanks for the info. The price list will come in handy.

Ryan - I saw your post earlier about the Costa de La Luz. Any great beaches there? (ie not crowded, fine sand, some shade, good for swimming,chilling)

[vitruvius]

Don't know what some people have against Barcelona but I was there a few weeks ago for the second time and absolutely loved every minute we were there. Would live there in an instant. My wife said the same thing and it was her first trip there. Go to Casa Fuster at 100 Las Ramblas for some fine cigars !

Envoyé de mon SM-N910W8 en utilisant Tapatalk

[Ryan]

Perla - Thanks for the info. The price list will come in handy.

Ryan - I saw your post earlier about the Costa de La Luz. Any great beaches there? (ie not crowded, fine sand, some shade, good for swimming,chilling)

La Barrosa beach, just outside Chiclana de la Frontera. It's where I usually stay.

It has been called the best beach in the world.

Fine white sand, bars and restaurants right on the beach. Clean water, should be still warm that time of year.

I've been there every year for the last 10 years.

In September will be very quiet but the bars and restaurants will be still open.

Bolonia beach, I mentioned above, is about a one hour drive south. More remote, also a lovely beach.

[kuma]

MrGinger if you want some peace and a wonderful beach mixed with some French / Cuban food head north east to Cadaques.

This little bay / inlet is a beauty to behold. It is almost on the French border so not only to you get some french

food / culture but you get great cuban food. At one time in it's history the people (men) went to Cuba to work

and not all stayed some came back and brought with them Cuban ways mainly how to cook Cuban food.

And I might add it is very good and inexpensive. Really home cooking (Cuban) at it best mixed with a French

twist. Oh yes least I not forget another good reason to there is this place was once the home of Dali.

His home / studio is open to the public. Wonderful place to get away for a day and clear your head.

You will earn many points from who ever you are going with should you go. Easy to get there, car or

bus which leaves in the am from Barcelona.

[CaptainQuintero]

When in Barcelona, go to "Gimeno" the famous cigar shop in the Ramblas. Great selection of Cuban (& other cigars) kept in perfect conditions. They should have the Spanish regionals as well as Limited Editions plus rare items like Sir Winstons.

Just avoid the "special stock" downstairs. Big issue recently reported across cigar forums.

[Smallclub]

I'm not sure what you are referring to. I've been buying from Gimeno for more than 20 years with no problems. I have also left cigars with them to mature for several years with excellent results.

I know what Captain is referring to, and I can confirm that some very odd boxes were sold by Gimeno recently.

[kuma]

Have also been to Gimeno when in Barcelona. Great store owner. I think if you act as if you know everything

that puts the owner / staff off a bit and they may not give you the best they have. Very trustworthy. They have

sent gifts to me in the states if you know what I mean. Also they send gifts to friends anywhere in the world! I have seen

the list. Just be cool when you go there and making friends is very easy to do. My friend who is from Cuba and who

works there is always sent about (4 times) a year to pick out /up fancy humidors (the large ones) with the

smokes inside as special orders for custtomers. I've never had a problem there.

[Lotusguy]

I know what Captain is referring to, and I can confirm that some very odd boxes were sold by Gimeno recently.

I would stay FAR away after what happened.

Duaso is legit and has about a 100x better selection.

[Lotusguy]

Have also been to Gimeno when in Barcelona. Great store owner. I think if you act as if you know everything

that puts the owner / staff off a bit and they may not give you the best they have. Very trustworthy. They have

sent gifts to me in the states if you know what I mean. Also they send gifts to friends anywhere in the world! I have seen

the list. Just be cool when you go there and making friends is very easy to do. My friend who is from Cuba and who

works there is always sent about (4 times) a year to pick out /up fancy humidors (the large ones) with the

smokes inside as special orders for custtomers. I've never had a problem there.

Bought any Sublimes?

[kuma]

None, as I have said "had a great time there" and can't wait to to back. Jorge of "Duaso" (owner) is also a great chap.

And yes he also has a great selection of smokes.