I'll be spending 13 days in Spain (arriving and departing from Barcelona). What itinerary would you recommend?

Question

I would really like to spend 2 days in the La Rioja region. Beyond that, I'm open. What would you say are the "must see" things (ie: Madrid, Grenada, Ibiza)?

Answer 1

Completely agree with Sue... And Roxanne!! haha.

I just want to add to Sue´s information that if you want to go to the Islands; Ibiza, Menorca or Menorca you can even take a Ferry, it´s faster than the boat, the trip is by day and it only takes 3hours to arrive to the Islands.

Enjoy your Trip!!

Answer 2

Looks like you have all the info you need. So that you can save on good quality hotels when you stay, try this site :

Spain : http://www.hotelsespanol.com/Spain/

or

http://www.cheaperthanhotels.co.uk/Spain

Madrid : http://www.cheaperthanhotels.co.uk/Spain...

Ibiza : http://www.cheaperthanhotels.co.uk/Spain...

Barcelona / Ramblas : http://www.cheaperthanhotels.co.uk/Spain...

http://www.cheaperthanhotels.co.uk/Spain...

It will give you a bit more budget to enjoy things when you're there.

Answer 3

When are you going?

There´s so much to do in Barcelona.  You must walk up and down the Ramblas, stroll through the Barrí Gotic, shop a little, take a bus through the Eixample, see the Templo de la Sagrada Familia, maybe tour the Casa Milá, check out Poble Espanyol, art museums (Miró and Picasso, among others), Eat really great seafood at Port Vell (there´s this great seafood restuarant over the bridge, near the mall (can´t remember the names, but you can find it with that information).  There´s an amusement park (Tibidabo), Parc Güell, OMG and that´s just what WE did.  You must have chocolate and churros at the Café Opera, across the Rambla from the Opera.  It´s to die for!  Oh!  and the Palau Música, if you can catch a concert there, even better than just the tour.  And the Chocolate Museum.  Yumm!

If you´re into football (soccer), try to go to a game.  Barcelona has one of the largest stadiums in the world.  It ain´t cheap, though.  Games are Sunday evenings.

Outside of Barcelona, there´s the Monestary at Montserrat - pretty neat.  You can take a funicular all the way to the top of the mountain.  It´s really steep and scary (I´m massively afraid of heights), but the view is really great, and you can go to the grotto where the Black Virgin (on display in the chapel at the monestary) was found.

Also, coast all the way north to France, and South to ... as far as you´d want to go.  Pick a town to visit and day trip from Barcelona, or stop on your way to Valencia.  

Dalí museum in Figueres.  French border, about noe hour north by train.  mountain villages, all within about an hour.  Tour one of the wineries or the champagne caves near Barcelona.

Okay, that´s Cataluña.  Now, if you´re into Marine life, there´s a huge, very new Aquarium in Valencia.  They´re running the America´s cup in Valencia, too, this year, so if you like watching yacht races (or yachtsmen practicing) check into that schedule, see if you can catch some of that.  Plus the incredible gothic part of that city.

From Valencia, you can take a train to the Rioja region, stopping at any of a number of other towns/villages along the way.  I planned to go to Teruel, so I did a lot of research on that town, there´s something like 12 mudéjar towers in the town, and all are decorated with the same green and white tiles.  Very picturesque!  (I had some timing problems and had to skip that).  I think you might pass through Guadalajara, and Alcalá de Henares to get there, as well.  Or detour to La Mancha, and discover Don Quixote territory.  

I wouldn´t miss Madrid, if I could help it, just because it´s the capital.  There´s TONS there, as well, plus several little cities that are must-sees that you can day-trip from Madrid.  

Last, but definitely not least, and it all depends upon how you plan and which you really want to do, but I consider it a wasted trip if you don´t get into the heart of Andalucía.  Anyone who has ever read one of my posts is groaning right now.  My heart lives in Sevilla, and I can give you about a week´s worth of activities without even leaving the city.  Granada is a MUST SEE, but if you can´t fit it in, you just have to plan another trip, just to see those two cities, and the surrounding area.  Given Barcelona and Rioja, you could add Valencia, but probably won´t have time for much else (unless you do a short stay in Barça), so, save the other advice for the next trip.

¡Buen viaje!

P.S.  Re the islands, my friend was going to go to Ibiza, and the boat trip was an overnight thing, so you have to buy a cabin, and it takes something like 8 hours. So if you want to spend a day there, it´s like a three day excursion.  If that´s something you want to do, it´s good to know that in advance.

Answer 4

The MEN.....I've heard they are HHHOOOOTTTTT!!!!!!!