Spain/Portugal/Gibraltar - 3-5 days in Spain: where to go?

Next month, during the easter week, I will be in Spain anywhere from 3 to 5 days, arriving and departing Rota.

I'd like to plan for 3 days, with an option to expand to 5 days. Where should we go? What should we focus on? Interest is pretty broad: anything from food to museums. Sevilla is out of the question, everything is booked up and hotels that have space are charging astronomical prices.

edit: spend 3 days in Cadiz area, if staying more than 3 days, head to Barcelona for a few days. How does this sound?

I lived in the El Puerto de Santa Maria till last year - easter week/fortnight is always crazy and fully booked. Try to stay in Cadiz - lots to see and eat, weather should be fantastic - not too hot but sunny - and brilliant nightlife. Take transport from Rota to Santa Maria (great little restaurants and bars along the waterside) then take the ferry/high speed catamaran to Cadiz - a couple of dollars each and well worth it.

Enjoy@:-)

How about making my way to either Madrid or Barcelona? Worth it or should we really just stick around Cadiz/Rota?

Hi again,

To be honest the distances are vast unless by air - most of your time and money would be spent at airports - not recommended. Personally, knowing Spain as I do, I would still try to stay around the Cadiz area - it has a fantastic Moorish history and ancient walls/streets to explore. 3-5 days in Spain is really not a very long time - just enough to scrape the surface and enjoy.

Regards:)

If it's three days, then I agree that staying local is wise. If it's five days and you're interested in cities, then you could go to Seville for a long day or an overnight, and even on to Cordoba. If it's five days and you'd rather stay out of cities, then an overnight trip to Ronda might be nice. Ronda's setting is gorgeous.

Edited to add: Not worth it to try to get to BCN in such a short time, especially during Semana Santa (the whole week is a holiday for many people there).

Next month, during the easter week, I will be in Spain anywhere from 3 to 5 days, arriving and departing Rota.

I'd like to plan for 3 days, with an option to expand to 5 days. Where should we go? What should we focus on? Interest is pretty broad: anything from food to museums. Sevilla is out of the question, everything is booked up and hotels that have space are charging astronomical prices.

edit: spend 3 days in Cadiz area, if staying more than 3 days, head to Barcelona for a few days. How does this sound?

seville! i loved the hotel casa #7.

Ronda's setting is gorgeous.

Edited to add: Not worth it to try to get to BCN in such a short time, especially during Semana Santa (the whole week is a holiday for many people there).

+1

I think with 3-5 days and given the fact it's Easter week, Andalucia deserves your full attention attention.
If I were you I'd rent a car to be able to move around.
What I would do:
Beaches - My favourite beaches in Spain are on this stretch of coast.
Conil de la Frontera (http://www.spanish-fiestas.com/cadiz/conil-de-la-frontera.htm) is lovely to spend a couple of days in the sun [quite a few B&B;hostel;hotels]
Drive down the coast (few other nice stops like El Palmar; Barbate; Zahara de los Atunes) via Tarifa to Gibraltar stopping in along the beaches.
Spend a day in Gibraltar. Britain if it would have a decent climate. [stay in La Línea overnight; cheaper than Gibraltar]
Drive to Ronda and spend the day walking around.
Drive to Granada to spend the night. [Ibis (http://www.ibishotel.com/gb/hotel-3700-ibis-granada/index.shtml)hotel for 50€]
Visit Alhambra (http://www.alhambradegranada.org/en/)

Ronda and Alhambra are open air museum. 100's years of history.

You can't go wrong with these!
GBM

Having in dark history spent "extended RONs" at Rota (but over the half century interim, seen most of Spain), I'd save Barc and the North/Central for another time, "doing" Andulucia. Seville's a full day at least and there's much else to see in easy driving range (with a rental)