Mainland southern Spain.........holiday suggestions please :)

[Dave7]

Never done that area as a holiday. Did L'Estartit once but that was purely Scuba diving so spent most of my days under water.
We were/are also looking Croatia but not found anything that ticks all the boxes at a sensible price. @vickster put me onto some nice apartments but the 1 bedroom apartments for just us 2 work out expensive and we don't want a studio (cos we're dead dead posh)

We do NOT want a rowdy/noisy/boozy place (like I "imagine" Benidorm to be.
We want
either decent quality hotel (4*ish) or villa............my quick google tells me a villa for 2 is more expensive than a good hotel.
to be close to the sea.
interesting places to visit e.g. quaint towns/villages
Places to walk and (for me) possibly bike hire..........(not essential for 2 weeks).

 

[nickyboy]

Just back from Croatia

It is cheaper than southern Spain (and we went to reasonably expensive places like Hvar, Cavtat and Split), both in terms of accommodation and living costs. So if Croatia was too expensive, Southern Spain will be more so

Croatia is fundamentally less expensive. But also their currency has not appreciated against £ as much as the Euro has

 

[screenman]

Turkey not you but the country.

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

I'm away to Benidorm in a few weeks to visit the family. The British part of Benidorm is horrendous but we use it as a stepping off point. Last time we went to Guadalest, Altea, Valencia, Cartagena, Villajoisa. Car hire is cheap, bike hire is cheap there's loads of trams, trains and buses to go further afield. Try to look past the obvious and use it as a cheap place to base yourselves.

 

[Andy_R]

Check out homeaway.co.uk

 

[Levo-Lon]

I'd take Regs advice..its all the bloody same on the coast..Puerto Banus is nice but its still coastal and tourism fest

 

[Dave7]

Turkey not you but the country.

Mrs Dave will not go to Turkey.............she is convinced that terrorists are waiting on the beach just for her

 

[Dave7]

Just back from Croatia

It is cheaper than southern Spain (and we went to reasonably expensive places like Hvar, Cavtat and Split), both in terms of accommodation and living costs. So if Croatia was too expensive, Southern Spain will be more so

Croatia is fundamentally less expensive. But also their currency has not appreciated against £ as much as the Euro has

I believe that its quite cheap once you get there..........as I say, its finding something that ticks all the boxes that's the problem (but we have not dismissed it and are still looking).

 

[vickster]

Mrs Dave will not go to Turkey.............she is convinced that terrorists are waiting on the beach just for her

Croatia is rated a very safe destination, given last week's events Spain less so

 

[vickster]

Look at Costa de la Luz. Had a very inexpensive AI week a couple of years ago. Chiclana de la frontera. Very nice beach. Plenty of places to visit not too far away. Jerez, Sevilla etc

http://www.thomson.co.uk/destinations/europe/spain/costa-de-la-luz/holidays-costa-de-la-luz.html

As above, Croatia cheaper than anywhere in The Eurozone these days

What's wrong with a studio at the place I suggested...if a one bed is too expensive (there's no size in between for two people)

 

[CanucksTraveller]

Seville or Granada. Lots to do and see. Great culture.

This for sure, two of my favourite cities in the world. And I travel somewhere different every week so I've seen a few. An evening in the Albaicin drinking Rioja and eating tapas under the shadow of the Alhambra has to be one of the most magical nights out there ever. And inside the Alhambra itself has to be seen, it's wonderful. Make sure you book tickets in advance, the day / evening before is usually fine.

 

[Dave7]

Check out homeaway.co.uk

Looks a good site............they do Croatia (and other places at "reasonable" prices.
Have you used them ?
Are they reputable ?

 

[Dave7]

Look at Costa de la Luz. Had a very inexpensive AI week a couple of years ago. Chiclana de la frontera. Very nice beach. Plenty of places to visit not too far away. Jerez, Sevilla etc

http://www.thomson.co.uk/destinations/europe/spain/costa-de-la-luz/holidays-costa-de-la-luz.html

As above, Croatia cheaper than anywhere in The Eurozone these days

What's wrong with a studio at the place I suggested...if a one bed is too expensive (there's no size in between for two people)

That cost de la luz looks very nice.
Re' a studio..........I just can't get my head around that. Never been in on but imagine one room with everything open and on top of each other. I will re-visit that site and have another look though.

 

[MarkF]

[QUOTE 4928584, member: 259"]Why do you want to go to southern Spain, though? The Atlantic coast is much nicer. Galicia is wonderful.[/QUOTE]

I'd agree, that coast, particularly Asturias is my favourite place, but, you can't beat the south for guaranteed sun!

OP, I go to Spain several times year, love the place, I can recall "combat alley" in Torremolinos as a young man, now, you'd struggle to find a Brit bar in Torremolinos, things change.......

I've just come back from Alicante, my first holiday there, a compact city with great nightlife, a decent beach and very few non-Spanish tourists. I stayed in Barrio Santa Cruz, Google it, was like a Brazilian favela. A short tram ride away is Playa de San Juan with a superb beach miles long with a bike path alongside. Valencia is about a 2 hour train ride away and well worth the visit. Alicante has regular bike hire and you can have a road bike delivered to you direct.

Still, I'd go to Malaga. It's a city that has transformed itself over the past 20 years, it is now stunning. Loads of cultural things to see/do. Worth spending all your holiday there but it has the easy access to Seville and Granada if you wish. The El Palo/Pedragalejo coastal suburbs are nice places to stay, a short bus ride into the city, or a very easy cycle ride. I can recommend Recyclo for road bike hire in Pedragalejo. The AC & Don Curro are good central hotels, the former has the benefit of a roof top pool.

Both Alicante & Malaga have safe & spectacular riding only a mile or so inland.

 

[vickster]

That cost de la luz looks very nice.
Re' a studio..........I just can't get my head around that. Never been in on but imagine one room with everything open and on top of each other. I will re-visit that site and have another look though.

The bathroom is separate. Aren't you married and it's just a week