PetersPioneers

Spain in January 2006

Johannes, by Jacob Boettger, 1835

About the Trip. James and Anne Roarty Biggins and Peter and Marilyn Carroll Biggins are considering a trip to Spain in January 2006. For planning purposes, they are assuming January 12 to January 19. (We could add on a couple more days.) This Web page summarizes research done by Peter Biggins on December 12, 2005. Southern Spain is suggested for several reasons:

  • Relatively warm temperatures.
  • A change of scenery from Florida and other places in the United States.
  • Relatively low air fares compared with other winter destinations such as Mexico, Madeira, the Galapagos Islands, and South America.
  • Proximity to museums and other cultural destinations.
We could spend a couple days in Madrid and the rest in southern Spain.

Temperatures. Yahoo is a good source for information on weather in Spain. Theu use fahrenheit instead of celcius. The average high temperature for Madrid is 51 degrees fahrenheit. The low is 32. The average high temperature for Malaga on the Costa del Sol is 61 degrees fahrenheit. The low is 45. The average high temperature for Cadiz on the Costa del Sol is 61 degrees fahrenheit. The low is 52.

Air Fare. The air fare to Spain is fairly low.

  • To Madrid:
    • $450 US from JFK non-stop and
    • $447 US from Dulles one-stop.
  • To Malaga on the Costa del Sol:
    • $463-481 US from JFK one-stop and
    • $511 US from Dulles connecting in Paris.

Car Rental. The car rental to Spain is fairly expensive. Europcar wants $488 US through Expedia.com for a standard 4-door car (VW Passat), which we would split. Gas is extra.

Hotel. There are many hotels that could be considered. For example, the Cervantes Hotel in Torremolinos costs $80 US a night on Expedia.com.

Tourism. Map24 is a good source of maps for Spain. Potential destinations in southern Spain include:

  • Costa del Sol, which is 336 miles south of Madrid. The Costa del Sol stretches along just over 150 kilometres of Málaga province and is one of Spain's most popular tourist destinations. The area's mild climate is the root attraction that makes it possible to enjoy the beaches and a wide variety of outdoor activities year round.
  • Ronda. One of Andalucia's loveliest towns, steeped in history. It stands on a towering plateau in the mountains of Malaga Province, and is famous through Spain for the plunging river gorge.
  • Sevilla Province.
  • Granada Province.
  • Madrid.