Toledo vs Granada vs Salamanca vs Arcos

[Rod Hagen]

It's been a very very long time since I was in Spain.  Given Barcelona (I loved) and Madrid (meh) and Seville are must visits, and I don't feel the need to revisit Gibraltar, how would you rank these wonderful spots in order of Must-See? Toledo vs Granada vs Salamanca vs Arcos  THANKS!

[SirBillybob]

I have only been to Granada in your list but I suspect that if you grouped it in particular with Córdoba fairly nearby that combo alone would top out the other three individually. My trips to Spain have usually been the month of May. Bear in mind it can be tricky to get admission tickets to Granada’s Alhambra and Generalife on short notice, often sold out online. 

Edited April 13, 2022 by SirBillybob

[MscleLovr]

I spend a lot of time in Spain, and I agree strongly with @SirBillybob: visit Granada AND Cordoba. Both rank as wonders of the world. Each deserves a full day visit but in Granada I’d stay overnight. 

I love visiting Andalusia, especially Seville, and you’re right @Rod Hagen to describe it as a “must visit”. You could easily spend 5-7 days there. 
 

Plan to travel from Seville by train to Cordoba (and also Granada)- it’s easy, fast and comfortable. 
 

I rate Salamanca (interesting university city) above Toledo (historic summer escape for Madrileños). But if your time is limited, both can be missed. 
 

I left Arcos de la Frontera last. It’s really a village with a spectacular setting…but I’d say it can be done in a morning visit followed by lunch. To me, it’s on a par with Ronda but less historic. I feel you can visit once but you wouldn’t return.

And I know this may be controversial. May I ask others not to criticise me unless you have a full understanding. I’d recommend going to a tournament of bullfights. Remember that in Spain it is a cultural event of significance. It is taken very seriously in Andalusia. You should dress smartly to attend and book seats in the shade (“sombra”). There is an historic tournament in Ronda each year but tickets are like gold-dust; it is “a la goyesco” where the bullfighters wear 18th C costume and many of the spectators also dress accordingly. (I’ve tried for several years to get tickets for this but never succeeded)

[Colton]

I really enjoyed Grenada and Cordoba.  Take the night tour of the Mezquita in Cordoba if you can.  It’s really well done.  
 

When I went there wasn’t a train from Grenada to Seville but the bus was comfortable and easy.  From Seville the train to Cordoba (and then Madrid) is easy.  

[Rod Hagen]

Thank you everyone!

[BSR]

21 hours ago, MscleLovr said:

And I know this may be controversial. May I ask others not to criticise me unless you have a full understanding. I’d recommend going to a tournament of bullfights. Remember that in Spain it is a cultural event of significance. It is taken very seriously in Andalusia. You should dress smartly to attend and book seats in the shade (“sombra”). There is an historic tournament in Ronda each year but tickets are like gold-dust; it is “a la goyesco” where the bullfighters wear 18th C costume and many of the spectators also dress accordingly. (I’ve tried for several years to get tickets for this but never succeeded)

Ah, another bullfighting fan in this forum!  Something I've found helpful in getting people to accept bullfighting is to correct the notion so many have that a bullfight is a contest in which the odds are stacked horribly against the bull.  Fans of la tauromaquia see it as an art in which the matador displays great skill and courage.  Even with that explanation, some people will still hate it, but others come into it with a more open mind.

If you're open to seeing a bullfight, look for a rejoneo (bullfight on horseback).  They're much less common, but in my opinion, so graceful and elegant.  The whole spectacle of a bullfight, whether on horseback or on foot, is an experience rich in Spanish culture and tradition.  I get goosebumps when I hear the trumpets before a bullfight, but I realize not everyone will feel the same way.

[CuriousByNature]

7 hours ago, BSR said:

Ah, another bullfighting fan in this forum!  Something I've found helpful in getting people to accept bullfighting is to correct the notion so many have that a bullfight is a contest in which the odds are stacked horribly against the bull.  Fans of la tauromaquia see it as an art in which the matador displays great skill and courage.  Even with that explanation, some people will still hate it, but others come into it with a more open mind.

If you're open to seeing a bullfight, look for a rejoneo (bullfight on horseback).  They're much less common, but in my opinion, so graceful and elegant.  The whole spectacle of a bullfight, whether on horseback or on foot, is an experience rich in Spanish culture and tradition.  I get goosebumps when I hear the trumpets before a bullfight, but I realize not everyone will feel the same way.

Are there any non-lethal bullfights?  My understanding is that either the bull is going to die, or the matador will be injured or killed.  I was tempted to see one when I was in Spain, but the sight of blood makes me queazy unless it's coming out of a medium-rare filet mignon.

  

[BSR]

12 hours ago, CuriousByNature said:

Are there any non-lethal bullfights?  My understanding is that either the bull is going to die, or the matador will be injured or killed.  I was tempted to see one when I was in Spain, but the sight of blood makes me queazy unless it's coming out of a medium-rare filet mignon.

  

Apparently other countries (Portugal, Latin America) have nonlethal bullfights, but in Spain, the bull always dies.  I saw a documentary about bullfighting which said that the crowd can call for the bull to be spared if it has put up an exceptional fight, but the president of the bullring can overrule and usually does.

In any case, a critical part of any bullfight is bleeding of the bull because a full-strength bull is too strong for even the best matador.  Before the matador enters the ring, a man on horseback drives a lance into the bull's back hump.  It's not painful because the bull has few nerve endings in that area, but it is bloody.  So no, doesn't sound like it's for you.

I've only been to the bullring 6 times (so 36 separate bullfights) -- 2x in Madrid, 3x in Salamanca, and 1x in a small town (can't remember the name).  The only time I was really scared was the small-town one.  Instead of a real bullfight with a skilled matador, it was a "capea" with teenagers in training.  The boys looked 14-16.  One kid got knocked down twice and managed to scramble away from the charging bull by just a split-second.  As if that weren't scary enough, another kid got gored yet stayed in the ring to keep fighting.  The crew was about to jump in to save him, but he kept holding his hand up telling them to back off.  Mind you, this was a skinny little 9th grader bleeding and obviously outmatched.  The capea went on for a few more terrifying minutes until the kid got knocked down (just fell, not gored again).  This time the crew sprang into action, half of them to drag the boy away and the other half to distract the bull.  We later learned the kid was fine, thank goodness.

This kid got gored because he lacked training & experience.  But even skilled matadors occasionally get gored because they want to be as daring as possible.  Either way, bullfighting is not for the faint of heart.  You might want to stick to your steaks.

Edited April 16, 2022 by BSR
Typo

[Rod Hagen]

I went and it was great!  Thank you all so much.  Barcelona is still one of my favorite cities in the world.