Drive to Granada

Q: We are intending to go by car from Barcelona down to Granada and are looking to split that trip into two days travel. Do you have any suggestions as to where we should spend the night? Ideally we would like to go along the most picturesque route and spend the night in a place that is more or less halfway, but not necessarily in a large town. We will be travelling in early October. - Graziella Whitehead

A: The two most obvious places to stop over are Valencia and Murcia but neither of them is halfway as requested. If you take a very leisurely 10-hour drive along the 900kn route, you would end up doing six hours on one day and four hours on the other. If you stay over in Murcia, the bulk of your driving will be done on the first day. Murcia is a very pretty city more than 800 years old. Divided by the Seguria River, its primary attraction is the Cathedral de Santa Maria. Other places worth visiting are the the Castle of Monteagudo and the Museum Ramon Gaya. However, Valencia is probably the more attractive destination for your stopover, which means the bulk of your driving will be done on the second day. Valencia is a charming port city with fabulous waterfront bars and restaurants, as well as three of the most interesting and futuristic museums in Europe, the City of Arts and Science. If you really don't fancy the lopsided split of driving time, you could consider spending a night in Alicante. but it does not hold the appeal of Valencia or Murcia. You could also take your chances and stop in one of the many small towns that catches your fancy along the way. You should not have any problems getting accommodation in October. (23 May 2010)