Baza, Andalucia, Spain? Any advice please?

[Nonky]

Hello
Our family have not been abroad before as we are teachers and the cost of going away in the summer holidays is horrendous!
We have found somewhere in Baza, Andalucia to stay relatively cheaply for two weeks. We would be flying to Madrid and hiring a car and driving there.

My (notoriously pessimistic!!!) parents have said I am being ridiculous and there is nothing there for two young children to do and it is a very boring area to holiday in?!!

Has anyone less pessimistic been here? Are they right?! We are a laid back family who as long as we have a bit of sun and fresh air can usually entertain ourselves. I am not looking for holiday clubs, evening entertainment etc but just an opportunity to experience something a bit different.

Many thanks :-)

I don't know the area, but I am sure you will have a wonderful time. There are things to do in Madrid at the end / start of your holiday, and I remember some amazing family holidays when we stayed in the middle of nowhere in France. Why don't you get a guidebook of the area and work out what there is to do / consider whether you want to do it. Look for the nearest pool / beach.

I am sure you will have a fab time.

I don't know the area, but Andalucia has so many interesting places to visit. Just one word of warning - driving in Spain is not for the faint hearted.

We went to Mazarron (not that far away but nearer the cost) last august. It was very very hot!!! We had a villa with a pool and spent most of our time in there - it was too hot really to go sight seeing, shopping was a quick trip to the supermarket and in out of the 40 degree heat. We had airconditioning but only in the living area not the bedrooms so we had trouble sleeping.

Baza is very remote - would you be planning to sightsee by car, how are the children on long hot car journies?
Do you have a pool, airconditioning?
Access to supermarkets?

I would go back to the area but not in July / August as it was way too hot.

This year we have opted for a mobile home in the vendee, France!

It'll be really really really hot. 40º every single day in August. I wouldn't fancy it without air con and a pool (I live in Andalucia). Having said that, it's not far from Granada, which has the Alhambra and you could get to the beach in an hour or so. There is plenty to see in Andalucia, but it's a big big place and the heat in summer is crippling.
here's some info about Baza

Sorry for the thread hijack but what's it like at Easter weather-wise, GoodToBeBetter ? We've just booked a road trip round there and wondering what to pack!

Ill report back on things we did OP!

It can be quite a mixed bag at Easter. The last couple of years have been quite wet and I've never known all the Easter processions (semana santa) go out, but it can be quite warm some of the time too. Try googling average temps and then pack for wet weather too. Andalucia during Holy Week is amazing though....really quite something else. Where will you be going?

One of the great things about Andalucia is that kids are welcome absolutely everywhere! You can enjoy a relaxing evening meal with the kids - all the other Spanish kids will be running around playing until the early hours. And our kids always love the fried fresh fish!

We live in the Basque Country so sadly very used to wet weather! We were going to go in August but all the Basques said we were crazy! Ill be 8months pregnant in August so perhaps with the heat it wouldn't have been best...

We are driving down through Salamanca and Merida to Jerez de la Frontera, using that as a base to visit seville and Cadiz (I've been to seville before so will just do a day there) then granada for 5 nights and from there visiting ronda and the caves on the coast. Then back up via Toledo! It's a 30 hour drive in total so NOT a relaxing holiday but we have time for relaxing in the summer!

Can't wait! Shame about the possibility of wet weather though :-( averages didn't look promising but its been gorgeous oop north today so am hoping for an Indian Spring!

well, that's the thing...it can be glorious or wet most of the week or a mix. If you stop in jerez, visit the sherry bodegas and do a tours. I did the tio pepe one years ago and it was great. Granada's wonderful and you can buy tkts for the alhambra in advance so as not to queue. easter lovely too...v diffrtent from the hugeness of semana santa in seville but beautiful too. I love semana santa!

we flew to Faro and,stayed in Portil, Huelva, in an apartment on the beach, great views to the sea, close to sevilla for tourism, to Portugal...a lot.of things to do.and cheaper than other destinies....owners very nice, speaking english...