Winter break

Afternoon all,
My first post,so hear goes. We are staying in Dona Pepa from end of October to mid Jan. We will have a rental car. I am wondering if people could recommend places that we could drive to for a few days away. It would be a shame to be here for three months and not get to know the region. I am happy to drive for a couple of hours, but would prefer to avoid big cities. Also any hotels or guest house recommendations would be appreciated. Many thanks for reading. Dave

We had a 6 day break in the middle of our Spring holiday last year. We stayed in Retama at the hotel Barcelo Cabo de Gata, and in Mojacar at the Parador de Mojacar. Enjoyed it, and will do it again.

Plenty of places around as well as Benidorm (not so hectic at that time of year).
Then there is Altea and Calpe further north. OK, they are all beach places but have a good and lively scene as well.
Go South to Cartagena which is a lovely old city.
All those places are no more than an hour to an hour and a half from here.
If you want to go further then Valencia is about a 3 hour drive away and is well worth visiting just for the Aquarium and Science centre alone. The centre is fabulous with old markets and wonderful shops. You can get bus trips to some of these places which avoids driving in the cities (Valencia is a nightmare) and paying for parking at hotels.

All of the above suggestions are perfect.
A couple of years ago, we went to Almeria. Stayed in the AC Marriott in the old city. Book your car parking in garage beneath hotel..valet parking. Wonderful city. The castle is simple superb and within walking distance of the hotel.
Check out the locations of the old speghetti western movies..great fun. The location is in the only desert in Spain and after doing the tour of the old studios you may continue to enjoy the Zoo. Without doubt, the best Zoo I have ever been to..spectacular, absolutely spectacular.
Eating out at night in Almeria is very much a Tapas culture do not go out too early as it is dead. Hold off until about 9pm and the spanish arrive in force and the atmosphere is great. People all sitting outside eating and enjoying their tipple. Music too. We simply lived every minute of it. We did visit Mojacor on our way to Almeria. Tremendously cheap for accommodation which included breakfast and evening meal. Dreadful food but should not complain as. The cost was so little for our stay. We went in March and Mojacor was dead but it was nice to see the old town. Almeria was wonderful.

Another place a little closer is on the far side of Alicante, San Juan. Masses of hotels and all full of winter revellers. A train runs along the coast which will take you into Alicante or in the other direction to Benidorm...I think

Check out David’s coach tours. We went to Cuenca last autumn for 3 nights and loved every minute of it. You could try Granada, Valencia or many more on offer.
Enjoy.