Spain in Winter with Kids: 10-Day Road Trip Itinerary
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Every December, the question in our house is the same: where can we go that's warm enough to be outdoors, interesting enough for the adults, and forgiving enough for the kids? This year, again, the answer was Spain. There were six of us: the two of us, our two children, and Amma Appa (my in-laws), who joined us for the whole trip. Over ten days we drove from Valencia down the coast to Alicante, inland to Granada and the Sierra Nevada, and back up to Valencia to ring in the New Year.
It was a trip of contrasts: Christmas lights by the sea in Alicante, a Moorish palace in Granada, a cliffside walkway in Caminito del Rey, snow-capped mountains in Sierra Nevada, an underground river in Murcia region, and a New Year's party in the rain in Valencia. Here's how we Spain in winter with the kids, what worked, and what we learned along the way.
Table of Contents: Spain in Winter with Kids: 10-Day Road Trip ItineraryArrival: ValenciaDay 1: ValenciaDay 2: AlicanteDay 3: GranadaDay 4: The Alhambra and GranadaDay 5: Caminito del ReyDay 6: Sierra Nevada, then Mar MenorDay 7: Coves de Sant JosepDay 8: New Year's Eve in ValenciaDay 9: HomeWhere We StayedLooking Back |
Arrival: Valencia
We flew into Valencia rather than Alicante. Both airports have good connections from the Netherlands and Belgium, but we found better flight options into Valencia from Amsterdam and Charleroi, and the drive south to Alicante is an easy two hours. Arriving a day early also meant we could start the trip rested rather than straight off a plane.
We spent our first night at NH Valencia Center, comfortable, practical and well placed for the city.
Day 1: Valencia
Christmas Eve started with a free guided walking tour of Valencia. If you only have a day in a city, a walking tour is the fastest way to get your bearings and hear the stories behind the buildings you'd otherwise just walk past. With kids in tow, it also has the advantage of a fixed end time.
The tour covers the heart of the old town from the outside, so treat it as a shortlist for later. These are the places worth going back to:
Central Market (Mercado Central). It's a short walk from where the tour ends in Plaza Redonda. This modernist market hall is packed with fresh produce, jamón and local specialities, and it's the easiest lunch stop in the city.
La Lonja de la Seda. The old silk exchange is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the tour only shows you the outside. Step inside for the hall of twisted stone columns.
Valencia Cathedral. Climb the bell tower, the Miguelete, for views over the whole old town, and look for the chapel that claims to hold the Holy Grail.
The Turia Gardens. The tour stops at the Serranos Towers to look out over the old riverbed, now a long park running through the city. With kids, it's the best place to let them run, and if you follow it far enough you reach the City of Arts and Sciences.
I have written a comprehensive blog post for Valenica which coveres everything to do in Valencia. Head to my blog post to read it now: How to Spend 3 Perfect Days in Valencia to Soak in the Magic of Festivities
In the evening we drove about two hours south to Elche, just a short drive from Alicante, where we'd booked two nights at Port Jardín Milenio.
Day 2: Alicante
We spent Christmas Day in Alicante, and the whole town had put on its festive best. Lights, decorations and a real sense of celebration made it feel like Christmas, even at temperatures that would pass for spring back home. Alicante's best-known landmark is Santa Bárbara Castle, perched on Mount Benacantil above the city with views across the bay. We didn't make it up there, and if you're visiting at Christmas, you won't either: the castle is closed on 24, 25 and 31 December. On any other day it's easy with kids or grandparents. A lift inside the mountain, opposite Postiguet Beach, takes you straight to the top, so there's no steep climb. We didn't miss it much. Instead, we joined the free walking tour Alicante in 2 Hours: History, Legends and Turrón Tasting. The turrón tasting alone makes it worth it: turrón is the classic Spanish Christmas nougat, and there's no better day to try it. And to add to this, the festivities in the historic centre were grand enough to keep all six of us entertained for the whole day.
There's much more to say about Alicante than fits here, so I've written a separate post. Read my full Alicante blog post (A Festive Day in Alicante - Churros, Castle Views, and Christmas Lights) for everything we saw, did and ate.
We returned to Elche for our second night.
Day 3: Granada
The next morning we drove about three and a half hours inland to Granada, and the landscape changed with every hour, coast giving way to dry hills, and eventually the snowy peaks of the Sierra Nevada rising behind the city. Granada feels unlike anywhere else in Europe. For centuries it was part of Moorish Spain, and it was the last city the Moors held. You can still see that everywhere, in the white houses and narrow cobbled lanes of the Albaicín, and in the red walls of the Alhambra on the hill above (Alhambra's name comes from the Arabic for "the red one," after the reddish colour of its walls). You'll find it too in the tea houses and spice stalls on the lanes around Calle Calderería Nueva, just below the Albaicín. That influence runs through the food, too.
We stayed three nights at Room Mate Leo, right in the heart of Granada. It includes breakfast and has a heated pool open all year round. That pool turned out to matter more than we expected, as you'll see in a couple of days.
For dinner we went to Bodegas Castañeda, and I'd put it on any Granada list. It's a historic tavern with a rustic, buzzing atmosphere and proper traditional tapas. Order the Jamón Serrano and the boquerones (anchovies), and try the local vino de barril (barrel wine) or a vermouth mixed with herbal liqueurs. Portions are generous, and it felt like the real Granada rather than a version put on for tourists.
I've covered our Granada stay, hotel and full itinerary in more detail in my blog post - The Perfect Granada Itinerary - 4 Days of Alhambra, Flamenco & Sierra Nevada
Day 4: The Alhambra in Granada
The Alhambra is the reason most people come to Granada, and it deserves the reputation. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is a palace and fortress complex that rewards slow walking and looking up.
One lesson learned the hard way: book your tickets well in advance on the official Alhambra website. We left it a few days too late, found official tickets sold out, and had to book through GetYourGuide at double the price. If Granada is on your list, book the Alhambra first and plan the rest of the trip around it.
Day 5: Caminito del Rey
Caminito del Rey is about two hours from Granada, and we debated whether it was worth the drive. In the end the decision made itself. This was our one chance to see this incredible spot while Amma Appa were with us to look after the kids. Amma Appa weren't keen on the hike anyway, and Arya couldn't have joined us, since children under 8 aren't allowed on the walkway.
So the two of us set off, while Amma Appa and the kids spent the day in Granada, relaxing and splashing about in Room Mate Leo's heated pool. I'm not sure who had the better day.
Tickets sell out, so book in advance on the official website, as we did. For the full story of the walk itself, read my Caminito del Rey blog post.
Day 6: Sierra Nevada, then Mar Menor
If Caminito del Rey was the day the family split up, Sierra Nevada was the day we all came together. The ski resort is about 45 minutes from Granada and needs no hiking at all, which meant Amma Appa and the kids could share the whole experience with us.
It was surreal. Just days after Christmas by the Mediterranean, we were standing in the snow under a bright blue sky, with gondolas gliding overhead. We spent most of the day at the base of the resort in Pradollano, snow tubing with the kids down the slopes on giant inflatable rings, and nobody wanted to stop. In between, the kids threw snowballs, started a full-scale snow fight and built a snowman.
We warmed up with hot soup and lunch at a restaurant in Pradollano, then took the gondola up to Borreguiles, at around 2,700 metres. At the top we watched skiers carve down sunlit slopes while the kids tucked into hot chocolate and pancakes at VIPS Smart. It was the perfect end to a day in the snow before we headed back down to the car.
We knew southern Spain would be milder than most of Europe in December, but we packed thermals, gloves, jackets and boots anyway. It paid off. With bright sunshine and everyone well covered, the top of the mountain felt surprisingly comfortable. On a cloudy or windy day it would be a different story, so pack for the cold regardless.
That evening we drove about three and a half hours to Ona Mar Menor Golf & Spa in Torre-Pacheco, in the Murcia region. We'd booked it to break up the long drive back towards Valencia, and it turned out to be a wonderful place to unwind after a big day in the mountains.
Day 7: Coves de Sant Josep
From Mar Menor we drove north for about three and a half hours to La Vall d'Uixó and the Coves de Sant Josep, a cave system with a navigable underground river billed as the longest in Europe.
The visit takes about 40 minutes. You glide through the caves in a small boat steered by a guide, then walk the final stretch on foot. The temperature inside stays around 20°C all year, which makes it a comfortable winter outing.
What stays with you is the stillness. The water is so clear and calm that the rock formations above reflect perfectly in it, and in places the caves are lit in colour, turning the stalactites deep shades of pink and purple. Capacity is limited, so buy your tickets in advance on the official website and arrive 10 minutes before your slot.
From there it was about 50 minutes to Valencia, where we checked into One Shot Reina Victoria for our final two nights.
Day 8: New Year's Eve in Valencia
We ended the year where we'd started the trip: in Valencia. New Year's Eve was spent out on the streets with crowds of others, dancing to a DJ and watching the fireworks light up the sky, all in the pouring rain. Nobody seemed to mind, least of all us. Soaked, tired and happy, it was a fitting finale to a trip that had given us a bit of everything.
Day 9: Home
On New Year's Day we took a transfer to Castellón-Costa Azahar Airport, just over an hour north of Valencia, for our flight home. We chose Castellón because flights from Valencia over the Christmas period were very expensive, and the fares from Castellón were much cheaper. If you're weighing up the same choice, remember to factor the transfer into your budget.
Where We Stayed
Nights | Hotel | Location |
23 Dec | NH Valencia Center | Valencia |
24-26 Dec | Port Jardín Milenio | Elche |
26-29 Dec | Room Mate Leo | Granada |
29 Dec | Ona Mar Menor Golf & Spa | Torre-Pacheco (Murcia region) |
30 Dec-1 Jan | One Shot Reina Victoria | Valencia |
Looking Back
What made this trip work was its variety. In ten days we had Christmas by the sea, history in Granada, adventure on the Caminito del Rey, snow in the Sierra Nevada, and a New Year's party in the rain. It's a lot of driving, so plan your overnight stops with care. But with three generations travelling together, the mix meant there was something for everyone, and the days the grandparents and kids sat out were balanced by days we all shared.
If I had to boil it down to four pieces of advice:
Book the big-ticket sights first. The Alhambra and Caminito del Rey sell out, and paying double through a reseller is an avoidable mistake.
Pack for the mountains, even on a coastal trip. Sierra Nevada is a world away from Alicante.
Build in rest stops. Spain's distances are bigger than they look on a map, and a good hotel halfway can turn a long drive into a highlight.
Check smaller airports. Valencia fares spike over the holidays, and Castellón can be a much cheaper alternative. Just budget for getting there.
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