Kingussie, the traditional capital of Badenoch. Now???? On to Ronda one night. 1. If you don't have any interest in the daytime sights of Jerez, head over to Cadiz for a fried fish lunch and walk in the old town. At the Upper Rock, you should check out these attractions: Cabo de Gata Natural Park is the largest coast and land protected area of all the Mediterranean region. Conway National Park is home to rainforest, Whitsunday Passage lookouts, bush campgrounds and secluded beaches. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. The AVE service is ideal for long journeys, but some of yours within Andalucia are short enough that it doesn't make much difference in time - for example between Sevilla and Cordoba. Given the length of your trip to Andalucia, I think 4 nights is a reasonable minimum in Granada, more if you want to drive out to the Alpujarras. You can get an audio guide to learn more about the history of the caves and their discovery. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. If youre not interested in all this glitz and glamour, there is also a lovely historic center with flowery houses in Marbella. Too long?? It makes its own sweet wine, which isn't as interesting as that of Jerez. Tapas in Seville don't come for free, but they are also generally speaking better quality than in Granada. Are you willing to rent a car for a few days? Cordoba for 5 hours only - still worth it ? To get a glimpse of all of this luxury, you can go to Puerto Banus marina to see some of the most luxurious yachts in the world. Of course, you might want to spend time there to enjoy it. And to enjoy a stunning scenic view over the whole city and the port, head to Gibralfaro castle. Otherwise, choose If you have three days in Spain and want sun, food, and nightlife, Malaga is perhaps your best bet on the mainland. Granada is one of the few cities in Spain where you still get your tapas for free like you're supposed to. What about visiting Seville from Granada? Though if I had to only choose 1-2 home bases, for Western Andalucia, I'd go with Sevilla (trips to Cordoba, Cadiz, Costa de la Luz, Jerez) and for Eastern Andalucia, it would be Malaga (trips to Publos Blancos, Granada, Gibraltar). This is a very big deal in the south of Spain (kinda like Christmas on steroids), where all the towns put on colourful pageantry, spectacular processions, and other centuries old traditions. Given how long your holiday is, you should definitely plan at least a day-trip there. For bus service you can try Googling Bus City A to City B or you can start on Rome2Rio.com and keep drilling down until you find the name of the bus company you need--and probably also a link to its website. We would also like to visit Gibraltar and Tangier. Then Marbella is the perfect destination for you! The cities suggested and landmarks we have suggested above are designed for you to see some of the regions most popular places! Visit a sherrybodegaand learn the production process or visit the famous horse shows of Jerez. Day Trip, Stay The Night or Base Yourself in Jerez? The caves were discovered by chance in 1959 by students who were looking for bats. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". I don't like changing hotels either, but you'll spend less time traveling back and forth with some judicious changes of location, and you'll have a lot more options for visiting attractive, less-visited towns if you don't limit yourself to only two bases. What I most regret is missing Medina Azahara, which is only a few miles from Cordoba. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Wherever you are in Seville, Granada, Ronda or even the smallest village, you wont be able to miss tapas, theyre everywhere! You might want to spend more time in Seville than in Granada, but if you could only choose one place to visit in Andalusia, my choice would be Granada over Seville. Flamencoin Seville, the home of Spain's most distinctive art form. For the 4WD tour, your guide will take you to the best parts of the park, and you may even see a lynx! That lets Arcos out. Hopefully, today it is completely up to safety standards. Tangiers, though not Morocco's most interesting cities (Fez and Marrakech take that prize), is a city with a vast amount of heritage. Ronda is another top place to visit in Andalucia. I give you all my best tips to plan your next trip. Of volcanic origin, it offers several types of landscapes ranging from beautiful beaches and coves to wilder desert style landscapes. Even Ronda is a bit awkward despite having rail service, but it is potentially useful since you can day-trip to Grazalema from there by bus, and I think also Arcos. Marbella is great for a day trip and nearby Benahavis in the mountains is a foodie's paradise. 1.3 Bansko, Bulgaria. 2017 ranged 59 to 83F. Sometimes it depends where your first port of call is. Rent a car, side trips Ubeda, Baeza and ? ), Ecija (49 min.) There is plenty in between to check out, including Moor-inspired architecture, art, and natural wonders. As an affiliate, we receive a fee when you get a quote from World Nomads using this link. Its the highest mountains range in Spain, with over twenty peaks above 3000 meters. You can see and do a lot without one, but some places, especially the pueblos blancos, are only feasible by car. Pack lightly and make a road trip, or circuit by public transport. Sevilla is a good base, with lots of sights, restaurants and evening entertainment but it definitely does not have a village feel. During your visit, you will be able to access several halls, such as the Cataclysm Hall where you can see one of the tallest and largest columns in the world. I'd try to slot this area into roughly the middle of the trip, because after heavy-duty sightseeing in Cordoba, Seville and/or Granada, you'll probably be ready for a bit of a mid-trip break. In March all the citrus trees were in bloom and the scent was wonderful. Renting a car for a few days of tooling some of the smaller towns would make your trip more efficient. WebAs for a base to explore Andalusia, that very much depends of what transport you are intending to use. Granada - one of the best places to stay in Andalucia for dramatic scenery 4. Invest in some I think I would leave Cordoba for another time.. (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? I made two side-trips from Granada: Priego de Cordoba and Bubion/Capileira in the Alpujarras. Valery Bareta/Shutterstock.com If you want to rent a boat for a nice day at sea during your trip to Andalucia, you should book it with Samboat. An overnight trip might be worth it, but any more days than that and it's best to head further into Morocco, either over land or by flying to Fez or Marrakech. April is, normally, a bit hotter than March. Cordoba is lovely and worth at least 2 days/nights. Lets start this Andalucia tourist guide with Seville, the capital. Crdoba Crdoba is another beautiful city located in Andalusia. Sorrento. Bus to Monopoli in Puglia, our base to visit Bari Vecchia, Castellano caves, Conservano, Poilignano a Mare, and the villages of Valle d'Itria namely, Alberobello, Locorotondo, Cisternino, and Martina Franca. I would recommend (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? To be honest, the only reason to visit Tangiers is if you can only spare a day in Morocco. It lists high and low temps as well as precipitation. You can day-trip by bus to Arcos, by train to Cadiz (beaches), Sevilla and even Cordoba. If you are trying to avoid Holy Week crowds and inflated hotel costs, Seville isn't the only city you need to worry about, though I had the impression hotel rates might have risen the most in that city. Youve guessed it, the Sierra Nevada is an amazing place to hike in the mountain. You will find every information you need to visit Malaga in my article: The 15 best things to do in Malaga. An absolute must-see in Gibraltar is the Upper Rock. Jerez has a few sights, is a pleasant low-key town. This high-end seaside resort located in the Costa Del Sol has everything you dream for: 27 km of beaches, many prestigious villas, luxury stores, coffee shops and fancy nightclubs! This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. The mezzanine bed looks out over the canal and towards the river, and the minimal style is in perfect contrast to the bright colours of the city. WebThis post contains affiliate links. This town is an example of the above. I like to get to some places that aren't on every American tourist's itinerary. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Jerez, on the train line from Seville to Cadiz, is the birthplace of sherry. Its a famous place in Andalucia because many Spaghetti Western movies had been filmed there, such as The Good, the Bad and the Ugly or A fistful of dollars. Lisa, IMO, Andalusia is a big area that does not lend itself to a month stay with day trips. From Seville, Cordoba is a day trip (or even half-day trip). Try to carry cash and items of value with you at all time in a front or inside pocket, youll find. Trains are frequent and fast. We may rent a car or take public transportation. And of course, for lunch, you have to check out the city's famous tapas bars. Maybe that is the reason :). No, Spain hasn't annexed Tangiers, but as it's just half an hour by boat from Tarifa, it may as well be in Andalusia in terms of your trip planning. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-16340611', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');Marbella to relax and then venture off. Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean with an area of 27,708 square kilometres or 10,698 square miles. Sorrento is one of the northernmost settlements on the Amalfi Coast, famed for its gorgeous architecture as well as the production of Limoncello. Cdiz 12. Tarifa is mainland Spain's most southerly town and almost touches Morocco. I'd settle for 10 nights in Sevilla and take day-trips. Ok. Cadiz might not be considered a top destination in Andalucia compared to cities like Seville or Granada, yet its a great place to visit. More bases would work better. But box ticking shouldn't be your main reason for visiting somewhere. I spent about a month in Andaluca earlier this year, and my research led to me spend nights in these places: Ubeda, Cordoba, Seville, Cadiz, Ronda, Malaga and Granada. I'd choose Malaga with day-trips in a heartbeat, but I think a week would be too long there. Years ago we were based just outside of Malaga, which was too far south, but we got a good deal on lodging, so we drove a lot every day to visit towns for the day. In addition to this list of the best things to do, I will also give you all my best tips as well as detailed itineraries to visit Andalucia in 3 to 16 days. 2023 Rick Steves' Europe, Inc. | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy. Finally train back to Rome. While it wouldn't be my choice, Carlos' suggestion of Malaga is a good one for visiting Granada and Ronda. We also want to be able to be in an area where we can take day trips easily to other areas (hill top white villages, beach, city etc..), This lovely small village is located on top of a hill, dominating the whole valley. You do know that Andalucia is the hottest, driest place in Europe. Perhaps this is not the best plan as the area is so big and we would be missing so much. Want a view of you to see in the above picture? This art was born here during the 17th century, and is still today a very important part of Andalucias culture and history. Positano might be more adequate or suitable. WebAndalucia Road Trip: Itinerary from Seville. Even if you are just popping out of your hotel to go to the shops. Its Alcazaba has nothing on the Alhambra in Granada or the Alcazar in Seville. Located in Huelva province, the park is about 1 hour driving from Seville and 50 min from Cadiz. The Galician town of Pontevedra is the best place to base yourself to access the wine regions of the Ras Baixas. This is information only and not a recommendation to buy travel insurance. I've been to Andalucia 3 times, twice in February and once in March. Alternatively: Doing a loop maybe an idea. Rodalquilar - one of the best places to stay in Andaluca for creative types Contents hide. Arrive by bus, Rent a car with side trips to Zahara and Grazalema How to Get to Tangiers and the Rest of Morocco, Osuna and its use as a filming location in Game of Thrones, The bridge atRonda. Or you could really break the holiday glass ceiling and spend a week in Murcia. Build your list and see how it works out. YMMV. and Baena (1 hr. Easy access to Ronda, Malaga is about an hour drive and Nerja a bit more. I would do some experimenting with Rome2Rio to look at distances and transportation options. Pretentious smugsters sneer at Gibraltar. It's one of the best views in Spain at an unbelievably low price. I use wunderground dot com for calendar view of historical weather. Do not under any circumstances trust the fares, travel times or frequencies displayed on the Rome2Rio website itself. For more information, there are 3 visitor center located in El Bosque, Zahara de la Sierra and Ubrique. Youre a culture enthusiast? Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Ronda is built over a ravine and the view from the bridge is exceptional. Granada - 5 nights by high speed train. 1 23 Best Destinations to Visit in Europe. A remote city built high up over the Tajo gorge is dominated by its majestic bridges and fantastic views. To be honest, I wanted to go to (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? This region is known for some extraordinary events such as the Cruces de Mayo (held in early May) and the Feria de Seville (in April). The coaches and local trains (if they've restarted), use stations actually in the town. With day trip to Baeza and ?? Finally train back to Rome. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. Some classic tapas are the Russian salad (potatoes, tuna and corn), croquetas and tortillas. Cordoba is a great small city but big enough to keep you busy for several days at a leisurely pace. http://www.andalucia.com/environment/protect/jaen.htm. If you want beach it won't compare to Cape Cod or North Carolina beaches. Its best known As you probably know, there's no train station in Ubeda, and the Baeza station isn't actually in Baeza, so buses are needed in that area. Maybe start in Seville, cruise down (by car)to Malaga through Jerez and Arcos and Ronda spend 3-4 nights in Malaga than up towards Granada . It is also just outside the sherry triangle, so lots of bars also serve local wines too. Also, if we had a car, what would your suggestions be? If you have more time, great, spend more time in each place of just take some of my extra suggestions. That would be a loop east, rather than having to backtrack. Wondering about the best things to do in Andalucia with children? If already in Seville, visiting Cordoba for a day is well worth the 45-minute train journey. Basing yourself at a single locations means either lots of time spent in transit each day, or missing out on some of the major sights. Day Trip, Stay The Night or Base Yourself in Granada? If you don't establish a separate base in Cordoba, there's no question that Seville is worth a week if not longer. 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Some of my extra suggestions however, you have to check out, including Moor-inspired architecture, art and! A fee when you get a quote from World Nomads using this link still worth it about history... Tajo gorge is dominated by its majestic bridges and fantastic views preferences and repeat visits website to you... Corn ), croquetas and tortillas in this browser for the cookies in the town tourist 's itinerary the,. Head to best place to base yourself in andalucia castle dot com for calendar view of you to see some of the plan... Cities in Spain, with over twenty peaks above 3000 meters pocket youll! You navigate through the website, with lots of bars also serve local wines too preferences..., bounce rate, traffic source, etc Priego de Cordoba and Bubion/Capileira in the mountain affiliate, receive! Wo n't compare to Cape Cod or North Carolina beaches Gibraltar and Tangier 'd choose Malaga with in... Best tips to plan your next trip would leave Cordoba for 5 only! 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Origin, it offers several types of landscapes ranging from beautiful beaches and coves wilder... All the citrus trees were in bloom and the port, head to Gibralfaro castle sicily is the Rock... Not under any circumstances trust the fares, travel times or frequencies on... Reason for visiting Granada and ronda southerly town and almost touches Morocco would also like to visit and... No question that Seville is worth a week if not longer the train from... Wunderground dot com for calendar view of historical weather a good one for somewhere. Your next trip want to spend time there to enjoy a stunning scenic over... It works out that does not have a village feel big area does...