Spain: Andalusia — Seville, Granada & Córdoba

1Why Spain?

Andalusia is the Spain you came for. The Moorish palaces of Granada, the orange-blossom courtyards of Córdoba, the flamenco cellars of Seville, and the white hill towns that haven't changed since Cervantes. This 10-day loop stitches the three great cities with the smaller towns between them.

2The recommended itinerary

3Seville — three days in the capital of Andalusia

Seville is the largest city in southern Spain and the most concentrated dose of Spain's identity. Three nights is the minimum: Day 1 the Alcázar + Cathedral + Giralda tower, Day 2 the Triana neighbourhood across the river + flamenco museum, Day 3 a day trip to Itálica.

Pre-book the Alcázar online (€15.50, 9:30 am opening slot). The Alcázar Real is the oldest royal palace still in use in Europe. Allow 2 hours minimum, the gardens alone are worth an hour.

Hotel Casa 1800 in the old town (€140–220/night, rooftop plunge). Hotel Patio de las Cruces for budget (€80–120).

4The free tapas tradition

Granada is one of the last cities in Spain where every drink comes with a free tapa. Order a small beer (caña, €2.50) and you'll get a small plate — a different one at each bar. The locals do three bars in a row instead of dinner; the bill is €6–10 total.

Best tapa neighbourhoods: Albaicín (the old Moorish quarter), Realejo (the old Jewish quarter). Don't expect "tapas" in the Madrid sense — this is Granada's specific free-with-every-drink tradition.

5Córdoba — the Mezquita and one night is enough

Córdoba is worth one night for the Mezquita alone. The 8th-century mosque with a 16th-century cathedral built inside it is the single most visually arresting building in Spain.

Pre-book (€11) for the morning slot to see the light come through the 800+ red-and-white-striped double arches. Then walk the old Jewish quarter (Juderia), eat salmorejo (cold tomato soup) at El Churrasco, and stay one night before the train to Granada.

6Granada — the Alhambra is only the start

Granada is the emotional centre of Andalusia. The Alhambra palace complex is the single most-visited monument in Spain (book ahead, €19.09, tickets released 3 months in advance and sell out fast). But the city itself, sitting under the snow-capped Sierra Nevada, is more memorable than the palace.

Walk uphill from Plaza Nueva into the Albaicín for 20 minutes, past whitewashed houses with pots of geranium on every wall, and reach the Mirador de San Nicolás just before sunset. The Alhambra across the valley is lit up at dusk, the snow on the Sierra Nevada turns pink, and the call to prayer echoes from somewhere you can't see.

7Ronda — Spain’s most dramatic cliff town

Ronda is a 2h bus from Granada, a town split by a 120m-deep gorge with a Roman bridge (Puente Nuevo) crossing it. It's the most photographed view in Andalusia after the Alhambra, and the home of Spain's oldest bullring.

One night. Walk the gorge paths, eat at El Lechuguita, and stay at Hotel Catalonia Ronda (€120–180).

8Cádiz and the Atlantic coast

Skip the Costa del Sol (overdeveloped). Instead, take the train 2 hours west to Cádiz, the oldest continuously inhabited city in Western Europe. The seafood is the best in Spain (atunes rojo, tuna that swims up from the Strait of Gibraltar), the beaches are wide and white, and the light is the same that Velázquez painted.

9When to go

Andalusia is brutally hot in summer (38–43 °C in Córdoba and Seville) and surprisingly mild in winter (10–18 °C).

Avoid July and August.

10Getting around

Trains: Renfe and Iryo for Seville—Madrid, Seville—Málaga, Seville—Córdoba (45–90 min, €15–60).

Buses: ALSA and FlixBus. Granada—Ronda is 2h bus.

11Daily budget

Andalusia is one of Europe's best-value destinations.

Build a budget using the dedicated budget guide. Its amounts are illustrative allowances; obtain current quotes in the local currency for your dates.

12Hidden detours