Many of my recent posts have been based in the south of Spain, focused on a trip I took a few years ago (2014). On this trip, I made a loop around the Andalusia region of southern Spain, with my first week spent touring around various major cities, and the second week relaxing on the beach with a few day trips mixed in. If you just want to see the major sights, the first week victinerary will be for you. But, if you have some extra time, I definitely recommend adding a few days to a week for relaxing on the Costa del Sol after you’ve gotten in some good exploration elsewhere.
THE LOGISTICS
Money
Spain is in the European Union, so you’ll use Euros everywhere.
You can use credit cards almost everywhere, but I recommend getting out some cash at an ATM to have on hand. This can be very handy when wanting to grab a single drink or snack at a local tapas place.
Phone
Phone plans are cheap in Europe, so instead of paying for an expensive international add on to your US plan, if you have an unlocked phone just go into a local phone store and grab a sim card. On this trip in 2014 I didn’t bother with this step, and it was only an issue in seville where I needed to call the hotel to check in. Otherwise, wifi works well. However, if you’re the kind of traveler who likes to know where they are / stay connected to social media, I recommend researching a few phone plan options.
Transportation
For this trip I made a point to only use public transportation. With a mix of trains and busses, you can get everywhere you need to go in Andalusia. A car could be nice for exploring some smaller hill towns in the more relaxing week two part of this guide, but for the first week you should be fine without one.
For trains - Renfe
Similar to my England guide (check that out here), if you are worried about getting around before you pick up a new SIM card, download the app Maps.me. If you make some maps to help plan your trip in Google Maps (or you use some of the ones from my Victineraries), just export all of the saved pins to a KML file and import it into the app. You can pre-download map backgrounds before your trip so you have all of the info at your fingertips. Turn off cellular data, but leave on location services and the app can even give you step by step directions. (Don't worry, GPS is always free, you need data to load the map background info, so this app removes that issue).
The Best Guide Book
When traveling to Europe, I always swear by Rick Steves. His guidebooks are always in my bag and I have found so many great hotels, insider tips to skipping lines, and detailed location info to make the most of my trips. Check out his Spain guide book, and watch a few of his TV episodes to prepare for your trip (they are all available to watch for free on his website)
Another great Rick Steves product is his Audio Europe App. You can download walking tours for different city neighborhoods or even specific museums. The app includes a map and photos of each location, so this is a fun way to get a guided tour without needing a personal guide. The best part? It's free!
THE VICTINERARY
Day 1: Travel Day
Hop on an overnight flight from the US to Malaga, planning to arrive at a decent hour in the morning on Spain time.
For most people, this flight will be on a Friday night, so Day 2 will start your trip on a Saturday and so on.
Day 2: Arrival to Malaga -> Travel to Granada
Upon arrival in the Malaga airport, make your way to the train station attached to the airport
Take the train to the main station in town
You can grab a phone SIM card here, and grab some cash from an ATM
Cross the street and go to the bus station and catch the first bus to Granada. You can use the kiosks or ask a ticket agent, busses run pretty regularly and are much more frequent than trains between these two cities (oddly), so this is your best bet. Everywhere else you’ll be on a train, but for this one travel leg try the bus.
For full information on getting from Malaga to Granada via bus and which hotel to pick once you arrive, check out my full Granada Victinerary.
Night #1 in Granada
Day 3: Granada
Check out my full Granada Victinerary for information on visiting the famous Alhambra (book your tickets ahead of time!), checking out some other local sights, and where to get the best sunset view for dinner.
Night #2 in Granada
Day 4: Granada -> Cordoba -> Seville
Once you’ve explored Granada, hop a morning train to Cordoba
Follow my Cordoba Stopover Victinerary, which will give you info on how to store your bags at the train station, find lunch, check out the Mezquita, the Roman bridge, and continue on to Seville… all in a few hours!
After exploring Cordoba for a few hours, hop another train to Seville.
For full train info between Cordoba and Seville, and which hotel to pick in Seville, check out my Seville Part 1 Victinerary.
Night #1 in Seville
Day 5: Seville Day 1
If you choose one city to spend the most time in while on this trip, it should be Seville. There are endless winding streets to explore, perfect meals to taste, and a million things to see. You could be here for a month and enjoy your time, but for this trip let’s plan for 3 nights here.
For your transit from Cordoba, the hotel to pick, and what to do on your first full day here, follow my Seville Part 1 Victinerary. This will cover a fantastic walking tour, visiting the famous Alcazar (hello Game of Thrones fans), a flamenco show, and a very cool place to visit for an evening view of the city.
Night #2 in Seville
Day 6: Seville Day 2
Once you’ve gotten a feel for the city and spent your first day or two exploring, you’ll have a few more options on places to see. Check out my Seville Part 2 Victinerary for some additional ideas including a tour of the famous cathedral, visiting the picturesque Plaza España, and taking a stroll through the Triana neighborhood.
Don’t forget to take a siesta in the afternoon so you’ll be awake for a “late” night stroll (say 10pm - midnight) along the major streets. Everyone will be out and it’s a great time to people watch, grab a late night snack or drink, and take a walk without the summer Spanish sun beating down on you.
Day 7: Seville -> Jerez
Jerez is a lovely little town an easy train ride south of Seville with two claims to fame: Horses & Sherry. You can either make this a day trip from Seville if you want to stay there longer (always a good idea), or make this your last stop before going to the Costa del Sol for some relaxation time.
For the horses, you’ll have to get a taxi or car to go visit the Royal School of Equestrian Arts (the name is somehow longer in Spanish) outside of town. Check out their website for a full schedule of shows and other activities.
For drinks, Jerez is the home of Sherry. For where to go tasting in town and where to grab lunch after check out my Exploring Jerez Victinerary. When we came through here the hotel we tried to stay at had some issues and we were actually transferred to another hotel… overall it was a pretty odd experience. I recommend just checking out the latest Rick Steves’ guide for current recommendations.
Night #1 in Jerez.
Day 8 - 14: Costa del Sol
Your night in Jerez wraps up the first whirlwind week exploring the major cities of Andalusia, and if you only have a week you will be satisfied with these locations. However, there are so many more things to see so if you have some extra time, consider adding a week on the beach to your trip.
Between Jerez and the Costa del Sol, catch a leisurely slow train to Malaga, then hop a local train to whichever town you decide to stay in. I stayed at a time share property in Benalmadena, but many of the costal towns are lovely.
Spend a few days enjoying the beaches and fresh seafood. For ideas on what to do locally, check out my Benalmadena Victinerary.
Then when you’re sick of relaxing, take a few day trips to break up the week:
Catch a quick local train north and explore the port city of Malaga, following my Malaga Victinerary.
Catch a longer train (with a transfer in Malaga) over to Ronda to explore a classic Spanish hill town with a breathtaking view, a famous bridge, and the oldest bull ring in Spain (I have a Victinerary for Ronda as well)
Day 8/14: Fly Home
Malaga is the best major airport to fly in/out of, so if you ended up in Jerez or stayed a few extra days in the Costa del Sol, catch a train back to Malga and fly home from there for the best round-trip flight deals.
THE MAP
I hope you enjoyed the past few posts exploring Spain with me, and that this final guide will help you plan a full trip of your own! If you have any questions about following my footsteps or even just using one of the suggestions, please let me know in the comment section below. And of course please leave a note afterwards about your experience!
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Thanks for coming along, and check back soon for a new Victinerary to help plan your next adventure!
~ V
Photos taken with: Nikon D5300 & Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 18-140mm f3.5-5.6 Lens