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The Alhambra on its hill above Granada with the Sierra Nevada behind

Things to do in Andalusia: cities, coast and mountains

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Photo: Adam Jones, Ph.D., CC BY-SA 3.0

Andalusia is Spain's southern region and the one most first trips are built around. Three cities carry the Moorish and Christian history that brings people here: Seville, with its cathedral, the Real Alcázar and Holy Week; Córdoba, with the Mezquita-Catedral and the patios; and Granada, with the Alhambra. Each deserves its own nights, not a day trip.

Around them sit very different trips. Málaga is the main airport and a city of museums, with the Costa del Sol running west to Marbella. Cádiz is an old port city on the Atlantic, close to the sherry towns and the Doñana marshes. Ronda stands over its gorge on the way to the white villages, and the Sierra Nevada rises behind Granada with skiing in winter and the Alpujarras villages on its southern side.

This page helps you choose and combine. Each city and area has its own page with the experiences worth booking there.

Places in this region

4 things to do in Andalusia

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The Doñana marshes flooded after the spring rains

Cross into Doñana by boat and 4x4 from Sanlúcar

Sanlúcar de Barrameda (Bajo de Guía)

About 3 hoursTimed entry

Cross the Guadalquivir by barge and ride a 4x4 across the beach, dunes and marsh of Doñana with the official guides.

Tours in Andalusia
A dressage rider in the arena of the Real Escuela Andaluza del Arte Ecuestre in Jerez

Watch the Jerez horses dance, then tour a sherry bodega

Jerez de la Frontera

A full dayBook ahead

A day in Jerez: Andalusian horses dancing at midday, then a sherry bodega and its tasting in the afternoon.

Check dates and pricesJerez horse dance show with the palace and museums
Iberian hams hanging to cure in Jabugo

Tour a curing cellar in Jabugo and taste the ham

Jabugo, Huelva

60 to 80 minutes for the cellar tourBook ahead

Walk through century-old cellars where hams cure for up to three years, then taste the ham with a glass of wine.

Tours in Andalusia
Boardwalks of the Caminito del Rey along the Gaitanes gorge

Walk the Caminito del Rey boardwalks north to south

Ardales, Málaga

3 to 4 hours with the access tracksTimed entry

Walk boardwalks pinned to the walls of the Desfiladero de los Gaitanes, more than 100 metres above the river.

Check dates and pricesDay trip from Málaga with entry and guideTicket guide

Plan your trip

  • Which places for what

    For history and architecture, the triangle of Seville, Córdoba and Granada. For a city break with beaches and museums, Málaga, adding the Costa del Sol for resorts, Marbella and Nerja. For the Atlantic side, Cádiz, with Jerez and Doñana as day trips. For mountains, Ronda and the Sierra Nevada, which also has the Alpujarras villages.

  • Combining them

    A first week usually runs Seville, Córdoba, Granada, then Málaga or the coast, flying into one end and out of the other. Book the Alhambra before anything else, since its slot fixes your Granada dates. Seville, Córdoba and Málaga are linked by high-speed trains, with Córdoba about an hour from either, so the three cities work without a car. Granada and Ronda are slower to reach by rail, and Cádiz is a separate leg south of Seville.

  • Getting around

    Use trains and buses between the cities, where a car is a burden: old centres are pedestrian, and parking is scarce and expensive. Hire a car only for the parts that need one: the white villages, the Alpujarras, Doñana's visitor centres and the smaller coves of the coast.

  • When to go

    Spring and autumn are the best seasons: March to May for orange blossom, Holy Week and the Seville fair, and October and November for mild days in the cities. July and August inland are very hot, with afternoons in Seville and Córdoba often above 40 °C, so plan visits early and late and save the middle of the day for the coast. Holy Week, the April fair and Córdoba's patios in May fill hotels, so book early for those dates.

Questions travellers ask

How many days do you need in Andalusia?

A week covers Seville, Córdoba and Granada with two or three nights in each of the big two and one in Córdoba. With ten days or two weeks, add Málaga and the coast, or Cádiz and Ronda.

Do you need a car in Andalusia?

Not for the cities: trains and buses link them and the old centres are best on foot. A car helps for the white villages, the Alpujarras, Doñana and the quieter beaches, so many travellers hire one only for those days.

Is Andalusia too hot in summer?

Inland, yes for many people: Seville and Córdoba often pass 40 °C in the afternoon in July and August. If summer is your only option, sightsee early and late, rest at midday, and spend part of the trip on the coast or in the mountains.

Seville, Córdoba or Granada: which if you only have time for one?

Seville gives you the most in one place: the cathedral and Giralda, the Real Alcázar, flamenco and a lively evening street life. Granada is the choice if the Alhambra is the reason for your trip, but only once you have a ticket.

Other places to go

Things to do in Spain

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