I’ve been planning a road trip to Andalusia for a long time and, in September 2021, the day had finally come to get to know this Spanish region better. From big cities like Seville or Málaga, to small pueblos (villages) located in the middle of nowhere, visiting Andalusia will certainly leave everyone amazed.

An itinerary that was initially meant to last 14 days, ended up being only 8! There were quite a few places left to visit, but even so, I got to enjoy the main points of interest in Andalusia. If I had one more day, I would definitely add Granada to this itinerary because it seems absolutely amazing!

This Andalusia road trip was clearly one of my favourite road trips ever and, if I’d repeat it again, for sure 😊. In the meantime and until then, I’m sharing with you some tips to help you plan your Andalusia itinerary!

The best way to explore the Andalusia region is definitely by car, although there are also plenty of train options (routes available here: RENFE).

The best way to get to Andalusia really depends on what you intend to visit there. However, the easiest way is to fly to one of Andalusia’s main airports.

The two main airports in the region – Seville and Málaga – receive flights from a wide range of European destinations. In addition, there are also 2 smaller airports (Jerez de la Frontera and Granada) which receive some flights from France, Germany and the UK.

Alternatively, it may also be a good option to travel to Faro (Portugal), where it is possible to rent a car. Just make sure, when booking, to confirm that it is possible to cross the border with the car you are renting! 

Andalusia is known for its very pleasant temperatures, so much so that this is where the famous Costa del Sol (which translates to “Coast of the Sun”) is located, where every year thousands of tourists flock to enjoy its fantastic beaches.

However, Andalusia is far from being a mere beach destination 😊. There are beautiful towns and pueblos that are worth visiting no matter the weather. So, the best answer is this one: any time of year is a good time to visit Andalusia!!

But if you want much more other than that good beach life, I recommend visiting during shoulder season to enjoy lower prices and fewer people. If you can, try visiting Andalusia between April and May or during October to escape the crowds and still enjoy very pleasant temperatures!

Andalusia is one of the largest regions in Spain, so to explore it decently you need several days. I would say that a week is the minimum amount of time to get to know the main cities and a few pueblos.

The perfect scenario to explore everything at a slower pace, enjoy some of Andalusia’s best beaches and check out a few more places is to explore Andalusia for 14 days.

Anyway, 8 days is still a good option for those who don’t have much time available and want to visit the main places in Andalusia. When in doubt, just go 😉. After all, you can always return sometime in the future.

Given the size of Andalusia, the easiest way to visit the various points of interest on this Andalusia itinerary is to change accommodations along the way. In my case, I looked for accommodation in the larger cities, where there are more options available: 

• [Seville] Hostal Atenas: located about 10 minutes from the historic centre of Seville, the entrance is through a kind of courtyard and the rooms are quite comfortable 😊. Good value for money and you can even find some cafés for breakfast nearby.
• [Málaga] Malaga City Breaks: renovated and very well-equipped flats right in the historic city centre.

• [Ronda] Hotel Andalucia: quite basic accommodation, but more than enough to rest at the end of a busy day. The hotel also has a basic cafeteria where you can have breakfast.
• [Córdoba] Hotel Gonzalez: simple but very nice accommodation. Located right near the historic centre of Córdoba, the hotel is recent and has good conditions.

To help you better plan your road trip to Andalusia, I decided to share a map with this 8-day itinerary in Andalusia.

I suggest starting your Andalusia itinerary in Seville. Seville is probably the biggest city to visit on this Andalusia road trip and for that very reason, I recommend dedicating 2 full days to this incredible city 😊.

The city is majestic and full of life! A visit to Seville must include a visit to the famous España Square, where all the details easily dazzle you.

Two other places worth visiting are Seville Cathedral and its famous bell tower – La Giralda – and the Royal Alcázar of Seville (the official residence of the Spanish kings in Seville).

And we don’t stop there! One of the city’s newest monuments that also deserves our attention is the Metropol Parasol, also known as Setas de Sevilla. It is a wooden structure from where we get one of the best views of the city (and it is especially magical at sunset).

💡 EXTRA TIP: Seville has much more to visit than what I have mentioned above! Find out everything you can visit in Seville and some more tips with this 2-day itinerary in the city.

It’s on the third day that the real Andalusia road trip begins 😊. To make the most of the day, it’s best to depart from Seville early, as the first stop of the day is about a 1h10 drive from Seville.

It’s time to explore our first pueblo blanco of this trip – Arcos de la Frontera. Pueblos blancos are typical villages of the region, characterized by their white houses.

Apart from the incredible views from some of the viewpoints in Arcos de la Frontera (Peña Vieja viewpoint or the Abades viewpoint), it is also worth visiting Boticas Square or Basilica of Santa María.

However, the list of places to visit in Arcos de la Frontera doesn’t end here. Have a look at my post about the 5 pueblos blancos that you really must visit in Andalusia to find out everything you can visit in Arcos de la Frontera.

Just 30 minutes by car from Arcos de la Frontera, we continue our journey to another city in Andalusia: Jerez de la Frontera.

Although much smaller than Seville, this city also has an interesting historic centre that deserves our attention.

In my opinion, the Alcázar, the San Salvador Cathedral, the San Miguel Church and also La Asunción Square are well worth a visit 😊. However, I’ll take this opportunity to leave you with the most complete list of Jerez de La Frontera’s points of interest:

• Larga Street
• La Asunción Square
• El Arenal Square
• San Salvador Cathedral (7€ for the Cathedral, 9€ if we include a visit to the tower; more up-to-date information here)
• Alcázar (open from 9.30 am to 6 pm from July to September and from 9.30 am to 3 pm in the remaining months)
• San Miguel Church

The next stop I recommend is the beautiful city of Cádiz. Even though the city deserves more than just a few hours there, it’s worth it anyway. So, ideally, if you have the opportunity, I suggest dedicating a whole day to better explore Cádiz 😊.

You can check what to visit in Cádiz in one day here! However, if I had to choose two or three of my top things to visit in Cádiz, these would be it:

• Cathedral and Cathedral Square – the Cathedral is absolutely incredible
• Tavira Tower – one of the many famous towers of Cádiz offering some of the best views of the city
• Alameda Apodaca and Genovês Parks – two green spaces in the city perfect for a more relaxing walk at the end of the day

Algeciras was merely a strategic point in this itinerary, given its proximity to the first stop the next day. However, if you have some time to spare you can stop by Plaza Alta, where you will find Nuestra Señora de la Palma Church and also by the Abastos Market.

On the 4th day, we will leave Spain for a few hours and take the opportunity to visit Gibraltar! Since it is necessary to cross a border, despite the fewer hours on the road driving on this day, I suggest an early start of the day again!

Arriving in Gibraltar, I suggest starting by visiting the Upper Rock Nature Reserve as this will take the most time. The reserve offers the best views but is also full of surprises – such as the famous Gibraltar monkeys or the Windsor Suspension Bridge.

After a nice couple of hours exploring some parts of the Reserve, I suggest taking the cable car down to explore the historic city centre and stopping by places like the Cathedral of Saint Mary the Crowned or Casemates Square.

Gibraltar may be small, but we can easily spend a whole day there exploring everything more calmly. However, if you have less time available, set aside a morning or afternoon to try and visit the main points of interest.

💡 EXTRA TIP: Do you want to plan your trip to Gibraltar? You can check my post with all the tips on what to visit in Gibraltar here!

Back in Spain, it’s time to visit another fantastic pueblo blanco. Mijas is not as small as the other pueblos, but it is also quite nice.

The flowery streets, the Paseos de la Muralla and the views from the pueblo were certainly among my favourite parts of my short time in Mijas.

If you are considering including Mijas in your Andalusia itinerary, have a look at my post about the 5 must-see pueblos blancos in the region. There you will find all the details to better plan your visit!

If you still have time this day, take the chance to start exploring the incredible city of Málaga! This Andalusia itinerary includes 2 nights in Málaga, so if you can’t visit everything on this day, you can save some spots for the next day.

Apart from the famous beach of La Malagueta, Málaga has a very interesting historic centre that can easily be explored in a day. In my opinion, it is well worth visiting Alcazaba de Málaga and Gibralfaro Castle, from where we have some of the best views of the city.

Additionally, I also suggest a stop at Málaga’s Cathedral and the Alcazaba’s viewpoint for views over the historic centre.

💡 EXTRA TIP: Check out the full 1-day Málaga itinerary in this other post about Málaga!

Day 5 of this itinerary starts with a trail 😊. At El Torcal de Antequera we find one of the most important karst landscapes in Europe.

I opted to walk the shorter trail. However, despite being shorter, I still think this trail helps you to get the vibe of this place! Nevertheless, there are 3 trails available:

• Green Route: 1,5 km (roundtrip); 45 minutes
• Yellow Route: 3 km (roundtrip); 2 hours
• Orange Route: 7 km (roundtrip); 3h50

Entry is completely free and there is even a visitor centre where you can park your car. For more information about the trails, you can check out this website.

💡 EXTRA TIP: During busy periods, the access road to the Visitors’ Centre may be closed. In this case, it is necessary to leave the car in the lower car park and take a bus (2€ round trip). All the necessary information is available here.

We continue our Andalusia’s road trip to Nerja. Nerja is well known for its beautiful beaches and its cave. Although I found the centre of Nerja quite touristy, I have to admit that the beaches are actually quite beautiful.

The hard part will be choosing between so many of Nerja’s best beaches, but here are a few choices:

• [in the city centre] Calahonda Beach
• Burriana Beach
• Maro beach (one of the most famous with a waterfall falling into the sea)
• Alberquillas Beach
• Cala el Cañuelo Beach

Don’t miss Balcón de Europa as well – an incredible viewpoint over the Calahonda beach, or even the El Salvador Church.

Finally, located just a 5-minute drive from the centre of Nerja, we have the Nerja Caves. Almost 5 km long, this is one of the main sights of the region. The adult ticket costs 16€ and can be purchased here.

💡 EXTRA TIP: From Monday to Friday, at 9.30 am, there are 60 free tickets to visit the famous Nerja cave. More detailed information can be found here.

From Nerja to Frigiliana is a short drive, so those who visit one, usually visit the other 😉. Frigiliana is another pueblo blanco, known for its dead-end streets and alleyways and small cute houses with colourful doors.

Although it was probably the pueblo blanco I liked the least, it is still worth a visit, and so you can check out everything you can visit in Frigiliana here.

💡 EXTRA TIP: If you are short on time, I suggest removing Nerja and Frigiliana from this day’s itinerary. This will save you 1.5 hours of driving time and give you more time to explore the city of Málaga.

Like the previous day, this day also starts with a trail – a longer one this time! Caminito del Rey is located about 1 hour by car from Málaga.

Caminito del Rey originated with the creation of a hydroelectric power station in the 20th century near the village of El Chorro. Built along Los Gaitanes Gorge, the route was used daily by workers from the power station, but also by the village inhabitants.

Unfortunately, over the years the path deteriorated and it was actually considered one of the most dangerous routes in the world and only the bravest dared to walk it.

However, after a few accidents with some visitors, Junta de Andalucía has restored the route, which is now completely safe. It is necessary to buy a ticket for this route and this should be done in advance as tickets sell out easily!

Ideally, you should reserve a whole morning or afternoon for this hike in your itinerary! You can always have a look at my detailed post with all the tips to visit Caminito del Rey.

After a very adventurous morning, we set off for yet another pueblo blanco. Setenil de las Bodegas is known for its famous streets – Calle Cuevas de Sol and Calle Cuevas de la Sombra.

In fact, what makes this pueblo unique are its houses embedded in the gorge that follows the course of the River Trejo.

Apart from these absolutely extraordinary buildings, a visit to this pueblo blanco is not complete without a stop at the El Carmen Viewpoint.

💡 EXTRA TIP: You can check out the full list of what to visit in this Andalusian pueblo in my post about the 5 pueblos blancos you can’t miss in the region.

And to make this one of the most special days of this itinerary in Andalusia, the final stop of the day is Ronda. This city is probably one of the top places to visit in Andalusia! I had many expectations about Ronda and, the truth is that it largely exceeded them 😊.

Ronda seems to have a certain magic in the air, especially when the sun is setting! Known for its fantastic New Bridge, which looks like something out of a romantic movie, there are other places that also deserve our attention in the city, such as:

• Alameda del Tajo de Ronda
• Parcent Duchess Square
• Socorro Square

But the list doesn’t end here! If you plan to visit Ronda (and you must!), click here to read more about what to visit in this Andalusian city.

Don’t worry if you weren’t able to check out Ronda’s main attractions on the previous day. Let me tell you that it is perfectly possible to leave some to visit on the morning of day 7. Otherwise, move on to the next destination!

And because clearly one of the best parts of visiting Andalusia is its pueblos blancos, I suggest visiting one more. Although quite small, Zahara de la Sierra was clearly one of my favourites!

Right on the road from Ronda to Zahara de la Sierra, it’s quite easy to fall in love with the beautiful views over this pueblo blanco. The colours of the artificial lake next to Zahara de la Sierra are simply incredible and make this pueblo very special!

Find out all you can visit in Zahara de la Sierra and other pueblos blancos here.

Located about 2h20 away by car, the next and last stop of this day of this Andalusia’s itinerary is Córdoba!

Córdoba is a city that you can easily visit in a day or a weekend for a more relaxed version. There are several points of interest in the city, but the one that really blew me away was the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba.

Also, not to be missed in Córdoba is its Judiaria, as well as the famous San Basilio Patios (courtyards) 😊. The patios, although private, are, much of the year, open to the public so that their flowering pots can be properly appreciated.

If you are thinking of including Córdoba in your itinerary through Andalusia, you can click here to check out a more detailed version of what to visit in the city.

If you haven’t visited all the must-visit places in Córdoba yet, the morning of this last day in Andalusia is perfect to do so 😊.

And as we are coming to the end of this road trip, there is still time to visit one more small town in the Andalusia region – Carmona.

Carmona is quite small and, although it was a Saturday afternoon when I visited, the streets were pretty much empty, without that typical frenzy of Spanish cities!

In a couple of hours, we easily tour the main points of interest in Carmona, my favourite places being the Córdoba Gate and the Abastos Market Square.

Even so, take the opportunity to visit Carmona’s other places of interest:

• San Pedro Church
• Alcázar and Seville Gate
• Palenque Square
• San Bartolome Church
• San Fernando Church
• Divino Salvador Church
• Santa María Church
• Santa Clara Convent

And to finish off perfectly, try one of the fantastic ice creams from the ice cream shop Helados Arques Los Valencianos!

• [Seville] El Paseillo (€€): pleasant terrace where you can enjoy tasty dishes
• [Seville] Bar Catedral (€€€): Perfect place to have a drink after a day of sightseeing, but also for a comforting meal. I tried the paella and was very satisfied! The price was nice and the portion was well served.
• [Jerez de la Frontera] La Roma (€): Italian restaurant with a very pleasant space and very fast service.
• [Cádiz] Maria La Brasa (€€): Nice place and tasty food. I tried a plate of nachos and some spinach croquettes. Everything was well-prepared, the prices were nice and the portions even excessively generous.

• [Málaga] El Gallo Ronco (€€): an excellent choice for those who want tapas and/or a drink. It also has a very large terrace – perfect for summer days.
• [Málaga] Chiringuito María (€): located near the beach, this is the ideal place to try Málaga’s famous espetos. The espetos are nothing more than sardines grilled on a skewer in the sand and are simply delicious. Almost every chiringuito near the beach will have espetos on the menu, so it will be an easy dish to find.

• [Ronda] Tropicana (€€€€): offers a wide selection of well-prepared dishes with a more gourmet touch, which can be eaten on their own or shared (as tapas).
• [Córdoba] El Rincón de Carmen (€€): good tapas at a reasonable price! I tried some bravas, a kind of huevos rotos, flamequín (traditional Andalusian dish) and also a typical tart. Apart from the nice and modern space, the food was very tasty!

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