This post is very long (sorry!), but my wife & I spend 2 or 3 weeks in a different country or region every summer. Southern Spain (Andalusia) was our choice in 2019, and I will share a few things we learned that may help.
Background info that might help:
The YouTube channel,
Spain Revealed, proved to be a great tool when planning our trip. It helped us enhance each step of the trip for a better experience. A New Zealander married a Spanish lady and moved to Spain. The couple gives their perspetives as both a local AND a foreigner on food, culture, customs, and every Spanish travel destination you can fathom. Regardless of what you're into or what you like to focus on when you travel, it is a unique resource that will be helpful in countless ways.
The "siesta" is no joke. Seville isn't as bad, but Cordoba and especially smaller communities shut completely down in the afternoons. Completely. Seriously. It can throw a monkey wrench into daytrips if you aren't prepared. Siesta closing times may not always be listed. And whatever opening, closing, & siesta times that are posted are rough estimates & quote often downright lies. Spain is a very go-with-the-flow culture where the workers seem to "show up whenever they show up," especially in smaller communities. You get used to it, but it takes a while.
Dinner time is late. 9pm is not abnormal for dinner.
Seville:
It has everything you would want to see in Europe (cathedrals, castles, river, street cafes, parks & plazas, architecture, museums, restaurants of all prices ranges, nightlife, etc) and is a wonderful snapshot of Europe in a single locaction. There are no bucket list items here, and it doesn't really have the best offering of any of the "categories" of sites listed above, but if you want a really good overall taste of everything Europe has to offer, you can't do much better than Seville.
- Alcazar (castle) - You could spend hours here. Very hands-on and accessible compared to others in Europe. The gardens are even better. Great hedge maze and peacocks roaming everywhere.
- Cathedral of Seville - Excellent! Unbelievable altar & shrines that rival just about anywhere else in Europe (other than Rome & the Vatican of course). The Moorish influence combined with the ornate Christian decore in one spot will explain a lot about the differences in the two styles. And Christopher Columbus' tomb is located right there in the cathedral.
- Hospital de la Caridad - Hidden little gem. Very old & small pauper's charity hospital that's still in operation today. Small, yet beautiful, church located within that contrasts well with the cathedrals you typically see.
- Be sure to take in a Flamenco show while you're there, especially after learning from a local a little about what they heck is going on during the dance
- Tapas and/or sherry tours - Totally worth it, and tours like that aren't typically our thing
Cordoboa:
- Mezquita - Was the largest mosque in Europe that is now a hybrid with a Catholic cathedral fully contained within. The contrast between the two is fascinating in countless ways. Highly recommended.
- Jewish Quarter - Small yet impressive. Cordoba does an excellent job of showing how Catholics, Jews, & Muslims have all managed coexist for centuries.
- Moorish baths & Alcazar - Beautiful alcazar & Moorish baths. There are also some old Moorish bath ruins nearby that are worth a stop if you have time
- Overall, our day trip to Cordoba was our least favorite part of the trip, although it was still wonderful. We were not prepared for the siesta, which screwed up our schedule, so my opinion is likely a little skewed. It is definitely worth a day trip, and the train ride is fast & easy.
White Villages:
If you have a car, you should spend a morning or afternoon somewhere in the White Villages south of Seville. They are beautiful & each is unique in its own way. Arcos de Fronterra is the most accessible & popular, but if you have more time (which you likely won't), other villages may be worth visiting. We visited several and were the only tourists in the town for a couple of them. And the locals were eager to hang out and share so much about their little towns.
Ronda:
Definitely worth a visit for a few hours. Beautiful picturesque (yet touristy) town with a bridge that will blow your mind. It's a true bucket list item for many folks and can be very romantic yet fun for the kids. There's a very well-done museum on bull fighting at the old bull ring if you're interested.
El Caminito del Rey:Wooden boardwalk attached to the side of a cliff above a raging gorge. It was built over the original path shown in
this video (watch it at double-speed). Don't worry, the newly built boardwalk is much safer, although kids under a certain age are not allowed. It was a bucket list item for me and one of the more memorable things we've ever done on one of our European trips. We were the only Americans there. You must book your tickets weeks in advance.
Granada:
Easily my favorite city in the region and would've gladly doubled our 3-day stay if I could have. Huge muslim population, but not in a bad way at all. Just really interesting.
- Alhambra - The godfather of Moorish alcazars. It takes hours to see and worth every second. A true bucket list item. Book your guided tour well in advance.
- Basilica de San Juan de Dios - Sizeable, but not the biggest cathedral you'll see. However, it's easily one of the most ornate, and the behind-the-scenes, hands-on access you get is unlike anywhere else in Europe. There isn't one inch of that place you can't see and touch and crawl around in. It's truly one of a kind in that way, and I can't recommend it enough.
- Tapas bar hopping - Beer is free as long as you're ordering tapas. Bouncing around to different places like a pub crawl for various types of tapas is awesome. You can do it all over Spain, but Granada is just different (better).
Gibraltar:
We loved our visit! However, you can expect a 3-hour drive each way between Seville & Gibraltar, so an overnight stay in a nearby beach town is the only way to make it worth it. It may be a good way to squeez in a beach visit. We stayed in Esteponia because they had a bull-fight during our stay, and we fell in love with that little town. But I don't think I'd recommend it for your itenerary. Things to keep in mind about Gibraltar:
- Monkeys - It's overrun by monkeys. These playful, photogenic, hilarious little critters are awesome and make for a very memorable trip, but they can also be a pain & cause problems. Read up on the do's & don'ts regarding how to interact with them.
- Airport & airstrip - You have to walk across the airport's landing strip to enter the town. Very weird but unique.
- St Michael's Cave - Huge underground concert venue in a cave. Truly remarkable, even when there is no show scheduled.
- Siege tunnels, WWII tunnels, & war batteries - the military history of this place will blow your mind. You will learn a lot, and the occassionally hokey presentation adds to the fun side of it.
- Skywalk & viewing platforms - It's Gibraltar. It doesn't get much better.
- The UK - Gibraltar is part of the UK. You will not be able to drive into Gibraltar from Spain. Clearing customs is super easy, but there is still some protocol.
Jerez de la Frontera & Cadiz:
We were not able to work these into our vacation, and I regret it. I wish I could go back & add a day or two for them. I have nothing to offer about them, but I would strongly consider them if you have the chance, especially if you decided that overnight trips to Gibraltar or Granada are not possible.
What I would do if I were you:
Three days in Seville. Probably a fourth if this is your first trip to Europe. I'd set aside the other days for day or overnight trips.
Take a trip to Granada and stay 2 nights. Rent a car from Seville & drive to Granada, visiting Arcos de Fronterra (most accessible & largest of the white villages) and Ronda along the way. Spend a full day in Granada, visiting Alhambra as soon as it opens (book ahead!!). I'd visit Basilica de San Juan de Dios in the afternoon. Tapas hop that night. Drive back the next day, visiting El Caminito del Rey along the way. Whatever you do, do not try to do Granada as a day trip!!
Take an overnight trip to Gibraltar and stay in a nearby beach town like Tarifa or La Linea. It's too far for a day trip. Perhaps stop off in Jerez de la Frontera along the way for the day, or hit the beach in the afternoon when you get to where you're staying. Visit Gibraltar the next day and head back to Seville that evening. There may be tour companies who will offer an overnight trip, but you will likely need to rent a car. Another option is a private driver service like daytrip.com (see below).
A daytrip or overnight trip to Jerez de la Frontera & Cadiz is something you should strongly consider, but something else will have to give. You cannot do Seville, Cordoba, Granada, Gibraltar, and Cadiz in 7 days.
Daytrip.com:
This service is kind of like Uber, but it specializes in driving people from city to city instead of within the city, and the drivers are employees. You can add stops along they way for an added fee, and your driver will serve as your tour guide. They are all locals and some of the most helpful folks we've come across on our travels. We have used them several times over the years throughout Europe (including when we flew in to Gibraltar & they drove us to Seville). Daytrip is awesome. The price has risen over the years, but we've never had a bad experience and I'd say they have gone above & beyond the call of duty on more than one occassion.
