I’m not sure where it came from, but somewhere along my journey of learning Spanish and exploring the Spanish-speaking world, I developed a deeply romantic idea about visiting Andalusia, Spain. I didn’t know much about the region except that the cities had a different flare than other cities in Spain. After doing oh-so-much daydreaming, I finally gave in to my travel bug, sketched out my Spain travel itinerary, and decided to make the trip to Andalusia.

Andalusia encompasses the southern region of Spain and it has it all – hills, rivers, and miles of Mediterranean coast. It is unique due to a legacy of Moorish rule in the 8th to 15th centuries, which shows up in its architecture and even the food. I imagined the region as a string of sultry cities, alive with flamenco music, and a beautiful aesthetic full of muslim influence.

When I started planning my Spain travel itinerary, there were so many cities to choose from when visiting the region and many other towns that seemed to be worth a visit. Because of this breadth of options, I decided to do something I’d never done – rent a car abroad and make my Andalusia visit a road trip! This was way out of my comfort zone, but I felt that it could be a truly beautiful experience.

Here I’ll tell you the places I visited, the highlights of each place, the food I tried, and my thoughts on how Andalusia is in general.

Andalusia, Spain Travel Itinerary

The plan was to put down a base in five cities and do day-trips to some others over the course of 14 days. 

• Seville (three nights)
• Cordoba (two nights)
• Granada (three nights)
• Malaga (three nights)
• Jerez de la Frontera (two nights)

A dear friend of mine from my time spent in London graciously agreed to join me for part of the trip. And after realizing that a rental car was not going to be so cheap because I did not know how to drive a stick, I decided to make just the second half of my travels a road trip. We took the bus from Seville to Cordoba and then to Granada, and picked up a rental car on the way out of Granada and drove to the other locations. Below is the flow of the places I stayed and visited. At the end of the trip, I drove back to Seville and flew home from there.

Highlights – Things to Do and See in Andalusia

Seville – three nights

I flew into Seville and I thought it was incredibly beautiful and a great place to get acclimated to Andalusia. My first night I did a food tour, and the rest of the trip I walked around the city; both alone and with a free walking tour (which was good because it put what I was seeing into context). 

Places to visit that stood out to me include: Mercado Triana (great food market where I sampled Spanish tapas and wine), Giralda Tower, Plaza de España (it was incredibly beautiful, but oddly enough not an old structure at all), and the Cathedral of Seville. I know that the Real Alcazar is a top place listed to visit in Seville, but I did not make it there as I had already prioritized getting tickets to the Alhambra in Granada. Otherwise, I enjoyed walking the city, strolling by the Guadalquivir river and taking time to relax and read a book or write.

Cordoba – Two nights

We took the bus to Cordoba from Seville. Our accommodation was noteworthy, located in the Jewish Quarter and quite lovely, with its own rooftop deck. Also, accommodations in Cordoba were a bit less expensive than other cities in Andalusia, like Granada and Malaga. We spent our time:

• learning about and tasting olive oil (Spain is the world’s largest producer of olive oil).
• visiting La Mezquita, a cathedral-mosque with elements of both inside. It was a beautiful and really interesting display of how old and new sometimes merge with the changing of power.
• experiencing a local flamenco show
• taking in the beauty of the city with a local walking tour
• enjoying wine on our rooftop 

Granada – three nights

Granada was the next stop, and we arrived again by bus, from Cordoba. It is home to the Alhambra, which is a maze of beautiful palace grounds and gardens from the Nasrid era (Moorish Dynasty). My highlights in this city were:

• The food! Granada is known for having free tapas when you purchase a drink. And it just so happens that the first restaurant we visited had amazing food, even their free tapa.
• An airbnb experience called: The Language of Rhythm. I’m sure it wouldn’t be for everyone. But the gist is to learn how rhythm is used to communicate in flamenco music. It teaches you how to lead and to follow. And Cristo shows his guests how to feel the music and do just that.
• A tour of the Alhambra Palace. The beauty is indescribable. Be sure to get tickets to that include viewing the Generalife, which is an adjoining estate of the Alhambra grounds

Malaga – three nights

Driving to Malaga was our first in-the-car adventure on my spain travel itinerary, and an adventure it was. I used Google Maps, and for some reason it put us solely on service roads that ran next to the highway. And when we ran across a road that was completely flooded, it totally threw us for a loop. We had to turn around and ended up going old school and just following road signs until we could get ourselves on the correct path.

I’ve heard great things about Malaga city, but we actually stayed in an apartment on the beach in Guadalmar, which is about a 15 minute drive to the city. Although we did venture into the city and spend time on the boardwalk, people-watching and enjoying some drinks, relaxing near the sea and the chiringuito’s (beachfront restaurants) were the highlight of our stay here. Otherwise, I used Malaga as a base to take day trips.

• Caminata del Rey, a walkway along the walls of a gorge. Very beautiful
• The white villages of Nerja and Friglianna. Nerja has great views of the Mediterranean (Balcon de Europa), and also some very cool caves (which I did not get to visit). Friglianna is considered one of the most beautiful cities in Spain and I thought it lived up to that description
• I visited the city of Ronda on my way out to the next town, which is home to the largest bullring in Spain, Plaza de Toros, and a spectacular bridge over a gorge.

Guadalmar and Caminata del Rey.

The white villages and Ronda.

Jerez de la Frontera – two nights

By this point I was riding solo, as my friend and I had parted ways in Malaga. This was my last base in Andalusia on my Spain travel itinerary. My drive here from Malaga was beautiful. The countryside was interesting and for such a small area, pretty diverse. Originally I debated whether to book accommodations in Jerez or in Cadiz, which is less than an hour away. But I was drawn to an airbnb here that was located in a rehabbed winery, so I ultimately put down roots in Jerez. During that time, these are the things that made an impression. 

• Strolled El Centro, took in the energy and sights of the Semana Santa procession (which is Holy Week. I was in Spain in March during Easter)
• Visited the Lola Flores museum (a famous actress)
• Enjoyed a tour of a sherry bodega, Bodegas Tradicion (definitely do try sherry wine. It’s quite unique and it really grew on me. My favorite was Amontillado). 

The town was charming and the smell of sherry that wafted through the streets from the bodegas was absolutely intoxicating!

I settled for a day trip to Cadiz. I took in the sites and ate some of the amazing bluefin tuna that they are known for. Although not pictured here, the view crossing the bridge to get into the city was breathtaking.

Let’s Talk About Spanish Food

The food in the region was good. The seafood was fresh, the olive oil was amazing (and I learned so much about it), and the wine was crisp. Some of the dishes that made an impression on me are:

• Salmorejo – it’s a cold soup (which honestly I didn’t think I’d care for), similar to gazpacho but different, that is so refreshing and flavorful!
• Pulpo a la Gallega (Galician-style octopus)
• Anchovies in olive oil
• Whole sea bass at a chiringuito
• Spinach with garbanzos (espinaca con garbanzos)
• Croquetas
• Cazón – fried shark (or monkfish)
• Aubergines con miel (eggplant with honey or molasses)
• Jamón Iberico
• Bluefin tuna
• Paella

I would say that Spanish food is simple and tasty. In Andalusia, the flavors of the Mediterranean rule and seafood is a highlight. But Iberian ham remains a culinary delicacy. Try as many things as you can!

Food in Sevilla.

Cordoba. Apparently they cut pizza with scissors in Spain, and that delighted me.

In Granada.

The coast.

Expectations vs. Reality of Andalusia

I’m so glad I took this trip. I got to visit some cities in Spain that I’d never imagined. It stretched my planning muscles to figure out how to maximize my time and create a Spain travel itinerary that would allow me to visit some of the most interesting places (to me), while also leaving room for spontaneity and relaxation. I learned how to navigate some difficult situations on my first road trip experience and how to ask questions to reach my goals. And I’m sure if you were to follow this itinerary, or use it to build on, you’d have a blast getting to know Andalusia.

But the truth is that my experience was not exactly what I had hoped it would be. I had hoped that the beauty of the place would merge with wonderful food and pleasantly memorable encounters. While Andalusia is a place of unimaginable beauty and the Spanish food was quite good, unfortunately, most of the Spaniards I encountered were rude, unhelpful, or just couldn’t be bothered. It was pretty shocking and probably one of the main reasons that I didn’t leave with that bubbly “I have to come back here/I want to live here” feeling that I get when I really like a place.

Still, I enjoyed myself and I would recommend a visit. Every trip you take doesn’t have to make you feel like you never want to leave. The important thing is the new experience, memories, and learnings. And this one is definitely one for the books. 

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