Planning Your Time

Planning Your Time

A week in Andalusia should include visits to Córdoba, Seville, and Granada to see, respectively, the Mezquita, the Cathedral and its Giralda, and the Alhambra. Two days in each city nearly fills the week, though the extra day would be best spent in Seville, by far Andalusia's most vibrant concentration of art, architecture, culture, and excitement.

A week or more in Seville alone would be well spent, especially during the Semana Santa celebration when the city, though crowded, becomes a giant street party. With more time on your hands, Cádiz, Jerez de la Frontera, and Sanlúcar de Barrameda form a three- or four-day jaunt through flamenco, sherry, Andalusian equestrian culture, and tapas emporiums.

A three-day trip through the Sierra de Aracena will introduce you to a lovely Atlantic upland, filled with Mediterranean black pigs deliciously fattened on acorns, while the Alpujarra Mountains east of Granada offer anywhere from three days to a week of hiking and trekking opportunities in some of Iberia's highest and wildest reaches. For nature enthusiasts, there's also the highland Cazorla National Park and the wetland Doñana National Park—Andalusia's highest and lowest outdoor treasures.