Best In 3 to 5 Days

Best In 3 to 5 Days

If You Have 3 Days

Begin in Granada. On Day 1, visit the Alhambra, and wander the Albaicín, Granada's ancient Moorish quarter. Have lunch along the Calderería. Spend the afternoon in the alleyways of the Alcaicería, visiting the cathedral and the Capilla Real; then take an evening tour of the Alhambra (only the Palacios Nazaríes). The morning of the second day, leave Granada for Alcalá la Real to discover the Fortaleza de la Mota and then head north to the historic twin towns of Úbeda and Baeza before heading to Córdoba for the night. Spend the morning of the third day touring Córdoba's Mezquita and wandering the Judería. Walk out to the Guadalquivir River and cross the Puente Romano to the Torre de la Calahorra.

If You Have 5 Days

Explore Córdoba on Day 1, lingering in the Mezquita and Judería. Stay the night; then head the next morning toward Granada, stopping at Alcalá la Real to discover the Fortaleza de la Mota. Explore the Alhambra in the afternoon and spend the night in Granada. The next morning, discover the Capilla Real and Cathedral in Granada, before taking the short drive to the Alpujarras and the high mountain village of Trévelez -- famous for its dry-cured hams -- and spend the night in one of the rustic places in this fascinating region. On Day 4 take a change of scenery by heading south to Motril, with its subtropical climate, and then head along the Costa Tropical to Almería and its magnificent castle. On the last day, head inland to the desert of Tabernas and the mini-Hollywood studios before spending the last night in a cave at Guadix.