Andalucia Spain itinerary
 

Hi

I am looking forward to visiting what looks like a beautiful region of Spain in September.

We are flying to Seville on 2nd September and leaving from Malaga on 13th September.

I have a rough itinerary that I have put together, would love some advice on anything I might have missed, or if you think I could better organise some of the activities\visits. We stay in seville first for a few nights, then a night in Cordoba and the remainder in Malaga, with day trips inbetween.

The only thing I've booked is the flights, so everything is open to change.

Key question is whether to spend another night in Cordoba or use the FREE Day to exploy another area around Malaga?

Does this itinerary look do-able?

Seville - 4 nights stay

02/09 Arrive Seville at 10:40am

02/09 Explore Seville (we will be tired after flight)

03/09 Explore Seville

04/09 Explore Seville

05/09 Day trip to Cadiz city

06/09 Check out early and travel to Cordoba

Cordoba - 1 night stay

06/09 Arrive early and explore Cordoba for full day

07/09 Check out - (leave bags at hotel) and explore Cordoba during day and travel to Malaga later in day

Malaga - 6 nights stay

07/09 Relax on arrival to Malaga (late afternoon\evening)

08/09 Day trip to Ronda

09/09 Day trip to Granada

10/09 Day trip to Nerja (caves\beach\Frigiliana white village)

11/09 Day trip to Marbella (or other excursion possible)

12/09 FREE DAY - Explore Malaga \ or other day trip

13/09 Explore Malaga (fly back in evening at 2200)

Be prepared for VERY hot weather inland (100 degrees plus) and assume you may need to spend afternoons in a pool or an AC hotel room. Take plenty of water with you so you remain hydrated.

How do you plan on traveling? car? train?

to me, too many day trips from Malaga.

Too many day trips from Malaga and definitely not sufficient time in Granada. You should spend at least one night in Granada so you can see the Alhambra after dark as well as during the day. You can do that by skipping the day trip to Marbella and the day trip on 12/9.

nytraveler is right on the money. Andalucia is HOT in early September. Be perpared.

Wherever you stay should have AC. September weather should not be as bad as July or August, when in-land Andalucia can resemble Dallas (if not Phoenix).

One thing I do agree with is minimizing time in Granada. There's Alhambra, and the Capilla Real where Ferdy and Izzy are buried, and . . . a noisy and not pretty city.

In September I would spend 3 nights in Cadiz for beach time and 3 nights in Malaga. Actually I might cut a day from each and spend two nights in Granada. I would visit Cordoba as a daytrip from Sevilla.

It really depends on your interests, but here are my thoughts: 2.5 days in Sevilla is, perhaps, a day too little. 1.5 days in Cordoba is good -- much better than a day trip IMO! Granada deserves MUCH more than a day trip -- as mamcalice notes, visiting the Alhambra in the evening (in addition to visiting it during the day) is well worthwhile!

Good luck with the heat!

For cooling down in Malaga, go to the Acacias beaches just east of the city center in Pedregalejo/El Palo. Very popular with locals, and so are the many excellent, affordable and no fuss seafront restaurants out here. Ten minutes by bus from central Plaza Marina right by the new harbour, Muelle Uno:
http://www.muelleuno.com/
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractio...Andalucia.html

Thank you all so much for your replies, it's really helped. I've included a 3 night stay (effectively 2.5 days) of time in Granada.

Should I be booking train and bus tickets now, or just train tickets? I'm not sure if you can get discounted bus tickets if booked in advance?

Thanks
Shaun

No discounted bus tickets if booked in advance. Book train tickets in advance, much money to save.

Thanks

I would carve out a bit more time out of your days in Malaga to have one night in Granada, but definitely do not cut out your day or two in Marbella, so so lovely, especially a boat ride over to its exclusive harbor Puerto Banos from which you easily spot Gibraltar & African Continent (we had crystal clear day). Arcos also lovely, and perhaps you can catch the riding show at Jerez de la Frontera (we were in area on wrong days), and we loved Ronda, understandably touristy but unforgettable.

Marbella, why? Everytime I pass it it looks worse