Day trips from Seville
 

We're going to Southern Spain at the end of March. We have 5 days in Seville, 4 in Granada and 4 in Cordoba and we'll have a car. What do folks think about Malaga, Ronda, Gibralter as day trips from Seville. Also, how many days should we plan on for seeing the Alhambra? Are there places to visit from Granada? Thanks very much - I always get such good advice from this site.

The mosque and other sites of Cordoba are fantastic, and it is great you are including them in your trip. But if you like sightseeing, you will have plenty of time on your hands, which you might want to spend driving in Andalucia, especially since you are going in Spring, when the weather is so nice.

Having a car the entire time you are in Sevilla will actually be something of an expensive nuisance. You might consider making Cordoba a day trip out of Sevilla and then renting a car to tour Andalucia for 4 nights before heading to Grenada.

If you definitey want a night in Cordoboa, I don't think you'd be cheating Sevilla if you cut it back to 4 days and spent no more than 2 in Cordoba. Then you could go spend a few nights in the tinier scenic towns of Andalucia.

Jerez de la frontera. with the spanish riding school, and sherry wine cellars is a fun trip.

the horse shws used to be on thrusdays and sundays, but my experience is obsolete. i am sure someone else can help you with more recent schedules.

I <b>know</b>I am in the minority here but I think four days in Granada unless this is simply a convenient base is/are too many. Although, I will say that if you are deeply into so-called &quot;Moorish architecture&quot; and adornment you'll have seen LOTS of it.

Have you considered going to some of the other places you mentioned and staying there at least overnight, etc.?

I honestly don't mean to question your tastes, interests, etc., but I personally think some diversity would make your trip much more interesting.

If you are interested in Roman history you can visit Italica -- a city founded by Scipio Africanus to settle veterans of the Second Punic War. It can be reached by city bus from Seville.

Thanks for all the good info. Our lodgings are already booked for the three cities - including 4 nights in the Parador at the Alhambra. I think the idea of Jerez is a good one - it seems to be about an hour from Seville on a highway. Do we need to book the horse show in advance? We are going the last 2 weeks of March which seems to be a bit off season. Thanks again!

To me, 4 nights in the Parador in the Alhambra would be a dream come true! I stayed only two nights, but they were so memorable.

Although I love Malaga dearly, it is a much better place to live than it is to visit, I would question a day trip from Seville that will take you a minimum of 2 and a half hours driving either way, petrol, etc. The province of Seville has wonderful little villages such as Carmona, Utrera, Almodovar del Rio, etc. Further south you could visit Cadiz or Jerez, which I've already seen mentioned here (BTW, tickets for the horse show at the Real Escuela Andaluza de Arte Ecuestre can be found at www.realescuela.org). Going east into Huelva province you have some beautiful countryside, the village of Jabugo (home of the finest Iberian hams) and Aracena, where you can visit the Grottoes (La Gruta de las Maravillas). Ronda is worth a stop, but I suggest if you want to visit it do so on your way from Seville to Granada. You can also pass by Arcos de la Frontera along the way, another village worth a stop. Gibraltar, unless you absolutely must just to say you've done it, is wholly missable as it is essentially a large Duty free store on a Rock....

I went to Cordoba and Jerez from Seville as day trips, and think they are both good ideas. I missed the horse show due to weather, but I don't think you have to reserve in advance (I was there end of March, also). As I recall, it is a bit longer than a one hour drive from Seville. I took the bus to/from Jerez, and I just think it is longer than that, but not too much. There is a major highway between them--it's about 90 km or 50 miles.

Apart of Cordoba and Granada, did you think to to a day trip to Gibraltar?

Also Ronda is beautiful.

I highly recommend a day trip to Ronda, but I second Sebti's suggestion of making it a stop on your way from Sevilla to Granada.

I think Malaga may be an easier daytrip from Granada; I also agree with Intrepid that four days in Granada is a lot, so it would be better to do Malaga from there, rather than Sevilla.

Gibraltar is more of an overnight trip. The drive from Sevilla to Gibraltar is pretty lengthy, and you may experience long lines at the entrance to Gibraltar. Until you get into town, your day could be half shot.

I also second the suggestion of Italica - I think the bus ride is only about 30 minutes. I found this more interesting after studying art history in Sevilla and learning specifically about the ruins, but there is an arena there very like a smaller version of the Colosseum.

Instead of Gibraltar, another option you may not have considered: if you have a beautiful day and don't mind getting up early, Lagos in Portugal is worth a trip. It's on the southern coast, which is absolutely beautiful. It may not be beach weather, but the scenery is incredible. It's about a three-hour drive, as I remember. Another 20 miles or so beyond Lagos is Cabo San Vicente, the western-most point of Europe, which is gorgeous.

bargem - Regarding the Spanish Riding School in Jerez, we visited last year in June. We drove there in about 45 minutes from Conil, a beautiful little resort town about 30 km south of Cadiz on the Costa de la Luz, which is the Atlantic Coast, far less crowded and developed than the Costa del Sol. We first went on a Friday, and found it locked tight, with no apparent way to buy tickets. We were able to buy the tickets at our hotel later in the day, and returned on Saturday. My wife, who is very much into horses and rides almost every day, called it the highlight of our 16 day Spain vacation. And even if you have only a passing interest in horses, it is a very nice 1/2 day out in the country, definitely worthwhile.

I don't recall what, if any, other days the school was open, but I'm sure you can get that information, and probably tickets, from your hotel in Seville. And if you really would like to just kick back and relax at a peaceful Spanish resort for a few days, consider Conil. We stayed at the Fuerte Costa Luz Hotel; beautiful, brand new and very reasonable.

A day trip to Gibraltar is doable provided you don't take the car into Gib, but park it in La Linea on the Spanish side, then walk over the airport runway (or take a bus) into Gib itself. Otherwise, you run the risk of getting caught in a terrible jam coming back into Spain later. It's still a long drive.

Ceb, the mosst western point of Europe is not Cabo St. Vincente, but Capo da Boca. Very nice view. It is not far from Lisbon.

Valtor - thanks for the info. Now I'll have to change my journal entry from my trip to Portugal! :)

Very near from Granada (8 km) is Sierra Nevada. It's one of the biggest ski resorts of Spain, but, even if there's no ski at the end of March the landscape from there is really beautiful.A bit more far (40 km) is Guadix, which is also beautiful to see and a little off the beaten track :) As it is Carmona, which is near Seville, and I like it a lot, full of interesting buildings and GOOD bars and restaurants, hehehe.

Wow - thanks again for all this good advice. Nessundorma - can you tell me a little about the Parador in Granada. We had absolutely no problem getting a reservation. I have heard it is just wonderful, but the pictures make it look rather plain inside. What did you love about it? Also, has anyone heard of/stayed at Hotel Maestre in Cordoba? We've booked an apartment there and it was mentioned in some travel book. Thanks!

The Parador in Grenada is a converted monastery and what doesn't show up in the pictures is the richness of the details, like the carved wooden shutters, the tapestry fabrics used in the bedding and canopies, the old ceramic floors and the antique furniture. And the thick, thick walls.

But what is really incomparable is the location of the Parador: The Alhambra sits at the stop of a very steep hill, and the Parador is part of the Alhambra itself. This makes it quite easy to take the NIGHT TOUR of the Alhambra, which you really must not miss. The place becomes deeply mysterious, all the resident cats come out with their kittens to prowl about, and there are far fewer tourists, making touring the interiors of the Alhambra an even more amazing experience.

It is also great to be able to get up in the morning and go right out the door to the gardens. You have more time to see them.

The Parador has a somewhat pricey terrace restaurant but the view from there, or both Grenada and many of the distant gardens of the Alhambra is so lovely, I wouldn't miss eating there if the weather is warm enough.

My room had a sizeable terrace and I found it very relaxing to be there. I am notoriously a layabout, so I never wanted to leave.

Thanks! It does sound lovely. Many people have said that 4 days in Granada is too much, but I would be quite content to sit on a terrace overlooking gardens and relax. So,now I'm just hoping for the weather to warm up in the next two weeks.