I will be staying in Marbella for a few days this summer and will be renting a car. Only enough time for one day excursion; do you suggest Granada or Seville? Appox. drive times will be helpful.

With only one day, I would say Granada to visit the Alhambra. Easy 2 hr drive. Easy to find & lots of parking. Make sure you book your tickets ahead because they can sell out. Have lunch at the Parador which is on the grounds.

Sevilla would be about 3 hrs. More to see, but it would be a more hectic day & you'd leave wishing you had more time.

Ian

It just dawned on me that you said Marbella not Malaga. Probably 2-3 hrs to either. I'd still say Granada. Take the coast road on the way thru Nerja etc & the main highway on return - dropping down at Malaga.

Ian

Definitely GRANADA

Ok. Definitely Sevilla.

While the Alhambra is the Alhambra, we were at least as impressed with the Alcazar in Sevilla.

You may also have the opportunito to go the Casa Pilatos, walk the Santa Cruz area and wonder over to Plaza D'Espangna.

Definitley Sevilla but make sure it's not on a Monday when the Alcazar is closed. The Alhambra is open 7 days a week.

I agree with Ian, though when we stayed in Marbella, it was under 1 1/2 hrs. to Granada. Don't miss Alhambra, but Seville is a gorgeous city and if you could extend you trip and stay there for a few days, it would be well worth it.

i think sevilla, on the whole, offers MORE sites to be visited than granada, although the alhambra and the king and queen's hand carved mausoleum crypts in the cathedral are all outstanding.

casa de pilatos, (second floor do not miss!!) , the alcazar and barrio sta. cruz will, i think, give more variety, let's say.

this is a hard decision.

if wandering around a city and different nooks and crannies, (along with the spectacular buildngs) appeals to you, go for sevilla.

I agree with lincasanova. If you go to Sevilla, don't miss the upstairs of Casa Pilatos. For some reason they have 2 admissions charges and the real jewel is the upstairs for 2E more.

A tour of the Bullfight ring (I passed on the actual fights), walk accross the bridge to Triana for the ceramics stores, etc, etc.

How big a city is seville? Is 2 full days enough to cover the major sites (Alcazar and Catheral) plus walk around throughout the city?

I've been to Segovia and Toledo. How does Seville compare (in size)?

What about Cordoba?

As Lincasanova and Meyer, I am for Seville.
It is bigger than Toledo aand Segovia, and you have more things to visit.
We stayed there for three full days, and love it.

Of course Cas Pilatus should be included in your tour, and I also recommend Plaza de Espana and Plaza de America.

Regarding Cordoba, we loved it. The Mosque is unique! Also the Alcazar is nice. We loved the city, Jewish quartier, the small streets..

For me, it is difficult to decide between Seville and Cordoba.

You have one day. Go to Granada. It is much more manageable than Sevilla and yes, the Alhambra is worth every minute. I love Sevilla, but it is bigger and really in a day, you can't scratch the surface. Granada is a wonderful little city and if you want to stay the night, there are some fun little hotels.

Book your tickets for the Alhambra ahead of time (you have to go through the BBVA bank) because it sells out and entrance is limited.

Claire

Can you buy tickets for the Real Alcazar in Seville before hand?

You can easily see the cathedral and the Alcazar and even wander in the barrio Santa Cruz in two days in Seville.

I was also somewhat underwhelmed with some of the interior(s) of the Alhambra after having seen the same stuff in various Seville locations; i was more impressed with the Generalife but the Alcazar is very impressive as well.

Difficult question. I liked both Granada and Seville very much. The Alhambra is fabulous, and Granada has a very cosy feel. But Seville is a much bigger city and the Alcazar and the Catheral are definitely very impressive too.

They serve a tapas with every drink you order in Granada, while in Seville you have to buy them, and probably because of that the quality in Seville appeared to be better.

Granada, no doubt

By the way, ady, the free tapas thing are quite common in many Spanish cities and villages, nothing to do with the quality, just with the amount Free ones use to be smaller.

In response to 'rogfam's' original post, I would agree with those suggesting Granada. It's a doable day trip, the traffic into the city isn't bad, it's in a beautiful situation, and the Alhambra is breathtaking.
I can't imagine trying to tour Seville in one day - I think it would be an exercise in frustation - unless you are sure you will never get there otherwise.
In response to yildiz's question, I don't know if you can get tickets to Seville's Real Alcazar in advance (my guidebook doesn't mention advance ticket sales), but I don't think it's an issue. They don't seem to REQUIRE a timed reservation, as they do at the Alhambra. We showed up and got in with no wait. Remember, it's closed on Mondays.
On a different note, for anyone interested in a more literary insight into Andalucia, I particularly enjoyed Elizabeth Nash's "Seville, Cordoba, and Granada: A Cultural History", which I read AFTER we got back... made this non-Spanish speaker realize some of the hidden significance of what I had seen, and yes, sent me back to the videotape!