Hate to be a pain, but so overwhelmed……

Senior U.S. Couple (70s+) spending February in Malaga and Seville, mostly for warmer weather but don’t want to miss some wonderful sites. So far, list includes in Malaga (La Alcazaba, Catedral de la Encancion, Picasso Museum and many more, Seville (Seville Cathedral, Real Alcazar of Seville and many more), plus day trips to Granada from Malaga (Alhambra Palace), (possibly one to Ronda and While Villages) and from Seville to Cordoba (Mezquita, Alcazar, La Juderia).

With your input, plans are to take early AM trains from base cities for day trips. Thanks!

But so confused about which places really need guides and if so, how to obtain them. Can you identify the top few places that you believe require a guide? Also, can you direct me to some reasonably priced sites that you might recommend if you had friends visiting from the U.S.?

Have a wonderful New Year!! You are all so patient and helpful.

I did not use a human guide for ANY where in Andalusia. I used audio guides for the Alhambra, Mezquita, and Sevilla's Alcazar. I should note that I generally prefer audio guides to human ones ... YMMV.

We're younger than you but I would find a day trip from Malaga to Granada to visit the Alhambra far too tiring.
It sounds easy but in practice you need to get from your Malaga accommodation to the train station, earliest train 9,25 from malaga arrives Granada 10.43. Then taxi(?) 20 minutes to Alhambra or walk 45 minutes.
To visit everything at the Alhambra takes quite a few hours and it is all worth spending time enjoying.
You'll also need to eat, drink, have a coffee, rest a little.
Then allow time to return to the station.
Return train only at 18,25 gets into Malaga at nearly 8pm.
It might be ok for you. It would be too rushed and stressful for me. Couldn't you spend a few days in Granada? There's a lot to see as well as the Alhambra
https://slowtravelitalyspain.blogspo...ip-report.html
I never use a guide while I'm in a place, listening distracts me from seeing. For the Alhambra we watched a load of videos/documentaries on Youtube beforehand which was helpful.

I agree with just_tina about the drawbacks to visiting Granada as a daytrip from Malaga. I would find it too tiring, and I really believe you will miss out on a lot at the Alhambra. Additionally, Granada is a lovely place to visit and spend some time seeing other sights and just exploring the city. We spent about 3/4 of a day at the Alhambra. The Nasrid Palace is magnificent! And we also visited everything at the Alhambra, including the Generalife Gardens, Partal Gardens and the Alcazaba. The Charles V palace is located within the Alhambra which we didn't visit. I think it houses a museum. We also had lunch while there. The Alhambra truly is a magnificent sight and deserves to be seen slowly and savored. Please don't rush through it. If you stay overnight, you could also do the night tour of the Alhambra which is well worth it. It's magical when its illuminated, and so quiet and peaceful, with much fewer people.

Since you will be spending a month in Andalucia, why not spend 2 nights in Granada? And I would do the same for Cordoba, another wonderful city. The Mezquita is amazing but there is more to Cordoba than just the Mezquita.

You could spend 2 nights in Granada, and 2 nights in Cordoba, while on your way from Malaga to Seville. And then end in Seville. This will still give you lots of time in Malaga and Seville. I really think you will enjoy Granada and Cordoba more by spending a few nights in each place.

Regarding guides, we didn't hire any guides. We used the audioguides for each place. But I have to admit that at first we found the Mezquita confusing because the signage wasn't very good. Even though it isn't 100% necessary to hire a guide, I can see the value in it. That's your call.

Estopena.

I didn't like to mention that Cordoba deserves a few days as well .....but since Karen has...I totally agree with all she says except I would probably make it 3/4 nights in each if you have got a whole month

Thank you, Thank you, You are wonderful, especially for raising the issue of the physical stress of he one day trip.

My research continues, Thanks for your wisdom!

Well, I don't agree with that at all. I don't think that's physically any more stressful than spending a day sightseeing where you already are. But you seem to have bought into that idea. I don't let people tell me how much time to spend at sites, though, I just decide for myself. LIke I said, I would not have wanted to spend more time at the Alhambra, I was already there at least 3-4 hours, which was plenty for me. It's just one site in all of Spain, after all. Also, some of these projections are not true if you do one of those bus tours. You don't have to do all that yourself, and no, you don't have to walk 45 minutes into town. That's why I think they are a good idea. Yes, you do have to get to a meeting or departure point in Malaga, but why is that so tiring. I think it's a lot more tiring to be packing and moving around to various cities and hotels, myself. On a day trip, after all, you don't have the luggage issues, you just pack a small tote bag or day pack for a few things, and relax and view the countryside from the train or bus.

Anyway, I've always done day trips for decades while visiting any country, including Europe, and enjoy them. And yes, I'm a senior, also. but I still do physical trips like skiing, hiking, and do biking etc at home. As I said, they aren't any more tiring than sightseeing all day in the same city, as far as I'm concerned.

AS for guides, I don't use them, I"m more of a DIYer. I think there was one on that bus day tour I did to Granada, though, at the Alhambra. In fact, some sites do not allow private guides anyway, so if you want one, just book with the venue, makes it easier anyway. I know the Mezquita and Alhambra have places on their websites where you can book a guided tour. Those would be the bigger ones I'm guessing you might want one.

I'm one who thinks the Alhambra absolutely magical and deserving of a full day. The night visit to the Nasrid Palace, in particular, ranks among the most memorable of my travel experiences. As I indicated on your other post, there's much more to see in Granada than "just" the Alhambra, so spending two or three days there can be quite a delight.

Personally, I don't find relocating stressful, at least in part because I can do it at my own time. I do find day trips stressful, as I have to keep an eye on the clock. And with something that would take hours each way, a day trip would likely mean adjusting my meals, too -- it would likely mean leaving before I would normally finish breakfast, deciding whether to use my limited time somewhere else to have lunch or whether to skip it, and the same with dinner, as my return trip would likely be when I would normally be dining. YMMV.

Thanks for another position.... I'm a retired university faculty member so I'm very used to meetings with strongly felt opposing views.

Isn't it a wonderful dilemma to have to ponder and reach a conclusion.

But I do appreciate the time your folks put in to express your thoughts.

Happy New Year!

We recently visited Seville and Malaga. For ease of travel, we took a bus/minivan tour with guide from Seville to white villages and Ronda then left tour in Ronda for overnight. Next afternoon regular bus on to Malaga. We didn't really need the guide and the time was controlled at each stop, but taking the tour kept us from driving the hilly roads.

I owe a trip report.