Andalusia 7-day Itinerary
Spain
Where to go and what to see in Andalusia to get the most from your trip – a 7-day itinerary from destination expert and travel writer Dana Facaros.
Bucket list experience:
Malaga, Andalusia, Spain
Andalusian cooking is renowned for fresh seafood, olives and olive oil, sun-ripened vegetables, garlic and paprika.
Cooking is simple, letting fresh, delicious ingredients speak for themselves. Much of the preparation in the kitchen is minimal – fish is usually lightly dredged in flour and golden fried in olive oil.
Cold soups star in summer, hearty stews in the winter and melt-in-your-mouth cured ham (jamon serrano) year-round. Many of the desserts, many involving almonds, go back to Arab times.
Sangria, as elsewhere in Spain, is a popular drink, as is sherry.
Try Andalusia’s famous cold soups: gazpacho, but also ajo blanco, made with garlic, almonds, and bread, and thick creamy tomato salmorejo.
Seafood classics include mixed fish fry (pescado or pescaita frito), bluefin tuna (atun Rojo), and gambas pil pil (garlic and paprika prawns).
Other specialities include carrillada (braised pork or beef cheeks), rabo de toro (bull tail stew) and pringa (slow-cooked beef or pork and sausage).
Also see our round-up of traditional Spanish foods you must try in Spain.
Want more recommendations in this destination?
Destination Guide >Recommended itineraries by our writers that include this experience
Spain
Where to go and what to see in Andalusia to get the most from your trip – a 7-day itinerary from destination expert and travel writer Dana Facaros.
The food markets of Andalusia are often surrounded by tapas bars and traditional restaurants, patronized by the locals. For eating and drinking recommendations, check out the town-by-town restaurant listings at Andalucia.com.
Spaniards traditionally eat later than most Europeans, and in the hot summer months, the Andalusians often dine as late as 11pm or midnight when it’s cool enough to sit out on the terraces. Restaurants, however, open much earlier, and there are always tapas to keep hunger at bay. Lunch is the biggest meal of the day, eaten between 1pm and 3pm. In the summer following it with a siesta is strongly recommended.
Our selection of the best Viator tours of this attraction or activity
Malaga
€55 | Rating 4.63 / 5 [11 ratings]
Tour supplied by:
Malaga
€65 | Rating 4.97 / 5 [69 ratings]
Tour supplied by:
Malaga
€69 | Rating 4.22 / 5 [18 ratings]
Tour supplied by:
Malaga
€73 | Rating 4.90 / 5 [589 ratings]
Tour supplied by:
Our writer’s picks of the best places to stay near this experience, closest first
Malaga, Andalusia, Spain
Sleek new five-star hotel in pole position for enjoying Old Malaga, with a delicious rooftop pool. Well-positioned for seeing the sights.
Official star rating:
Malaga, Andalusia, Spain
In the lively heart of Malaga, peaceful, luxurious rooms and a superb restaurant in an elegant 18th-century palace.
Official star rating:
Malaga, Andalusia, Spain
A gorgeous, Moorish-style Andalusian manor house surrounded by 23,000 square metres of flower-filled gardens, including a world-class golf course. There’s a superb, Thai-style spa with ice cave, and restaurant with a Michelin star.
Official star rating:
Destination guides including or relevant to this experience
Andalusia, Spain
A big dazzling region, packed with fascinating cities, beautiful landscapes and beaches, colourful fiestas and oodles of sunshine.
Andalusia, Spain
A big, vibrant city with a fascinating old centre, lively contemporary art, sandy beaches, great restaurants and buzzy nightlife.
Our writer’s recommendations of other bucket list experiences our writer says you must do in this destination, closest first
Malaga, Andalusia, Spain
The ‘World’s Most Dangerous Walkway’ over sheer gorges in Malaga’s mountains is safer now, but no less vertigo-inducing and spectacular.
Best for ages: 18+ | £25 | 3-4 hours
Other worthwhile experiences near this experience if you have time or interest..
Malaga, Andalusia, Spain
A well-preserved Moorish city fortress, built 11th century on a hill in the city centre. Adjacent to the entrance are the remains of a Roman theatre, dating back to the 1st century AD.
Best for ages: 13+ | £3
Malaga, Andalusia, Spain
Malaga’s Arab shipyards were adapted in the 19th century to create this wonderland of fresh fruit and veg, meat and seafood. In fact, the entire neighbourhood is devoted to food – it’s a great place for a tapas crawl.
Best for ages: 18+ | Free
Malaga, Andalusia, Spain
A quirky museum housing the private collection of Joao Magalhaes, home to over 80 vintage and modern cars and displays of fashionable travel memorabilia.
Best for ages: 4+ | £8
Malaga, Andalusia, Spain
Here Carmen Cervera, the Malaga-born wife of Baron Thyssen-Bornemisza, displays her prize collection of mainly Andalusian art, ranging from the mainly religious works of old masters to the colourful, luminous landscapes, portraits and street scenes from the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Best for ages: 18+ | £10