Seville Cathedral
Seville, Andalusia, Spain
The biggest Gothic cathedral in the world and its mighty ex-minaret bell tower, La Giralda, the symbol of Seville.
Best for ages: 13+ | £8
Recommended itinerary:
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.
Editor note – Dana has not included specific recommendations of where to stay each day unless it’s necessary. Instead, see the ‘Where to stay’ section in our Andalusia destination guide.
In the morning, get your bearings with a guided tour of Seville’s historic centre – the Casco Antiguo.
Have lunch at the Restaurante San Fernando – one of the most beautiful in the city, with its interior patio.
In the afternoon visit Seville’s enormous Cathedral and its iconic La Giralda tower, saving the magnificent royal palace Alcazar for the evening, when it’s cooler (be sure to book).
In the evening, book in for dinner and the thrilling rhythms of flamenco at a tablao.
Seville, Andalusia, Spain
The biggest Gothic cathedral in the world and its mighty ex-minaret bell tower, La Giralda, the symbol of Seville.
Best for ages: 13+ | £8
Seville, Andalusia, Spain
A Moorish Christian architectural gem, Europe’s oldest royal palace (recently seen in Game of Thrones) dates from 1360, with gardens of pure delight.
Best for ages: 13+ | £11
Seville, Andalusia, Spain
Andalusia is the birthplace of flamenco, which still pulses through its blood. Book in for a show at one of Seville’s excellent theatres.
Best for ages: 5+ | £15 | 90 minutes
After breakfast, drive or take the AVE train in 42 minutes to Cordoba. The first stop has to be the star attraction, the Mezquita. Book onto one of the guided tours that include the old town, or see it independently.
Grab a quick bite at the Victoria Food Court, then book the shuttle to Cordoba’s other World Heritage Site, the Medina Azahara.
In the late afternoon, catch the AVE train to Granada and check in and eat dinner at the Parador de Granada next to the Alhambra.
Cordoba, Andalusia, Spain
One of the world’s greatest buildings: a thousand-year-old love letter from the glory days of Moorish al-Andalus.
Best for ages: 13+ | £8
Cordoba, Andalusia, Spain
The partially excavated and reconstructed halls, mosque, gate, porticoes and gardens of a 112-hectare mysterious palace city. It was built in the 10th century by Abd-ar-Rahman III, the first Caliph of Cordoba; now a World Heritage Site.
Best for ages: 18+ | £17
Granada, Andalusia, Spain
Granada’s parador, occupying a late 15th-century monastery, combines charm, history, service and enchanting views with an incomparable location, right on the grounds of the Alhambra.
Official star rating:
In the morning (having booked a timed ticket in advance) visit the magnificent Alhambra and its enchanting gardens. Then head down into the city for a delicious lunch at El Mercader.
Afterwards, visit Granada’s cathedral and Royal Chapel then explore its fascinating traditional quarters, Albayzin and Sacromonte on a guided walk, e-bike or Segway tour.
Top of the evening with a flamenco show and dinner.
Granada, Andalusia, Spain
Spain’s most visited attraction is the stuff of dreams, filled with intricate mosaics and carvings, magical gardens and breathtaking views.
Best for ages: 13+ | £12
Granada, Andalusia, Spain
This jewel of intricate, lace-like Isabelline Gothic architecture, built just after the end of the Reconquista between 1505-17, holds the tombs of Ferdinand and Isabella, their daughter Joanna ‘the Mad’ and her husband Philip – parents of emperor Charles V.
Best for ages: 18+ | Free
Granada, Andalusia, Spain
Andalusia is the birthplace of flamenco, which still pulses through its blood; Book in for a show at one of Granada’s excellent theatres.
Best for ages: 5+ | £15 | 90 minutes
In the morning catch the train or bus to Malaga (it takes around 90 minutes).
First, stop by the Picasso Museum, dedicated to the Malaga-born artist and the Carmen Thyssen Malaga Museum, a five-minute walk away. For lunch, feast on the Spanish classics at Restaurante Tormes.
If you prefer convertibles to canvases, you could instead hop in a taxi for the short 15-minute drive south to the Automobile & Fashion Museum.
In the afternoon visit the Alcazaba and Castle of Gibralfaro, then walk down the hill to colourful cube of the Centre Pompidou Malaga.
Afterwards, relax on the nearby beach, and spend the evening nibbling tasty titbits on a tapas crawl tour.
Malaga, Andalusia, Spain
Pablo Ruiz Picasso was born in Malaga. The city’s Picasso Museum, set in a restored 16th-century Andalusian townhouse in Malaga’s historic centre, displays over 250 of his paintings, sculptures and ceramics spanning his entire career. Book an entrance ticket here and a private guided tour here.
Best for ages: 18+ | £7
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
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
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
The next morning, get your adrenalin pumping on a walking tour of one of the most thrilling walks in the world: El Caminito del Rey.
Alternatively, if you suffer from vertigo, take the day-long excursion to the cave and coast of Nerja cave and the White Village of Frigiliana.
Back in Malaga, have a wander in the old town, shopping and bar hopping – there are excellent ones around the cathedral – ending up for dinner at Blossom, with its exceptional contemporary cuisine.
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
Malaga, Andalusia, Spain
This gigantic, breath-taking stalactite show cave is open all year round, with possible night visits. Buy the ticket that includes the museum, with photos of the cave’s inaccessible art –possibly the oldest paintings in Europe, dating back to 42,000 BC.
Best for ages: 4+ | £12
Pack a picnic and hire a car in Malaga for a road trip to Ronda and the beautiful White Villages.
Spend the morning in Ronda visiting the Puente Nuevo (New Bridge), Mondragon Palace and Casa del Rey Moro gardens.
In the afternoon, head west to Zahara de la Sierra, Grazalema and Arcos de la Frontiera, and end up in the city of sherry, Jerez de la Frontiera.
In Jerez, enjoy a superb dinner at the Meson Hermanos Carrasco (bookings advised) then spend the night at the Bodega Tio Pepe.
Ronda, Andalusia, Spain
Spectacular cliff-top Ronda is the largest of dozens of beautiful gleaming white hill towns in the Sierra de Grazalema – ideal for touring by car or by bike.
Best for ages: 18+ | Free
Ronda, Andalusiia, Spain
Ronda’s town museum is housed in the 14th-century royal palace of Moorish king Abomelic I, with its gardens, Moorish courtyards and views out over the Sierra de Grazalema. Exhibits cover the town’s history, and the nearby Pileta Cave.
Best for ages: Any | £3
Ronda, Andalusia, Spain
An 18th-century mansion where can visit the half-French, half-Moorish garden and the extraordinary ‘water mine’ that supplied Ronda, 231 steps below the gardens to the Tajo river.
Best for ages: 18+ | £6
Jerez de la Frontera, Andalusia, Spain
In the heart of Jerez, the world’s first sherry hotel is luxuriously contemporary, with a lovely panoramic rooftop terrace.
Official star rating:
In the morning, head to the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art to watch a training session or performance of the famous dancing horses train, then visit at least one sherry bodega.
Grab a tasty lunch at the lively Las Banderillas, then drive a half hour down to Cadiz, Spain’s oldest city. Explore the town and relax on the beach.
Then splurge for dinner at Aponiente, one of the best restaurants in Andalusia. In the morning, it’s just over an hour’s drive back to Seville.
Jerez del Frontera, Andalusia, Spain
Tour one of the world’s top riding academies, and watch noble Andalusian horses perform extraordinary equestrian ballet.
Best for ages: 4+ | £9
Jerez de la Frontera, Andalusia, Spain
The region of Spain famous for producing ‘sherry’. Discover the secrets of how it is made with fascinating tours and tastings at local bodegas (wine cellars).
Best for ages: 18+ | Free
Cadiz, Andalusia, Spain
Andalusia’s most famous three Michelin star restaurant is just north of Cadiz in El Puerto de Santa Maria, where the visionary ‘Chef of the Sea’ Angel Leon takes seafood and sustainability, to a whole new level.
Best for ages: 18+ | Free