15 Nights in Southern Spain in January

We are going to spend 5 days in Málaga in October. I would recommend that you skip Málaga.

The good part of planning a day trip from Granada to Malaga is that once you get to Granada, you can decide if you want to give up a day there for what is arguably a pleasant but second-tier (at best) destination. In fact, I'd advise to cut a night from Granada and the day trip.

If you're arriving on a long-haul flight, staying one more night in Sevilla and one less in Cordoba may be better. First, because your first day pretty much just an evening. Second, there's really a lot to see in Sevilla. I discourage you from using a day there for a very long ride to/from Ronda. It's definitely another second-tier destination.

Since you aren't very interested in art museums, the only reason to spend several nights in Madrid is for day trips. Toledo is the most popular, but given your sightseeing preferences, I think you'd enjoy spending 1 or even 2 of those nights in Toledo, with its scenic hills, Moorish and Gothic wonders and lovely little streets to wander, much like Cordoba. The train station is worth seeing as well.

We did a white villages day trip from Seville last February. The day was a bit drizzly but the tour was pretty good. The only slightly boring bit was the olive oil distillery.

White villages day trip

I hadn't thought about staying an additional day in Seville, but that is a good point about missing out on most of the first day there. I am interested in seeing the white villages, but I typically don't enjoy tours since I don't like having to listen to someone talk about something they think is interesting, but I don't, and I like to wander on my own. I wonder if it would be possible to get a Bolt to take me to one of the villages so I can look around on my own? I've read some great and some just okay things about Ronda, but it probably won't make the cut this time. Maybe it's a place I'd visit if/when I do another trip to that area.

I guess what I liked about Malaga so much is the access to the water and shore line. Are there any other towns along the coast that would make good day trips from Granada? I think I read something about Nejar, but can't remember if that was a realistic option.

There were a few other towns I've seen mentioned as possible day trips from Madrid, but I haven't had a chance to look into that much yet.

This is really helpful input. Thank you!

Based on our trip last September, I agree with @Chani that adding a day to Sevilla, omitting Ronda, and one less day each in Granada and Cordoba are good suggestions. We have not been to Madrid (will this September) but very much enjoyed Malaga which we found to be a comfortable, relaxing place to wander, explore and eat well. Also, if you are into nature and a good walk, the El Caminito del Rey is a possible daytrip from Malaga. We spent our last couple of days in Nerja to chill out before our return flight. It was fine for that purpose but basically an expat community.

An hour south of Granada are Motril and Salobreña and they can be quite pleasant certain times of the year. January isn’t one of those. Most of the smaller towns along the coast pretty much shut down at the end of the season, so there are fewer things open.

If you have a rental car, you could drive there for a walk along the beach, but expect either to be fairly deserted. En route is Lanjarón. It’s nice to walk around and has a castle ruin. No idea how lively it would be in January.

I definitely don't plan to rent a car, so wherever I visit will have to be accessible by train, bus or Uber/Bolt. That's a good point about some things/places being closed in January.

I'd expect the coast to be on the quiet side. I drove along the coast between Gibraltar and Malaga in February. Not scenic, saw the occasional fisherman or dog walker. The little shops and kiosks that bustle in warm weather were closed.

The attraction of the white hill towns, for me, at least, was their scenic beauty from the road. The few I explored were mostly unremarkable. Ronda is a large city.

I've been to Arcos de la Frontera (long bus trip from Seville) and Grazalema (somewhat shorter bus trip from Ronda). Arcos was worth more time, I thought, but to me neither was a full-day sort of destination; Ronda could be, but it's minor compared to Seville, Cordoba and Granada.

When you start considering side trips to small towns by bus, it's essential to dig for the schedules. The buses may run very infrequently, and there can be huge gaps--4 hours without service, for example. That can be problematic if you're headed to a small place that really won't occupy you for more than 1 or 2 hours.

I think there would probably be disagreement about whether to prioritize Ronda over Malaga. There's also the historic city of Cadiz. Just up the rail line (toward the north) from Cadiz is the horses-and-sherry town of Jerez. I haven't been there, but I know it has relatively frequent and quick bus service to Arcos in the spring. I don't know whether the schedule varies seasonally.

To me the main issue with your draft itinerary is what the others have picked up on: Seville. Your plan gives it just one day. Seville is large and has a lot of sights that are fairly scattered. I always urge at least 3 full days (4 nights) there--and that's without taking an out-of-town side trip. Do what you need to do to add time in Seville. I found Cordoba and Granada both worth at least 3 nights, but you are seriously short on time in Seville, so...

I appreciate all the helpful input. Based on this, as well as more time spent watching Youtube and reading blog after blog, I've revised my general itinerary. I think this will give me enough time to explore without feeling too rushed.

I don't take hours to pack and unpack like some here seem to do, and walking to and from the train station with my luggage isn't normally a burden to me (I can still enjoy my surroundings while carrying luggage), and I can probably catch a Bolt/Uber if it is, so I don't necessarily consider travel days to be lost as is often mentioned on this site.

Day 1 Arrive in Madrid 11:20am, train to Cordoba 2 hours
Day 2 Cordoba
Day 3 train to Granada 2 hours
Day 4 Granada
Day 5 Granada
Day 6 bus to Malaga 2 hours
Day 7 Day trip Caminito del Rey
Day 8 Malaga
Day 9 train to Seville 2 hours
Day 10 Seville
Day 11 Seville
Day 12 train to Madrid 3 hours
Day 13 Madrid
Day 14 Madrid day trip to Toledo
Day 15 Madrid
Day 16 Leave Madrid morning

It looks like I need to download the Renfe app for trains, and Alsa for buses. Is that correct?

I typically use Airbnb, since I like to have more space, a refrigerator and washing machine, but I'm thinking a hotel or even a hostel with a private room/bath would work well in Cordoba since I won't be there as long. It seems like I should try to stay in the city center in Seville, Cordoba and Granada, but in Malaga I'd love to have a view of the water from a small balcony if possible. I could stay in a hotel there as well if that's the best way to be certain I get a nice view. I haven't even looked into Madrid yet, so I have no idea what part of the city is best for views and ease of moving about and getting to the airport early in the morning. I'd appreciate any suggestions for any of the places I'm planning to stay.

Thank you!