3-Night Stay in Cordoba or Granada?

I was just in Andalucía this past summer in those same cities, and I would recommend 2 nights in Granada, with 3 nights in Seville. I found in comparison there was more to do and see in Seville than Granada, and I regretted not having another night in Seville. You can also easily get to Cordoba from Seville as a day trip if you add the extra night.

You think so, Bill?! I actually had the opposite advice from a fellow traveler who said there is no need to stay for more than 2 nights in Seville.
Nonetheless, between the three cities, you recommend staying in Seville and Granada, no in Córdoba?

If your trip is in the period leading up to Easter, check availability of Alhambra tickets before deciding how long to stay in Granada. The Alhambra is the #1 sight there (by far) and it regularly sells out. When I checked a few days ago, there were no tickets available from the official site for the last week or March or the first few days of April. If there are no tickets available from the official website for your dates, you might check with your hotel or consider taking a tour that includes the Alhambra.

Granada. Cordoba is fine, but I think Granada is more unique and has more to do. The Alhambra itself takes much of a day. Plus if you have a car you can drive less than an hour out into the Alpujarras villages - very pretty, a bit less touristed than many of the other hill towns. Although really 3 nights is easy to spend in Granada itself, no need to day trip. That's what I spent on my first visit, then I spent 5 on my next (no day trip on the 3, one day trip on the 5 night)

Acraven, so I checked the online tickets sale and tickets for Alhambra are sold out for the period we're there!! Is there any other way to get a tour of the place?! Perhaps with a private guide? You mentioned taking a tour that includes Alhambra Palace. How can that be arranged?

I'm sorry, I don't have personal experience with that. I'd Google "Alhambra Tours". You'll probably get more hits than you have time to follow up. Or go to the Viator website and look there. Viator is a re-seller of other companies' tours; I'm not clear on whether you end up paying more if you book through Viator.

I hope some other visitor to this thread has a personal recommendation.

Thank you Acraven, I'll see what I can do. Hopefully the hotel where I booked can help.

Your Granada hotel should be able to secure Alhambra tickets for you.

Are you fully across logistics to Tangier?
Have you allowed enough time?

@djp-syd we have kept a day to take the ferry Tangier. That’s why we’re staying in Marbella for two nights because it’s the closest to Tarifa. You think that’s enough time?
I will check with our hotel about Alhambra tickets.

We spent 2.5 weeks in Andalucia/Madrid a couple of years ago. I think the number one place to visit in this area is the Mezquita in Cordoba. The town doesn't need more than a day trip (I am sure it would be a lovely several night visit but you don't have much time) The Mezquita is our most thrilling sight in Spain.
https://janettravels.wordpress.com/2013/09/27/the-mezquita-at-least-the-catholics-had-the-good-sense-not-to-destroy-it-when-they-desecrated-it/
On the other hand, the Alhambra is at the top of most people's list and number 2 on ours. I'd hate to miss that.

2 nights gives you one full day. Not enough for Seville. We spent a week there and wish we had cut it to 5 days (including the day trip to Cordoba) but two nights is too few. The Alcazar in Seville is a close runner up to the Alhambra for amazing palace/estate in Spain.

I' cut one day from Mirabella, add a day or two to Seville and do Cordoba as a day trip and visit Granada for two nights in order to do the Alhambra on the full day.

A trip across to Morocco is really a 3 day ‘add on’.
Day 1. Make your way to Tarifa.
Day 2. Ferry to Tangier and return.
Day 3. Onward journey from Tarifa to your next destination.

You have to assess what offers the best return on your limited time. The pueblos blancos around Ronda offer an authentic Moorish experience, as opposed to Tangier, which many on here describe as a bland North African port city.

I would consider something like this with just 7 nights.

Day
1. Arrive Malaga. Pick up car ... Drive to Ronda (2N)
2. Day to pueblos blancos
3. Drive to Granada (2N) ... Return car
4. Visit Alhambra
5. Train via Cordoba (Mezquita) to Seville (3N)
6. Seville
7. Seville
8. Depart Seville

Thank you @janettravels44 and @jdp_syd for your great input. We’re definitely considering skipping the ferry to Tangier and Marbella altogether and just taking in all the beauty that Andalusia has to offer.

If you do end up cutting Tangier, I highly suggest more time in Seville. If you take the 2 Marbella nights and add them to Seville, that's 4 nights there. You can do a day trip to Cordoba from there, too.

We were in Spain for 3 weeks last year. We stayed overnight in that area:
Cordoba-1, Sevilla- 4, Ronda-2, Granada-3.

In our experience, Cordoba was perfect at one night, we really enjoyed all of our time in both Sevilla and Ronda, and Granada could have been 2 nights.

I agree with David's point on Tangier. Morocco is fascinating; better to go back later when you have to get to places like Fes, Marrakesh, etc.

Thank you @acraven @mira @jean. I think at this point, the more sensible breakdown looks as follows:
First 2 or 3 nights in Granada, followed by 2 or 3 nights in Seville and last 2 nights in Ronda. If we are able to add one more night to our itinerary, then it would be Granada 3 nights, Seville 3 nights and Ronda 2 nights, but that’s not definite yet.
@djp_syd doesn’t it make more sense to leave Ronda till the end since it’s the closest to Malaga?

If your departure flight is from Malaga, then yes, that does make sense.

Day
1. Arrive Malaga. To Granada (2N)
2. Visit Alhambra
3. Via Cordoba (Mezquita) to Seville (3N)
4. Seville
5. Seville
6. To Ronda (1N)
7. To Malaga (1N)
8. Depart Malaga

Plans have changed! We will not be taking the ferry to Tangier.
So now it’s 7 nights divided among Granada, Seville and Ronda! Is it feasible to rent a car to drive from Malaga to Granada? I heard many streets are pedestrians only.

Hi zeinas17,
My husband and I are taking a similar but longer trip to the southern region of Spain in July. The itinerary for that region looks somewhat similar, with a night or two in Cadiz instead of Ronda and perhaps Tangier and Fez. Now that you are back from the trip I was wondering what your advice for length of stay in each city would be and what mode of transport you found practical. Thanks for any tips!

If you get into Granada later in the day and can’t get in any sightseeing that day, then 3 nights in Granada. 1.5 days is enough to see the main sights. If you get in earlier in the day, then 2 night might be enough. If 2 nights is all you have in Sevilla, then you may not have enough time to adequately see the main sights. To me, Cordoba can be seen in a full day, so probably 2 nights. It is closer to Sevilla than Granada, so the drive to Sevilla would be shorter. Tough choice you need to make. Whichever you choose you’ll have a nice trip.

@aamondal, we ended up doing the following: arrived in Malaga, picked up our car rental and drove to Granada for two nights, then drove to Seville for three nights, took a day trip to Córdoba and another to Ronda. We spent the last two nights in Marbella to visit some friends, but I sincerely wish we hadn’t done that. There was nothing to see or do in Marbella after spending five days soaking in the majestic beauty and history of Granada, Seville and Córdoba. I wish we had gone instead to Cediz.
Renting a car was a great idea! We got the unlimited day pass from AT&T and managed just fine with Google Maps.

@andrew.reis you’re right! Seville is one of the most beautiful cities I’ve ever visited and we all agreed we should’ve spent more time there.

@jaimeelsabio I agree that Córdoba needs only a day trip if one is pressed for time, and Seville needs more to take in all it has to offer.