4 1/2 days in Andalusia - what would you do?

So, I haven't been to Andalusia, yet. I'm going next week. I have done a lot of research and have several friends who have vacationed in southern Spain. I feel like the number one thing people do in Andalusia, is visit the Alhambra in Granada. So I think for the extra day, I wouldn't go to Cadiz, I'd go to Granada. (You must get tickets months in advance for the Alhambra.) Regarding beach weather in Malaga in the spring, maybe its because we are Minnesota folk, but the reports I get are that the weather is awesome in Malaga in the spring, and some say too hot in the summer. One couple I know, spent time with a friend at his place in a Malaga(Spanish born and bred) at the end of February and talked of how wonderful and relaxing the trip was. They did the Alhambra as a day trip from Malaga, seemed like a long day to me, but they had a very nice time.

Although the Alhambra is a Very Big Deal, I think with only 4-1/2 days and a desire to see the beach, getting to both Seville/Cordoba and Granada would mean way too much time lost to sitting on trains or buses.

I wouldn't move to Cordoba for just one night, either. The AVE train will whisk you from Seville to Cordoba in less than an hour, so I'd make Cordoba a day-trip from Seville, eliminating one hotel change. Three different hotels is just too many for a 5-night trip.

There are advantages to ending your trip at your departure point, which in this case would mean putting your Malaga night at the end of the trip rather than the beginning. The problem with that is the timing of the train trip to Seville on the day you fly into Spain. You can't be certain your inbound flight will be on time, so buying that ticket ahead of time would be somewhat risky. If you opt to go to Seville on your second day, as you're currently planning, you'll be able to buy that ticket when your date first goes on sale. You may be able to save some money, though I'm currently seeing 43.60 euros for all the AVE departures.

You can take a look at Renfe.com to see all the departure times for travel through the first week of December. One thing I noticed is that some of the Malaga-Seville trips involve a change of trains in Cordoba. So you have another possibility: Seeing Cordoba in transit, on the day you shift from Malaga to Seville. That will save 40 minutes of train time. You'd need to store your luggage in Cordoba while you sightsee there.

I didn't get to the beach while I was in Malaga, but I found the Med coastline between there and Gibraltar to be less than inspiring in February. On the other hand, I did enjoy the Atlantic coastline of Cadiz on a sunny February day. So I would plan for a day trip to Cadiz from Sevilla by train. From the train station, it's a short distance to the historic center (and TI) in Cadiz and then another short walk to the beach. That way, you also have some leeway with the weather. I found Sevilla and Cordoba to be more interesting than Malaga.

Check out the Royal Equestrian School in Jerez. I think there is a horse show on Thursdays, around 11 am. You could train from Sevilla to Jerez, taxi to/from the school and then continue by train to Cadiz for the afternoon. The grounds are lovely and I was told if you get there early (I didn't), you can see the horses up close before the show begins. The shows sell out and there could be long lines at the ticket window, so buying a few days in advance is a good idea. So maybe rearrange your itinerary for 1N in Cordoba and then 3N in Sevilla. There may be shows on other days as well in March/April - when is your spring break?

4 1/2 days in Andalusia is not very long, and I would hate for you to spend your entire trip on a train or bus. I get that you want to see the beach (I live in Omaha and there are no beaches here...), but the beaches in southern Spain aren't really that great (sorry Spain). The Basque region has fabulous beaches but thats too far. However, if you MUST see the beach, I agree with the previous poster that Cadiz would be a great day trip from Seville. Cadiz is a charming city, especially the older part of town with the square and church.

My advice- skip the beach and immerse yourself in the wonderful culture of Andalusia. I would spend all 4 nights in Seville. Seville is WONDERFUL and the day trips are endless if you find you aren't a fan. I personally think you'll love it, especially because you're young and there is a great tapas bar scene and flamenco shows. Seville to: Cadiz-1 hour, Jerez- 1 hour, Cordoba-45 min. Although the Alhambra is famous, it is a long day trip with such little time. The alcazar is Seville will give you a taste of the Moorish influence. (Side note- I believe the Jerez equestrian show only runs on Saturday in February because it is off season.)

A previous poster says you stop in Cordoba on the way from Malaga to Seville. I am not seeing this on GoEuro.com but maybe on ly Renfe.com shows it? Either way, Just get to where you want to go because it saves time not having to check in/check out of a hotel for only one night.

Goeuro.com or renfe.com are both great resources to find train times.

Maybe..
Day 1: arrive Malaga late evening, train to Seville ASAP. Train from Malaga to Seville is around 2 hours. Check in to hotel/hostel. Visit some Tapas bars
Day 2: Seville- cathedral, Santa Cruz, Alcazar. More tapas (best in Spain!) and a flamenco show (book in advance)
Day 3: Seville or day trip to Cadiz/Cordoba- highly recommend seeing the Mezquita.
Day 4: Seville or day trip
Day 4 1/2: stop by Jerez on way to Malaga? (not sure on that suggestion)

Let us know what you decided on! Safe travels!

i) Is Dublin just a layover with you committed to flying into and out of Malaga on the Sunday? There are flights serving Dublin-Sevilla route (but not on Sundays), which would give options of avoiding back-tracking.

ii) I don't know when Spring Break is, but if it's late Spring you may well want to swim. If its early Spring, you'll hopefully be able to sit on the beach, but would have to be a lot hardier than me to actually go in the water.

iii) With your limited time I'd stay in Sevilla rather than day-trip to Cadiz, very pleasant as that city is. The best beaches in southern Spain aren't practical with your time and especially without a car. They are too far east on Costa Almeria and Costa Cálida, or are nearer in Cadiz province on Costa de la Luz but still the good ones wold be too time-consuming to travel to. So, I think, since you're in Malaga anyway you might as well go to the seaside there. At least if the weather isn't good, you can look at the sea from the comfort of a seaside restaurant or on the ferris wheel (assuming it's still there).

iv) I don't know how late your flight arrives, but since you'd have to get into Malaga anyway for the train to Sevilla, I'd go in the night you arrive rather stopping out of town at the parador. It's very quick & easy using the airport-city rail link. Then see Malaga old town and the sea on Monday morning (Malaga also has some good sights, but many will be closed that day), before going to Sevilla/Cordoba later in the day.

v) Since you invited alternatives, one would be to fly to Malaga and take the coach to Granada (assuming you're not arriving after about 2000hrs), stay two nights in Granada, then Tuesday morning onto Sevilla for three nights (with day-trip Cordoba), then back to Malaga for a few hours at the beach/sight-seeing before flying back to RoI in the evening.

I would take a taxi from the Malaga airport to a hotel in the Malaga Centro area. We stayed at Molina Lario. The parador you mentioned isn’t in the central area, and there will be plenty of people out having a good time in the fun, central area late into the evening.

Thank you so much for everyone's responses. I enjoyed reading all your suggestions. My flight from Dublin arrives at 18:55 in Malaga. So, with a late evening Sunday arrival - I was thinking it best to stay in Malaga and head out Monday morning. I will certainly consider re-booking to the Malaga Centro area. From most of your posts, I am thinking it may be best to stay all 4 nights in Sevilla and just take the day trips if we feel that is what we want to do. I am looking forward to the tapas and flamenco shows and all the historical architecture. (I could skip the beach but I wanted to make sure my friend got her input on the trip).

Sunday - arrive at 18:55 from Dublin and stay in Malaga 1N
Monday - take train to Sevilla, check in/drop bags (Tapas and Flamenco Show)
Tuesday - Cathedral, Santa Cruz, Alcazar evening Tapas
Wednesday - Day trip to Cordoba to see the Mezquita
Thursday - Stay in Sevilla or day trip to Cadiz/Jerez
Friday - Morning Sevilla - train to Malaga for 19:40 flight to Dublin.
Saturday - Sunday - St. Pats weekend in Dublin with family from UK.

Our trip is scheduled for mid March. We got a really good deal on AA from St. Louis into Dublin via Chicago on one itinerary - We did not want to stay in Ireland for the entire week in March (we have visited several times before) - and thought we would head to warmer parts. We both work in the school system so a week is all we have! Any suggestion regarding hotels/advanced bookings would be great. Thanks again.

Your plan looks very good. Enjooy!

Re flamenco in Sevilla:
Go to the Mercado de Triana, and find the flamenco theatre in the corner. There are 28 seats Buy a ticket. We had read there was a noon show so we went at 11 AM, and bought a ticket. But the show was at 6 PM, which was no problem, we went back that night. So not sure of the schedule for March, (we were there in Sept) but this was the best flamenco we saw, featuring a guitarist, singer, and dancer. We were in the first row of the tiny theatre (a real theatre with stage and velvet red seats!), and you could FEEL the flamenco, if you get what I mean. Best we saw, and we saw at least three...

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g187443-d3774478-Reviews-CasaLa_Teatro-Seville_Province_of_Seville_Andalucia.html

@Joan, thanks for the flamenco suggestion!

Yes, thanks for the Suggestion Joan - most definitely will put this on my list of must sees in Sevilla.

You're both welcome. Enjoy!

Another excellent place is Casa de Flamenco. When I went there were two male musicians, a female singer and two dancers, man and woman. The setting is a typical Andalucian patio with seating on three sides. The performance was early evening, about an hour long.