Andalucia 3 Week Trip in Spring-Allocating Time

Found a small travel company from the UK, tourandalucia.co.uk. They use one base for a 7 day tour of the towns you mentioned. We are going with them in May. Just thought you would be interested. Mention the Cohen's if you contact them. Good luck. Bonnie

3 weeks allows for a leisurely exploration of Andalusia ...
1 nt Madrid
4 nts Seville
4 nts Jerez/Arcos/Cadiz
4 nts Ronda/Malaga/Nerja
3 nts Granada
2 nts Jaen/Baez/Ubeda
2 nts Cordoba
1 nt Madrid

Hey Sue Ann,
My wife and I spent 2 weeks in Spain last May-June. I can share my thoughts on the places you listed that we have been to. We did not travel to Cordova so I have nothing to offer for that city. However, we did spend good time in the other places and can offer my insight for what it's worth. I would rank them Grenada, Sevilla, and Ronda. Grenada is a very nice, clean, and historical city. They have the Alhambra which is a must see in Spain, one of the best sights in the country. The reason we personally rank this city above the other two is because we had real great experiences going out for dinner/topas. We had very memorable experiences at certain restaurants that had Flemenco singers and dancers that were all local and open opportunity for those people to showcase their skills. This place has much more to offer than what I've listed but I would stay at least two night here or spend two days. The next place is Sevilla. This place is much bigger than Grenada. You can either stay in the historic downtown portion of the city or across the river. We stayed in the historic downtown portion and loved it. It's a very easy city to get lost in and very confusing to walk unless you know what you are doing. Don't use the maps they give you at the hotels they are terrible. But once you get your bearings, you are good to go. We of course used the Rick Steve's book to get around and visit a lot of sights. The highlights for us for this city was taking the walking tour with Conception. She is one of Rick's guides and has been on his TV show. She is really great and has a great passion for the city and will help with anything you ask. I would do this tour as soon as possible when you arrive to the city. My favorite sights here are the Cathedral and the Alcazar. We also saw a Flemeco show here and Conception gave us great tips on some topas bars that we really enjoyed. I would spend at least two nights here possible three. Ronda is a place we really enjoyed as well. They have the first bull ring in Spain and you can feel that all throughout the city. You can take a tour of the bull ring that we really enjoyed. They have historic artifacts inside and you get to go into the ring and walk through the stands. It's a really great experience. The gorge with the bridge is even more breathtaking that it is on TV and pictures. There is a great walk in the Rick book that takes you down the gorge with many breathtaking views. It's a must do while you are there and a must do in all of Spain. If you stay the night here, I would suggest staying at Hotel EnFrente Arte. They have help your self keg beer and a fridge full of help your self Spanish wine. It serves and great breakfast and the rooms are nice. I hope this helps you. I wish I was going back to Spain again this year or for the first time to these cities again. The people of southern Spain are very proud of their culture and you will feel it while visiting. It's a great experience and I wish you happy travels.

My first trip was 21 days in Andalucia in February 2013. The weather was very pleasant, mostly sunny days. Here is my itinerary. The numbers are nights in each town. I traveled by train except as noted. I am a "slow traveler" and my interests are similar to yours. I don't know more than a few words in Spanish but I did get to talk with a few locals who spoke English well and lots of ex-pats living in the south - mostly Brits.

2 Cordoba. I landed in Madrid (5 hr flight, 1 hour time change) 11 a.m. and got to my hotel at 4 p.m.
4 Seville
5 Jerez (day trip to Cadiz by train, day trip to Arcos by bus), picked up rental car on last morning
3 Ronda (visited a few pueblos blancos on the way, then others as a day trip)
1 Antequera (1/2 day hiking in El Torcal, 1/2 day in Antequera)
4 Granada (returned car on arrival)
2 Madrid

Cordoba was my favorite in the evenings. Quiet streets in the old town. One evening I went to a horse show at the Royal Horse Stables. Seville didn't "grab" me, but I am definitely in the minority. I think it was because I kept getting lost and walking in circles! Jerez wasn't as "atmospheric" as the other towns, but it was a good base. I arrived late on the first day and left early on the last, so I had 2 full days there. I took two bodega tours (Tio Pepe was more fun, Pedro Domecq was more generous with tastings). The show at the Royal Equestrian School was also very good - check the dates, it's not offered every day. I loved Ronda but it was not packed with tourists. Antequera was much nicer than I'd expected. I had 3 full days in Granada and 2 would have been perfect for me. I went to the Alhambra for the evening Palace tour and spent most of the next day there - perfect planning. I had almost 2 full days in Madrid (late flight home) and I enjoyed the Prado (huge, almost entirely paintings) and the Thyssen Bornamisza, and the Palace.

Because it was winter (weather considerations), I chose not to visit Toledo but I think you should try to fit it into your schedule.

I'd allowed nearly 3 weeks in Andalucia, thinking that I'd see it in depth and cross it off my list. After a week, I knew I was hooked and, sure enough, I'm going back for another 1.5 weeks next month - this time adding Toledo and a few days in Barcelona at the end.