Driving Andalusian itinerary

When? I've done something similar twice (travelling solo), both times in February I didn't have GPS and I had some trouble finding my way out of Seville and into Cordoba (there was road work and my preplanned route wasn't possible). Other than that, driving was easy and scenic.

First time, I used the train from Seville to Jerez and while based in Jerez did day trips to Cadiz by train and Arco by bus. With a car I spent a leisurely day driving through the hills and stopping in a couple of the pueblos blancos, staying 3 nights in Ronda (I'd rather drive an extra hour or two than change hotels). With 2 full days, I used one to enjoy Ronda and one to explore more of the pueblos blancos. Leaving Ronda, I visited the "Pink Lagoon" (flamingos), stayed overnight in Antequera (also worth a visit). Next day I hiked in El Torcal and arrived in Granada towards evening and returned the rental car. On that trip, I spent about 19 days in Andalusia.

The driving was mostly scenic and easy. The roads are good and in the hills there are frequent pullouts to enjoy the view. There are places to stay in Arcos, Grazalema, Zahara, Olvera, Gaucin, Ronda, and probably others. Some of the towns are tiny, some have very steep, narrow streets that can be challenging to drive. In Arcos, it's recommended to park near the bottom and take the minibus up to the center. On the other hand Ronda's old town center is pretty flat.

How much time you spend depends on you. I would drive to Granada and return the car. You won't want or need the car once you get there.

I am attaching a link to the map service we utilize for driving in Spain
http://www.viamichelin.com/web/Maps?address=Ronda&addressId=31NDEybjYxMDhNell1TnpReWNMVFV1TVRZMk5EZz0=

Absolutely do go to AAA and obtain an IDP ($20) for driving in Spain.

Pick up the car on your last day when leaving Seville.
Drop off the car on your way into Granada.

Use google earth street view to acclimate yourself to any routes you anticipate traveling. This will significantly assist with identifying landmarks associated with anticipating making turns, parking or places you desire to stop and visit.

Safe travels.

Chani's recommendations are spot on.
Two May's ago, my wife and I left Seville early morning, arriving in Arcos late morning. We parked in a lower lot and walked up to Plaza del Cabildo for an early lunch. From Arcos, we followed the main highway (A372) to El Bosque, passing Grazalema on the way to Ronda. That part of the drive was particularly scenic, passing over the mountains and down to Ronda (Ronda sits on a ridge/plateau). We arrived in Ronda late afternoon, and spent two nights there. From Ronda, we drove south to the coast passing through beautiful Marabella, and skirting the Costa del Sol through Malaga, and on to Granada. It made for a beautiful drive (coming down toward the coast from Ronda, you can see the Rock of Gilbraltar) . Drop your car off in Granada. You can walk or cab to Plaza San Nicolas and take bus #31 from Plaza Nueve to the Alhambra. Try to get lodging in Granada as near to Plaza Nueve as possible. That will allow you walk to most of the points of interest in the city.

OK -- thanks everyone. So here's my plan: Rent car in Sevilla, drive to Jerez (the day I can see the horses perform), on to Cadiz and then to Arcos (total driving 2hr 45 min) - spend night in Arcos. Next day after sightseeing Arcos, drive to Bornos, El Bosque, Ubrique, Grazalema (total driving 1hr 38min) spend night in Grazalema. Next day, Zahara, Olvera, Bodega Ronda la Vieja, Setenil, to Ronda. (total driving 2hr 16min). 2 nights in Ronda. Maybe a day trip to Gaucin, Jimena de la Frontera, back to Ronda (round trip 2hr 48min).
After 2 nights Ronda, drive to Antequera, Iznajar, Granada (driving time 3hr 12 min). (I'd like to see Baeza and Ubeda from Granada, but that's another 3hr 22 min roundtrip -- so unless someone tells me they are not to be missed, I'll have to skip them (so many little towns, so little time)). Return car in Granada. Does this sound doable in a somewhat leisurely manner with 4 nights? Any and all comments welcome.

Tuesday - buy the horse show ticket when they go on sale. Even if they don't sell out in advance, the line at the ticket window can be long and slow and they will sell out on the day. Get there as early as you can to see the campus. Before the show, I believe you can see the horses in the paddocks. You might see some nesting storks too. Sunset's around 7.30 so you should have 3-4 hours in Cadiz and still get to Arcos in daylight, though I don't know what it's like to drive/park in Cadiz. For Arcos, I'd leave most of my luggage in the car (out of sight, of course) in the parking lot, and just take an overnight bag up (walk or use the minibus) to the top.

Wednesday-Friday - I don't like changing hotels and I do enjoy driving, so I spend 3 nights in Ronda and used one to see the city itself and one to drive around the pueblos blancos. Caveat: the roads may be crowded during Semana Santa so your plan with less driving may be better. If the weather's good, keep an eye out for turnouts with scenic vistas, they are frequent.

Granada My calculation puts you in Granada on Easter weekend. Do you have a hotel reservation? There is a very special procession on Sunday morning. This means that prices for Saturday night are very high (I thought about going so I checked it out a couple months ago).

Antequera Instead of driving up to the town, see the dolmens instead.

if you haven't come across it yet, check out this website. There's a ton of information on all the Semana Santa celebrations.

Thanks Chani! (you are always helpful)
I will buy the horse show ticket early. I am going to look at my maps and consider your idea of 3 days in Ronda. I too don't really like changing places to sleep. But I do keep a subset of my stuff in the top of my luggage, and it's pretty easy for me to grab it, spend the night somewhere, and continue on to the next place without spending a lot of time moving. I do know it's Santa Semana, booked Seville hotel (for Palm Sunday days) and Granada hotel (for Easter, etc.), so I'm set for that. Antequera - didn't know about the Dolmens, and I love megalithic places. Thank you especially for that!
Theresa