January travels in southern Spain

Are you prepared to rent a car for part of your trip? That might affect the advice you receive.

If you want to see Morocco, I urge you to fly to Fes or Marrakech and see some of the country's best destinations. Don't just hop on a ferry to Tangier--not a particularly good destination. A month is a generous vacation in general, but I bet you won't have time left over after you stop in London, Paris and Avignon and then see Andalucia, so I'm happy to say there are non-stop flights to places like Fes and Marrakech from many cities in Europe. You don't have to make this trip the one for seeing Morocco; it can be added to a future trip elsewhere in Europe when you'll perhaps have more time.

Rick's guide to Spain doesn't cover all the worthwhile destinations in Andalucia. He provides a great deal of useful detail but is quite selective in the places he covers. Visit your local library or buy online at least one more-comprehensive guidebook like Rough or Lonely Planet. While I think nearly everyone would agree Seville, Cordoba and Granada are the top destinations in Andalucia, there is much more. I don't remember exactly what Rick covers in the guide to Spain beyond those three, Ronda and the white villages west of Ronda. Be sure you read about these additional places and consider whether you'd enjoy them:

Ubeda and Baeza (Renaissance cities very different from the big three)
Malaga
Cadiz

There are some nice side-trip options from the major cities if you don't want to change hotels too often. These are just the examples I've visited; there are many others.

Carmona from Seville
Vejer de la Frontera from Cadiz
Priego de Cordoba from Granada

Thanks, Acraven.

Appreciate all the good tips.
Will likely take the Rick Steves advice and fly from Barcelona to Granada and will look to rent a car there.
If anyone has tips for renting a car in Granada would be appreciated
Will also looks for flights from there to Morocco.
I am planning to be in Spain for a full month.
John

If you don't find handy flights from Granada, take a look at Seville.

In case you are not aware, the layout of the express rail lines in Spain is such that you can visit Cordoba, Seville and Granada in any order, connecting Seville and Granada by train (usually through Cordoba), by bus or by rental car.

If you haven't already bought your transatlantic airline ticket, you may be able to utilize just a one-way flight from Spain to Morocco, rather than a round-trip, by positioning Morocco last on the itinerary; Air Maroc flies from Casablanca back to the US.

Hello.
Appreciate all the good ideas.
Will take the suggestion to rent a car, with pick up in Granada and drop off in Seville.
This will allow me to better explore the area.
I can get a flight from Seville to Marrakesh and then a flight from Seville to Portugal.
Lisbon to Miami is shortest flight and will fly back to Toronto after a few days in Southern Florida.
John

Thanks for the suggestions, Felix.
I plan on being a Seville for a week so I will include Cordoba as a day trip.
I have found great success with the Rick Steves Walking Tours in each city i visit.
Might try the audio version this year but part of the fun of using the book is the number of fellow travelers who stop to comment on it.
John

I will also add, even though I like Rick Steves, please do not rely only on his advice and his guidebook. As acraven says, he is selective in the places he recommends, and not only for Spain, but other countries as well such as Croatia. I highly recommend Lonely Planet, Rough Guides, and Michelin Green Guides.

If you have the time, Malaga is a wonderful destination with lots to see and do. It has a lovely pedestrianized center with marble streets, gorgeous architecture, and lots of cafes and restaurants. Sightseeing includes the Alcazaba, Castilo, many art museums, Atarazanas market, awesome cathedral, and a lovely seaside promenade.

If you have the time, I would spend a night or two in Cordoba. The Juderia is wonderful for exploring with narrow lanes, white-washed walls and patios. In addition to the amazing Mezquita, there is the Alcazar, Palacio de Viana, Roman Bridge, and Mercado Victoria if you like markets. I think you get a better feel for a place by staying overnight instead of a quick in and out daytrip.

So, do you have a month in Southern Spain, or is that the total amount for your entire trip?

thank you again, Felix.

I am renting a car in Granada to drop off a week later in Seville so I plan to tour the coast including Malaga, the White Hill Towns and Tarifa before I head north to Seville. After 10 days in Barcelona, I will spend another 3 weeks in Spain, then 10 days in the Algarve before I fly back from Lisbon.