Need suggestions for two weeks in Andalucia in March 2024

Fly GRX to MAD.
Avoids modal transfers.

Looks like you’ve for a good plan in the making.

I’d give Sevilla another night—Granada should be ok with three nights.

Can you change your flights to connect into Sevilla? (At the cost of the Prado visit…) I’d say the same about the GRX departure—flying makes sense, but I hate separating tickets in the same day (especially if you have luggage to check, claim, recheck…)

Your itinerary is pretty much the same as the one we used a few years ago. It was a great trip. A little tweaking, maybe. I would suggest adding a day to Sevilla. It is a large, beautiful city with lots to see. You have a lot of time in Grazelema. Sounds like you enjoy hiking, so I’m sure you will find activity to fill your time. Two villages you do not mention that I found really interesting were Zahara and Sentenil.

Make sure to book Alcazar and Alhambra tickets in advance.

Where you fly in and out of really depends on your departure city and possibly, cost. We flew in and out of Madrid. I like to stay in the city I’m departing from the night before. Perhaps fly into Madrid and then immediately go to Cordoba. Then, end with one or two nights in Madrid to see the museum(s). I would do train from Granada to Madrid.

We loved Andalusia. You will enjoy your trip.

I'm in agreement with the above advice.
Day 1 - worst time to visit the Prado. It's huge so seeing it on your arrival day or even the next day, you may not be clear-headed and awake enough to enjoy all its wonderful paintings. Going right to Cordoba makes the most efficient use of your time. Spend your last days in Madrid at the Prado and maybe also the Thyssen (mostly 19th c. art). Get settle in Cordoba, wander a bit in the Juderia and get a good night's sleep.

I wonder if spending 4 nights in the white hill towns is a good use of time, especially in a small village which may not offer much in the way of restaurants, shops for picnic meals, or evening diversions. (cafes, sights - sunset's around 7.30). I've taken a car twice to tootle around the area and both times I based in Ronda. It does take some 10 minutes or so to drive from the center to the highway, but it has lovely views - especially at sunset - and a variety of eateries, usually one or two Spanish guitar solo performances several times a week, and enough sights to fill one day at least. There's also a hike down to the gorge for good views of the bridge. The only hiking I did was in El Torcal near Antequera on the way to Granada. You may also want to stop at the 'pink lagoon' to see the flamingos. If it's not a Monday, you can also visit the prehistoric dolmens just outside Antequera. Admittedly I'm not much of a hiker (long walks are fine, difficult terrain - not so much). I loved driving through the hills and enjoying the views - there are numerous pullouts to take in the beauty and get a few photos too. I found it easy to drive the roads (mostly 2-lane) through the hills but a few of the village streets are very steep narrow with blind corners and frankly, not that interesting.

I'm also of the opinion that 2 full days in Granada is enough - especially considering how little time you'll have in Sevilla, Cordoba and even Madrid.

Lastly, Semana Santa is the last week in March and is the biggest holiday period of the year in Andalusia. If you plan to visit then, expect high season prices and extreme crowds. It's a wonderful experience if you embrace it.

As an alternative to your time in Sierra de Grazalema, I can highly recommend a stay at Casa Olea, a guesthouse between Cordoba and Granada. Wonderful hosts, wonderful food. Lots of things to explore. Maybe better suited to couples rather than families, but worth a look.

I would probably take the train from Sevilla to Cordoba, pick up the car and then travel to the countryside. Return the car back in Cordoba. Then spend time there and onward to Granada by bus or train.

If you don’t plan on spending a night there, you may want to visit Arcos de la Frontera en route to Grazalema. It is west of Grazalema and not near the other towns you mentioned. That would save an hour drive each way to get to it from Grazalema. In addition to the few towns you mentioned there are Zahara de la Sierra, Ubrique, and Sentenil de la Bodegas. Jules m didn’t give the towns’ full names, so I mentioned them in case there was any confusion. Each is worth a short visit.

The road between Grazalema and Zahara de la Sierra has plenty of twists and turns, so while the distance is short it will take about 30 minutes. Driving in that rural area will generally be at speeds of no more than 70kph (42mph). The white towns have few, if any, must see sights, and some are best seen from a distance when you can see the whiteness of the buildings contrasting against the countryside.

I agree that a night could be taken from Granada and used elsewhere.

We loved staying in Grazelema. It is more central to most of the white villages. Yes, it’s smaller and there are fewer restaurants. There were actually more locals out and about than tourists. Ronda is gorgeous, but not central. We were there on a lovely, sunny day. Apparently it had rained recently. The paths down into the gorge looked very hikeable, but all the paths down were closed off. I don’t know how often this happens but it certainly impacted our enjoyment of the city.

I very much agree with leaving Sevilla in the morning and stopping in Arcos on the way to Grazelema/Ronda/wherever you plan to stay.

We absolutely loved Cordoba. Maybe I hadn’t done enough research but we were surprised by how much there is to do there. Just wandering around the Jewish area was delightful. I feel like you may want 3 nights there given you will be a bit fatigued/jet lagged.

I understand you are hikers and enjoy nature, but agree with the others that perhaps your day allocation is a bit heavy on the white villages. Still, I understand why you have your preferences.