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Sevilla and Grnada for 4 weeks in March 2018; itinerary ideas on how best to spend time

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Really would appreciate itinerary ideas on how best to use this time effectively; prefer to have a couple of central locations (if possible) to stay then radiate form those spots via car to the various sites in the Sevilla and Granada area (as well as a quick trip to Tangiers)

Obviously at this time of year wont be doing any beach lounging , we prefer to explore quaint areas and see history

We are also planning on spending 2-3 days in Seville for sure (without a car) but do want to spend bulk of time in more of the smaller towns and villages
Top sites we want to see are Alhambra; Chorro Gorge; White Hill Towns, Nerja etc ( we have Rick Steeves Spain travel book and follow his advice meticulously

Any further advice on two cities and /towns to use as central places would be greatly appreciated as well as additional must see sights etc

thanks

Posted by
27198 posts

With 4 weeks you certainly have time for Cordoba and Ronda. Although I don't know what conditions will be like in March, I am intrigued by the idea of Ubeda and Baeza, which are sort of off the tourist circuit and located north of Granada/east of Cordoba. I haven't been to that area, but I love getting to places that aren't full of other tourists.

I haven't been to Andalucía for decades and really have no idea what cities/towns might be the most practical bases for you, especially since you'll have a car. Distances are not particularly short, so I'd probably be looking for at least 4 bases during the trip. As you begin to sketch out your itinerary, you can check estimated driving times on ViaMichelin.

I think Tangier is going to be a bit awkward to get to and will require at least one night away from just about any place you might reasonably choose as a base. Morocco is wonderful; I wish you felt you had time to go beyond Tangier. Going only to Tangier is a bit like visiting Mexico and only going to Tijuana.

Posted by
15593 posts

The last week of March is Semana Santa. The first thing you need to do is decide if you want to be part of it or avoid it. I was in Andalucia last year for Semana Santa and posted some of my impressions and experiences (try the search function).

Over the past 4-5 years, I've spent around 7 weeks in Andalucia. It's big. There are no real central locations to use as a base to explore "the area." Ronda was a satisfactory base to explore the pueblos blancos for 3-4 nights. I wouldn't recommend more time than that unless you are avid hikers. You can visit Cordoba as a day trip from Sevilla, but it is worth 2-3 nights to explore and enjoy. It is much quieter and a heck of a lot more charming in the evenings than bustling Sevilla. Jerez was a good base for me to visit Cadiz by train and Arcos by bus, and it has a couple of interesting sights, a wonderful horse show at the Royal Equestrian School and several sherry bodegas that you can tour, with tastings. I would add both Malaga and Toledo to the list if you want smaller towns and history. I used a car only to explore the hill towns, once from Jerez to Granada, once on a loop from Sevilla to Cordoba.

I considered visiting Morocco when I planned my first trip to Andalucia. I nixed it because I gathered that Tangiers is to Morocco what Tijuana (or Juarez) is to Mexico. And it's really a schlep to get there. The places I really wanted to see were Marrakesh and Fes and that would have taken at least 5 days (out of 23). I'm saving that for a real trip to Morocco, one of these days.

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