Southern Spain in October

It looks like a nice 'different' trip for the time you have. However, as to the comment <<“The extreme heat of summer has diminished and most of the crowds have gone home.”>> the extremes of both should be true, but consider high season in Seville is until Oc 31st and the accommodation prices reflect that. Weather data for the past 2 years show Oct 1 in Seville being in the high 80s. Cooler than this summers 115F. Just sayin'.

David,

As Maria has already mentioned, October is still considered "high season" in Andalucía.

My mom & I visited Andalucía at end of Sept/ mid October ( 2015) & the weather in Córdoba, Sevilla & Granada was still fairly warm. I wore skirts the whole time, and didn't need a jacket till we arrived to
Toledo. We did experience some showers while in Córdoba, though.

I'd suggest booking your Alhambra tickets as soon as your itinerary is finalized.

Have a wonderful trip!

Edited to add...
I usually agree with David's itinerary suggestions, however, I dislike one night stays. Do consider traveling from Madrid to Córdoba & spending a couple of nights there prior to going to Sevilla.

Why did you like Madrid more than Toledo? Toledo is closer to what you'll see in Andalucia; Madrid is completely different.

I'm not overfond of Madrid (love the museums though), so I'd go straight to Cordoba for a couple nights. Cordoba is quieter in the evenings, so it's a good place to explore on foot as the shops start closing down around 7. There are plenty of bars and restaurants open till quite late, so lots of options for food and wine.

There's not much to see or do in Jerez, except the show at the Royal Equestrian School (but only a couple days a week) and sherry bodega tours, if you like sherry. So I'd skip it and either spend 2 nights in Ronda or one night in another hill town on the way . . . Ronda has a fun wine museum (with tastings) that is also a ethnology museum. Stop to see the prehistoric dolmens on the outskirts of Antequera on the way to Granada. If you keep Jerez, you might as well take the train from Sevilla, then rent a car on your way out. One night in Ronda doesn't give you much time to visit hill towns, especially if you want to enjoy some of the sights in Ronda itself.

It sounds like very enjoyable weather at that time of year. Perhaps it will be nice enough to visit a beach and have a 'sun' with a 'do nothing' afternoon. This could be in Nerja, our last day in Spain.

We felt very comfortable in Madrid, stayed very close to Plaza Mayor and really enjoyed it. Did not visit museums, mostly just visited various neighborhoods plus a day trip to Toledo. This is likely the reason Toledo was not a favorite. Barcelona, to us, seemed very much geared toward tourists, something we did not experience in Madrid.

The one night stays are not decided yet and I like the other options provided so far. We do like sherry but would not devote a night in Jerez just for that reason. It might work for us if we decide to stay close to the beach even though Nerja is on our radar. Skipping Jerez and adding the night to Ronda makes geographic sense and minimizes one night stands. I think eliminating nights in Madrid would help with our plans to focus on southern Spain.

Arcos de la Frontera is another town we are looking at. More research tonight (perhaps with a glass of sherry...).

If you enjoy sherry and took a couple bodega tours, then a night in Jerez might be worth it. Not why I'd go there but i did enjoy visiting the bodegas when i lived in Spain (years ago). Since you had both Cordoba and Ronda on your potential itinerary, southeast of Cordoba is Baena and you can take an olive oil tour there. North of Ronda is Setenil de la Bodegas. It's a small town essentially built into a mountain. There are some nice images on google.

If you drop Madrid and Jerez, that gives you 3 nights to play with. I still like the idea of 1-2 nights in Cordoba. Then use one of yur Sevilla days for a day trip to Jerez and Cadiz by train. Cadiz has lots of beach and an interesting historic center, all walking distance from the train station. Then return to Jerez (the trains go through Jerez anyway) for a sherry bodega tour and maybe dinner, then back to Sevilla. I took two tours, Pedro Domenq (they make Harvey's Bristol Creme Sherry as well as "serious" sherries) and Tio Pepe (which is more fun). You could do it in reverse, my thinking is that I'd rather drink sherry after the beach than before it, but there are morning tours.

When you leave Sevilla by car, stop first in Arcos for 3-5 hours (there's an RS self-guided walking tour) and then explore more on the way to Ronda.

Our itinerary is revised based on the comments received so far. Does this look reasonable?

1. Arrive 10:00 at Madrid, train to Cordoba
2. Cordoba
3. Sevilla
4. Sevilla (Cadiz/Jerez day trip)
5. Sevilla
6. Ronda
7. Ronda
8. Granada
9. Granada
10. Nerja
11. Nerja
12. Drop off car and depart Malaga Airport at 12:10

I think that will work well for you. Go for it.
Prioritise booking the Alhambra.

I wouldn't have thought that both Cadiz & Jerez may be possible in a single day, but you could give it a go. Have lunch in Cadiz before heading on to Jerez. Perhaps salt crust baked fish at El Faro.

TRN13030
Dep 08:30 SEVILLA-SANTA JUSTA (Spain)
Arr 10:13 CADIZ (Spain)

TRN13015
Dep 15:40 CADIZ (Spain)
Arr 16:14 JEREZ DE LA FRONTERA (Spain)

TRN13019
Dep 20:15 JEREZ DE LA FRONTERA (Spain)
Arr 21:28 SEVILLA-SANTA JUSTA (Spain)

We are not firm on Cadiz yet, Jerez is a good possibility. We are not trying to over-plan or over-book our time. Jerez seems a comfortable day trip from Seville, 75 minutes each way.

We are in Seville now, this is our second of three nights. The past two days we have explored many neighbourhoods, visited sites, and enjoyed various tapas. The weather is beautiful here, mid-30s during the day with lots of sun.

After reading some additional reviews, we are planning a day trip to Jerez tomorrow. Take the train, explore a little, have lunch, visit a sherry bodega, train back to Seville.

We leave Seville on Friday with a rental car. Our next accommodation is in Ronda. We are considering a stop in Itàlica to satisfy a Game of Thrones fan. We will likely visit a couple of white hill towns over the next few days.

Does our plan sound reasonable?

Thanks

David

Does our plan sound reasonable?

No, your plan sounds positively enviable.
Go ahead, enjoy, have a wonderful time.
Tell us how you go. Cheers.

Sounds wonderful!

A short trip report

We completed the day trip to Jerez from Seville today, very easy with the train ride. Had a lovely walk around the town, stopped for a morning snack and an afternoon snack. Between snacks we enjoyed a great tour of the Sandeman bodega. We met another wonderful person and just the three of us toured and tasted. The tasting portion was extended, with tapas, as we were having such a great time and Lola, our guide, enjoyed teaching us so much. She wanted to ensure we understood the sherry varieties and how to pair them with foods. She wanted us to understand the variety more than the brand in case the particular brand was not available.

Overall a wonderful day so far! Time for another excursion in search of tapas.

FYI: it is quite common so far on our trip (Córdoba, Sevilla, Jerez) to find two wines/beers plus tapas for €3 or €4.

David

Sounds wonderful David. Glad it was a great day.
I wanted to just mention - in case you aren't watching threads, that the pick up of Alhambra vouchers has changed. No Corral de Carbon, but 'maybe' Caixa bank machines. You might need to change them at the main Alhambra gate. They have changed ticket providers (as of Oct 1 with no notice to tourists) and it is still a bit of trial and error. Also carry some sort of official ID as the new info states that you 'may' be asked to provide ID.

If you are in Jerez, a trip down to Cadiz is must. It's Europe's oldest city and just 45 minutes away by car. Head to Casa Manteca, Calle Corralon de los Carros, and get stuck into the tapas. Incredible!