Southern Spain Winter 2025: Itinerary Help

With so little time I would fly into Seville and out of Granada (they normally both connect thru Madrid) or the other way round. Please do not pick a flight with short connection times as MAD is big and slow moving. Cut Malaga and Madrid and add the time to Seville and Granada (I know Madrid is cool and Malaga is a great place to fly in/out of, move too fast see nothing). I like to be in Granada on a weekend as the town is so much fun. So for me the trip would go something like this: 4 nights Seville, 2 nights Cordoba (perhaps see Ronda as a day trip from Cordoba) 3 nights Granada. J

You say small towns are preferred, but none of the places except maybe Ronda is small, or a town. Additionally, they’re not geographically close to each other and you’d spend a lot of time just getting to/from destinations. You have almost as many places to visit as days in the trip.

For Madrid you probably want a minimum of 3 full days if you want to visit the art museums. For anyplace else look at what you’d want to see in each and prioritize which are most important. Just my opinion, but you’re trying to cover too much territory for the time you have. How you prioritize what you want to see should help determine which city to fly in and out of.

The Alhambra is a large complex, not just one building. Many people spend more than half a day there, and it's not the only thing to see in Granada. I'd want at least 1-1/2 days there ro avoid feeling really rushed. However, Granada is at altitude and is likely to be a good bit cooler than the other cities in Andalucia, which might affect how much time you want to allocate there.

Tangier is not one of Morocco's best destinations, and it's not easy to get to. The ferries depart from Spanish cities not normally visited by tourists, so the side trip takes considerably more time than most people imagine. Many cities in Europe have flights to far more Interesting Moroccan destinations like Fes and Marrakech, so it's easy to incorporate some time in Morocco into trips to countries other than Spain. This doesn't have to be the year you see Morocco.

Seville has a lot of nice sights, so I'd rather have three days there than two. I liked Malaga, but with the time you have--and wanting to include Madrid--I'd drop Malaga. I'd also think hard about Ronda. There's more to see and do in Seville, Granada, Cordoba and Madrid. You're cutting painfully into time available for the main destinations in order to see a much more minor town that isn't so convenient to reach since it doesn't have express train service.

I note your husband's preference for small towns. I'm not sure how he's going to feel about this itinerary.

I'll differ with the idea of flying into Sevilla, as TATL flights terminating there are likely to be substantially more expensive than those into Málaga. I personally like your itinerary, though Córdoba didn't appeal to me in the least, and I won't return. Granada I pretty much found to be the Alhambra and nothing much else of interest. But the Alhambra IMO makes visiting Granada essential. My wife loves Cádiz, but I've never visited. You should be aware, though, that except for Ronda all the places you mention are fairly sizeable cities.

I traveled to these places in February, and I needed nothing more than a light jacket in any of them, including Granada.

Thank you! I appreciate your responses. I think we will cut Malaga, Ronda, and Morocco. We will base ourselves in Seville and see Granada and Cordoba, and then spend at least 2 days in Madrid. We like museums, but would rather be out and about this trip except for the Prado. If the weather turns, other museums will be a great option.

If you're thinking of day-tripping from Seville to Granada, I want to really discourage that. The two cities are not close together, and Granada is worth more than a flying visit. Be sure to buy your Alhambra tickets early. It sometimes sells out way ahead of time.

I'm one of many who really like Cordoba, too. It's more than just the Mezquita. However, its proximity to Seville makes it a popular day excursion even though I think spending at least 2 nights there is better. I don't think you have time for that, anyway.

Be sure to buy your Alhambra tickets early. It sometimes sells out way ahead of time.

Just emphasizing this. Very important. A month ahead is not too early.

Thanks for the reminders! I do intend to probably book a guide for the Alhambra. I think it will be worth it to tour with an informed guide. Appreciate the advice!