Spain Honeymoon Itinerary Help

Just a few comments: First, if you are flying into and home through Madrid, you might want to save sightseeing in that city until the end of your trip. Typical overseas flights from the US arrive in the morning before you can check into your hotel, so why not go by train to another city? It also saves that last night check in to a hotel.

I think you're trying to see too many cities in too short a time. Seven cities in 10 days means you'll spend more time getting to destinations than you'll have time to enjoy them. I'd suggest staying in Cordoba (2 nights), Seville (2-3 nights), Madrid with day trips to Toledo and possibly Segovia.

You don't mention whether you're thinking of using public transportation or renting a car but these destinations are easily reached by train. The other comment is that southern Spain is very hot and very sunny in summer.

https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/spain/itinerary

Suggest you read Rick's take! Congratulations by the way!

All the places you suggest visiting are great! Madrid is the most in terms of "hustle and bustle". Nerja is a good slow down place-- but travel time there is a bit more. High speed trains in Spain are a delight for most routes-- but make sure your choices connect or consider buses or rental cars for certain destinations.

Our personal favorite of your choices was Seville-- but really you can't go wrong. I don't know your timing but be mindful that southern Spain can get really hot-- July in Seville for example is not as fun as other times. See : https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/spain/best-time-to-go-to-spain

Have a great trip and again congratulations!

No Barcelona? no Catalonia?.... tsk! tsk! :)))

Let me try to 'alter' your itinerary: https://www.catalunya.com/en

I think you are trying to do too much in too little time, especially if you want some "relaxation" built in there. 1-2 nights in 4-5 different places is a lot, and burns a ton of time just changing locations. I also think you are not factoring in travel time., whether driving or using trains (if driving, be sure to factor in time and cost of parking - it's not easy). A "day trip" to Toledo from Madrid could take half a day, or an entire day, depending on where you are staying in Madrid and how you plan to get there. "Making your way back to Madrid" from Seville on day 9 - this is 5-6 hours by car, 3 hours by train.

Days 2-4 must be a typo, there is no way you are staying Madrid and day-tripping to Nerja. Do you mean to stay in Granada? It's 2 hours to Nerja on the train. Granada is a cute town, why not just spend another day there?

First, congrats! Know this is always the hardest part of travel planning--choosing what to cut when it all looks so good. So take heart that all who rip up your plan are doing it with the best of intentions, and it will be an amazing experience no matter what (provided you don't overdo it and just see trains and buses).
Are you counting in nights? That helps make a plan clear, as a full day is easier to visualize versus a partial day, especially when considering long day trips.
1) Summer in Andalucia is scorching -- just making sure first that you are okay with that (I am from the south but even I admit it can be a lot). Many who have been would go to the north in summer, including me.
2) Madrid is the most common place to fly to (often at good fares), so you are likely to be going there again. Don't hesitate to give it short shrift. I recommend you depart on arrival (high speed train to Cordoba or Sevilla) and return for the last night or two only.
3) Try to limit it to three places max--hence my suggestion to just do the last night in Madrid. Cordoba, Sevilla, and Granada are the big deal places. Ronda is a magical place set in a gorge, great hiking in the area. I would pick three places and do three nights in two and two nights in one. So, you've got some hard decisions to make, but remember seeing one place well beats seeing four places poorly every time!
4) Spend some time on the Renfe site and googling bus schedules to see what your transfers and day trips cost in time.

Thank you all so much for your insights. This has been truly helpful. I do live in a very hot location, but I am used to this humid heat. I am not sure if I would fare well in Spain's heat, lol....

Be sure to book places with ac, and plan accordingly (for me that means naps and staying out late).
When you say next summer, do you mean 2024 or 2025?

Can you re-write your itinerary listing the number of nights in each city?

I took a day trip to Toledo but I spent 2 nights in Cordoba, but I took a day trip from Cordoba; without the day trip to Castillo de Almodovar del Rio, maybe I could have been ok with just one night in Cordoba. Cordoba needs a night not a daytrip.

In Toledo I made the mistake of going to the army museum for the hour before they close. The place needs about 3 hours to see properly. Toledo probably deserves a night too. Or just pick carefully what you want to see and what you are willing to skip.

I spent 4 nights/3 days in Seville. The cathedral requires advance tickets.

Take the train to Seville the day your plane arrives, 3 or 4 nights in Seville, bus or train to Granada but you don't have time for the Alhambra the day you arrive; you could squeeze in Granada with one night there leaving the evening after the Alhambra of or after the Alhambra, give yourself time to sit on a bench and eat in a non-rushed manner and then the paths through the hills by the Alhambra and spend a 2nd night in Granada; a night in Cordoba, The rest of your nights in Madrid. You are trying to cram in too much in only 10 days. Granada may require a 3rd night if you want a day trip to Nerja. It may have ancient tombs or structures that remind me of something at Mycenae in Greece - I didn't make time for Nerja. When I was there, they let me eat in the Alhambra on a bench by the entrance but not further inside.