Trip Valencia and Andalucia, where to stop?

Hi,
Have you been to Spain before? Do you have to stop and start in Valencia?
Asking because the area between Valencia and Andalucia has some highlights for sure, but I find the density of "top sights" to be lower than in many parts of Spain. For instance, you could skip Alicante and Cartagena with few regrets.

I’ll assume you have not been to that part of Spain. If you spent 2 nights in each Valencia, Granada, Córdoba, and three nights in Sevilla, that only leaves a couple free nights. Since you start and end in Valencia that realistically leaves only one free night. To me, Cartagena and Murcia city are worth a few hours visit each, at most. I preferred Almería with its Alcazaba over Murcia city, but you could fit it in if you stayed at Cabo de Gata. I haven’t spent any time in Alicante. The one place I’d drop from your list is Marbella. It would be out of the way from the route you’d take from Malaga up to either Sevilla or Córdoba. Since you will have a car, once you get an idea of your stops and route, check for things to see in some of the smaller towns along it. I appreciate that you will be visiting that part of Spain since it is not part of the normal tourist circuit. Remember that if visiting either before or after the tourist season, many beach towns like Cabo de Gata essentially shut down with many hotels and restaurants closed.

When do you plan to take this trip? Andalucia is often brutally hot in the summer. If you're traveling at that time of year, that might argue for focusing on coastal towns and Granada (which has some elevation and thus is likely to be not as miserable as Seville).

If not for weather issues, I'd say Seville, Cordoba and Granada are the most important stops. I'd rank Malaga and Valencia next. The others didn't make my cut when I spent over a month in Andalucia in 2019 and headed north, so I obviously can't claim to be speaking from experience where they are concerned. However, I did a great deal of guidebook reading.

I'm unclear on exactly how much time you have, because I wouldn't ever count 10 nights as 11 days. Are you flying to Valencia after a transatlantic flight? If so, your arrival day may be lost to jetlag, and you shouldn't plan to hop in a car and drive a long distance that day. What happens on the last day? Are you taking a cruise or flying home? What is your departure time? I'd count this as more like a 9-day trip.

To me Seville calls for 4 nights because it's large and has a lot to do; a 3-night stay would be rushed. I'd certainly not drive all the way there for fewer than 3 nights. Granada and Cordoba benefit from 3 nights in my experience, but people have done them in less time. As already noted, you probably need to be back in Valencia on your last night.

There are other interesting places in the area, including Cuenca/Albarracin/Teruel northwest of Valencia. I'd consider that loop (basically impossible without a car) if you're traveling in the summer and decide not to risk the hottest destinations like Seville.

I am not a beach person, so you must take that into account (in a big way), but with all the cultural riches in Andalucia and the limited time you have available, I would spend no more time on beaches that necessary to cool off in the water--unless you're a northern European or Canadian desperate for sun, that is.

I'm not sure I understand 11 days and 10 nights. In my mind, that would only work if you arrive early on Day 1 and leave late on Day 11. Are you taking into account the time to get from airplane (?) to hotel and from hotel to airplane? Will you be jetlagged on Day 1?

No Jetlag, arriving early in the morning and leaving in the evening. Obviously, you can call it 10.5 days.

Thanks to all the people that helped and gave insights about possible destinations and path! It is really appreciated and we work around it to find something manageable.