My husband and I are taking a trip to Europe in the fall. We are spending 7 days between London and Paris, and then 5 days in southern Spain. Since it's going to be an action-packed vacation, we are deciding between spending those 5 days driving from Granada to Cordoba to Sevilla, or spending 5 days on a beach in Malaga and making a day trip to Granada. Opinions?
Posted by
Pensacola
9110 posts
See the cities. There are beaches everywhere that you can get to a lot cheaper.
Posted by
Ottawa, Canada
4555 posts
Agree with Ed....
Posted by
Santa Rosa, California, USA
28 posts
Just the Alhambra in Granada outshines all the beaches on the Costa del Sol conbibed. Throw in Seville and Cordoba and you have a grand slam. I found reading Michner's Iberia added greatly to my understanding and appreciation of these Spanish cities with their strong Moorish heritage.
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA ☔️
6790 posts
Don't waste your time on the beach. You want a nice beach? Go to Cancun (or Padre island).
The cities of southern Spain are among the greatest things to see in Europe. It would be a crime to skip them and instead sit on a beach.
Posted by
santa rosa, california, usa
35 posts
We are going to Seville, Granada, Cordoba and Toledo in May '10. I have been researching the Andalusian area and am so excited to see the Moorish architecture, little streets,gardens in those towns. We will use Seville as a base and a rest day and take train to Cordoba and maybe Cadiz or Jerez de la Frontera for some day trips- no hassle like with a car. We may drive from Seville through the white hill towns on our way to Granada for 2 nights and a full day at the Alhambra.I have heard it is a great place to see at night, tho it is out of the way from the other sites. I have not seen any pictures of a Malaga beach that seem to compare to these Andalusian beauties, just my thoughts about it.
Posted by
SF Bay Area, CA, USA
508 posts
Agree with everyone else... I would much rather drive from Granada to Sevilla than to go to the Costa del Sol.
We also did a stop in Ronda in between Granada and Sevilla. Personally, I enjoyed Ronda much more than Cordoba but I do have to say the Mezquita in Cordoba was amazing.