We are considering going in October, but no nothing about these places besides what I’m reading on the internet. I think we want to forego a big city this time, and these 3 places look close by each other.
The Alhambra in Granada was my favorite memory from Spain.
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I have been to all three, albeit in the early 1990s. Granada and Seville had a strong Moorish influence and were charming. Malaga was a retirement and vacation destination for many from the UK. When I was there, the city was filled with pubs serving Guiness.
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Granada and Seville are both lovely, but the Alhambra is more stunning. And Granada is a somewhat smaller city. Malaga is more of a beach holiday place, popular with British expats, I’m not sure how much there is to do unless you want to either lie on a beach or get out of town and head for the mountains (Ronda and the Sierra Nevada national park). Ronda is supposed to be spectacular and might be an alternative place to stay (if you have a car).
If you aren’t planning to drive and just want to base yourself somewhere then I’d suggest Cordoba, as its an easy day trip by train to both Seville and Granada. And I think the Mezquita in Cordoba is great. You could fly into Madrid and take the high speed train from there.
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Thanks all. We don’t necessarily need to base somewhere, I’d rather stay in 2 places, maybe 3 to get the evening flavor too. We were thinking Malaga for the beach, but I’m not a beach bum. There is a lovely 5 star resort right there. I like relaxing at the beach after a fun day of doing other things. If there is not much to do there, then maybe we rethink it.
As far as Seville, Córdoba…I’m thinking there is alot to do? More so in Granada? Maybe we just spend a couple nights in Malaga? DH did ask me last night…what is there to do in Seville and of course I couldn’t answer other than I’d read or was a nice place.
We recently completed a trip to Sevilla, Cordoba, Granada, and Barcelona.
You don’t need a car and in fact a car is a liability with some of the very small streets. We flew into Madrid and took the high speed train to Sevilla. We weren’t interested in Madrid but I might have spent a day in nearby Toledo if we had the time. We took trains to each city even doing just a day trip to the Alhambra in Granada (which is doable but tight).
One thing to keep in mind. Holy Week (Semana Santa) between Palm Sunday and Easter is a VERY big deal in Andalusia. The cities shut down and have massive parades at some point each day. It’s solemn but spectacular if you are going to see the pageantry specifically, but if you aren’t prepared then that is NOT the week to go.
Sevilla is a much larger city than Cordoba. Within Sevilla you can spend a few days just walking, going to landmarks and eating. The Real Alcazar, Cathderal and Giralda tower are great and very close together in the old city. The Maria Luisa park and Plaza de Espana are nearby. The Setas de Sevilla sculpture is fun. Outside of Sevilla are ruins of the Roman city of Italica. Both Italica and the Real Alcazar were used as settings in Game of Thrones btw.
Cordoba is small but the Mezquita (mosque) is incredible and a must see. The central square is fun for food/drink (Plaza de la Corredera). The Jewish quarter has a ton of history. A lot of restaurants along the river.
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The main sights in Seville are the Alcazar (royal palace) and the Cathedral. Both are just about doable in a day if its not too hot, they are fairly close together.
I wouldn’t say Granada has more to see - its really about the Alhambra, which is most of a day if you explore the gardens too. Cordoba is just the Mezquita (half a day).
But those are just the key sights. Its also nice to wander and eat tapas etc.
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A good chunk of Spain is a desert. My D1 studied abroad one Summer in Spain. She was based in Gijon for most of the time. City on the north coast. Great weather. You could do that and Bilbao. There is a Guggenheim in Bilbao. Outside of the big cities in Spain things are very cheap.
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Our favorite tapas in Sevilla
La Bartola
Calle de San José, 24, 41004 Seville, Sevilla
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I’d probably skip Malaga. Agree with previous comments. There are many other places to see in Spain. Cádiz looks interesting if the coast is desired. 11 Hidden Gems in Spain: The Best Secret Spots • Adventures of Alice
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We were in Seville a few years ago at the end of a trip to Portugal and we all loved it - even though it was hot as blazes (early July). I felt like there was plenty to see (Real Alcazar, bullfighting ring, cathedral etc.) and the food was great and extremely reasonable. We rented a very nice, centrally located apartment and that was also very reasonable. We ditched our rental car before we got to Seville - it was totally unnecessary.
My colleagues in Europe prefer Alicante for the beach.
Agree that the Alhambra and mezquita in Cordoba are must sees. I liked Cadiz as a small city more than some of the other cities but wouldn’t skip the Alhambra or mezquita.
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I was there last summer and rented a car which worked out well - just had to be sure hotels booked had parking available. Highly recommend adding Ronda to your itinerary - absolutely gorgeous! We did a tapas tour in Seville which was excellent: https://www.spainfoodsherpas.com/?utm_source=my_business&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=homepage#Seville
Also Cordoba mosque cathedral is a must and the town is very cute.
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We’re going to Spain in April. Our plan is to be in Seville, have about half a day in Cordoba and a full day in Granada. Then we’ve signed up for a hike that takes us to Sierra de Grazalema and Ronda. Ronda looks spectacular.
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We were in Seville and Granada this past summer as part of a three week vacation to Spain and Portugal. Granada was my very favorite spot of the entire trip. Not just Granada proper but the area around the city has wonderful hiking. Aside from taking a full day exploring the Alhambra, just walking around the old part of the city, and up to the Sacromonte caves was fabulous. I would also highly recommend hiking in nearby Monachil.
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Love Seville. Can base there and also visit the white villages of andulucia. We went dune buggying under the iconic bridge in Ronda, highly recommend
Yes, agree. Love Ronda. And we rented a car and drove all over the area with no problems
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My daughter and I visted all 3 cities (and others) just prior to covid. Wonderful trip, enjoyed it very much. We were on a group tour so we didn’t plan our own adventure, but lovely cities to explore.
The alhambra is mind blowing. That alone is worth a trip. I’d love to go back and take my husband.
I agree with the many great suggestions here. Particularly loved the Alhambra and the food in Seville. My brother used to live in Spain so we’ve been several times, although it has now been almost 10 years since my last visit. I started this post specifically to suggest Ronda then noticed it has now been mentioned . If you have time, it is worth visiting the bullfighting ring, whether or not there is an event that day.
I wasn’t personally a big fan of the beach area of Malaga (or Benidorm) because it was so overrun with British tourists (not a reflection of Brits; it was just too touristy and didn’t feel like Spain). Other one-offs we tried were a visit to Gibraltar to see the Barbary macaques and a day trip on the ferry to Morocco. I’ve heard the ferry schedule has been reduced significantly so that may no longer be an option.
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