Are you preparing your next tour in Andalusia and looking for a good itinerary for a 7-day road trip around the most beautiful sites in Andalusia? Here is the circuit of the trip that I made in May 2018 which allowed me to visit the South of Spain by car following a loop route starting from Granada.
In this article, I explain to you how I organized this 7-day road trip in Andalusia and provide you with my detailed itinerary as well as the Google map that you can follow in GPS mode.
When to go to Andalusia?
I would have liked to program my road trip in Andalusia for Holy Week (generally in April according to the Catholic calendar) and thus be able to attend processions and other festivities which take place exclusively during the Easter period. I think for those who don't mind crowds, this is probably the best time to soak up the culture and religious identity of Andalusia.
For my part, it was in May that I was able to combine bridges and RTTs to do this 1-week road trip in Andalusia.
I have to say, May was a perfect month for sightseeing without the crowds and soaking up the sun without being stifled in the heat! The temperatures have always been very pleasant.
How long to visit Andalusia?
If you want to discover the must-see attractions of Andalusia, the most beautiful tourist sites and small white villages, a 7-day tour is entirely feasible. That's what I did but it's a minimum. The itinerary proposed to you below is very well suited for a 1-week road trip in Andalusia but not in vacation mode and therefore without being able to spend time relaxing...
On the other hand, if you are lucky enough to have a few more days, this tour will be even more pleasant because you will have more time on site to enjoy the sites and why not add a little seaside stay!
This itinerary is therefore a base that you can adapt to the number of days you have available. It's a circuit 7 days but completely customizable for a 10-day, 12-day or 15-day road trip for the lucky ones!
Andalusia road trip – Where to rent your car?
As with hotels, I prefer to book my car in advance on the Internet and in general, I go through booking. And, so far, I've never had a problem. For this road trip, I booked a Ford Fiesta at Europcar via the Booking platform. I picked up the car at Granada airport and returned it to the same airport 7 days later.
The cost amounted to 127 Euros + €71,60 insurance for the week. I paid the entire amount directly to Booking (so no worries on site about supplements or other well-known scams).
Which itinerary for a 7-day road trip in Andalusia?
To define the itinerary for my tour in Andalusia, I first looked for the essential stops in the South of Spain and then I had to organize them to make a loop tour departing from Granada that was feasible (and pleasant) in 1 week.
Here are the must-see sites in Andalusia and the program of my itinerary:
- 1 Day:
- Grenade
- Jaén
- Cordoba
- 2 Day: Seville
- Day 3: Morning in Seville and afternoon in Cádiz
- Day 4: The white villages of Andalusia (Medina-Sidonia – Arcos de la Frontera – Ubrique – Grazalema
- Day 5: Ronda
- Day 6: Granada
- Day 7: Return to airport or return by car
7-day itinerary map in Andalusia
By clicking in the map on "more options" you can follow the route in GPS mode.
Arrival in Granada on Tuesday 1er May at 17 p.m., I first picked up the car from Europcar and then headed to the hotel for the first night in Granada. I had chosen a cheap hotel (Hotel Marinetto) very close to the airport (500 m) because the next day, I had planned to start my tour without visiting Granada on the 1st day. It was therefore unnecessary to waste time going to the city center and pay for a more expensive hotel…
In fact, I wanted to "save the best for last" and therefore Granada and its Alhambra for the last day of my tour.
Here is how the 7 days of my tour in Andalusia were organized.
Jaén - Cordoba - Day 1
It is therefore very early in the morning that we take the road to Cordoba. We quickly stop at Alcalá la Real (Fortress of La Mota) and Jaén (Cathedral) to get to Cordoba late morning.
Visit of the Jewish quarter of Cordoba (the Juderia), the historic center, the famous Mezquita of Cordoba, the Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos, the Royal Stables and the Roman Bridge.
Night in Cordoba at the hotel Palace of the Corregidor.
Cordoba - Seville - Day 2
Early departure from Cordoba for the journey to Seville (almost 2 hours drive).
We had a wonderful day which was not enough for us to visit all of the city's must-sees. However, we were still able to appreciate:
- Its Cathedral and the Giralda
- The Alcazar and its magnificent gardens
- The casa of Pilatos
- The Palacio de la Condesa de Lebrija
- The Palacio de las Dueñas
How lucky, without knowing it, we came across the Sevilla's fair they also call the April Fair. Very weird because it was May 3rd!
It's a colorful party with flamboyant costumes, parades, music… The Sevillians sing, drink, eat, dance… It was a real pleasure to discover this traditional festival by chance.
Overnight in Seville at thehotels Don Pedro Palace House.
Seville - Cadiz - Day 3
Today we devote the morning following the visits to Seville (El Arenal, the Archiepiscopal Palace) and take the road to Cadiz, 1 hours away.
Quick tour of the city of Cadiz (Cathedral, Falla Theater, Spanish Steps, Apodaca promenade) to enjoy a bit of Caleta beach accessible from the historic center.
Overnight in Cadiz at theSouth Patagonia Hotel.
The white villages of Andalusia - Day 4
From Cadiz, we leave very early for the most beautiful villages in southern Spain.
But it is difficult to choose which white villages to visit in the province of Cadiz. Indeed, they are numerous and all more beautiful than the others.
It was after having been on travel forums, blogs and according to my timing that I selected 5 white villages among the most beautiful in Spain that we will visit in 2 days:
- Medina-Sidonia (today)
- Arcos de la Frontera (today)
- Ubrique (tomorrow)
- Grazalema (tomorrow)
- Ronda (tomorrow)
Overnight in Arcos de la Frontera Hotel Posada de las Cuevas.
Ronda – Day 5
Continuation of our circuit around the white villages with the best for the end: Ronda and its exceptional panoramas.
Overnight in Ronda at theHotel Andalucia.
Ronda - Granada - Day 6
It's not easy to leave this beautiful region, these superb “pueblos blancos” and these adorable people… but our tour takes us this morning to Grenade (almost 2h30 drive).
I had booked my tickets for the Alhambra (1 month in advance) for a visit on May 8 at 10:30 am so for the last day of the road trip.
So, as soon as we arrived, we organized our day around visiting the city:
- Carmen de los Martires
- The Albaicin (most old quarter of Granada)
- Cathedral
- La Capilla Real (Royal Chapel)
- Cartuja monastery
Overnight in Granada at the hotel Carlos V
Granada - Day 7
Today, the last day of our road trip in Andalusia, we will visit theAlhambra (tickets for 10:30 am at the Nasrids) and the Generalife. We knew that the visiting rules are strict (no backpack, no more than half an hour at the Nasrid Palaces…) so we went there for 9:30 am.
The complete visit takes a good 4 hours and is simply magnificent if we manage to support the crowd of tourists who are there like us to admire a magnificent work…
Andalusia road trip - Hotels in my tour
I have no difficulty in finding and booking inexpensive hotels in advance for the stages of my road trip in May. I do know, however, that during Holy Week, it's more complicated ...
That said, whatever period you choose for your Andalusia tour, I advise you to book your hotels as soon as you have fixed the dates and itinerary for your road trip.
This is how you access the largest offer and the best plans. In fact, if you do it at the last moment, the risk is that the good, best placed and cheapest hotels are already full… You will have a smaller offer left.
To select my hotels, I favored certain criteria such as a very good location, cleanliness, the presence of parking and wifi. It was my basic criteria, but for the majority, I could see that they had even more advantages like the swimming pool,…
- Grenade : Hotel Marinetto - 43 € per night with breakfasts
- Cordoba: Hotel Palacio del Corregidor - 36 € per night without breakfast
- Seville: Hotel Don Pedro Palace House - 80 € per night + 20 € parking outside the hotel
- Cadiz : South Patagonia Hotel - 83 € per night with breakfasts
- Arcos de la Frontera : Hotel Posada de las Cuevas - 62 € with breakfasts
- Ronda : Hotel Andalucia - 47 € per night with breakfasts
- Grenade : Carlos V Hotel - 98 € for 2 nights without breakfasts
The total budget of the hotels in my tour in Andalusia was 459 € for 8 nights which brings the cost of accommodation down to 229 Euros per person because I travel as a couple.
Europe attracts you, so why not: Visit Amsterdam in 4 days - A road trip in Greece - A weekend in Lisbon or a road trip in Scotland ?
Hello,
for your 7-day roadtrip in Andalusia, is parking easy for the visits, I am hesitant with the train (couple tour and 2 teenagers)?
Thank you
Hello,
It all depends on the period when you are going to travel.
When I went there, it was in May and outside the school holiday period. There was no problem with parking, especially since we often arrived when the sites opened.
The train has the advantage of being more relaxing and less expensive. However, you have the constraints of departure and arrival times but this is something to think about.
I wish you a very nice trip.