Ideas for a one-week Andalusia itinerary

Hi Christine, I’m going to give a fairly general answer about getting around (and parking) in Andalusia’s major cities. During my trip to Andalusia (January, February, March 2024), I discovered on the spot that there’s a rechargeable, non-personal smart card that lets you use public transport between city centers and the surrounding areas (up to about 20-25 km). Non-personal means you can travel with a group using just one card. I want to emphasize: this card is the same for all 8 provincial capitals (Seville, Huelva, Cadiz, Malaga, Granada, Cordoba, Jaen, Almeria). We’d dream of something like this in our regions (Nouvelle-Aquitaine for me: one card for all departmental capitals and their surrounding areas!). Andalusia made it happen.

This card was sold for 5 € at tobacco shops and kiosks (1.50 € for the card itself; 3.50 € preloaded). Here are some 2024 fare examples: - 49 cents for a trip from Dos Hermanas to Seville - 51 cents for a trip from Rincon de la Victoria to Malaga. About 15 km; cheaper than gas. I used it near Seville, Cadiz, Malaga, Granada, and Cordoba.

The card also works as a payment method for public transport within the capital cities, though its main purpose is connecting the capital with surrounding areas (I used it for this in Seville, Granada, and Cordoba). If you’re okay with using public transport, this lets you avoid paid city-center parking and opens up more lodging options by making the cost of travel between the outskirts and the center almost negligible.

Website: "consorcio de transportes metropolitano" (or something like that—I don’t speak Spanish); for Malaga and its area, search "Consorcio de Transporte Metropolitano del Área de Málaga" to find routes. The same goes for other cities. That’s the general info.

Since you’ll be staying in Malaga and Granada, see if you can make use of this tool. I can’t tell you much more about the routes because I was based near Rincon de la Victoria, which is on the opposite side of Malaga from the airport.

Since you’ll have a car, I’ll try to give you some other suggestions later.

Hi there, Great idea to stop in Nerja. There’s plenty to see in Nerja itself and the surrounding area (more than you’ll have time for). Besides the Balcony of Europe (seafront promenade), there’s a cave with stalactites and a museum (not in the same place) but connected through the skeleton of Pepita. You’ll have a car, so inland, Frigiliana is a white village. All the villages in Andalusia are white—this one’s the closest, about 5 km away. You can also walk there via a gorge hike.



Frigiliana seen from above. From the ground, it’s all white; from above, you see the rooftops.

In the hinterland, you can also build a route with other white villages. Competa, Canillas de Albaida, among others.



Competa, general view.

Next, to get to Granada from Nerja, don’t take the highway—take the old road and stop at the Cerro Gordo viewpoint.







The Cerro Gordo mirador, the coast toward the west (Nerja), and the coast toward the east (La Herradura).

Then continue toward La Herradura and Almuñécar. It’ll take much longer, but it’ll be much more scenic.

Hi Michel (I think?!), and thanks for your messages. It’s true that this map looks really interesting—I’ll go take a look! And thank you so much for all the super helpful explanations and photos; they’ll be a big help! :) They’re really lovely, by the way! Actually, I was waiting for a few more replies about the planned route before booking the hotels and the Alhambra. I’ll already swap days 1 and 7, since I realize our flight is at 9 AM, so it’s better to already be in Málaga if we need to be at the airport by 7 AM and return the car beforehand! If you’ve been to Granada, could you tell me if it’s worth staying 2 days, given that the palace visit will be late, at least at 5 PM, based on the remaining tickets? Or if one day until 4:30 PM is enough to visit the old town? Anyway, thanks again for replying—it’s the first time I’ve asked a question here :) And I’m all ears for any info or suggestions for nice things to do along the way! :) Have a great afternoon, Christine

Hi Christine, I went to Granada; let me tell you how I see things.

The ticket you have allows you to visit the Alhambra: it gives access to 3 distinct sites all located on the Alhambra hill: the Generalife gardens, the Alcazaba, and the Nasrid Palaces. You have an entry time for the Nasrid Palaces: 5:00 PM. That’s just the facts.

Now, my take on things: visiting the Nasrid Palaces is the highlight of a trip to Andalusia (along with the Great Mosque of Córdoba). In this palace, every corner of a room, every column is a work of art; you need to approach it like a super art museum.

This means being in the best possible state: - for receptivity and open-mindedness - for attention span - for concentration. For me, like for many others, these abilities dull or degrade when I’m a bit tired or weary (or when I have worries). When I visited the Alhambra, I only did that in the day (the 3 sites; flexible schedule for the Generalife gardens and the Alcazaba, visited first; 3:20 PM, I think, for the Nasrid Palaces; it was winter). The Nasrid Palaces are affected by overtourism; you’ll be surrounded by crowds (people talking, taking selfies). If you want to go back to a room, you’ll feel like you’re swimming upstream. All of this is distracting and requires effort to ignore. If I have just one piece of advice for you, it’s to put yourself in the best possible conditions (receptivity, etc.): only do these 3 sites in the day, take time to eat, have a drink, relax after visiting the first 2 sites, and leave a time buffer so you don’t stress over a possible delay (you must be on time). The impression left by the Nasrid Palaces is such that the day is over once you leave. You can’t imagine doing anything else. It’s one of the most beautiful sites I’ve ever seen.

Spending several days in Granada isn’t a problem. On the Alhambra hill, between the other sites, is the Palace of Charles V (free entry if I remember correctly) with 2 art museums inside (and architecture worth seeing). The Museum of Fine Arts: Spanish painting and sculpture from the Renaissance onward. The Alhambra Museum: Arab-Andalusian art (before the fall of the Kingdom of Granada). You can visit them another day at no extra cost or choose something else you’ll enjoy; there’s plenty to do in Granada.

Good evening Christine, I misread—you don’t have the ticket for the Nasrid Palaces yet. You need to get it as soon as possible; it’s really hard to get a ticket, almost impossible if you don’t book well in advance. I finished up yesterday with some free suggestions: the two museums in the Palace of Charles V.

I’ll add two more free options. They’re in Antequera or nearby—a town about 100 km west of Granada: - The Antequera Dolmens Site (including a monumental dolmen and tumulus) - El Torcal de Antequera (a karst landscape with rocks) about 15 km from the town. Arrive early because parking is limited. Both sites are UNESCO World Heritage sites. Here are two photos of El Torcal.





El Tornillo, then El Sombrerillo.

Still near Antequera: - El Caminito del Rey: a thrilling walk on boardwalks. You’ll take a bus back to the starting point. It’s paid. The only suggestion I haven’t tried yet. - Fuente de Piedra Lagoon: great for birdwatching. Free. It’s hit or miss because the birds decide whether they show up (if they don’t, it’s a flop). Check my avatar for a photo. Make sure to check if there’s water in the lagoon during your trip.

Here are a few more ideas. Antequera is between Granada and Ronda. Ronda, like the Nasrid Palaces, is a place affected by overtourism.

Hi Michel, I just saw your message—weird, I’m not getting notifications... Thanks for the info on Antequera; I’ll add it to one of my two days around Ronda. The site with the dolmens looks amazing! I’d already seen El Caminito del Rey, but I don’t think we’ll have time. Anyway, I just read what you wrote about the Alhambra, and I quickly checked the site—it’s a nightmare: almost all the dates are gone! So, I quickly looked to see if I could do the circuit in reverse, and I snapped up tickets for Day 6 at 3 PM. Otherwise, the first available date was the day before at 6:30 PM!

So, the circuit would look like this:

Day 1: Málaga Day 2: Costa del Sol / Estepona? Day 3: White Villages + Antequera Day 4: Ronda (+ Antequera if not done the day before) Day 5: Granada Day 6: Granada + Alhambra at 3 PM Day 7: Nerja + surroundings Day 8: Málaga Airport

Do you happen to know of any walks or short hikes at the start of the Sierra Nevada, or something similar? Someone showed me photos but didn’t know if it was already in the Sierra Nevada. But is it worth a 1-hour drive? Also, do you have any ideas for the Costa del Sol day, besides Estepona? I’ll try to book the hotels this weekend—if it’s like the Alhambra... Then, I can plan the details more calmly. Anyway, thank you so much! Plus, I think without your message, I would’ve waited until the weekend to book those tickets too! Have a great afternoon :) Christine

Actually, I checked on Google Maps where Antequera is, so it’ll be the white villages plus a night in Ronda on Day 3. Then Ronda, more white villages, and Antequera with a night on Day 4. I’m getting a bit lost... :(

Hi Christine,

Phew! You’ve got tickets for the Nasrid Palaces. For a hiking walk in the Sierra Nevada or around Granada, I don’t know anything. I stayed in Granada itself. The Sierra Nevada lived up to its name (snowy, first week of March). That reminds me that strolling through the old quarter (the Albaicín) is a must in Granada. There’s some elevation and steep streets; you can visit old Moorish houses, for example: - Casa del Chapiz (symbolic price of 1 or 2 euros); gardens, pools, views of the Alhambra. - Casa de Porras (free). You can also reach the famous viewpoints (miradors) with views of the Alhambra. There are several in the neighborhood, some with the Sierra Nevada in the background of the Alhambra. In another neighborhood (at the foot of the Alhambra), Casa de los Tiros (free) is a 16th-century palace with a small museum. That’s it for Granada, where my choices were very cultural.

For the Costa del Sol, I only know the Estepona–Marbella stretch. I was there around February 15–20. My choices weren’t very cultural: just one museum, the Ralli Museum (free) in Marbella. It’s an original contemporary art museum because it mainly features Latin American artists (Mexico, Peru, etc.) that you don’t see in French museums.

I prioritized walks - in the old centers of Marbella and Estepona (alleys, small squares, churches, Andalusian-style buildings in yellow and white tones ). These centers are small; the surrounding towns have sprung up like mushrooms. It was cute (harmonious, not at all imposing), pleasant, and not crowded.



- On the pedestrian-cyclist path that connects these two cities along the seafront (extending the "paseo marítimo"). It wasn’t finished: a section was missing. I did parts on foot, others by MTB, and some with the bike in hand; I don’t know what’s officially allowed for bikes near the city centers. The weather was magnificent, the temperature pleasant, and there were few people (bikes and pedestrians didn’t get in each other’s way). In February, 90% of the accommodations must have been empty; most of the walkers spoke Spanish: probably locals.



the walk near Estepona



Playa de El Faro (and La Fontanilla) in central Marbella.

On the other hand, traffic was heavy, difficult, even dangerous on the highway between these two cities (no alternative route).

That said, I can’t really give you advice because I can’t imagine what this area looks like outside the off-season (when I was there) when there are five or ten times more people. Effect of the heat, hundreds of thousands of tourists occupying the accommodations??? Should walks be replaced by beach time? Can you find a spot on a bench during a walk or not? Are the city centers accessible or packed (for pedestrians)? Is car traffic hellish or not?

Hi Michel, Thanks for this super helpful new info! :) I spent the weekend fine-tuning the route and creating an OpenOffice document. I think I'm all set now. So, here's the plan:

Day 1: Malaga. Drive to Estepona in the evening Day 2: Estepona - Casares - Gaucin - Ronda Day 3: Senetil de las Bodegas - Zahara de la Sierra - Antequera Day 4: Antequera - Montefrio - Los Cahorros de Monachil - Night in Granada Day 5: Guadix - Gorafe desert - Night in Granada Day 6: Granada - Alhambra - Night in Granada Day 7: Tabernas Desert + Oasis Mini Hollywood (optional) - Nerja - Night near Malaga airport Day 8: Departure at 9:30 AM

There you go! El Caminito del Rey was already fully booked for non-guided visits, so we gave it a miss. I was hesitating about the Tabernas Desert, but it might be too tight, and I found the Gorafe Desert instead, so I condensed the first few days. It seems worth it! I'm just not sure if, with a 9 AM flight, we'll have time to visit Malaga and leave by 5 PM to still enjoy Estepona in the evening, or if it's better to leave at 7 or 8 PM and skip the stops along the way or the evening by the port. Or if it's better to stay overnight in Malaga anyway. Maybe we don’t need to go up to Gibralfaro or visit the inside of the cathedral (or the Picasso Museum). Anyway, if you have any more tips or things to see that aren’t necessarily in the guides, I’d love to hear them! Have a great afternoon! :) Christine

Hi Christine,

I’ll share my thoughts on a few points you mentioned. - More time in Malaga or Estepona? I’d go for more time in Malaga. Where to stay overnight? I’m not sure. But arriving at the airport at 9:00 AM and leaving the city by 5:00 PM—you’ll be rushing...

- Sightseeing in Malaga. - The Picasso Museum isn’t a priority in my opinion, since you can see plenty of Picasso’s works elsewhere. - Choosing between the cathedral or Alcazaba + Gibralfaro depends on your preferences. Having visited both, I prefer the Alcazaba + Gibralfaro: to me, it’s the city’s iconic site. A good part of the visit is outdoors, mixing fortifications and palaces. Malaga has a great viewpoint near the center with views of the port, the modern city sprawl, and the surrounding hills and mountains.

Malaga is a dense city with little open space; you don’t get a real sense of it from ground level. The only places where I felt a sense of space and openness were this hill and the palm grove (a promenade along the port with the Pompidou Center at one end, offering views of the Alcazaba + Gibralfaro hill).

Since you’re planning another trip to Andalusia, you’ll probably visit Seville, Cordoba, and Cadiz. These cities are built on flat plains or by the sea, so you won’t find another Moorish fortress taking advantage of the terrain like this one. In those cities, the iconic monument is the cathedral (the Mosque-Cathedral in Cordoba).

This is just my opinion, of course.

For the following days (stops in Ronda and Antequera), I’m not sure if you’ll have enough time for: the departure city, the journey, two "white villages," and the arrival city. You can always improvise by skipping one of the white villages if you’re running late.

Have a great trip!

Hi Michel, and thanks for everything :) I spent my week finalizing my accommodation bookings. Thanks again for all your tips—I’ll definitely put them to good use! Now I’ll move on to planning out what we’ll do each day, and I’ll use your photos and advice to help. Wishing you all the best