Andalusia in a Week

We begin in Seville, Spain’s most theatrical city. After settling in, we head to Itálica — the remarkably preserved Roman city just outside Seville, birthplace of emperors Trajan and Hadrian, with one of the largest amphitheatres in the Roman Empire. We return to the city for a late afternoon walk through Triana, the historic gypsy neighbourhood, and a first taste of tapas culture.

• Itálica Roman ruins & amphitheatre
• Triana neighbourhood
• First tapas & orientation walk

Overnight: Seville

We leave Seville along the old Roman road east, stopping in Carmona — one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Europe, perched on a hilltop with extraordinary views across the Campiña. We visit the Roman necropolis and the medieval alcázar before continuing to Écija, the “City of Towers”, known for its Baroque church steeples and brutal summer heat. We arrive in Córdoba in the early afternoon, with time to explore before dinner.

• Carmona — Roman necropolis & alcázar
• Écija towers & Baroque centre
• Arrival & first walk in Córdoba

Overnight: Córdoba

A full day in what was once the largest city in western Europe. We visit the Mezquita-Catedral — one of the most extraordinary buildings in the world, where a Renaissance cathedral was built inside a Moorish mosque — with a private guide who brings the layered history to life. We walk the medieval Jewish quarter and visit the Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos. In the afternoon, we drive out to Medina Azahara, the ruins of the lavish palace city built by Caliph Abd al-Rahman III in the 10th century, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

• Mezquita-Catedral with private guide
• Judería — medieval Jewish quarter
• Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos
• Medina Azahara palace city ruins

Overnight: Córdoba

One of the great drives of Andalusia — through the Sierra Subbética, past olive groves and limestone mountains, into the white village heartland. We pass through Priego de Córdoba (arguably the most beautiful Baroque town in Andalusia), before entering the Grazalema Natural Park. Zahara de la Sierra sits on a rock above a turquoise reservoir; Grazalema receives more rain than anywhere else in Spain and is surrounded by dramatic peaks. We arrive in Ronda as the light turns golden.

• Priego de Córdoba — Baroque fountains
• Zahara de la Sierra & reservoir
• Grazalema Natural Park
• Arrival in Ronda at golden hour

Overnight: Ronda

Morning in Ronda — exploring the Puente Nuevo and the extraordinary El Tajo gorge, the old Arab baths and the bullring. We then take the scenic back road north through Setenil de las Bodegas, the extraordinary village where houses are built directly into the overhanging rock face. Through Antequera and its dramatic El Torcal rock formations, we arrive in Granada with the evening ahead of us.

• Ronda — Puente Nuevo & El Tajo gorge
• Arab baths & old town
• Setenil de las Bodegas — houses in the rock
• El Torcal natural park (optional stop)

Overnight: Granada

One of the great days of any journey to Andalusia. We visit the Alhambra palace complex with carefully timed tickets that avoid the crowds — the Nasrid Palaces, the Alcazaba fortress, and the sublime Generalife gardens where water and geometry create something close to paradise. In the afternoon we descend into the Albaicín, Granada’s ancient Moorish neighbourhood, ending at the Mirador de San Nicolás for the most famous view in Andalusia: the Alhambra against the Sierra Nevada at sunset.

• Nasrid Palaces — timed private entry
• Alcazaba fortress & towers
• Generalife gardens
• Albaicín & Sacromonte
• Mirador de San Nicolás at sunset

Overnight: Granada

A finale worthy of the journey. We descend to Málaga — birthplace of Picasso and one of the most liveable cities in Spain — for a walk through the historic centre before the highlight of the day: the Caminito del Rey. Once the most dangerous path in the world, this restored walkway clings to the vertical walls of the Málaga gorges, with views that make even veteran travellers catch their breath. The perfect ending to a week in Andalusia.

• Málaga historic centre & port area
• Caminito del Rey gorge walkway
• El Chorro reservoir viewpoint