Andalusia
the perfect ininerary for a 2 week road trip
For many years, Andalusia has been at the top of my bucketlist. The culture, architechture and landscape has always fascinated me and I desperately wanted to experience the magic for myself. Finally, in May 2023, we packed our espadrilles, rented a camper van and set off on a very memorable road trip through southern Spain. Along with most of the main tourist attractions and landmarks, our journey also took us to some lesser-known gems. In fact, some of our best experiences where had in towns we originally planned into our trip! So, if you are looking for some inspiration for your own Andalusian road trip, feel free to keep on reading!
Some key facts about our trip:
Day 1: Malaga
We arrived in Malaga, a popular tourist city on the Costa del Sol, early in the morning. After picking up our camper van from Indie Campers, most of the first day was spent with settling in and stocking up on water and food for the next few days. As Malaga doesn’t offer many good spots for staying overnight in a van, we drove east along the coast until we reached Rincón de la Victoria. We parked our van on top of a cliff with a lovely view onto the beach and ocean below. Not bad for the first night!
Day 2: Alhama de Granada to Granada
Departing from our clifftop parking spot, we headed north on the A-356 and the A-402, a scenic route winding through the mountains and passing typical Andalusian olive groves. Around mid-morning, we stopped in Alhama de Granada, a town perched on the edge of a small canyon. Alhama di Granada is the perfect place to get a first taste of Andalusian lifestyle before diving into the bustling tourist city of Granada.
We continued further north towards our main destination: the city of Granada, famous for its Moorish heritage embodied in the narrow streets of the old town and the Alhambra, a massive fortress towering over the city. After finding a parking spot (which wasn’t easy in the city), we explored Albacín, the oldest neighborhood in Granada wich was founded during the 11th century by the Zirid dynasty. The neighborhood is famous for its narrow, winding streets and alleys, tiled courtyards and decorated balconies.
Day 3: Granada: Alhambra and Generalife
Day 3 contained one of the highlights of our Andalusia trip: visiting the Alhambra! This massive fortress complex contains buildings ranging from the medieval moorish Nasrid Palace to the renaissance Palacio de Carlos V as well as well-maintained gardens. It’s definately worthy of its UNESCO World Heritage status and worth a visit. For more tips on visiting the Alhambra, read my journal entry on the Alhambra here.
Day 4: Baeza & Jaen
On day 4 we drove even further North towards Baeza. This town was one of the first in Andalusia to be reconquered by christian spanish rulers in the 13th century. The city is famous for its old town, built almost entirely in the spanish renaissance style.
After Baeza, we turned south again towards Jaén, the capital of the province of the same name. The city is probly most famous for its impressive cathedral and its production of olive oil. The olive groves in the province of Jaén are responsible for produing 40% of olive oil in Spain and between 20-25% of olive oil world wide. This fact becomes quite evident, when driving through the landscape surrounding the city!
Day 5 & 6: Córdoba
From Jaén, we drove 120 km west to the city of Córdoba, where we would spend the next 2 days. Córdoba has a long history, dating back to Roman times. After the Romans came the Visigoths, then the Moorish conquerors and finally the Castilians after the reconquista. Our first day in Córdoba was spent exploring the old town, especially the old Jewish quarter with its hidden patios and colourful stores. In the afternoon, we visited the Royal Alcázar (fort), which was contains architectural elements from all the city’s ruling parties.
On day 6, we visited another one of Andalusia’s must-see landmarks: the Mesquita. Like the rest of Córdoba, the Mesquita’s history is colourful. The first building to stand on site was a Byzantine chapel, built by the Visigoths. When the Moorish conquerors took control of Córdoba, the chapel was turned into a mosque, expanded and remodelled over the centuries until finally, the Christian rulers turned parts of the mosque into a cathedral. Today it is aptly named the mesquita, or mosque-cathedral, as it contains crucial elements of both Christian and Islamic religion.
Day 7 & 8: Seville
Next stop: Seville, Andalusia’s capital and largest city. Seville’s old town contains many famous buildings, including the impressive cathedral, the Royal Alcázar and the General Archives of the Indies. Our first day in Seville was spent visiting the Plaza de España, wandering the buzzing streets of the old town and quenching our thirst with sangria before gobbling up some tapas.
For day 8, I had another highlight planned: the Royal Alcázar. The Alcázar is situated in the historical city centre, near the cathedral. Visitors enter through the impressive red-walled Puerta del León (Lion’s Gate). Once inside, Andalusia’s mixed heritage becomes evident with Moorish, Renaissance and classical architecture all mixed together. The palace complex is also more than just a landmark and tourist attraction. Whenever the Spanish royal family visit Seville, they reside in the upper stories of the palace. Game of Throne-fans will be thrilled to know that scenes depicting the Kingdom of Dorne were filmed here.
Day 9: Cádiz
Cádiz lies on a small peninsula, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean. It was founded by the Phoenicians and is one of Europe’s oldest continually inhabited cities. During the conquering of the “dicovery” of the Americas, Cádiz became Spain’s most important harbour, with almost all spanish ships coming from or going to the “new world” anchoring in its bay. Funded by money coming from trade with the Americas is the cities main landmark, the truely impressive baroque cathedral.
After leaving Cádiz, we headed South along the Atlantic coast to Bolonia. We spent the night next to a beautiful stretch of beach that, perhaps of the bad weather, was for the most part almost empty.
Day 10: Gibraltar & Arcos de la frontera
Because we spent less time in Cádiz than we had anticipated, we squeezed in a spontaneous stop: Gibraltar. Gibraltar is like a world all on its own. Although it’s situated on the Spanish Peninsula, Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory. Walking through the streets, pubs and fish-and-chips shops decorated with the British flag is a common site. Dominating the small piece of land is the Rock of Gibraltar, a limestone mountain 426m high. The Rock is home to Europe’s only indigenous colony of monkeys.
From Gibraltar, we headed back north and spent the night in Arcos de la Frontera. Typical of many Andalusian towns in this area, Arcos perches on a cliff and offers spectacular views on the valley and reservoir below.
Day 11: Ronda
Our first act of the day was to get some breakfast in Arcos de la Frontera. Afterwards, we drove west and up into the mountains on the A-372 towards our next destination: Ronda. The route passes through the Parque Naturel Sierra de Grazalema, a lush, mountainous nature conservation area that is said to be the rainiest area in spain.
We arrived in Ronda around midday and after parking the van, strolled into town to feast our eyes on another one of Analusia’s highlights. Ronda belongs to Andalusia’s “pueblos blancos”, the white villages. Ronda is located on a cliff and split into half by “El Tajo”, a deep gorge. The city is famous for 2 things: the Puente Nuevo, a stone bridge spanning the gorge and it’s bullfighting ring, the oldest in Spain.
Day 12: Setenil de las Bodegas & Olvera
On day 12, we drove North to visit the town of Setenil de las Bodegas. The town’s location is what makes it unique among the pueblos blancos. Built on top and in a ravine, many of the town’s houses are built into the rocks and it’s hard to distinguish where the rock ends and the house begins. The streets are narrow and often covered by a roof of rock.
Next stop: Olvera! With it’s castle and cathedral perched on a hill, overlooking the white-washed houses below, Olvera is typical for an Andalusian pueblo blanco. Of all the white villages we visited, this one was my favorite. It was tranquil, not overrun by tourists and offered spectacular views on the surrounding mountains and olive groves.
Day 13: Zahara de la Sierra
With whitewashed houses clinging to the mountainside, narrow alleys and an old Moorish fort perched at the top of the mountian, Zahara de la Sierra is a very typical pueblo blanco. It is definately worth it, to stroll through the streets and pay the small entrance fee for the fort, from where you can enjoy the view on the man-made lake and the surrounding mountains.
Day 14: Caminito del Rey & Antequera
Early in the morning, we headed off on a hike through the Caminito del Rey (the King’s Path). The hike is about 7,7 km long and depending on your fitness level and how often you stop to admire the impressive views, takes between 3 - 4 hours. Although the hike is relatively easy and you don’t need any special hiking equipment, it’s definately not recommended for those suffering from a fear of heights. Hewn into the rocky canyon walls, the walkway sometimes is over a 100m above the river below and there are several bridges, including a suspension bridge at the end of the hike, to be crossed.
Opened in 1905, the Caminito was originally built to allow workers of the two hydroeclectric plants nearby to travel between them. Over the years, the route fell into disrepair and became famous for being one of the most dangerous hiking routes in the world. After several fatal accidents between 1999 and 2000, the route was closed for over a decade. It was re-opened to the public in 2015 after extensive renovations.
After enjoying the thrill of hiking along the Caminito and deciding that it’s not worth spending another night in the area, we set off towards Antequera. Antequera is a mid-sized town with only one landmark worth seeing: the massive old fort complex sitting, as always, on top of a hill. The fort is well-maintained and worth a visit.
Day 15: Malaga
It was with a heavy heart that we reached our last destination on our road trip. Malaga is, after Seville, the 2nd largest city in Andalusia. Although Malaga apears much more modern than most other Andalusian cities, it is one of the oldest with a history spanning back as far as 770 BC. Founded by the Phonecians, the city has had many rulers, including the Romans, the Visigoths, the Moors and finally the Spanish. Today, Malaga is a thriving city living mainly from tourism, construction and technology.
