Everybody needs a Summer holiday sometimes
To your everyday tourist, Spain is Spain. But, if you really get into it, Spain is made up of different provinces, and each one offers a different character. Our Summer vacation this year was Andalucía, one of our favourite provinces of the lot. This was not our first trip, but it was our first road trip, or even our first holiday together where we were visiting more than one city.
Today’s post is our itinerary, a guide to an 8-day trip of Andalucía. It include fours must-see destinations, each one so beautiful.
Day 1
Having arrived the night before, Almeria was going to be a bit of a flying visit for us this time around. We’d arrived at the hotel around 9pm, had time for a quick walk around the block, then were leaving again the following afternoon. Luckily we had a late checkout at the hotel, so we could make the most of the morning without our suitcases.
We’d spent the night in Hotel Costasol. The hotel is fine for a stay, and unless you’re looking for a boujee experience, there’s no problems with booking into here. We had a huge bed, a quiet night, and the team were friendly.
For a flying visit, we stopped quickly for a breakfast of chocolate and churros, then planned the best route for a speedy walking self-guided tour of the city. We didn’t have time to see the beaches Almeria has to offer (although, we’d been told they’re beautiful), but we did have time to see a few of the main attractions;
- La Alcazaba
- Almeria Cathedral
- La Ramblas
- Statue of the Sacred Heart
If you’ve got an afternoon spare, and you’re not too bothered about spending too long at each, these sights are all quite walkable between each other. Word of warning, both La Alcazaba and Statue of the Sacred Heart are a tough hill walk, so brace yourself and have some water handy. When you get to the top, there’s a viewing point and sights you’ll be glad you struggled for.
In our schedule, next on the list was a coach trip to Granada. So, we packed up our things, grabbed a quick lunch, and headed for the city’s coach station.
Day 2
We arrived in Granada at a pretty reasonable time in the afternoon. After a rather hairy uber ride through the city’s side streets to find our Air BnB, we checked ourselves into the first apartment stay of the trip.
GRANADA PENTHOUSE
This side of the city is so unique in it’s layout. The streets are almost tiered, meaning even if you’re at the back you pretty much always have an amazing view of the entire city. Ours was incredible, and the daytime had a constant crowd of swallows chasing each other around the air. We also had a terrace, which the owner had decorated with heat-loving plants, and chairs to relax in.
Behind you, you’re looking at the buildings above you, including the beautiful Alhambra Hotel. Even though you’re completely surrounded by homes, you seem to have complete privacy at the same time. At night there was no noise, and it was a really easy walk into town – home afterwards was slightly more uphill.
We were meeting up with the first group of our Spanish friends on day 4, and having spent a lot of their time in the city, they were eager to show us the highlights. Both known and unknown. We met in the centre, and started with a walk inside the cathedral. Compared to the other cathedral on our trip, this one was a lot smaller, but still beautiful inside.
We then headed out for a walk around the streets. There’s a surprising Arabic history throughout Andalusia, and Granada is one of the most prominent to see this. With market streets still adorning the goods, and tea shops to stop (I recommend the Tea de Tibet) – you can even stop for a street-side henna tattoo.
At the end of one of the market streets, and a very long hill-climb, we reached an amazing viewpoint. It was on the other side of Alhambra than our accommodation, and overlooking another part of the city. We arrived at sunset, and it was crammed, so researching quiet times to snap a good photo is recommended.
Day 3
We’d booked in an early morning visit to Alhambra, probably the most-recommended thing to do while in Granada. It’s another sign of the influence of Arabic history on the city, and is truly beautiful. It is huge, so make sure you set aside at least three hours to make sure you see everything. It’s split into a mixture of indoor spaces and gardens, and even has another viewpoint of yet another side of the city. We visited during the morning, rather than the afternoon, and it’s definitely worth doing. Make sure you book your place far in advance too, as this gets snapped up quickly.
For the rest of the afternoon we took it easy, a perk of having a terrace. We went to a local Carrefour (a supermarket in Spain) for food and snacks, and relaxed for the rest of the afternoon.
In the evening, we wanted to explore the city, so we stopped for a steak dinner at one of the street restaurants, then made our way around the city. Granada is a hive of culture and perfect for tourism hopping. Just walking around at your own pace you’re sure to find something to stop and admire. While out and about we stopped at a street flamenco show, which was amazing.
To finish the night, and our time in Granada, we stopped at La Tabernilla del Darro for a last drink by the river. It’s a lovely place to stop for a drink. You can either sit in a cave-like bar, or sit in one of the wall-length windows overlooking the river. Once we’d had our little stop, we headed back to the apartment, packed up our things, and got ready to get up and catch our next coach the following morning.
Day 4
With a landscape that could make you believe you’ve reached somewhere in Asia, and complicated archetecture that could be straight out of Morocco. You wake up here and could quite easily believe you’ve flown to the other side of the world. But this is Malaga, and it’s a two and a half hour flight from London.
Arriving in Malaga was another eye-opening example of the diverse options Andalucía Spain offers. Unlike Almeria and Granada, it seems younger and has a less city-based buzz around it. Maybe because of the ease to get to it, or maybe because it’s one of the cities with a beach.
SOHO BOUTIQUE LAS VEGAS HOTEL
Surprisingly one of the more expensive stays on our Andalucía tour, but as far as hotels go it’s very much a viable option if you willing to spend a little more. While we were only spending a precious 2-days in Malaga, so didn’t give ourselves the time to really enjoy the hotel, there is enough to base yourself in or around it.
There’s a swimming pool with side-by sun loungers, and an adjacent snack bar. A lot of the rooms (if specified) come with a small terrace if you want your own space. If you want to escape the hotel to a day, the beach is a road-cross away. And with that comes ‘Chiringtuitos’, beach side bars and restaurants, where you can grab a drink and some ‘espetos’ – or sardines on sticks, cooked on a BBQ in the sand. A beach side delicacy.
As we were meeting friends on day 2 of our Malaga stop, day 1 was our tourist day. We stopped for lunch on our way into the centre, at a café-restaurant next to the bullring. Our lunch was our usual quick option, being hungry from travelling at this point, of grilled chicken and patatas fritas, and a flamequin.
We wandered around the city, getting our bearings ready for the next day, and at 5pm headed to Alcazabar for a tour. Very often we opt to self-guide through these things, but a mixture of wanting to learn more about a new location, and the general entry tickets having sold out, we booked onto an English tour through Get Your Guide.
Alcazabar featured on every one of my Malaga ‘must-do’ researches, and I wasn’t let down on my expectations when we arrived. An evening visit was also perfect, with less people in the thin entry paths. Right next to the city’s Roman Theatre (free to see!), the tour lasts around an hour and a half, and tells of how the Arabic settlers used collumns and stones from the neighbouring Roman ruins to build their palace. If you look carefully you’ll spot the mismatched ‘borrowed’ artifacts around the place.
The tour talks you through the raucous history of the palace, its clever defence tactics, and about the King who inhabited it at one time. It’s a beautiful place with a very turbulent history that definitely warrants paying for a tour. Plus, the 360o views of the city make for a perfect photo opportunity. Definitely opt for a cooler, quiet time to avoid crowds and no shade.
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After a hotel shower and outfit change, we headed out for dinner. We were enticed into Pez Wanda with a friendly welcome from smiling faces. Probably one of the more boujee restaurants along C. Granada, one of the main tourist streets in the city, but as a treat dinner it was ideal. Comfy seats directly on the street, with a strawberry mojito and a sirloin steak, and I was about ready for bed.
Day 5
Starting your day with interrupted sleep is never ideal, and that’s how we spent everyday in Malaga. Unfortunately we’d timed our stay with some unadvised building works on the floor directly above our room. But these are the risks of a multi-stay vacation, and as we were only staying for two mornings we just took advantage of an early wake up call.
Staying in the usually perfect Soho Boutique Las Vegas hotel meant an included breakfast would cover the first part of the day. Not inundated with options, but a simple scrambled egg, bacon and sausage to fill you up until lunch time. Followed up with a machine cappuccino (the norm for most hotel stays here) and we were ready to head out.
We headed into the centre to meet our friends (also from England with a coincidental holi-date. We were planning an afternoon of relaxed bar hopping, then a tapas dinner and drinks.
Our bars stops throughout the day included;
- Los Gatos
- Cister Catorce
- Rita Restaurante
- Chloe Gin Bar
- La Tranca
La Tarta De La Madre De Cris
If you want a break from tapas and cocktails, La Tarta is a must-stop to add to your list. More than just a coffee shop, its interior is super cute, with bikes used as table stands and the cake options displayed in floor to ceiling glass displays.
EL PIMPI
Our evening was spent in El Pimpi, an institution of Malaga. Hundreds of years old, I highly recommend reserving a table if you want to drink cocktails and eat tapas. It’s full of beer barrels signed by Spanish stars.
On our menu was;
- Patatas Bravas
- Pimpi Prawns
- Slice of Spanish Omelette
- Fried Aubergines
- Frozen Mojito
Once you’ve finished eating, make sure you walk through the whole restaurant to see the photos and barrels.
Day 6
Woken up early again. After a morning on the Malaga beach, dipping our toes in the Spanish sea, we were heading to our final Andalucía destination – Sevilla.
We’d left Sevilla until last and for the longest stay on purpose. After our last trip, where we ended the trip engaged, this time was set to have a more relaxed vibe overall. Rather than staying at our usual hotel, we opted for an Air BnB, knowing we’d want somewhere to chill out in the hot afternoons.
SEVILLA AIR BNB
For an Air BnB in Sevilla you want two things; somewhere to keep cool, and somewhere to soak up the sun. Ours had both. The downstairs floor with the kitchen and bedroom kept cool with black out shutters and high ceilings. It also came with a two-level roof terrace – one that gets the sun all day, and another with a cover for shade.
Ours also came with a hot tub set low to cool off in after a few hours sunbathing. This was the main thing we were after and why we didn’t go for a hotel this time. And I really recommend this, when it can hit over 40o.
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Our two-time tradition is to dine at El Duende on the Thursday of our trip. While it’s not the prettiest looking building from the outside, inside it’s stunning. Reserving a window-side table with a backdrop of the city is vital to dine here.
Budget travellers beware! This is not a cheap option (at the time of our visit a steak cost €36). But as a memorable dining experience this is certainly not one to miss. The last time we were here I left the restaurant with a ring on my finger – this time it was a full belly! But always a memorable treat.
Day 7
An early excursion meant another morning without a lie in. But unlike our Malaga mornings, this one was one our terms. Before our activity booking we made sure to leave in time for chocolate and churros, our favourite Sevillian breakfast.
The cathedral in the city is one of the central points. Once one of the biggest in Europe, it’s worth a visit if poignant and religious landmarks are up your street.
You start your visit by climbing the tower, which is not for the light-hearted. It’s a fairly steep slope up 35 floors, so you do need some fitness, but if you take it slow and step to the side for regular breaks it should be manageable for anyone. Because it’s so long I’d advise timing your visit outside of the hottest hours of the day. Even though it’s relatively cool inside, there are sections with windows that let the heat inside.
At the top you have 360o views of the city and beyond. Time it on a 15-minute marker, and you’ll also be at the top when the bells ring.
After the tower you can walk around the tombs and religious shrines, as well as some historic artefacts. Look carefully for the tomb of Christopher Columbus.
After the cathedral we headed to another one of our favourites, and a place I’ve shared before. One of the most hidden gems – Palacio De Las Duenas. It’s a beautiful, smaller version of the sell-out Real Alcazar gardens, but it’s so much more peaceful. When we went this time we were the only people walking around, that’s how quiet it can be.
In the evening, we met with some of our Sevillian friends, and they introduced us to a few tapas bars, and a rooftop bar. The rooftop bar is on top of a department store, El Corte Ingles. The bar itself is called Gourmet Experience Duque, and it offers a nice combination of cocktails and views. Even at night you can see the cathedral lit up in the nearby distance, and the city lights. We stayed here until around 1am, so after this headed home and went straight to bed.
Day 8
And our last full day in Spain, before heading home. We planned to have a perfect combination of sight seeing and making the most of our terrace, so made it another early start. But this time, waking up at a more reasonable holiday hour.
We were lucky enough to have seen most of the sights before, on our last trip to Sevilla. We knew we wouldn’t be able to squeeze them all in again, so our final day itinerary looked like this;
- Torre del Oro (from the outside, we didn’t go in)
- Parque de Maria Luisa
- Plaza de Espana
- Fuente de Catalina de Ribera
- Santa Cruz
- Visit the tribute for Susona Ben-Suson
Once we’d seen everything we could squeeze in, we started to feel hungry, and so set out in search of a place for a nice last-day lunch. Even though it was getting close to 40o in temperature, we fancied some traditional Spanish cuisine that we hadn’t managed to find yet – paella. Our favourite is Pollo Paella (or chicken), and lucky for us we found a lovely cafe, with patio-style seating in Joaquin Romero Murube. It’s a beautiful little square, so you can sit and eat while looking at a water feature and down little Santa Cruz side streets.
Occasionally, performers will arrive – some good, some not-so good – and busk for your attention, so if you’re feeling generous, have a few euros ready to hand out.
For the rest of the afternoon we headed back to the apartment and made use of the terrace and hot tub. For dinner, we’d decided, seeing as we’d already had a massive lunch, that we’d go complete Spanish-mode, and do a little tapas-bar crawl. Sevilla is the perfect city for a tapas-crawl because it offers so many options to stop in. If you stop in one you don’t like, there’ll be another right around the corner.
Keep an eye out for my tapas bar crawl post on the below soon;
- Las Golondrinas
- Barra Sanedrin
- Bordega Santa Cruz
- El Rinconcillo
And finished up with the all important ice-cream and sorbet combo – lemon and chocolate. And that ended our tour of Andalucía.
If you want a roadtrip destination that’s closer to home than Australia, but still offers up the hot weather and diverse options, Andalucía is an amazing option. I love the destination, having been to it twice so far. Remember to keep an eye on my Instagram for more photo and video updates of my trip!
