A Week In Andalusia, Spain

The Andalusia region is definitely one of the most beautiful regions in Spain. It is full of amazing architecture, interesting traditions, and delicious food. Here is a travel guide with all the tips and best places to visit in a week in Andalusia, Spain.

In my opinion, a week for Andalusia is a very small period of time, so if you can spare more time for this part of the world, you should. However, for those who have just one week, I wrote a guide including the most important and amazing places that you cannot skip in Andalusia. 

Seville 

I advise you to start with the beautiful city of Seville. Seville is the capital of the Andalusia region and one of the most popular places among tourists. Two main ingredients that make Seville so popular are: stunning architecture and food. 

Seville, as with many other Spanish cities, was a part of the Moorish kingdom. Therefore it was greatly influenced by Arabic culture. You can see it clearly during your visit to the Alcazar, many palaces that became museums, or even in the Seville Grand Cathedral that, by the way, has the remains of Christopher Columbus. 

Besides amazing architecture, Seville is famous for its tapas (small appetizers/snacks that you get with a drink). In Seville however, unlike Granada, you always choose what tapas you want to try and you generally have to pay for them.  

Seville is a home to one of the oldest tapas restaurants in Spain – El Rinconcillo. It is also a home to a few award winning tapas restaurants. 

How Long To Stay In Seville: 3 full days

Things To Do In Seville (3 days plan):

Visit The Real Alcazar

The Real Alcazar (Royal Alcazar) is a palace that was built by Christian King Peter of Castille on the remains of the Arabic fortress.  The Real Alcazar is a great example of Moorish influence in this part of Spain. 

The Real Alcazar is a maze of rooms and halls covered with detailed ornamentation and colorful tiles.

Nowadays tourists can visit the palace itself and the gorgeous gardens that surround the palace.

Location: Patio de Banderas, s/n, 41004 Sevilla

Hours: every day from 9:30 AM to 7 PM

Official website: https://realalcazarsevilla.sacatuentrada.es/en

Price: €14.5

Explore Plaza de España

Plaza de Espana is one of the iconic landmarks of Spain. 

Plaza de Espana was built in 1929 for the Ibero-American Exposition. You might have seen Plaza de Espana in episode II of Star Wars. 

Tourists can freely visit Plaza de Espana (there is no entrance fee), and also enjoy a boat ride on the artofficial canal (need to buy boat tickets). 

Location: Av. Isabel la Católica, 41004 Sevilla

Hours: every day from 8 AM to 10 PM

Price: it’s free to visit Plaza de Espana; boat tickets are: €6 – for 35 minutes, €10 – 70 minutes

See The Tomb Of Christopher Columbus At The Seville Cathedral

The tomb of Christopher Columbus is located in the Seville Cathedral. This is not the original tomb, of course. The remains of Christopher Columbus were moved to Seville at one point. 

Besides seeing the tomb of Christopher Columbus, and visiting the cathedral itself, you can climb up the bell tower – Giralda, which has an incredible view of the cathedral and the city.

Location: Av. de la Constitución, s/n, 41004 Sevilla

Hours: every day except Sunday from 10:45 AM to 6:30 PM, Sunday from 2:30 PM to 6:30 PM

Official website: https://www.catedraldesevilla.es/

Price: €10

Climb Metropol Parasol

In 2011, in the middle of Seville, a very unique construction was built that is known today as the Metropol Parasol. 

This construction is made entirely out of wood and resembles umbrellas, or mushrooms. 

Tourists can climb the Metropol Parasol during the day, and in the evening, which is more expensive than during the day because of a light show. 

Location: Pl. de la Encarnación, s/n, 41003 Sevilla

Hours: every day 9:30 AM to 12PM 

Prices: Day pass (from 9:30AM to 7:30PM) – €5; Night pass (after 7:30 PM) – €10

Try Seville’s Tapas 

As I already mentioned, Seville is famous for its tapas, therefore you cannot visit this city without typing its amazing food. Here are a few restaurants that have some of the best tapas in the city:

ESPACIO ESLAVA

Location:C. Eslava, 3, 41002 Sevilla

El Rinconcillo

Location: C. Gerona, 40, 41003 Sevilla, Spain

Casa Ricardo

Location:C. Hernán Cortés, 2, 41002 Sevilla

Seville has a lot more amazing things to do which you can find in my Comprehensive Guide To Seville. 

Ronda

Ronda is no doubt one of the prettiest small cities in the Andalusia region. Every corner in this city is a great spot for photography.

The city is split into two parts: the old town, and the new one. It is split by a deep gorge through which lays one of the main attractions of Ronda – Puento Nuevo. 

Around the city you will find a lot of palaces and casas that were turned into museums and are now open for tourist visits. 

Ronda, like with Seville, has a great Moorish influence which is shown in architecture all over the city. 

How Long To Stay In Ronda: at least one full day.

Although Ronda is a small city, there is quite a lot to do and see. You will need at least a full day to see some of the best places.

Things To Do (1 day plan)

Puente Nuevo de Ronda

Puente Nuevo is the tallest bridge in Ronda (120 meters) and the newest one (built in 1793). 

Puente Nuevo is truly an amazing site that should be seen during the day and at night when it’s lit up. 

Location:C. Armiñán, 29400 Ronda, Málaga, Spain

Bullring of the Royal Cavalry of Ronda

Nowadays the bullring in Ronda works more like a museum than as a bullring. It is open for tourists to visit the bullring arena and the inside corridors where the history and the culture of bullfighting is displayed. 

Location: C. Virgen de la Paz, 15, 29400 Ronda, Málaga, Spain

Price: 7€

Palacio del Rey Moro y La Mina

Among all the palaces in Ronda, Palacio del Rey Moro is a must do thing. And it is not because of the pretty interior and charming garden, although the garden is charming. In fact, you won’t be able to enter the palace itself, since it is in a very bad condition and a restoration job is needed. 

The highlight of the Palacio del Rey Moro is the water mine on its grounds. You can go down the tunnel, all the way to the river and see how the ancient water mine used to work. It is a great and unique experience that you can get in Ronda.

Location: C. Cta. de Santo Domingo, 9, 29400 Ronda, Málaga, Spain

Price: 8€

Arab Baths

Almost every Andalusian city has Arab baths, including Ronda. However in Ronda the Arab baths are very well preserved. 

It is a great historical site that you can explore and learn a lot.

Location: C. Molino de Alarcón, s/n, 29400 Ronda, Málaga, Spain

Price: 4,5€ 

Have A Meal At El Lechuguita (the best tapa bar in Ronda)

El Lechuguita is the most popular tapas restaurant in the city. The reason is that tapas here cost less than €1 each.

El Lechuguita is open for lunch and dinner. I do recommend getting lunch at this place and arriving at the opening time. El Lechuguita  gets very crowded very fast, and there are big chances that you will have to wait a long time in line. 

Location: C. Virgen de los Remedios, 35, 29400 Ronda, Málaga, Spain

Price: under €1 each

Granada

Granada is a must visit place in Andalusia. It is a home to one of the iconic European landmarks – the Alhambra, and many other historical sites.

Granada is also famous for its tapas culture, which is completely different from Seville or Ronda. In Granada you don’t pay for your tapas, you get a tapa with each drink you order as a present from the chef. Plus in most of the tapas bars in Granada you can’t choose what tapa you get, it is a surprise. 

How Long To Stay In Granada: at least 2 – 3 full days

Things To Do In Granada

The Alhambra

The Alhambra is one of the most famous palace complexes in Spain. It used to be the residence of the Moorish kings until Christians reconquered this part of Spain. After that some parts of the Alhambra were rebuilt, and some were added. 

The Alhambra is the reason many tourists come to Andalusia. Therefore I advise you to book your ticket in advance, since sometimes they are all sold out for the next week or two. 

Address: Calle Real de la Alhambra, s/n. 18009 Granada;

Price:

• General entrance ticket: 14€
• Children under 12: Free entry
• Children between 12 and 15 years old and people with disabilities: 8 €
• Reduced price entry (people over 65 years old and pensioners citizens of the EU with ID): 9€
• Visit the Gardens, the Alcazaba fortress and Generalife: 7€

Granada Cathedral

Granada Cathedral is a beautiful piece of architecture. Besides the cathedral itself, you can visit the Royal Chapel (located behind the Granada cathedral).

The Royal chapel contains tombs of Queen Isabella, her husband, daughter, and son-in-law. Besides the tombs you can see a personal collection of Queen Isabella’s paintings. 

Address:Calle Gran Vía de Colón, 5, 18001 Granada;

Price: General admission: € 5.00 / Children under 10 years old and disabled: free admission

Flamenco Show

In the Sacromonte neighborhood of Granada you can visit a flamenco show. In one of the whitewashed narrow caves you will see an amazing dance just a few centimeters from where you sit. 

Address: Camino Sacromonte nº 70 C.P. 18010 Granada España ;

Hours: 8 PM to 11 PM;

Price:

• Show plus drink : Adult: 20 Euros, Child (5 to 9 years): 10 Euros;
• Show plus dinner: Adult: 55 Euros; Child (5 to 9 years): 27,50 Euros

Visit Tapas Bars

Tapas in Granada is a must do thing. You can do a guided tapa tour, or you can just visit different tapas bars (bar hopping) and try their amazing and free food. 

After spending a few months in Granada I wrote a list of some of the best tapas bars in the city that you should try. 

Granada is a city,  full of amazing things to do. In this article I placed just a small part of what actually you can see and do in Granada. You can read my complete Granada travel guide to learn more. 

Other Places To Visit In Andalusia

Besides these three cities that I wrote about, you can visit many others in Andalusia, Spain. 

Malaga / Marbella 

Malaga and Marbella are two cities that are located on the coast of the Alboran sea. These are two popular locations for beach vacations in Spain. 

Jerez de la Frontera

Jerez de la Frontera is part of the sherry triangle in Andalusia. It is a great place for those who want to learn more about sherry, visit bodegas and cellars, and try some very good fortified wine.

Cordoba 

Cordoba is one of the cities in Andalusia full of amazing historical landmarks like the Mosque-Cathedral, Alcazar of Christian Monarchs, and a fabulous Jewish quarter. 

Banos de la Encina 

Banos de la Encina is a tiny town that was voted the prettiest in Andalusia in 2021. You will need just one day to explore the whole town, however in Banos de la Ensina you can join an excursion to see Iberian lynx in Sierra de Andujar.

A Week In Andalusia, Spain