Andalusia 7-day Itinerary

The biggest Gothic cathedral in the world and its mighty ex-minaret bell tower, La Giralda, the symbol of Seville.

A Moorish Christian architectural gem, Europe’s oldest royal palace (recently seen in Game of Thrones) dates from 1360, with gardens of pure delight.

Andalusia is the birthplace of flamenco, which still pulses through its blood. Book in for a show at one of Seville’s excellent theatres.

One of the world’s greatest buildings: a thousand-year-old love letter from the glory days of Moorish al-Andalus.

The partially excavated and reconstructed halls, mosque, gate, porticoes and gardens of a 112-hectare mysterious palace city. It was built in the 10th century by Abd-ar-Rahman III, the first Caliph of Cordoba; now a World Heritage Site.

Granada’s parador, occupying a late 15th-century monastery, combines charm, history, service and enchanting views with an incomparable location, right on the grounds of the Alhambra.

Spain’s most visited attraction is the stuff of dreams, filled with intricate mosaics and carvings, magical gardens and breathtaking views.

This jewel of intricate, lace-like Isabelline Gothic architecture, built just after the end of the Reconquista between 1505-17, holds the tombs of Ferdinand and Isabella, their daughter Joanna ‘the Mad’ and her husband Philip – parents of emperor Charles V.

Andalusia is the birthplace of flamenco, which still pulses through its blood; Book in for a show at one of Granada’s excellent theatres.

Pablo Ruiz Picasso was born in Malaga. The city’s Picasso Museum, set in a restored 16th-century Andalusian townhouse in Malaga’s historic centre, displays over 250 of his paintings, sculptures and ceramics spanning his entire career. Book an entrance ticket here and a private guided tour here.

Here Carmen Cervera, the Malaga-born wife of Baron Thyssen-Bornemisza, displays her prize collection of mainly Andalusian art, ranging from the mainly religious works of old masters to the colourful, luminous landscapes, portraits and street scenes from the 19th and early 20th centuries.

A quirky museum housing the private collection of Joao Magalhaes, home to over 80 vintage and modern cars and displays of fashionable travel memorabilia.

A well-preserved Moorish city fortress, built 11th century on a hill in the city centre. Adjacent to the entrance are the remains of a Roman theatre, dating back to the 1st century AD.

Malaga’s Pompidou striking museum outpost – housed beneath the colourful Cubo – holds a permanent exhibition of several dozens of works of the impressionist collection of the XX and XXI centuries. It also hosts 2 or 3 temporary exhibitions each year, sourced from the parent collection and designed by its curators.

One of the world’s most terrifying walkways, over sheer gorges in Malaga’s mountains. Vertigo-inducing and spectacular in equal measure.

This gigantic, breath-taking stalactite show cave is open all year round, with possible night visits. Buy the ticket that includes the museum, with photos of the cave’s inaccessible art –possibly the oldest paintings in Europe, dating back to 42,000 BC.  

Teetering on sheer cliffs, the spectacular Andalusian town of Ronda is best known for it’s extraordinary bridge straddling the 150m deep Tajo Gorge. It’s also the gateway to the so-called White Villages (Pueblos Blancos).

Ronda’s town museum is housed in the 14th-century royal palace of Moorish king Abomelic I, with its gardens, Moorish courtyards and views out over the Sierra de Grazalema. Exhibits cover the town’s history, and the nearby Pileta Cave.

An 18th-century mansion where can visit the half-French, half-Moorish garden and the extraordinary ‘water mine’ that supplied Ronda, 231 steps below the gardens to the Tajo river.

In the heart of Jerez, the world’s first sherry hotel is luxuriously contemporary, with a lovely panoramic rooftop terrace.  

Tour one of the world’s top riding academies, and watch noble Andalusian horses perform extraordinary equestrian ballet.

The region of Spain famous for producing ‘sherry’. Discover the secrets of how it is made with fascinating tours and tastings at local bodegas (wine cellars).

Andalusia’s most famous three Michelin star restaurant is just north of Cadiz in El Puerto de Santa Maria, where the visionary ‘Chef of the Sea’ Angel Leon takes seafood and sustainability, to a whole new level.