Photo credit: Jose Luis RDS Málaga. La Alcazaba via photopin (license)
Introduction
Nothing quite beats the freedom of a road trip – with your own transport you can travel as you wish, stopping when and where you want to. If you are planning a trip to a popular area in the high season, planning is key no matter how you intend to get around – but driving a car makes it a lot easier to find alternative accommodation if your first choice is full or not up to scratch. This is not so easy when touring by bicycle or arriving on foot, for example – and no fun at all in the summer heat dragging your bags with you.
The world is your oyster when it comes to potential destinations and we have provided plenty of suggestions in previous articles, but here is one more – Andalucia in Southern Spain.
Easy to reach with great weather all year round, Andalucia also has a wealth of accommodation options meaning that no matter what level of comfort you crave after a day at the wheel you will find something perfect along the way.
The basics
This classic route clocks in at about 1400 kilometres and makes for a lovely two week itinerary. We recommend booking accommodation in advance – especially if driving in the height of summer – but you can also wing it and hope for the best (and you will probably be fine unless you are very picky about where to stay).
Rather than give you a day-to-day guide we will sketch the outline of the route and leave the details of where to stay up to you – we all have different interests, after all.
With so many airlines serving the major Spanish airports from the rest of Europe you should have no problems finding flights to Malaga. Rent a car in the airport itself and you are good to go.
The route
From Malaga airport head east along the coast. There are a wealth of lovely spots including well-known resorts such as Nerja and more peaceful beaches near Herradura.
The Sierra Nevada national park is an obvious draw and a fine place to stretch your legs. Bubion makes a great base from which to explore but there are many other beautiful villages here.
Almeria is deservedly popular with visitors and after visiting the town try the lovely beaches at Cabo de Gata.
Next on our list is Murcia, where you can sample some of the best tapas in Spain. There are plenty of cultural highlights here too, so give it enough time before you move on to Cordoba, which is another beautiful Arabic city.
Seville is one of our favourites, offering lovely architecture as well as flamenco and wonderful nightlife.
End your trip in Granada, where the Alhambra awaits, along with superb food, wine and a thriving arts scene.
