Last year, my friend Patty and I decided to take a free military flight to Europe and do a girls’ road trip in Southern Spain for about five days. We visited Sevilla, Cordoba, Granada and Rota before heading home, and it was an awesome trip!
Because we weren’t 100 percent sure we’d even get on the flight, we didn’t plan much ahead of time and didn’t even make our hotel reservations until we were checked in at the airport. We also didn’t want to rely on trains to get around because there is no train station near the airport we flew into. But we had a fabulous time and learned some things that might help you if you’re planning your own road trip in southern Spain.
Road trip Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Rota, drive to Sevilla
Day 2: Explore Sevilla
Day 3: Breakfast in Sevilla, drive to Cordoba and see some of the sights
Day 4: Explore Cordoba
Day 5: Leave Cordoba early to drive to Granada, see the Alhambra, drive to Rota
Day 6: Leave from Rota
What to do in Sevilla
We enjoyed wandering through the streets (even in the rain), stopping at shops and churches as we passed them. But even if you skip that part, make sure you visit the Alcazar—a gorgeous palace complex with Moorish architecture—and the cathedral—where Christopher Columbus is buried. The Plaza de Espana is another must-see, but it was closed due to the rain. Luckily, we have both already seen it!
And, if you’re interested in flamenco, this is the place to see it! You’ll be able to catch a show in other cities in Spain, but Sevilla is its birthplace (and also home to the flamenco museum).
What to do in Cordoba
We had planned to spend Monday visiting most of Cordoba’s tourist sites, but found out when we got there that nearly everything in town is closed on Monday. We were still able to see la Mezqita-Catedral, explore the historic center of town and the Jewish quarter, get a glimpse of some of the iconic patios and walk across the Roman bridge, but we missed out on the Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos.
That said, the mosque/cathedral is amazing and well worth a visit, even if you don’t make it to the other sites. The town itself is also super cute, and full of little shops and restaurants. We also went to a flamenco show, which was very fun.
Just be aware that most of Cordoba’s streets are ridiculously narrow, and most of the streets in the center of town are closed to motor vehicles. Exploring on foot is awesome there, but driving is not!
What to do in Grenada
The Alhambra is the main attraction in Grenada, and we didn’t visit anything else. The complex is huge, and you could spend a whole day there, but make sure you buy your timed tickets for the Nasrid Palaces ahead of time—it’s the coolest part of the Alhambra, and you don’t want to miss it.
Staying active
While we didn’t do any actual workouts, we walked everywhere (it’s the best way to get around in these cities and is unavoidable in Cordoba and Grenada), logging several miles per day. We also took the stairs to the top of the Sevilla Cathedral, which definitely raised our heart rates! There was an awesome lap swimming pool at our hotel in Rota, but I didn’t partake.
Bebidas
We didn’t find many cocktails in the towns we visited, but there was plenty of wine—and it’s cheap! You should also try the date liqueur in Cordoba, though I was not a fan. Patty was pregnant (I know you can’t tell in these photos!), so she didn’t partake.
Where we stayed
Hotel Monte Triana in Sevilla: The people at this hotel were very nice, and the room was fine. They have a restaurant/bar, but it’s not open super late (we had been expecting everything to be open late in Spain!), and the breakfast buffet is kind of expensive but has a pretty decent selection. The location is good—within walking distance of a lot of the things you’ll want to see—but it’s not right in the center of everything.
Balcon de Cordoba in Cordoba: We absolutely loved this hotel! It’s more like a bed and breakfast because it is in an old building that has been converted into a hotel, so all the rooms are different, and they have a fabulous breakfast buffet (which they started early for us since we had to leave very early the second morning!). Everyone who worked there was super nice, and the man who checked us in helped us plan out what to see and when to see it. The hotel also has an awesome rooftop terrace and three cute patios, and it’s just steps away from the mosque/cathedral.
Barcelo Costa Bellena Golf & Spa near Rota: This is a nice resort hotel with walking access to the beautiful beach. We stayed in the off season, so nothing in the area was open, and we ended up having to order crappy room service for dinner. But I think it would be lovely in the summer. However, be aware that there is just frosted glass around the bathroom, not a real door, which can weird/awkward when you are staying with a friend.
What else to know for a road trip in southern Spain
Reserve an automatic car ahead of time, if you want one. They can be hard to come by in Europe, and may cost a bit more than a manual/stick shift vehicle.
Don’t speed! The roads and highways in Spain are equipped with plenty of speed cameras, and you don’t want a speeding ticket as a souvenir.
Check out pictures of the hotels in advance to make sure the bathroom doors aren’t made of glass! And request separate beds if you’re traveling with a friend, just be prepared for the beds to be very close together.
Bring snacks, particularly if you don’t love pork. Spaniards eat late, most of the restaurants we encountered were very pork-heavy, and there weren’t many breakfast options other than coffee outside of hotel buffets. You’ll probably want something to munch on between meals… and Spanish churros don’t have cinnamon sugar on them, which was very disappointing!
Brush up on your Spanish before you visit. Some of the people we encountered did speak English, but many didn’t know more than a few words. Luckily, Patty is fluent in Spanish and I can at least understand what people are saying, so that helped tremendously. Having some basic Spanish (or at least a translation app or Spanish-English dictionary) will also allow you to go to restaurants that aren’t geared to tourists.
We visited in March, which was awesome because it wasn’t crowded anywhere we went. However, very few restaurants in the beach areas were open at that time, so it made dinner complicated. We also had to deal with some rain, but it wasn’t bad after being in Bahrain for a while! Just make sure to bring good walking shoes that won’t get soaked if it does rain. Patty’s feet were wet and freezing after walking for about 20 minutes in canvas shoes, so she ended up buying new boots and socks! And pack a rain coat and umbrella for walking around outside all day.
