Andalusia in 10 or 14 days: itineraries and bases

Short answer. In 10 days, split your stay between Granada city (Alhambra, Albaicín) and a base further south for the Costa Tropical, the Alpujarra and the Sierra Nevada foothills. In 14 days, start in Seville and Córdoba with a night or two in each, then continue east to Granada and the south. Seville and Córdoba are in other provinces, far from the Costa Tropical: sleep there rather than attempting a day trip. A car makes the southern half much easier.

How these long itineraries work

For 3, 5 or 7 days we keep one base and change destination each day. Over 10 or 14 days it pays to move once or twice, in geographic order, so you never backtrack across Andalusia. Granada is the hinge: Córdoba and Seville lie to the west, the Alpujarra and Sierra Nevada to the south-east, and the A-44 runs south from Granada down the Guadalfeo valley to the Costa Tropical.

Check a route planner, Renfe or ALSA for each leg before you book your beds.

Shorter stay? 3, 5 and 7 days: mixed plans from one base
Andalusia road trip: the drive itself, stage by stage

10 days: Granada, then the coast and the mountains

Two bases, one move. Book the Alhambra first and shift days 1–3 around your ticket.
Day	Base	Plan
1	Granada	Arrive; evening walk in the Albaicín
2	Granada	The Alhambra and Generalife at your booked time (Nasrid Palaces slot is fixed)
3	Granada → Guadalfeo valley	Cathedral and Royal Chapel in the morning; drive south on the A-44 in the afternoon
4	Guadalfeo valley	Vélez de Benaudalla: Jardín Nazarí (Wed–Sun), castle from outside, Paseo del Nacimiento
5	Guadalfeo valley	Salobreña: castle, old quarter, beaches either side of the Peñón
6	Guadalfeo valley	The Alpujarra: Pampaneira, Bubión and Capileira (Poqueira gorge)
7	Guadalfeo valley	Almuñécar and La Herradura: Roman remains, San Miguel castle, coves
8	Guadalfeo valley	Sierra Nevada side: an official Alpujarra trail, or Trevélez
9	Guadalfeo valley	Motril: municipal market, Charca de Suárez (closed Mon–Tue), afternoon on the beach
10	–	Departure via Granada airport (58 km from Vélez) or Málaga

Granada and the Alhambra: tickets and timed entry
The Alpujarra: the Poqueira villages
Best beaches: Salobreña, Almuñécar, Motril

14 days: Seville and Córdoba first, then east and south

Four bases. If you fly into Málaga, you can run the route in reverse: coast first, Seville last.
Day	Base	Plan
1	Seville	Arrive; the old centre
2	Seville	Cathedral and Real Alcázar (UNESCO World Heritage)
3	Seville → Córdoba	Travel east; evening in the historic centre
4	Córdoba	The Mosque-Cathedral and the historic centre (UNESCO World Heritage)
5	Córdoba → Granada	Travel to Granada; Albaicín at sunset
6	Granada	The Alhambra and Generalife at your booked time
7	Granada → Alpujarra	Drive up to the Poqueira villages; sleep in the mountains
8	Alpujarra	An official trail between the Poqueira villages, or Trevélez
9	Alpujarra → Guadalfeo valley	Down via Órgiva to Vélez de Benaudalla; village and Jardín Nazarí (Wed–Sun)
10	Guadalfeo valley	Salobreña and its beaches
11	Guadalfeo valley	Almuñécar and La Herradura
12	Guadalfeo valley	Motril: market, Charca de Suárez, beach
13	Guadalfeo valley	Slow day: pool in season (until 31 October), a short walk or a second beach
14	– (optional night in Málaga)	Departure via Málaga or Granada airport

Where to stay: compare the coast, Granada, the Alpujarra and the valley
The Alpujarra: villages and mountain roads

Seville and Córdoba: an overnight, not a day trip

Córdoba and Seville are in the Guadalquivir valley, in other provinces from Granada, and much further from the Costa Tropical than Granada is. A return day trip from Vélez de Benaudalla would mean most of the day on the road for a few hours of sightseeing. If they matter to you, give each at least one night, as in the 14-day plan, or keep them for another trip.

Málaga is the other option: its airport is the busiest in Andalusia, so many visitors start or end there. A final night in Málaga avoids an early drive on departure day.

Seasonal variants

Spring and autumn

The most comfortable time for a mixed route. Note the Charca de Suárez is visited by appointment only from 1 March to 31 May.

Summer

Do Seville and Córdoba early in the morning or skip them; inland heat is intense. Keep walks for the morning and the coast for the afternoon. Motril averages 30.1 °C in August.

Winter

The coast stays mild (Motril averages 17.6 °C in January), the Alhambra closes earlier (18:00) and snow can reach the upper Alpujarra villages. Chirimoya is in season from mid-October to the end of February. The pool at Rincón Salvaje closes on 31 October.

Best time to visit: month by month

With or without a car

Seville, Córdoba and Granada are linked by train and coach, and ALSA coaches run between Granada and the coast. The southern half is different: the Poqueira villages, the coves and combining several coast towns in one day are hard without a car. A practical compromise is to travel by public transport on the western legs and pick up a car in Granada.

With or without a car: what is realistic by coach

A base for the Granada and Costa Tropical part

Rincón Salvaje is a two-bedroom holiday duplex for up to 4 guests in Vélez de Benaudalla, inland in the Guadalfeo valley at the southern end of the A-44: Granada to the north, the coast to the south, the Alpujarra to the east. It suits the second half of these plans. It has no sea view and the beaches are a drive away. It is operated by RentitSpain and booked only through Airbnb and Booking.com.

Rincón Salvaje: the duplex, amenities and rules
Where to go in Andalusia: the regions compared before you choose a base
Winter in southern Spain: official winter averages for the coast, Málaga and Granada
Budget: the main costs of a trip to the area
Car hire in Andalusia: real total cost, fees, insurance and a calculator

Frequently asked questions

What to do in Andalusia in 10 days?

Spend three days in Granada for the Alhambra and the Albaicín, then move south to a single base for the Costa Tropical (Salobreña, Almuñécar, Motril), the Alpujarra villages and a Sierra Nevada walk. Add Córdoba or Seville only as an overnight, not as a day trip.

Is 14 days enough for Andalusia?

Enough for a coherent route (Seville, Córdoba, Granada, the Alpujarra and the Costa Tropical) at a relaxed pace with four bases. Not enough to see the whole region: Cádiz, Ronda, Almería and Jaén would need another trip.

Where to stay for a 2-week Andalusia trip?

Split the trip: a night or two each in Seville and Córdoba, two or three in Granada city, optionally one in the Alpujarra, then about five nights in one base for the Granada / Costa Tropical part. Rincón Salvaje in Vélez de Benaudalla, between Granada and the sea, works for that last part if you have a car.

Can I visit Seville or Córdoba on a day trip from the Costa Tropical?

It is possible but not worth it: both are far west of the coast, so most of the day would be spent driving. Sleep there instead.

Is Vélez de Benaudalla a good base for a long trip?

For the Granada, Costa Tropical and Alpujarra part, yes, if you drive: it sits on the A-44 between Granada and the coast. For Seville and Córdoba, no: stay in those cities.

Sources · Facts checked on 8 November 2026

10 and 14 days in Andalusia: two realistic itineraries