Southern Granada itineraries: 3, 5 and 7 days

Short answer. In 3 days: Salobreña and the coast, Granada and the Alhambra, the Poqueira villages of the Alpujarra. In 5 days, add a village day in Vélez de Benaudalla and a beach day in Motril. In 7 days, add easy walks, a slow day and a second visit to Granada or Trevélez. A car is needed for most of these day trips, and Alhambra tickets must be booked in advance.

How these itineraries work

Each plan assumes one base between Granada and the coast, for example in the Guadalfeo valley, and one main destination per day. Every place listed already has a detailed guide on this site, linked under each table: read it for tickets, opening days and practical details.

A car is needed for most day trips: the Alpujarra villages, the coves and combining several towns are hard by coach. If you will not drive at all, read our guide to travelling with or without a car first.

With or without a car: what is realistic by coach

Culture, hiking or a custom plan?

This page mixes everything. If one theme matters more to you, use the dedicated pages instead of repeating them here:

Cultural itineraries (1, 3, 5 days): castles, gardens, Roman and Nasrid sites
Outdoor stay plans (3, 5, 7 days): official trails only, with levels and seasons
Travel planner: an interactive plan from 3 to 14 days, built from your interests
Hiking planner: filter trails by effort, time and season

Three days: coast, Granada, Alpujarra

Book the Alhambra first and fit the other days around your ticket.
Day	Plan	Read first
1	Coast: walk up through Salobreña’s white old town to its Nasrid castle, then a beach on either side of the Peñón (La Guardia or La Charca)	Beaches · Cultural itineraries
2	Granada: Alhambra and Generalife at your booked time, then the Albaicín and the Mirador de San Nicolás; tapas before the drive back	Granada and the Alhambra
3	Alpujarra: Pampaneira, Bubión and Capileira in the Poqueira gorge; walkers can do the Sendero Pueblos del Poqueira (9.4 km loop, 3 h 30 min, official medium grade)	The Alpujarra · Hiking in the Alpujarra

Best beaches: La Guardia, La Charca and the Peñón
Granada and the Alhambra: tickets and order of visit
The Alpujarra: the Poqueira villages
Hiking in the Alpujarra: official trail figures

Medieval castle on a rock above gardens — Salobreña castle on its rock above the town. · Iván Montoya, CC0

Five days: add the village and a beach day

Put the village day on a Wednesday to Sunday so the Jardín Nazarí is open.
Day	Plan	Read first
1	Vélez de Benaudalla: Jardín Nazarí (closed Monday and Tuesday), the Ulloa castle from outside (open only when the town hall announces it), the Paseo del Nacimiento, pestiños and roscos	Jardín Nazarí · Vélez de Benaudalla · Food in Vélez
2	Granada: Alhambra and Generalife, then the Albaicín	Granada and the Alhambra
3	Motril: morning at the municipal market (mornings, Monday to Saturday), then Playa Granada or Torrenueva	Beaches · Quisquilla de Motril
4	Alpujarra: Lanjarón and Órgiva on the way up, then the Poqueira villages	The Alpujarra
5	Coast west: Salobreña castle and old town, then Almuñécar: San Miguel castle, Cueva de Siete Palacios museum and the Roman aqueduct	Cultural itineraries

Jardín Nazarí: hours and admission
Vélez de Benaudalla: the village and its castle
Traditional food in Vélez: pestiños and roscos
Quisquilla de Motril: seafood and the market
Cultural itineraries: Salobreña and Almuñécar in detail

Seven days: walks, a slow day and a second visit

Walking figures are official (no stops). Check each source before you go.
Day	Plan	Read first
1	Arrival and village: Paseo del Nacimiento, the castle from outside, the village square	Vélez de Benaudalla
2	Granada: Alhambra and Generalife at your booked time	Granada and the Alhambra · The Generalife
3	Motril: Playa Granada or Torrenueva, an easy walk (Las Lagunas, 2 km flat loop, or the Acantilados de Sacratif cliff path, 2.4 km), the sugar-cane museum	Beaches · Hiking on the coast
4	Alpujarra: the Poqueira villages and the Sendero Pueblos del Poqueira	The Alpujarra · Hiking in the Alpujarra
5	Slow day: Jardín Nazarí (Wednesday to Sunday) and the beach, or a rest at your base	Jardín Nazarí · Beaches
6	Salobreña and Almuñécar: castles, Cueva de Siete Palacios, Roman aqueduct, El Majuelo botanical park; snorkelling coves such as El Caletón or Marina del Este in calm weather	Cultural itineraries · Beaches
7	Choose: Granada again (Albaicín, Sacromonte cave houses, cathedral and Royal Chapel) or further into the Alpujarra to Trevélez, known for its ham	Granada and the Alhambra · The Alpujarra

Hiking on the Costa Tropical: Las Lagunas and Sacratif
The Generalife: what is Nasrid and what is not
Easy family walks: short routes with explicit criteria

Adapting the plan

Opening days

The Jardín Nazarí is closed on Monday and Tuesday and open only in the morning on Sunday.

The Alhambra slot

The Nasrid Palaces have a fixed entry time and you lose it if you are late. Book first, then move the other days around it.

Seasons

In summer, keep walks for the morning and beaches for the afternoon. In winter, snow can reach the upper Alpujarra villages; the coast stays mild. Chirimoya (Fino de Jete) is in season from mid-October to the end of February.

Mountain roads

The Alpujarra is reached on narrow, winding roads: keep it as a full day and avoid driving back tired.

Best time to visit: month by month
Tropical fruits: chirimoya season

One base for every plan

Rincón Salvaje is a two-bedroom holiday duplex 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. It is booked only through Airbnb and Booking.com.

Where to stay: compare the coast, Granada, the Alpujarra and the valley
Where to go in Andalusia: the regions compared before you choose a base

Frequently asked questions

How many days do I need for southern Granada?

Three days give one day each for the coast, Granada and the Alpujarra. Five days add a village day and a beach day; a week leaves room for walks, a slow day and a second visit to Granada.

Can I follow these itineraries without a car?

Only partly. ALSA coaches link Granada with the coast, but the Alpujarra villages and the coves are hard without a car. Check timetables on alsa.com, or base yourself in Granada or a coast town.

How is this different from the cultural and hiking itineraries?

This page mixes beach, heritage, villages and easy walks. The cultural itineraries focus on castles, gardens and museums; the outdoor stay plans focus on official hiking trails.

Where should I put the Alhambra in the week?

Wherever you get a ticket. Book on the official website first (Nasrid Palaces entry is at a fixed time) and arrange the other days around it.

Can I do Granada and the beach on the same day?

The A-44 links Granada with the coast, but we plan one main destination per day: the Alhambra visit alone takes about three hours.

Sources · Facts checked on 8 November 2026

Southern Granada in 3, 5 or 7 days: mixed itineraries