de-DEen-US
de-DEen-US

Andalusia

Andalusia is the most populous and second largest region in Spain in terms of area. The choice of activities that you can do in Andalusia is correspondingly large. Discover mountains, deserts or beaches. Experience cities, villages or endless nature. Hiking, shopping or surfing. Andalusia has everything to offer!

27/05/2022

dear(travel)diary,

Andalusia never used to appeal to me. I always associated it with mass tourism and agriculture for mass consumption. Doesn't sound particularly inviting, does it? My image of Andalusia was due to my Spanish lessons at school. When we had the topic “Andalusia”, our Spanish teacher told us that Andalusia is characterized by its beautiful nature and coastline. However, mass tourism and agriculture are increasingly ruining it. Somehow I must have forgotten that she had previously talked about the beauty of Andalusia. All I could think of when I thought of Andalusia were large hotel complexes and boring agricultural fields.

Fortunately, I was drawn to Andalusia again on our road trip. A few spots such as the Alhambra Castle or the Ronda Gorge had been on my travel bucket list for a long time. As these were located in the “oh so ugly” Andalusia, I was bound to go there. And I can't tell you how happy I am that I made it to Andalusia after all. Because I was amazed by the beauty of Spain's second largest region - especially how diverse Andalusia is! One thing is very clear to me now: I have a few vacations in Andalusia to catch up on!

xx Chiara

Overview:


What to see & discover

  1. Granada
  2. Caminito del Rey
  3. Ronda
  4. Sevilla
  5. Playa Bolonia
  6. Gibraltar (England)
  7. Cádiz
  8. Tabernas
  9. Sierra Nevada
  10. Mezquita-Catedral de Córdoba
  11. Castillo de Colomares


Where to eat

  • La Esquinita Argentina (Granada) - Very tasty (Argentinian) empanadas
  • Las Maravillas (Ronda) - Good Spanish tapas
  • BYOKO (Málaga) - Organic restaurant with healthy dishes such as bowls and hearty crêpes
  • Illari Vinos y Tapas (Málaga) - Restaurant for the best tapas in Málaga, at reasonable prices (so book a table in advance!)
  • LUUMA Beach Marbella (Marbella) - Unusual cuisine in a beautiful location
  • Restaurante Otero Bolonia (Bolonia) - Seafood restaurant right on Playa Bolonia, therefore a good place to go during or after a day at the beach
  • El Faro de Cádiz (Cádiz) - Very good tapas and fish dishes (unfortunately a little more expensive)
  • Moya Brunch (Seville) - Nice breakfast place with delicious smoothie bowls
  • Mercado Lonja del Barranco (Seville) - Food market with stalls from various local restaurants
  • The Second Room (Seville) - Relaxed bar where you will mainly find locals


where to sleep

As we were traveling by van, we didn't sleep in any hotels or apartments. Instead, we stayed at campsites and pitches. We had a good mix of paid and unpaid pitches and were actually happy with all of them. If you are also traveling by van, here are my tips:

  • Route 66 Tabernas (Carretera Nacional 340 A KM 474, 04200 Tabernas, Almería) - We spent the night directly in the parking lot of the Route 66 restaurant as we arrived at night and didn't want to look any further. Unfortunately, it was a bit noisy due to the adjacent road. However, if you drive a little further through (past the restaurant and fields), you will come to a (quiet) camper site.
  • Camping Granada (Paraje, Cerro de la Cruz, 18210, Granada) - One of our favorite campsites on the whole trip, very nice location, friendly staff and beautiful views!
  • (Wild) camping spot near Caminito del Rey (W54M+Q7W, 29550 Ardales, Málaga province) - Beautiful campsite with a view of the blue-green lake
  • (Wild) camping spot near Gibraltar (5MX9+9WG, 11315 Santa Margarita, Cádiz) - Pitch right on the beach with a view of the mountain of Gibraltar
  • CAMPING VILLSOM Sevilla (N-IV, Km 555, 41703 Dos Hermanas) - Beautiful, well-equipped campsite with good public transport connections to get into the city


Costs

  • Camping Route 66 Tabernas: 0€
  • Camping Granada for 1 night: 32€
  • Camping near Gibraltar: 0€
  • Camping Sevilla for 1 night: 27,60€
  • Entrance to the Caminito del Rey hiking trail: €19.50 p.p.
  • Admission Alhambra: 9,50€ p.p.
  • Admission Las Setas de Sevilla: 5€ p.p.
  • Entrance to Alcázar in Seville: 6€ p.p.
  • Dinner at Las Maravillas for two: 34€
  • Lunch at Restaurante Otero Bolonia for two: 28€
  • Breakfast at Moya Brunch for two: €28
  • Lunch snack at The Second Room for two: €11.50
  • Olive oil at LA Organic: €14.30
  • Supermarket shopping: approx. 20€
  • Parking in Ronda for approx. 3 hours: €5.90
  • Toll in total approx. 20€
  • Refueling: 95€


I have put together a list of all the places on Google Maps.

You can find the list here.

From the community for the community

Tips from the community

Do you have a tip for Andalusia? Or a suggestion for the blog? Or would you like more information about Andalusia?

Then write me!