An environmentally-friendly trip to Andalucía: sí se puede!
Some might say travelling is a kind of art. Like arts, sometimes it works perfectly just by following your inner flow. However, time optimization, together with a touch of planning and logistics may go a long way and even open your trip to new environnmentally-friendly scenarios!
Today we are taking you to Andalucía, a region in Southern Spain which is ideal for itinerant tours. That’s why it is often recommended to rent a car, thinking it could save time and energy.
In truth, a tour with no car is not just possible, but it may also be cheaper and less stressful! That is because most of Andalusian cities are built with a particular layout characterized by compact alleys in the city center on the model of the Arab medina. As a consequence, looking for an accomodation with parking included (or even just parking the car) could be both difficult and expensive, trust me, I’ve been there.
A man forewarned is forearmed, right? Let’s then take a look at some helpful tips to boost your trip and - why not - make it greener! (By coincidence, green is also the color of the Andalusian flag!).
Graffiti in calle Compañía, Malaga.
Arriving in Andalucía
Let's first talk about the arrival. The best served cities by plane are Seville and Malaga, this means that it is both possible to do a circular tour, arriving and departing from the same city, as well as a linear tour, arriving to an airport and departing from another.
TIP: this flexibility could have a crucial role to help you find the cheapest flights to/from both Seville and Malaga airports!
MEGA TIP: no matter how you choose to plan it, each tour can be done either way!
Travelling Andalucía
Once arrived, one can move between the major cities (Seville, Cordoba, Granada, Malaga, Cadiz) either by bus or train.
TIP: travel times are roughly equivalent, however, prices sometimes change substantially! That's why I recommend you to always check both options; for example, I use the Renfe site for trains and Alsa for buses.
Some Itinerary Ideas
And last but not least, here are some tour suggestions:
Monumental tour (4-5 days)
Seville - Cordoba - Granada
Discovering the impressive Arab fortifications, starting with the Real Alcazár, passing through the Mezquita-Catedral and concluding with the Alhambra.
Flamenco tour (6-7 days)
Seville - Granada - Malaga - Cadiz
If you think flamenco is the same all over Andalucía, you are dead wrong! Take a chance to discover it! Savor the sevillanas, get lost in Sacromonte’s cuevas in Granada, then fall in love with the harder gypsy flamenco of Cadiz!
Complete adventure tour (10 days)
Seville - Cordoba - Granada ( + hike in Sierra Nevada) - Malaga ( + Caminito del Rey) - Cadiz
There’s something for everyone in this region, so why not taking advantage of it and go for some nice hiking sessions to enjoy the amber colors of the Andalusian landscape?
Salmorejo y tinto de verano tour (2-3 days)
Seville - Malaga
For the foodies out there that maybe are more into the gastronomic and folkloristic culture than architecture: let’s get lost in the daily vida andaluza ! Y olè!
Flamenco dancers in Plaza de España, Seville.
What About You?
Have you ever traveled Andalucía by public transport before?
Would you like to learn more about a city in particular? Let us know in the comments or on instagram!
