8 Days in Andalucía: A Real Talk Travel Diary (Seville, Córdoba, Granada & Málaga) Maria, April 6, 2025April 17, 2025 From delayed flights to delicious vermut-fueled evenings, here’s the unfiltered version of our week-long trip through Southern Spain. If you’re more of a visual learner, check out my YouTube video where I included ways to get around, hotels we’ve stayed at, highlights in each city, countless tapas we ate, how much we spent for the entire trip, including all flights, trains, accommodations, and travel tips that might just be useful for you. Day 1: Hola Seville! Our Andalucía journey began with a flight from Barcelona to Seville via Ryanair. We started the day with breakfast at Sorli Café before hopping on the L9 (orange line) metro to the airport. No checked bags meant we breezed through security, despite a slight 15-minute delay. We landed in Seville around 3PM, caught the EA shuttle bus (6€/person) to San Justa station, walked 15 minutes, and checked into our hotel. After a quick grocery stop (hydration = 5L water), we freshened up and hit the streets. Despite the gloomy weather, we explored Seville’s old town, starting with Setas de Sevilla. Our hangry selves made a questionable lunch choice at a highly-rated spot—note to self: good reviews ≠ great food. €25 later, we wandered to the Cathedral and Giralda, fueled by caramelized pistachios and coconut pastry from Sabor a España and emergency coffee at Starbucks, because I was freezing and desperate for coffee. We picked up snacks at Carrefour, pastel de nata from De Nata (these were actually good!), and returned to the hotel. Dinner at a random tapas bar across the street hit the spot—great food, cozy vibes, and reasonably priced. Tapas + vermut = happy us. 📍 Steps walked: 18,000💸 Total spent: €111.48 Day 2: Alcázar, Arguments, and Amazing Plaza Started with a mild breakfast drama—our brunch spot was full, Cake & Go was available but disappointing (yes, we fought 🙃). Took the local bus to arrive at the Alcázar for our 10:30am entry. Scanned the QR code for the audio guide—having our headphones was a lifesaver. Beautiful place, indeed, but it kind of reminded me of Morocco. And unfortunetely, the gardens were closed due to rainy weather. Onward to Plaza de España, which completely blew us away. It’s free, majestic, and honestly better than the Alcázar (hot take? maybe.). We also rented a bike for 2 for €15 to explore Parque de María Luisa—highly recommended! Lunch was tapas again (7 plates, vermut, beer) at a cozy bar we ducked into during a sudden rainstorm. We ended the night with a not-so-wow dinner at a “highly rated” spot. €95 for a bland meal? Hard pass. Google reviews betrayed us once more. 📍 Steps walked: 20,000💸 Total spent: €208.18 Day 3: Next Stop: Córdoba We took a short train ride to Córdoba (30 mins) after visiting Setas de Sevilla (50% off for Spanish residents—yay!). The architecture is futuristic-meets-historic—loved it. From Córdoba station, we took Bus 3 (€1.3/person, cash only) to our hotel. Explored the town center, crossed the bridge (reminded us of Toledo), and tried local pastries and empanadas—none were mind-blowing, tbh. Dinner? Spot-on. Thanks to a recommendation from the hotel staff, we had a lovely meal just 5 mins away from the hotel. 📍 Steps walked: 17,000💸 Total spent: €116.62 Day 4: Mezquita Magic & Churros After breakfast at Atrium Café, we spent two hours in the breathtaking Mezquita—it’s as grand and impressive as they say. I actually prefer this than the Alcázar in Seville. Lunch was a bit pricey but worth it. Fried eggplant with molasses = a pleasant surprise for our taste buds. Unfortunately, the patios were closed (pro tip: don’t go on a Tuesday if patios are your goal). We found Bar Marta for afternoon churros and coffee (Madrid still wins, but these were good). We didn’t have dinner because we were still full. 📍 Steps walked: 16.000💸 Total spent: €113.95 Day 5: Patios, Pastries & Off to Granada Tried new pastries at our favorite Córdoba café (Atrium café) before exploring 5 patios (€6.50/person for all 5 patios)—gorgeous and peaceful in the morning before the crowds. Spring, before Semana Santa preferably, is also the best time to come because there aren’t a lot of tourists yet. These patios are open year-round. After lunch and a short train ride to Granada, we checked in to a warm welcome and balcony room (bonus!). Early dinner near the hotel was underwhelming (again, reviews lied) so was the cookies we tried along the way, so my partner saved the day with McNuggets. 📍 Steps walked: 18,000💸 Total spent: €102.87 Day 6: Alhambra Adventures & Vermut Vibes 5 hours at the Alhambra, and worth every minute. Great weather, fewer tourists, and comfy enough for a light jacket. Places we visited: Palacio Nazaries — come 10mins before the time of entry on your ticket because they’re strict about it Generalife Gardens Palacio de Carlos V Alcazaba After visiting Palacio Nazaries, you can visit the other areas regardless of time. This Palacio reminded me of Alcázar in Sevilla as they look almost identical. We liked the Generalife Gardens a lot. Lunch was at a casual tapas bar, where the vermut hit me harder than expected. Then came cheesecake heaven—two slices, both amazing. I rested while Paolo wandered. Classic divide-and-conquer strategy. 📍 Steps walked: 13,000💸 Total spent: €93.11 Day 7: Málaga, our Final Destination! Breakfast was okay, yesterday’s café was better. We trained to Málaga, checked in, and explored the town with pastel de nata, limonada, and beach walks in between. We lucked out with a table at El Pimpi without a reservation—great tapas (except the croquetas). Arrive before 8pm if you want a walk-in seat. 📍 Steps walked: 19,000💸 Total spent: €88.30 Day 8: Haircuts, Hills & Seafood Feasts Final day! After breakfast and a stop at the Mercado Central de Atarazanas, we hiked to the Mirador de la Coracha (viewpoint). It took us approximately 35mins to reach the mirador by foot. The hike was challenging because it was too hot but the hike itself was relatively easy. We stayed there, admiring the views and taking tons of videos and photos, for about an hour. From the top, we can see the port, the beach, and the plaza de toros. Sweaty but worth it. Amazing views and totally free. Then we took a bus to El Tintero at El Palo beach—our favorite meal of the entire trip. When we arrived, there was a long line outside. I was starting to get cranky/hangry but good thing it didn’t long to get a table. We actually jumped the line because there were several tables available for 2 people and most of the people in line were in groups. We took a seat and waited for food to be offered. There was no ordering process—the staff will just come and shout what they have on hand. If you want it, then you get it before someone else does. It was an enjoyable and unique dining experience. I thought it would take long to get all the food that we want but not really. In the end, we got 4 plates of seafood-grilled sardines, gambas, mussels, and pulpo—plus a plate of fruits for palate cleansing, and 2 coca-cola. Seafood galore, beachfront setting, and a fun, fast-paced vibe! Highly recommended to anyone visiting Málaga. Then, we topped it off with ice cream (cheesecake + mango yogurt were our favorites!) because it’s hot and why not? With 2 hours to spare, I managed to sneak-in a last-minute haircut & color session (spontaneous glow-up!) before heading to the airport. 📍 Steps walked: 16,000💸 Total spent: €137.10 Final Thoughts Don’t blindly trust Google reviews. Trust locals or go for crowded spots with locals. Tapas are a lifestyle. Tapas bars beat restaurants for price & flavor. Timing is key. Book your train tickets an hour after check-out time so you won’t have to wait long to go to your next destination. Spring is probably the best time to visit if you want to avoid the crowds. Weather is not too hot and not cold either, but it could be rainy. Planning is crucial. Book in advance tickets to famous tourist spots because almost always they can be sold out. Choose wisely. When looking for a hotel, choose the ones located in the center because it would save you time and you won’t have to take as much bus rides. Always carry some cash – buses and smaller stores sometimes don’t accept card. Walk a lot. Then walk some more and always stay hydrated! Layer up – Andalucían weather in early spring can be unpredictable. Don’t skip local parks or the Mirador. They’re underrated. Rest when needed – long days + walking = exhaustion. Midday breaks help! Take your fights lightly. You’ll laugh about them later. (Hopefully.) Total spent (including flights, trains & accommodation): €1,910.40 (average daily spent: €239 for 2 persons)Total steps: probably a millionTotal tapas eaten: too many to countTotal vermut drank: too many to rememberTotal pastel de nata and ice cream eaten: not enough We were able to track all the places we visited, hotels, restaurants, how much we spent, etc. using the COFIO app—your ultimate travel journal app. Until our next adventure, ¡hasta luego! Travel