Getting Between Stops
Madrid to Seville is a high-speed train of about two and a half hours. Several companies run the line, so advance fares can be very low.
You will not need a car in Seville. Pick one up when you leave for Ronda, about an hour and 45 minutes away. Ronda to the Cádiz coast is about two hours direct, longer through the white villages.
Mountain roads around Ronda are well paved but twisty, so allow extra time and avoid driving after wine tastings. On the coast, roads are good and traffic is light outside summer weekends.
In Seville, Ronda and Cádiz, historic centers are tight for cars. Park in a garage at the edge and walk in.
Jerez and El Puerto de Santa María are easy by train from Cádiz if you want to skip driving to the sherry tasting.
Where to Stay
In Seville, Hotel Alfonso XIII, a grand 1929 landmark, is the classic splurge. Corral del Rey and Hotel Mercer Sevilla are smaller restored houses with roof terraces and a quiet, residential feel. In summer, a rooftop plunge pool is worth paying for.
In Ronda, the Parador de Ronda sits beside the Puente Nuevo with rooms and a pool over the gorge. Ask for a gorge-view room. The Hotel Reina Victoria, on the cliff edge, has gardens facing the mountains.
On the Cádiz coast, the Parador de Cádiz sits on the seafront near La Caleta with a rooftop pool. In Vejer de la Frontera, Hotel Casa Califa is a well-known boutique hotel built from a cluster of old houses with roof terraces. For beach time, look at low-key hotels in Zahara de los Atunes, Caños de Meca or Bolonia.
When to Go
March to May and September to October are the best months. Spring brings orange blossom in Seville and green hills around Ronda. Fall brings warm afternoons and a warmer sea on the coast.
July and August are extremely hot inland, with Seville regularly above 104°F. The coast is cooler, but beaches and hotels are busy with Spanish holidaymakers.
Seville's Holy Week and April Fair are spectacular but crowded, with high hotel prices. Book well ahead or plan around them.
The Atlantic coast is often windy, especially when the levante wind blows from the east. It is great for kitesurfers near Tarifa but can make beach days rough. The sea here is cooler than the Mediterranean, warmest in late August and September.
What It Costs
Andalusia is good value compared with much of Western Europe. As an approximate guide, Seville's palace hotels such as Hotel Alfonso XIII start around $650 a night for two, while Corral del Rey and Hotel Mercer run around $400 to $450. In Ronda, the Parador de Ronda starts around $180, with the best view rooms more. Cádiz and Vejer boutique hotels cost roughly $150 to $350.
The high-speed train from Madrid and a rental car for a week are moderate.
The things worth paying for are a flamenco show in an intimate venue, a candlelit bathhouse session, a sherry tasting in Jerez and a gorge-view room in Ronda. Tapas are cheap and excellent everywhere, so long tapas crawls are the best-value meals on the trip.
Tips for the Two of You
Andalusia runs on a late schedule. Lunch is around 2 p.m. and dinner rarely before 9 p.m. Plan siesta time in the afternoon heat and enjoy the evenings.
The sun is strong from spring to fall. Bring hats, sunscreen and water, especially for the Alcázar gardens and the Ronda gorge path.
Churches and the cathedral ask both of you to cover shoulders and knees. A light scarf helps.
On Atlantic beaches, check flags before swimming. Waves and currents can be strong on windy days. Swim where lifeguards are on duty.
The route gives each of you room for your own interests. One of you might want a cooking class or wine tasting while the other walks the gorge or surfs near Tarifa. Split an afternoon and meet for tapas.
Make It Shorter or Longer
With a week, spend three nights in Seville and three on the Cádiz coast, stopping in Ronda for lunch on the way.
With 12 or 13 days, add Granada for two nights between Seville and Ronda, with the Alhambra at its heart. Granada to Ronda is about two and a half hours by car. Or add two nights in Córdoba for the Mezquita and its flower-filled patios, especially in May.
Couples who want more beach can add two or three nights near Tarifa or in Zahara de los Atunes at the end. Another option is to start with two nights in Madrid for the Prado and long dinners before the train south.
If you want to cross the strait, ferries from Tarifa reach Tangier in Morocco in about an hour, which makes an easy day trip or a two-night extension.
