Are you interested in road tripping Andalusia? Before booking domestic flights to get you around the country, consider sustainable traveling methods like overland traveling instead.
Here is your ultimate guide for sustainable traveling on a road trip through Southern Spain. This blog includes the need-to-know details of navigating the Spanish region in a motorized vehicle. It’s also a righteous itinerary of off-the-beaten-path and popular destinations worth road-tripping in Andalusia.
Guide to Road Tripping Andalusia
Depending on the person, road tripping Andalusia might seem daunting or exciting. The only daunting thing about it is deciding where to go and how long to spend there. The white-washed buildings, cobblestone roads, and award-winning architecture of Andalusia make for enticing views.
The best part is that you can take your time as you do it.
The roads in Andalusia are (mostly) well paved, albeit narrow at times. There’s always the occasional roundabout to break up the monotony, but truthfully driving in Spain can be confusing.
Suffice it to say it’s worth being confident behind the wheel when necessary. I recommend using a GPS or hands-free navigation tool while road tripping Andalusia. European highways move fast, and a plotted path can make space for enjoying the views vs. stressing the next exit.
The Spanish region of Andalusia is vast and diverse, making the autonomous community one of the best regions of Spain to adventure by car. Not to mention that it’s home to four of the best coastlines in the country: Costa de la Luz, Costa del Sol, Costa Tropical, and Costa de Almeria.
Naturally, beach lovers faun over this fact electing to rent caravans to park and camp out nearby beaches as they go.
Does that mean summer is the best time to plan a road trip to Andalusia?
Best Time to Road Trip in Andalusia
That depends on what you’re traveling to Andalusia for. If the beach life of water activities, Tinto de Veranos or cervezas con pescados fritos under the warm Spanish sun is your vibe. Then Summer is a great time to go. It’s also the most expensive time to visit Andalusia.
Temperatures in Andalusia can get as low as 2 degrees Celsius in the winter months of October-February. The summer temperatures can soar upwards of 45 in most inland areas. And the warmest months are July-September.
On that note, the sweet spot for the mid-budget traveler to get behind the wheel in Andalusia is March-June. You will avoid the extreme differences in the weather and enjoy lower-priced accommodations and activities, too.
Check out my Barcelona in August and 1 Day in Malaga posts.
Are You Looking for Car Rentals in Seville? Check out Car Rental deals on Expedia
Sustainable Traveling Southern Spain
Spain remains a hot spot on the European continent, and overtourism is a growing concern for the industry. Thankfully, Andalusian infrastructure allows tourists to adopt sustainable traveling methods like overland and slow traveling.
Overland traveling is what it sounds like, traveling over the land. There are various methods of this, public trains, buses, or rented motorized vehicles like cars or mopheads.
Slow traveling, another treasured sustainable traveling method, is precisely what’s happening when you decide to road trip southern Spain. You are slowly traveling the region, which is far more impactful; for you and the local communities your exploration touches.
Here are a few more examples of sustainable traveling: shopping at local markets vs. big-name supermarket chains, packing reusable products to reduce single-use plastic waste, and staying at three-star hotels or homestays.
instructions:Road Tripping Andalusia: Off-the-beaten-path towns
The best way to break this down is by province. There are eight within the Andalusian border: Seville, Córdoba, Cádiz, Huelva, Granada, Málaga, Almería, and Jaén.
Each province is rich with history, charm, and gastronomic delights. But there are a few towns worth venturing off the beaten path to explore while road tripping Andalusia.
- Arcos de la Frontera and Jerez de la Frontera (Cádiz)
- Lucena and Priego de Cordoba (Córdoba)
- Baeza and Ubeda (Jaén)
- Ronda and Campillos (Málaga)
Fuse recommends beginning your adventure in Southern Spain in Seville and heading East in a loop. Doing so will help maximize the time spent road tripping Andalusia and cover as many stops above as possible.
Each town is highly walkable, so wear your comfy shoes, park the car, grab your water tumbler, sunglasses, hat, and sunscreen, and start exploring. On that note, there are dozens of Natural Parks in the region. I strongly recommend Parque Nacional Sierra Nevada and Sierra de Baza.
Keep your camera ready because there is plenty to capture along the way. Besides, if you don’t share it on the Gram, did it even happen?
Road Tripping Andalusia: Instagrammable stops
Creating while traveling is fun and easy to do with Southern Spain as your backdrop. Just pulling off the road at random can reveal jaw-dropping landscapes or long-forgotten castle ruins. Can you say unexpected photo shoot?
Just the same, a few spots —as touristy as they may be— are popular for a reason. And because of this, I do recommend making time to visit the following Instgrammable places in Andalusia.
- La Mezquita: A gem in the province of Córdoba.
- Cabo de Gata: A massive National Park protected in the province of Almería.
- Alcázar: The fortified palace of the hills in Granada.
- Alcazaba: A fortified city within the Málaga province.
- Alhambra: A combination of a fortified city and palace grounds in one, in the province of Seville
Remember, many sites will require a reservation, sometimes weeks in advance. Many locations stagger visitors throughout the day to adhere to tourism restrictions. CoVid Restrictions are no longer in place in Spain at the time of publishing, but it is strongly recommended to wash your hands regularly while visiting these densely populated places.
Which of these historical Andalusian towns will you drive to first?
Get my top tips for visiting Spain in May and visiting Spain with kids before you go, and take a gander at these other blogs about Spanish travel.
Also, check out my Lisbon to Seville Drive.
