*This post contains affiliate links. I will earn a commission at no additional cost to you if you make a purchase using my links.*
A dream of mine came true when I had the opportunity to visit Spain in October. This dream began back when I was studying Interior Design at California State Northridge. Part of our curriculum was to take a couple of architecture history classes in which we studied Moorish architecture in Andalusia (south of Spain).
I immediately fell in love with the photos of the architecture I was seeing and told myself that I will one day go see these places on my own (God willing).
At the time I time I didn’t think I’d be going with my mom. But it totally made my trip even more special because I got to go with her.
This post will briefly layout my week itinerary. Each city will then get its own post on details of all of the places I visited during my stay in each City.
Madrid (Sep. 28 – 30)
Transportation
We flew in and out of Barajas Airport in Madrid.
Transportation from Airport to City: A cab for 30 Euros which is a set price.
Other options: Train or Bus for 5 Euros
Accommodations
AirBnb in the Atocha Neighborhood.
We were here for two nights when we flew in and another night when we flew out.
Places Visited
Crystal Palace in El Retiro park, Plaza de Cibeles, Gran Via, La Latina, Plaza Mayor, Royal Palace of Madrid, Catedral de la Almudena, Royal Palace Gardens, Temple of Debod & Rooftop of El Corte Ingles for a city view
Cordoba (Sep. 30 – Oct. 5)
Accommodations
AirBnb about 5 minutes from the historic Mezquita-Cathedral (a main attraction)
Transportation
Train from Atocha Station, Madrid to Cordoba Station. When we arrived at the Cordoba station, we walked about 10 minutes to our AirBnb. There isn’t much public transportation that goes inside the city.
We stayed here for 5 nights and made it our main hub to see the south of Spain. It made sense to me as it was central to the other cities we wanted to see.
Staying in this City was ideal for my mom and I as we prefer smaller cities over big ones. If you are big on night life and more things to do then I’d recommend staying in Malaga, Seville or Granada.
Places Visited
Patios Cordobeses, Mezquita, Calleja de las Flores, Alcazar de Cordoba Roman, Roman Bridge, Plaza de la Corredera, Plaza del Potro & Basharat Mosque in Pedro Abad (30 minute drive from Cordoba)
Seville (Day Trip – Oct. 1)
Transportation
Train from Cordoba to Seville. Uber from Seville Station to Real Alcazar de Seville (approximately 5 Euros). We used Uber here a couple of times as we were pressed for time. Each ride was no more than 5 Euros.
There is public transportation here but I never took the time to figure it out. I didn’t want to waste a second so I did whatever was convenient.
If I could do it all over again. I would have probably stayed here for at least two days.
Places Visited
Real Alcazar de Seville, Plaza de Espana & La Setas de Sevilla
Buy the tickets to Real Alcazar ahead of time. We had to wait two hours in line to get in.
Granada (Day Trip Oct. 2)
Transportation
Train from Cordoba to Granada and then walked the rest of the time. A heads up, this city is very mountainous. A lot of going up and down.
Places Visited
La Alhambra and Albaicin
Make sure you buy tickets at least two months in advance to visit the Alhambra. It is a popular attraction and tickets can sell out very fast. Also, you can spend an entire day here! We were at the grounds from 12:30 – 4 p.m. Then we wandered around the old Arab Quarter of Albaicin for the remainder of the time.
I would love to come back here and stay in the old quarter for a couple of days.
Madrid (Oct. 5-6)
Accommodations
Hotel in Atocha neighborhood
Transportation
Train from Cordoba to Madrid Atocha Station
I preferred staying in this neighborhood because of the train station. It was super easy to get to it and go to other destinations. It is also where you can take the bus or train to and from the airport should you choose that.
Our hotel was a 7 minute walk from the station.
On our final day, we ordered a Free Now cab from the hotel to the airport. It ended up being 24 Euros because I got a deal for my first few rides.
Places Visited
Prado Museum, San Jerónimo el Real, Reina Sofia Museum
The two museums are free after 6 p.m. Make sure that you get there an hour early to claim a spot!
Overall Transportation
As you can see, our main mode of transportation was the train. I love traveling in trains in Europe. It’s just so easy! I booked a month and a half in advance which gave me decent deals. However, if you can help it, I’d try and book two months or more in advance if you want to get good deals. I used the Omio app to book. Loved the app because it was so easy to use and your boarding passes can also be viewed electronically which made life a little easier!
In terms of exploring the actual cities, we didn’t use the subway or any public transportation except to and from airport and a little in Seville (because we were pressed for time). We used Uber and Free Now apps which worked well. They can be a little expensive at times though.
My mom and I preferred walking and that is how we saw pretty much all of the cities we went to.
Other Things to Note
- Food
A lot of Spanish cuisine consists of pork, seafood and drinking and you get a free tapas if you order a drink. I don’t drink or eat pork and am not the biggest fan of seafood so dinning was a bit difficult. However, every time I did try fish, it was always fresh and delicious. We also ate a lot of middle eastern cuisine because there is a big influence in Spain from that part of the world as it is close by. Finding food in Madrid wasn’t hard because it is a bigger city and there is a lot of variety. - Another Day Trip from Cordoba
We were going to do another day trip from Cordoba to Malaga but we were burnt out by the time we were done with Granada that we decided it was best to cancel that trip. I didn’t feel too upset about that because I got to enjoy Cordoba a little more. - Comfortable Shoes
Make sure you pack comfortable shoes because you will be walking a lot. My mom and I did about 7-10 miles of walking a day. We also enjoy walking so it was fine for us. I will take this opportunity to plug the shoes I took with me, Brooks Ghosts! These are the only shoes I wear ever since I was diagnosed with plantar fascistic. Wish I had known about these sooner. In addition, I rubbed arnica gel all over my feet every night and morning. This thing is like magic and helps with aches, pains, sore muscles etc. I live by it! - Travel Essentials
Other travel essentials I purchased for my trip which I thought were great are below! - Google Translate
Make sure to download the Google Translate app! I have been trying real hard to learn Spanish but this app was life saving! It was really helpful in Cordoba especially where you are less likely to run into English speaking people or restaurants with English menus. - Day trip from Madrid
If I had one more day, I would have taken a day trip to Toledo from Madrid.
