Andalucía by Rail & Trail: Seville, Granada, Ronda & the Caminito del Rey — Self-Launched

Start early from Seville's Santa Justa or Plaza de Armas station. Take a regional bus or Media Distancia train to Córdoba (roughly 45 min–1h30, £8–12). Drop your bag at the bus station lockers and join a licensed guided walking tour of the Mezquita-Catedral and Judería — bookable through GetYourGuide or direct with the monument (mosque entry ~£11, guided tour ~£18–25). Wander the Roman Bridge and Calleja de las Flores, grab a salmorejo lunch (~£8), then continue by bus to Baeza (about 1h45, £9–12). Check into a small hostal or pensión in the old town, then do your own evening orientation wander past the Plaza del Pópulo and the Renaissance university facades. Optional: walk across to twin town Úbeda for dinner.

🚌Regional bus or Media Distancia train Seville–Córdoba (~£10), Córdoba–Baeza bus (~£10)

🛏Hostal/pensión in Baeza old town, twin or dorm (£18–28)

• →Guided Mezquita-Catedral & Judería walk (book via GetYourGuide, ~£20)
• →Evening orientation walk of Baeza's Plaza del Pópulo and Renaissance squares

Take the local bus or a 15-minute taxi (£8–10 shared) to Úbeda, a UNESCO-listed Renaissance town. Join a small-group olive-oil mill tour and tasting in the surrounding countryside — several estates (e.g. around Sabiote and Torreperogil) run visits and pairing sessions bookable via GetYourGuide, Klook or direct by email, roughly £22–30 including a light lunch of local produce. Spend the afternoon exploring Úbeda's Plaza Vázquez de Molina and Sacra Capilla del Salvador (entry ~£4). Return to Baeza for dinner of local tapas and andrajos (~£12).

🚌Local bus or shared taxi Baeza–Úbeda (~£3–5 each way)

🛏Hostal/pensión in Baeza (£18–28)

• →Olive oil mill tour, tasting and food pairing (~£25)
• →Úbeda Renaissance old town self-guided walk
• →Sacra Capilla del Salvador entry (~£4)

Bus from Baeza to Granada takes about 1h45–2h (£10–13). Check into a hostel or pensión in the Albaicín or Realejo. In the afternoon choose your own 'OMG day': either a Sacromonte cueva flamenco show (book direct with Zambra/Cueva de la Rocío or via GetYourGuide, £15–25) or a Granada food tour through the Alcaicería and tapas bars (£25–35). Either way, finish with free tapas in the Realejo — Granada still gives a free tapa with every drink. Optional Granada Cathedral entry (~£5).

🚌Bus Baeza–Granada (~£11)

🛏Hostel/pensión in Granada, Albaicín or Realejo (£20–32)

• →Sacromonte flamenco cave show (~£20) OR Granada tapas food tour (~£30)
• →Albaicín and Mirador de San Nicolás sunset walk (free)

This is the one thing you must pre-book. Alhambra tickets go on sale around three months ahead on the official Alhambra website and sell out fast — set an alarm. A daytime general ticket including the Nasrid Palaces is about £16–19; a licensed guided tour bought via GetYourGuide is £35–50 and is genuinely worth it for the Nasrid palaces' history. Plan for 4–5 hours for the Nasrid Palaces, Alcazaba and Generalife gardens. Afternoon: wander the Albaicín's narrow lanes, visit the Corral del Carbón, and eat at a Moroccan-run tea house. Evening free for a cheap menú del día (£12) or a flamenco tablao if you skipped it yesterday.

🚌Walking or city bus C3 up to the Alhambra (~£1.30)

🛏Hostel/pensión in Granada (£20–32)

• →Alhambra timed entry incl. Nasrid Palaces (~£17, or guided tour ~£40)
• →Albaicín and Sacromonte self-guided wander
• →Optional Granada Cathedral (~£5)

A busy travel day. Bus Granada to Málaga (~1h45–2h, £12–15), then the Cercanías C-2 train from Málaga to El Chorro (~40 min, £5). Caminito del Rey tickets must be booked in advance on the official Caminito website (about £10 entry; guided versions through GetYourGuide are £25–35 including the shuttle and a guide). The route takes 3–4 hours including the shuttle from El Chorro to the northern access point — bring water and a sun hat. Afterwards take the Cercanías back to Málaga and a regional bus or train on to Ronda (~2h, £12–15). Ronda's pensiones are cheap and atmospheric in the old town.

🚌Bus Granada–Málaga (~£13), Cercanías Málaga–El Chorro return (~£10), bus/train Málaga–Ronda (~£13)

🛏Hostal/pensión in Ronda old town (£22–32)

• →Caminito del Rey cliff walkway with timed entry (~£10 direct, ~£30 guided)
• →Desfiladero de los Gaitanes gorge views

Walk out of Ronda on the waymarked Sendero path down the Guadalevín valley, through farmland, olive groves and cork oak to the village of Benaoján — about 8–10 km, 3–4 hours, mostly downhill outbound. Maps.me or a downloaded GPX track plus the local waymarks are enough; no guide needed. In Benaoján, visit the Cueva del Gato (Cat Cave) waterfall and the town's famous jamón. Return to Ronda by the local train (Benaoján–Ronda, ~15 min, about £2.50 — one of Spain's most scenic short rail hops) or walk back. Evening: cheap dinner in Ronda's old town (£12) and a look at the Puente Nuevo lit up at night.

🚌Walking out; local Benaoján–Ronda train return (~£2.50)

🛏Hostal/pensión in Ronda (£22–32)

• →Self-guided hike Ronda–Benaoján (~10 km)
• →Cueva del Gato waterfall swim
• →Puente Nuevo night viewpoint (free)

Morning in Ronda: cross the Puente Nuevo, tour the Casa del Rey Moro's water mine or the Arab Baths (each ~£5–8), and look into the El Tajo gorge. If you want the bullring it's about £9, though it's controversial. Take the afternoon bus or train to Seville (~2h–2h30, £13–16). Check in near the Alameda or Triana. Evening: free flamenco at a Triana bar, a walk past the Cathedral and Giralda, and a final dinner of espinacas con garbanzos and grilled fish in Triana (£15). If you have time, the Real Alcázar and Cathedral are worth slotting in tomorrow morning.

🚌Bus or train Ronda–Seville (~£14)

🛏Hostel or budget hotel in Seville, Triana or Alameda (£25–40)

• →Ronda Puente Nuevo, Arab Baths and gorge walk (~£8)
• →Seville evening walk: Cathedral, Giralda, Triana
• →Optional Real Alcázar or Cathedral visit tomorrow morning (~£15)

Depart at any time. If your flight is later in the day, do the Real Alcázar (book online, ~£15) or climb the Giralda, and have a final tostada con tomate and café con leche for about £4. The EA airport bus from Plaza de Armas or Avenida de Kansas City takes ~35 minutes for £4.50. If you're staying on, Seville to Madrid by AVE takes 2h30 and can be had for £25–40 if booked well in advance.

🚌EA airport bus (~£4.50)

🛏—

• →Optional Real Alcázar (~£15) or Giralda climb (~£9)
• →Farewell breakfast in Seville