Andalucía has it all: beaches, mountains, countryside, pueblos blancos and friendly people. It is also a region of wine, delicious food and flamenco. To get a taste of everything we tried to take our time with this roadtrip. However, even with around 20 days in Andalucía, we have not managed to finish our to do list.

In this post, you will only find our favourite places where we have stopped on our way to Portugal. One little disclaimer: In case you were hoping to read something about the city of Málaga, Marbella or Nerja - we have to disappoint you. Since we both have been there before, on this trip we left it out to see more of the hilly inland. We can highly recommend visiting Málaga though, but you will not read about these places here. So without further ado, where have we been? 

Granada

Of course, everybody knows about the Alhambra and Generalife, the gardens surrounding Alhambra. This UNESCO World Heritage site is one of the most visited sites in all Spain. This time, we have not gone inside but instead enjoyed Granada on foot and by this, have only seen the Alhambra with the snowcapped Sierra Nevada in the background from a distance. Let me tell you: Granada is more than just the Alhambra. Especially barrio Albaicín (Albayzín) is really worth a stroll. 

For a vegan treat, we found the little I Need __ coffee shop. Delicious coffee and a really tasty ginger and walnut cake.

Ronda

Ronda should be on your list for sure. Why? Well for one, the view of this village in the mountainous area is impressive. The center is divided by the Guadalevin river, which makes for the unique setting on top of El Tajo canyon. With the beautiful Puente Nuevo bridge the sight calls for many tourists each year. If you want to avoid other tourists at all costs, the city center of Ronda might not be for you. Instead, head for the rural surroundings where you can enjoy beautiful views of the bridge as well - in our opinion, even more beautiful. The region is perfect for little hikes, for example to Cueva del Gato. 

After Ronda, on the way down to the ocean again, there is another pueblo blanco we can recommend: Casares and with it, the nearby Baños romanos de la Hedionda. Stop there and take a quick sulphur bath - it is free, supposedly good for your health, around 20 degrees Celsius warm and at least in February there where only some locals around. 

By the way, before we came to Ronda, we also visited little Iznajar. If you have endless time, Iznajar can be worth a trip. It is pretty, but pretty small, too. It can easily be explored in half a day.

Tarifa and La Pena

Before we arrived in Tarifa, we spent some quiet days on the beach just before Gibraltar. Around Playa de la Alcaidesa you can park a van easily and enjoy the calm Mediterranean Sea. You can walk or jog along the beach up to Gibraltar, which we have done, but other than that, we stayed outside of this British Overseas Territory. 

So, after some much needed beach time, Tarifa was the next stop on our trip. Tarifa is quite nice, and I bet can be a lot of fun. However, in February almost everything was closed. Also, unfortunaltey, we do not yet know how to kitesurf. That is why we stayed not directly in Tarifa, but in the region of La Pena next to Tarifa with beaches, nature, animals and beautiful hikes. And it is true: You will wake up next to grazing cows. 

Calas de Conil, Cádiz and Jerez

Do not head directly to Sevilla. On your way up some pretty amazing spots await. Start by relaxing one day or two at Calas de Conil or Calas de Roche. Than enjoy culture and food in Cádiz. And end with sherry and music in Jerez de la Frontera.

Our highlight: vegan tapas! We can especially recommend the vegan food stall Las ninas veganas. It is located in the Mercado Central in Cadiz and has the best vegan tapas: Spinach nuts and beet balls, Cauliflower balls with beet hummus, Aubergine balls ... just to name a few. Sooo good. And have some cold, local beer with the tapas. 

Sevilla

Bright, colourful, lively. That is Sevilla, Andalusia’s capital. Here, you have it all: culture, museums, and architecture - the Cathedral, the Giralda, Plaza de Espana, or the palace complex Alcazár, just to name a few -, shopping possibilities, the river Guadalquivir with its lovely river banks and with a lot of water sports going on, green grassy chill out areas and electronic music festivals. 

And of course: vegan food. This time in the name of Veganitessen, a vegan bar and bakery which is located in the Mercado del Arenal.