Self Guided Tours of Andalucia

The itinerary is entirely flexible and tailored to your specific desires and loves.

Whether you want to explore the main cities of Andalucia or take the road less-travelled, at Toma & Coe we can arrange it all for you.

All you have to do is take the reins (or wheel) and enjoy!

BELOW are just a few of the beautiful destinations we could build into your bespoke itinerary as you tour Andalucia by car.

Cordoba

Córdoba is one of the most historically layered cities in Europe. Capital of the Western Caliphate in the 10th century, it was then the most populous city in the world. The Great Mosque-Cathedral (the Mezquita) is its centrepiece: a forest of 856 columns in jasper, onyx and marble, built by successive Moorish caliphs and later interrupted by the construction of a Renaissance cathedral at its heart. Beyond it, the Jewish Quarter (Judería), the Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos and the medieval bridge over the Guadalquivir make Córdoba essential on any Andalucían itinerary. We recommend arriving by late afternoon and spending the following morning exploring the Mezquita which before the tour groups arrives is a different place entirely.

Seville

Seville is the capital of Andalucía and one of the great cities of southern Europe. Its monuments — the Alcázar palace, the Gothic Cathedral (the largest in the world), the Giralda tower — are extraordinary, but the city’s real character is in its neighbourhoods: Triana across the river, Santa Cruz’s tangle of whitewashed lanes, the tapas bars of the Alameda de Hércules. Seville also rewards time, a single day does not do it justice. We typically recommend two nights minimum, and three if the schedule allows. April, during the Feria de Abril, is one of the great spectacles in Spain, though accommodation books out far in advance.

Malaga

Málaga is the birthplace of Picasso and the cultural capital of the Costa del Sol. For too long it was overlooked by visitors heading straight for the beaches to the west. That has changed. The Museo Picasso Málaga, the restored Alcazaba fortress, the revitalised port district and a restaurant scene of real quality make Málaga worth two days of anyone’s itinerary. It is also the most practical starting point for a self-guided Andalucían road trip, with the region’s best-connected international airport.

Ronda

Ronda sits on a plateau bisected by the 120-metre El Tajo gorge, spanned by the Puente Nuevo — an 18th-century bridge that took 42 years to build and remains one of the most photographed structures in Spain. Old and New Towns on either side of the gorge are connected by the bridge, and the views from the Alameda del Tajo gardens over the surrounding countryside are extraordinary. Ronda is also the home of the oldest bullring in Spain (1785) and has a well-preserved old town with excellent restaurants. Arrive the evening before the day-trip crowds and leave late: the difference is significant.

Granada

Granada is dominated by the Alhambra, the Nasrid palace complex that is Spain’s most visited monument, and for good reason. Booking the Alhambra in advance is essential (often months ahead in peak season); we handle this as part of the itinerary. Below the palace, the Albaicín neighbourhood — a UNESCO-listed Moorish quarter of narrow streets, whitewashed houses and tea houses — is best explored on foot in the early morning. Granada is also the last major city of Andalucía in which tapas remain genuinely free with every drink, a custom that survives here when it has disappeared elsewhere.