I just got back from a 12 day Southern Spain trip! I flew into Madrid, and then took the train, plane and ferry to Granada, Seville, Ibiza, and Valencia! Here’s my rough itinerary – I can’t wait to go back and explore more of Southern Spain!

Day 1 — Landing in Madrid

• Coffee shop on arrival to shake off the flight
• Salamanca for luxury shopping and walking — Calle Serrano and Calle Ortega y Gasset are the main strips
• Lunch in Salamanca
• Plaza Mayor in the afternoon
• Puerta del Sol, a short walk from Plaza Mayor — the literal center of Spain, marked by a plaque
• Churros con chocolate — Chocolatería San Ginés is the classic, always-open pick near Sol
• Templo de Debod for sunset

Day 2 — Madrid

• Coffee to start
• Royal Palace in the morning
• Almudena Cathedral and Plaza de Oriente, right next to the palace
• Mercado de San Ildefonso, a trendy multi-level food hall — good stop between the palace and Gran Vía
• Stroll Gran Vía
• Museum in the afternoon — Prado, Reina Sofía, or Thyssen-Bornemisza
• Círculo de Bellas Artes rooftop for sunset/evening drinks

Day 3 — Madrid

• Tuk tuk tour to cover ground and get oriented
• Retiro Park — the lake (rent a rowboat), the Crystal Palace, the rose garden
• Puerta de Alcalá, the monumental gate right at Retiro’s edge
• Centro Centro rooftop at Palacio de Cibeles for sunset — free entry, one of the best skyline views in the city
• Malasaña and Chueca for an evening of bars and street art

Day 4 — Madrid to Granada

• Mercado de San Miguel in the morning
• Plaza de Santa Ana for one last coffee or vermouth before the station
• Train to Granada (~3–3.5 hrs)
• Albaicín streets on arrival or sunset walking tour — just wandering is the point
• Mirador de San Nicolás for sunset, looking back at the Alhambra

Day 5 — Granada

• The Alhambra in the morning — Nasrid Palaces, Generalife gardens, Alcazaba fortress; book well ahead
• Granada Cathedral and the Capilla Real (Royal Chapel), where Ferdinand and Isabella are entombed
• Hammam in the afternoon
• Flamenco show in the evening, ideally in the Sacromonte caves

Day 6 — Granada to Seville

• Wander Granada’s bazaar streets (Calle Alcaicería, the old Moorish silk market)
• Moorish café for tea
• Train to Seville (~2–3 hrs)
• Las Setas (Metropol Parasol) for sunset
• Plaza de la Encarnación, right around Las Setas, if you want to stay out after sunset

Day 7 — Seville

• Real Alcázar in the morning
• Seville Cathedral and the Giralda tower (ramps, not stairs) next door
• Walk to Plaza de España
• Parque de María Luisa, the park Plaza de España sits inside
• Triana and its market
• Puente de Triana, the bridge itself, for photos crossing back
• Santa Cruz quarter — narrow lanes, orange trees
• Rooftop for sunset

Day 8 — Seville to Ibiza

• Fly to Ibiza in the morning
• Explore Dalt Vila (walled old town) and Ibiza Town
• Ibiza Cathedral, at the top of Dalt Vila, with harbor views
• Ses Salines salt flats, a nature reserve worth a photo stop if you pass near it
• Ushuaïa for a show in the evening

Day 9 — Ibiza

• Full-day boat tour to Formentera
• Es Vedrà, the mysterious rock island off the southwest coast — worth passing by on the boat even if you don’t land there
• Dinner and drinks in Dalt Vila

Day 10 — Ibiza to Valencia

• Brunch in Dalt Vila/Ibiza Town
• Quick stop at Cala Comte or Cala Salada on the way to the port if timing allows
• Ferry to Valencia
• Rooftop dinner for sunset on arrival

Day 11 — Valencia

• Old town walking tour in the morning
• Valencia Cathedral and the Miguelete tower (climbable for rooftop views), likely already on the tour route
• Mercado Central for lunch
• Walk through Turia Gardens to the City of Arts and Sciences
• Oceanogràfic, Europe’s largest aquarium, part of the City of Arts and Sciences complex, if you want an indoor add-on
• Barrio del Carmen, the old town’s artsy quarter, for an evening wander after dinner

Day 12 — Valencia to Madrid

• Train to Madrid in the morning (~1.5–2 hrs) to fly out

Where to Stay

Madrid

Where I stayed: The Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Madrid — a historic 1912 hotel right on Plaza de las Cortes, steps from the Prado, Reina Sofía, and Thyssen-Bornemisza. The stained-glass dome over the restaurant alone is worth a look even if you’re not staying there.

Other options: Aloft by Marriott Madrid Gran Via (central location) or Hotel Palacio del Retiro, Autograph Collection (more boutique, near the train station — handy for your Day 4 departure).

Granada

Where I stayed: Hotel Palacio de Santa Paula, Autograph Collection — a converted 16th-century convent on Gran Vía de Colón, an easy walk to the Cathedral, Plaza Nueva, and the base of the Alhambra.

Other options: Alhambra Palace Hotel (dated but unbeatable for Alhambra views from the terrace) or Hotel Casa 1800 (a smaller, boutique option tucked into the Albaicín).

Seville

Where I stayed: Querencia de Sevilla, Autograph Collection — sits directly across from Seville Cathedral, in a restored former bank building, with a rooftop pool overlooking the whole historic center.

Other options: Hotel Alfonso XIII (the grand dame of Seville hotels, historic and formal) or Los Seises Sevilla, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel (also cathedral-adjacent, with one of the best rooftop bars in the city).

Ibiza

Where I stayed: Aparthotel Vibra Lux Mar — in the Figueretas area of Ibiza Town, about 300m from Figueretas beach and an easy walk to Dalt Vila and Ibiza Cathedral.

Other options: A boutique stay inside Dalt Vila itself if you want to wake up inside the old walled town.

Valencia

Where I stayed: Grand Hotel Centenari, Valencia, Autograph Collection — newly opened in the restored 1928 Telefónica building right on Plaza del Ayuntamiento, with a rooftop pool and Art Deco details throughout.

Other options: Palacio Santa Clara, Autograph Collection (located in the Ensanche area of Valencia, just a two- minute walk from the famous Valencian shopping street Carrer de Colón) or The Westin Valencia (more traditional grand-hotel feel, closer to Turia Gardens).

Other activities to check out in Madrid, Granada, Sevilla, Ibiza, and Valencia:

This itinerary is a suggested guideline to see the most of Southern Spain in a short amount of time based off my experience.  For specific questions, please comment below and I will try to help. Happy travels!