Are you looking to explore the beautiful coast of Southern Spain, but don’t know where to start? This travel guide will help you discover some of the most STUNNING towns in Southern Spain by car. Keep reading to check out the best road trip itinerary through Southern Spain!
This itinerary focuses on colorful towns, some hidden gems off the beaten tourist path and beautiful accommodations. So whether you’re planning a southern spain itinerary for 10 days or a southern spain itinerary for 4 days, i’ve got you!
Stay until the end, because I have included a free downloadable itinerary with bonus spots to make your road trip through Southern Spain easier!
Road Trip Itinerary through Southern Spain (VIDEO)
@herjoliejourney We covered a lot of ground in 4 days! #spain #spaintravel #spainroadtrip #travelblogger #traveldiaries ♬ Sunroof - Nicky Youre & dazy
Airports in Southern Spain
You’ve got a handful of airport options, but I personally recommend flying into the Málaga Airport. I found it to have more flight choices and it’s a great hub to start your adventure. Granada and Seville airports are also great options.
Renting a Car in Spain
The best way to see all Southern Spain has to offer is traveling by car. Below you will find some things to keep in mind when looking into renting a car:
- Make sure you have car insurance. The easiest way to do this is to look into the credit cards you use to see if they provide it. We have Chase Sapphire and American Express, both provide coverage.
- Getting a vehicle with manual drive is cheaper, but automatic is absolutely worth the added cost. The overall cost does increase by about 15-20%.
- Be mindful of speeding! Speed cameras are very common on the highways and there is NO room for error. We learned this the hard way when we got back home to a speeding ticket, luckily it was only 50 euros. If you live in the US you know this is a cheap speeding ticket in comparison.
- We did not need an international drivers license. Licenses from the US were sufficient proof.
And here’s the thing, if you’re looking to find the BEST rate on a car rental with lots of options i’m spilling the tea on where to go! And this features over 800 car companies at 60,000 locations. I use this website EVERY.TIME. I am interested in snatching up a rental car.
4 day Road Trip Itinerary through Southern Spain
Day 1: Frigiliana
Day 2: Nerja and Marbella
Day 3: Ronda, Setenil de las Bodegas and Seville
Day 4: Córdoba
Day 1: Explore the CUTEST Sugar Cube Town!
A few years ago I was scrolling through Pinterest and saw an image of a beautiful little white-washed town with bright blue accents and bougainvilleas in the south of Spain, and knew I just had to visit someday.
Fast forward to 2022 and I finally made it!!!
If you haven’t added Frigiliana to your bucket list, I am here to tell you it is absolutely worth a visit!!!
This little town sits on a mountain ridge providing some spectacular views of the coast. Making this the perfect stop to include on a road trip itinerary through Southern Spain!
And if you are worried about covering enough ground to explore this place, you can rest assured Frigiliana can be seen in a day.
Although best explored by strolling the cobblestone streets without an agenda, check out my full guide on visiting Frigiliana here!
Where to Stay in Frigiliana
There are several options to choose from when looking for a hotel. You can stay in Frigiliana or in a neighboring town like Nerja or Malaga. We opted to stay at La Posada Morisca located just under 10 minutes north of Frigiliana AND if you’re lucky you may be able to spot their cute resident dog!
This Frigiliana Hotel Has. Resident Dog (VIDEO)
@herjoliejourney We LOVED our stay at La Posada Morisca! #frigiliana #spaintravel #spain #dogsofttiktok #beautifulhotels ♬ original sound - Louis III
Day 2: Discover These Two Cute Beach Towns
We didn’t want to make our way to Marbella before stopping to see the coastal town that neighbors Frigiliana. You will find 10 miles of coastal beach in Nerja. This resort beach town still remains less widely known than some other towns found on the southern coast of Spain, so you can skip the crowds and enjoy some beach time here.
- DRIVING DURATION: Frigiliana > Nerja: 12 Minutes
What makes Nerja truly special is the natural beauty found here from secret seaside coves to waterfalls! We only wish we could have spent just a little more time here, but we wanted to make the most of our time in Marbella.
TIP: Make your way to the Playa El Chorrilo and spend an hour here, so you can enjoy your day in Marbella! Marbella is about 1.5 hours from here.
Stroll Through The Beautiful Marbella
A road trip through Southern Spain would not be complete without a stop in Marbella! This luxury seaside town is famous among the rich and the famous for a reason and a stop you do not want to miss. This easily became a FAVORITE stop on our road trip itinerary through Southern Spain.
- DRIVING DURATION: Nerja > Marbella: 1 hour, 20 minutes
Marbella is filled with trendy beach clubs, 5 Michelin Star restaurants and the most charming old town filled with citrus trees.
Let me show you how to spend 1 perfect day in MARBELLA, SPAIN:
I have to admit the list above is ambitious and can feel like a lot of ground to cover, but if you want to have a more relaxed day I would HIGHLY recommend spending most of your time in old town Marbella.
This Marbella Hotel is MAGICAL
Most people come to Marbella and opt to stay on the beach, and although that is a great option we wanted to pick a place found in the heart of old town Marbella.
Trust me when I tell you, it was SO hard to move on from a hotel like this!!!
Our stay at Hotel Claude Marbella was exceptional. The hotel is absolutely stunning and the staff go above and beyond to make sure guests are taken care of.
There are 7 rooms individually designed to reflect a different region of Andalusia. We stayed in the chic room and fell in love with this beautiful room!!! Those ceilings!!
We came back to our room after dinner to find PAJAMAS the hotel provided neatly folded on each side of our bed complete with slippers, chocolate and water bottles. That alone speaks to the care staff takes to make sure guests are comfortable!
I cannot recommend this place enough!
Marbella is Home to this Bucket List Hotel (VIDEO)
@herjoliejourney Our favorite hotel stay in Spain!!! #marbellahotel #beautifulhotels #southernspain #spain #spaintravel #traveldiaries #VenmoSpringBreak ♬ So This Is Love Sneha Prakash - Sneha
Day 3: See Ronda, Setenil de las Bodegas and Seville
I just need to prepare you for a very jam packed day, but I PROMISE each stop is absolutely worth it!!! After all, no road trip Itinerary through Southern Spain would be complete without a few amazing stops along the way.
We hit the road by 9 am (later than expected), if you’re really pressed for time I would skip Ronda. But you may regret it 😉
Marvel at the Iconic Bridge in Ronda
Although not originally on our itinerary, the staff at the hotel INSISTED we make a stop in Ronda. Ronda is located just barely over an hour from Marbella. People from all over the world come to Ronda to see this iconic bridge. You can learn more about this spectacular bridge here.
- DRIVING DURATION: Marbella > Ronda: 1 hour, 3 minutes
This was a quick pit stop for us, we stopped here for 30 minutes before jumping in the car and making our way to Setenil de las Bodegas located less than 30 minutes away!
Tour of Ronda’s Beautiful Bridge (VIDEO)
Visit the Unique Setenil de las Bodegas
If you’re a fan of beautifully unique towns, add Setenil de las Bodegas to your bucket list! Although less known than other towns in Southern Spain, this ancient town provides such a unique experience to your travels.
- DRIVING DURATION: Ronda > Setenil de las Bodegas: 20 minutes
@herjoliejourney Well worth the stop to see this town! #setenildelasbodegas #spaintravel #spain #beautifuldestinations #travelbucketlist ♬ Intro - The xx
The original residents settled here and chose to build their homes into the rocky terrain for practical purposes. To provide a natural defense and to provide natural cooling during the summer months.
We spent 30 minutes here exploring the town and although the town was very small, we wish we could have spared another hour to explore but we had the longest leg of the drive still ahead of us.
Fall in Love with the Stunning Seville
With its enchanting palaces, stunning gardens and orange trees that line the cobblestone streets it’s easy to see why Seville is one of the most Instagrammable cities in Spain! If you’re looking for somewhere to go this year look no further than Seville! See below for the best things to do here.
- DRIVING DURATION: Setenil de las Bodegas > Seville: 1 hour, 35 minutes
I could flood this section with photos, because Seville really is one of the most PHOTOGENIC spots in Spain, but I’ll keep it short and sweet.
Here is a list of some of the BEST things to do in Seville in 1 day:
Best Hotel in Seville
Looking for a place to stay that screams luxury and class? Look no further than Hotel Alfonso XIII, a Marriott Luxury Collection hotel in Seville. This landmark building boasts an ornate neo-Moorish design commissioned by none other than King Alfonso XIII himself. Perfectly located for exploring the city’s sights, including the Seville royal palace and cathedral and Parque de María Luisa, you won’t find a better base for your trip.
Let’s move on to the last day of our road trip itinerary through Southern Spain!
Day 4: Uncover This Hidden Gem, Córdoba
This town can be found centrally located between Seville and Granada, and is often overlooked due to its more popular neighboring cities but Córdoba is worth a visit! Once known as the largest city in the world, it’s no wonder this city has a perfect blend of Roman, Moorish and Spanish culture.
So if you’re looking to beat the crowds, but still catch some spectacular sights than Córdoba is the place for you! Make sure to check out my Córdoba guide here.
Below is a list of the best things to see in Córdoba in 1 day:
Where to Stay in Córdoba
We found the most darling Airbnb located in the heart of old town Córdoba with amazing views of the Mosque-Cathedral and a pool, and all for a VERY reasonable price!
