A two-week loop from Seville linking Andalusia's three great cities (Seville, Córdoba, Granada), climbing into the Alpujarras, dropping down to the Costa del Sol, then returning via Ronda, the Strait of Gibraltar, Cádiz and Jerez. The autovías are free and fast; the challenges lie elsewhere: historic centres closed to cars, low-emission zones and the summer heat.
| Days | Stop | Drive |
|---|---|---|
| Days 1 to 2 | Seville | Start |
| Day 3 | Córdoba | 144 km · 1h45 |
| Days 4 to 5 | Granada | 164 km · 2h10 |
| Day 6 | Capileira | 73 km · 1h25 |
| Day 7 | Nerja | 81 km · 1h25 |
| Day 8 | Málaga | 57 km · 50 min |
| Days 9 to 10 | Ronda | 104 km · 1h45 |
| Day 11 | Tarifa | 119 km · 2h15 |
| Day 12 | Cádiz | 106 km · 1h20 |
| Day 13 | Jerez de la Frontera | 31 km · 30 min |
| Day 14 | Back to Seville | 95 km · 1h15 |
Road route calculated from the stops (OpenStreetMap). Driving times assume no stops and no traffic: add time for photo breaks.
March to June, and September to October. In July the average high reaches 36.9°C in Córdoba and 36°C in Seville: drive early and sightsee in the evening. Winter is mild on the coast, but nights often drop below freezing in Granada and the Alpujarras.
🚗 144 km · 1h45 of driving from Seville
Autovía A-4, free and fast. The historic centre is closed by cameras: use a public car park or a hotel that registers your number plate.
🚗 164 km · 2h10 of driving from Córdoba
A-45 south, then A-92, toll-free. Slow alternative via Zuheros and Priego. In Granada, the Gran Vía and the Albaicín are closed to cars.
🚗 73 km · 1h25 of driving from Granada
A-44 then A-348 via Lanjarón and Órgiva, and finally the Poqueira gorge road: narrow hairpin bends. Fill up in Órgiva.
🚗 81 km · 1h25 of driving from Capileira
Back down via Órgiva and Motril, then the free A-7 autovía along the coast.
🚗 57 km · 50 min of driving from Nerja
Coastal A-7 autovía, free. The centre is a low-emission zone (ZBE): DGT sticker required, public car parks recommended.
🚗 104 km · 1h45 of driving from Málaga
A-357 towards Ardales and El Chorro for the Caminito del Rey, then A-367. Winding mountain roads, toll-free.
🚗 119 km · 2h15 of driving from Ronda
Via Gaucín and the Genal valley, a slow and winding road, then the N-340 via Algeciras. Strong winds at the Cabrito pass.
🚗 106 km · 1h20 of driving from Tarifa
N-340 west, with a detour to Bolonia, then A-48. Central Cádiz is a low-emission zone (ZBE), with fines due from late 2026.
🚗 31 km · 30 min of driving from Cádiz
Via El Puerto de Santa María and Sanlúcar, on local two-lane roads. Jerez has a small low-emission zone around Calle Larga.
🚗 95 km · 1h15 of driving from Jerez de la Frontera
Keep Seville (2 nights), Córdoba (1), Granada (2) and Ronda (1), then return to Seville via Zahara de la Sierra and Grazalema. You leave out the coast, Tarifa, Cádiz and Jerez.
| Small car in Málaga, annual average | ≈ €17 a day (Kayak, Sept. 2026) |
|---|---|
| Hire in Málaga, November | ≈ €9 a day |
| Hire in Málaga, December | ≈ €23 a day |
| Hire in Seville, annual average | ≈ €20 a day (Kayak, Sept. 2026) |
| Vehicle | A city car or compact: narrow lanes in the white villages and tight underground car parks. Air conditioning essential from June to September. |
|---|---|
| Where to pick it up | Seville or Málaga airport. On a loop, no one-way fee. |
| DGT sticker | A recent car with a C or ECO sticker can enter Andalusia's low-emission zones. Avoid a B sticker in Cádiz. |
| Insurance | CDW included with an excess; at the desk, paid add-ons remove it and reduce the deposit. |
| Fuel | Choose full-to-full. Keep the receipt from your last fill-up in case of a dispute. |
| Card and licence | Credit card in the driver's name; 1 to 2 years' driving experience depending on the hire company. |
⚠️ The low prices shown for Málaga climb at the desk: zero-excess insurance, fuel deposit, extras. Read the terms before booking.
Any valid EU licence is enough, with no International Driving Permit. Other licences: check whether an International Driving Permit is required.
As in mainland Europe. V-16 beacon required in Spanish cars since 1 January 2026.
In towns: 50 on roads with two lanes each way, 30 with one lane, 20 where there is no pavement.
0.3 g/l for drivers with under 2 years' experience. A cut to 0.2 g/l was rejected in March 2026.
Seville (Cartuja), Córdoba, Granada, Málaga, Cádiz, Jerez. Cameras read the DGT sticker linked to the number plate.
Granada (Gran Vía, Albaicín, Sacromonte) and Córdoba: residents, hotels and car parks only. Give your number plate to your hotel.
Average highs: 36.9°C in Córdoba, 36°C in Seville. Drive early, carry water.
A non-resident can pay the officer by card; 50% off if paid within 20 days.
Under 135 cm: approved child seat, never in the front.
≈ €1.92 per litre of unleaded 95, €1.91 for diesel (17 September 2026)
Price recorded in September 2026: it changes every week, sometimes by 10 to 20 cents in a month. Today's price: Geoportal Gasolineras (Spanish ministry) →
⛽ 974 km at 7 l per 100 km: about €130 at September 2026 prices, to share between passengers.
National average of stations reporting to the ministry. Petrol stations are rare in the Alpujarras: fill up in Órgiva or Lanjarón before heading up.
| Suggested route | Toll-free: the A-4, A-45, A-92, coastal A-7 and AP-4 are all free |
|---|---|
| AP-4 Seville-Cádiz | Free since 1 January 2020 |
| AP-7 Málaga-Estepona (coastal alternative towards Ronda) | €9.55 off season, €15.50 from June to September and at Easter (2026) |
| Alhambra car park | €3.25 an hour, €22.40 a day |
| Alhambra | €22.27 (general ticket online), named, often sold out |
| Real Alcázar of Seville | €15.50 |
| Caminito del Rey | €10, €18 guided; parking €2, shuttle bus €2.50 |
| Baelo Claudia | Free for EU citizens, €1.50 otherwise |
| Central Granada (Gran Vía, Albaicín, Sacromonte) | Closed to private traffic all year round, enforced by cameras |
|---|---|
| Cádiz low-emission zone (ZBE) | €200 fines from late 2026 |
| Hoya del Portillo track (Sierra Nevada) | Barrier: no cars, park shuttle bus in summer and autumn |
| Caminito del Rey | Closed on most Mondays |
| Doñana boat (Sanlúcar) | No sailings on Mondays; a single departure from late September to April |
| Baelo Claudia | Closed on Mondays, 1 January, 1 May and at Christmas |
| Real Alcázar of Seville | Closed 1 and 6 January, Good Friday, 25 December |
Allow 10 to 14 days for the full loop: Seville, Córdoba, Granada, the Alpujarras, the Costa del Sol, Ronda, Tarifa, Cádiz and Jerez. With 7 days, stick to Seville, Córdoba, Granada and Ronda. Plan two nights in Seville and in Granada: the Alhambra is visited in a fixed time slot booked in advance.
Hiring a small car costs around €17 to €20 a day on average on Kayak, excluding zero-excess insurance. Unleaded is €1.92 a litre (September 2026). The suggested route is toll-free. Add city parking (€22.40 a day at the Alhambra) and entry fees: Alhambra €22.27, Real Alcázar €15.50.
Rarely: a recent hire car carries a C or ECO sticker, which is allowed in Seville, Granada and Málaga. In Córdoba, only ECO and 0 enter freely; the others only to reach a car park or a hotel. In Cádiz, non-residents need C, ECO or 0; €200 fines from late 2026.
The cameras check the DGT sticker linked to the number plate, which foreign cars do not have. Granada says it does not fine foreign plates; elsewhere the rules are unclear. The safest option: a public car park on the edge of the centre (access tolerated in Córdoba and Granada), then explore on foot.
Yes, but the heat sets the pace: an average July high of 36.9°C in Córdoba, 36°C in Seville and 34.8°C in Granada (AEMET normals). Drive in the morning, sightsee early or in the evening, and keep the afternoons for the coast or the Alpujarras mountains.
In public underground car parks, not in the camera-controlled historic centres. In Granada, the Alhambra car park costs €3.25 an hour, €22.40 a day. If your hotel is inside a closed zone, give it your number plate: it will register it so you avoid the €200 fine.
Driving rules, prices and closures checked in September 2026; hotels checked on OpenStreetMap and then on Booking. Rules change: read the official source before you leave, and check your own government's travel advice for the country. Stop photos: Wikimedia Commons, authors and licences under each image.
Off We Gooo road trip guide · offwegooo.com/en/road-trips/andalusia · by Pierrick, updated 1 October 2026
