Seville to Córdoba along the Guadalquivir

Route description

Spend a day in Seville on foot: the Real Alcázar, the cathedral and Giralda next door, and the Plaza de España in María Luisa Park. The old town is not for driving; motorhomes can use the guarded areas on the edge of the city and take the bus in. Avoid July and August if you can, when afternoon temperatures often pass 40°C. Spring, especially around the April fair, is lively but busy.

Leave Seville on the A-431, which follows the north bank of the Guadalquivir through orange groves and farm towns, instead of the faster A-4. After about 120 km, the castle of Almodóvar del Río rises on its hill above the river. The road to the top is narrow and steep, so park large vehicles in the town. Another 20 km brings you to Medina Azahara, just west of Córdoba.

At Medina Azahara leave the vehicle at the museum and take the shuttle bus up to the ruins; allow two hours. In Córdoba, visit the Mosque-Cathedral early, then walk the Jewish quarter and the Roman bridge. In May the town’s flower-filled patios open to visitors for a festival. The historic centre is a restricted-traffic zone, so park outside it, for example south of the river.

Return towards Seville on the A-4 via Écija, known as the city of towers for its many baroque church towers and as the frying pan of Andalusia for its summer heat. Its centre has palaces with painted façades. The last stop is Carmona, a hilltop town with Roman and Moorish gates, from where Seville is only 35 km away. The route is about 330 km in all.