Villas in Inland Andalucia

The Alpujarras and Grazalema suit walkers, Comares suits a hill-village base near the sea, and the Seville countryside suits city day trips. Inland Andalucía is very hot in July and August, so a pool matters more than a view. Spring and autumn are the best months for walking and sightseeing, and you will need a car.

Where

Villas: 158
From, per week: £319
Cheapest month: July
Nearest airports: Málaga has the most flights from the UK and suits Comares, the Subbética and Ronda. Seville suits the Seville countryside and Aracena, and Jerez the Sierra de Grazalema. Granada airport is close to Granada and the Alpujarras but has fewer UK routes. Flights from London take around two and a half to three hours.

Where to stay in Inland Andalucia

Seville and its countryside (Sevilla, Sanlúcar la Mayor, La Puebla de Cazalla, La Lantejuela)

This is where most of our inland houses are. Sanlúcar la Mayor sits on the Aljarafe plateau about 25 minutes west of Seville, close enough for evenings in the city. La Puebla de Cazalla and La Lantejuela are farming towns among olive groves and wheat fields further east, near the ducal town of Osuna. Seville airport is around 45 minutes to an hour from both. A few homes are in the city itself.

Best for: Sightseeing in Seville, with a rural house to come back to

Not for you if: You are travelling in July or August: the Guadalquivir valley is one of the hottest parts of Europe.

Comares, Alcaucín and Alfarnatejo (Axarquía hills)

Comares is a white village on a hilltop above the Axarquía, with views down to the sea and across to the Sierra de Tejeda. Alcaucín sits higher, under La Maroma, and looks over the La Viñuela reservoir. Alfarnatejo is quieter again, below the limestone cliffs of the Tajo de Gomer. The coast at Torre del Mar is roughly 30 to 45 minutes away, and Málaga airport around an hour.

Best for: Hill-village views with the coast about half an hour below

Not for you if: You dislike steep, narrow roads: the lanes up to Comares are slow and twisty.

The Alpujarras (Órgiva, Valor, Bérchules)

The Alpujarras are the terraced valleys on the southern side of the Sierra Nevada. Órgiva is the main market town at the western end, with a Thursday market. Bérchules sits higher up on the walking routes, and Valor, further east, is quieter still and holds a large Moors and Christians fiesta each September. Granada is about an hour from Órgiva and closer to an hour and a half from Valor. Málaga airport is around two hours.

Best for: Walkers and anyone after quiet mountain villages

Not for you if: You want restaurants and shops close by: villages are small and drives between them are slow.

Granada and its villages (Granada, Dúrcal, Güevéjar, Alfacar, Alhama de Granada)

Güevéjar and Alfacar are villages on the hills just north of Granada, 15 to 20 minutes from the city. Dúrcal lies in the Lecrín valley about 25 minutes south, on the road towards the Alpujarras and the coast. Alhama de Granada, around 50 minutes west, is a white town on the edge of a deep gorge with old thermal baths nearby. In winter the Sierra Nevada ski area is around an hour from the city.

Best for: The Alhambra, tapas bars and the Sierra Nevada within reach

Not for you if: You plan to decide on the Alhambra once you arrive: tickets often sell out weeks ahead.

The Subbética and Córdoba province (Rute, Priego de Córdoba, Carcabuey, Baena, Montoro, Fuentes de Cesna)

The Sierras Subbéticas are limestone hills under olive groves. Priego de Córdoba has a baroque old town and the Fuente del Rey fountain, and Carcabuey a castle on a rock above the village. Rute sits by the Iznájar reservoir and makes anís. Fuentes de Cesna is just over the line in Granada province. Baena and Montoro are closer to Córdoba, which is about an hour away. Málaga airport is roughly an hour and a quarter from Rute.

Best for: Olive country, quiet roads and day trips to Córdoba and Granada

Not for you if: You want the sea: the nearest beaches are around an hour and a half away.

Sierra de Grazalema and the Serranía de Ronda (Grazalema, Ubrique, El Gastor, Algodonales, Benadalid, Cañete la Real)

Grazalema is a white village inside the natural park of the same name, with walks through pinsapo fir woods and the Garganta Verde gorge. El Gastor and Algodonales look over the Zahara reservoir, and Ubrique is known for leather workshops. Benadalid is in the Genal valley south of Ronda, and Cañete la Real lies to the north. Jerez airport is around an hour and a quarter from Grazalema, Málaga closer to two hours.

Best for: Walking, white villages and Ronda within an easy drive

Not for you if: You want guaranteed sun all year: Grazalema is one of the wettest places in Spain.

Sierra de Aracena (Alájar)

Alájar is a small stone village in the Sierra de Aracena, the hills in the north of Huelva province, with the Peña de Arias Montano hermitage on the rock above. The area is cooler and greener than the plains, and Jabugo, home of Iberian ham, is close by. Aracena has the Gruta de las Maravillas show cave. Seville airport is around an hour and a quarter away.

Best for: Chestnut woods, cured ham and cooler air in summer

Not for you if: You want lots of choice: we have only a handful of houses here.

When to go to Inland Andalucia

April, May, October and early November are the best months: warm days, cool nights, green hills in spring and good light for walking. Seville and Córdoba are very hot from late June to early September, and many people stay inside in the afternoon. The Alpujarras, Aracena and Grazalema are cooler, but still hot in August. Semana Santa and the April Fair fill Seville. Winters are mild in the valleys but cold at night in the mountains, and village houses can feel chilly without heating.