Sagres, Seville and the Alhambra

The miradouros and Belém in Lisbon, the cliffs of Lagos and Cape St Vincent in the Algarve, the Alcázar, the Giralda and Triana in Seville, the Nasrid Palaces of the Alhambra and the Albaicín in Granada, and the Prado in Madrid.

Day by day Open the itinerary in the app

Lisbon → Algarve → Seville → Granada → Madrid · 13–18 days

The route on the map, in the itinerary’s order.

PortugalLisbon
Days
3–4
When
Apr–Jun · Sep–Oct
Per person/day
Average 130–200 EURMid-range · per person/day
Cost scope
Per person per day: accommodation, meals, urban transport, visits and a small allowance for extras. Flights excluded; larger purchases vary. Editorial estimate, not a quote.
PortugalAlgarve
Days
3–4
When
May–Jun · Sep–Oct
Per person/day
Average 143 EURMid-range · per person/day
Cost scope
Per person per day: accommodation, meals, urban transport, visits and a small allowance for extras. Flights excluded; larger purchases vary. Editorial estimate, not a quote.
SpainSeville
Days
2–3
When
Mar–May · Oct–Nov
Per person/day
Average 70–120 EURMid-range · per person/day
Cost scope
Per person per day: accommodation, meals, urban transport, visits and a small allowance for extras. Flights excluded; larger purchases vary. Editorial estimate, not a quote.
SpainGranada
Days
2–3
When
Apr–May · Oct
Per person/day
Average 150 EURMid-range · per person/day
Cost scope
Per person per day: accommodation, meals, urban transport, visits and a small allowance for extras. Flights excluded; larger purchases vary. Editorial estimate, not a quote.
SpainMadrid
Days
3–4
When
Apr–Jun · Sep–Oct
Per person/day
Average 156 EURMid-range · per person/day
Cost scope
2026 planning examples per person per day: accommodation, food, local transport, admission fees and extras. Flights and trips to other cities excluded. Hostel: one bed; hotels: one whole room allocated to one person. If sharing, divide accommodation. Admission and transport amounts are averages across the stay; check prices for your dates.

Who it is for

For anyone who wants to cross the south of the Iberian Peninsula by car, from the Atlantic coast to Andalusia, ending in Madrid.

Not for anyone travelling in July or August, when average highs top 35 °C in Seville and Granada and sightseeing only works early in the morning and late in the day.

The strategy

Lisbon comes first and Madrid closes the trip, with the flight home. The car covers the middle stretch: Lagos is about 300 km from Lisbon, Lagos to Seville is about 300 km on the A22 and A49, and Seville to Granada about 250 km. Pick up the car as you leave Lisbon and drop it in Granada, since in Seville, Granada and Madrid the centre is best on foot, and in Madrid a car also runs into the Low Emission Zone rules. Returning in Spain a car rented in Portugal carries a fee, which the rental company states when you book: add it to the cost of the leg and compare it with train and coach. From Granada to Madrid, the high-speed train takes about 3h05. Book ahead for the Nasrid Palaces, the reason for stopping in Granada, and for the Alcázar in Seville. May and October fall in the best season at all five stops.

What you will see

Jerónimos Monastery, Lisbon. Commissioned by Manuel I in 1501 with the tax on pepper and finished almost a century later, it's the masterpiece of the Manueline style and a World Heritage Site since 1983.
Ponta da Piedade, Algarve. The headland south of Lagos, with Miocene limestone cliffs, isolated stacks in the sea and caves.
Catedral de Sevilha, Seville. The Gothic cathedral was planned in 1401 on the site of the former mosque, already converted into a church, and opened in 1507; rebuilding and extensions continued afterwards.
Alhambra, Granada. The palace city of the Nasrids, begun in 1238 on the Sabika hill.
Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid. One of the largest art museums in the world, opened in 1819 in the neoclassical building Juan de Villanueva designed in 1785.

Day by day