Suggestions for Malaga

[loum140]

:confused: We have been to Granada as well as Mijas on a previous trip to Spain, so would appreciate any tips on what to see in and around Malaga. Thanks.

[hkto]

Official tourist site is good source of info http://www.malagaturismo.com/ (see What to See/Itineraries section). Picasso museum is definitely worth it http://museopicassomalaga.org. Major monuments are: Alcazaba/Gibralfaro Castle/Cathedral/Roman Theatre

 

If you like tapas try Logueno http://www.logueno.es; easy to find; on side street just off the main shopping street Calle Marques De Larios. Tapas were very good especially shrimps in piri sauce; main courses are not that interesting.

[kestrel]

Sites in Malaga: http://www.travelinginspain.com/testweb.html

 

I recommend a side trip to Ronda (if you haven't been there): http://www.travelinginspain.com/Ronda.html

[loum140]

Thank you both for those great suggestions! Ronda looks lovely, as does the Alcazaba in Malaga. The NY Times is hosting a Travel Show at the Javits Ctr. in a couple of weeks. Hopefully I can pick up some travel brochures for Spain. Thanks again. :)

[evgal/nj]

any idea if renting a car & driving to rhonda is a good idea?,

 

how far a drive is it?

 

are the roads decent?

 

is rhonda wheelchair friendly? well as friendly as europe is lol

 

well be docking in malaga nov. for 10 hrs. would also like to see some of malaga.

 

thanks karen

[dingsterkat]

Hi, I've been to Malaga twice and really just consider it a launching point to other great towns nearby. You may wish to take an excursion to Nerja or the Cuevas de Nerja. Nerja itself is a nice beachside town - the parador is a wonderful place for lunch and a little sun. The caves are OK - interestingly they were just 'discovered' 50-60 years ago. Salobrena is another 40 minutes past Nerja - great white town with a castle on top the hill. Good food down by the beach.

 

I would like to hear what you thought of Mijas - worth a daytrip? I'll be in Malaga for a port day in October 2010 and am looking for something outside of Malaga - preferably to the West.

[kestrel]

any idea if renting a car & driving to rhonda is a good idea?,

Yes, we drove to Ronda. (We visited Ronda during a land trip to Spain, not during a cruise.)

 

how far a drive is it? are the roads decent?

According to ViaMichelin, it's 117 km (about 73 mi) and takes 1 hr 46 min. Yes, roads are all very decent. I remember that the first part of the trip was on highways, but the last part of the trip was mountain road. That part was very scenic, but you won't be able to drive too fast.

 

is rhonda wheelchair friendly? well as friendly as europe is lol

Part is wheelchair friendly. I don't quite remember. But I think one can still see plenty there when traveling in wheelchair.

 

well be docking in malaga nov. for 10 hrs. would also like to see some of malaga.

You should still have time to spend in Malaga if you want. However, you may decide to spend more time in Ronda, since it's such a beautiful place!

[John Bull]

Hi, I've been to Malaga twice and really just consider it a launching point to other great towns nearby. You may wish to take an excursion to Nerja or the Cuevas de Nerja. Nerja itself is a nice beachside town - the parador is a wonderful place for lunch and a little sun. The caves are OK - interestingly they were just 'discovered' 50-60 years ago. Salobrena is another 40 minutes past Nerja - great white town with a castle on top the hill. Good food down by the beach.

 

I would like to hear what you thought of Mijas - worth a daytrip? I'll be in Malaga for a port day in October 2010 and am looking for something outside of Malaga - preferably to the West.

 

I agree about Nerja, very easy to get to along the coast road. But for the beach, head for Burriana, at the eastern end - the Balcon de Europe & the main beach get seriously traffic-clogged.

 

Ronda would be my choice, esp the moorish quarter - cut off from the rest of the town centre by a very very very deep ravine, crossed by a stunning Roman bridge. With a ghoulish torture museum and a very different atmosphere.

Super bullring tour, near the bridge.

Plenty of shops & facilities.

Parking can be a pain.

 

Mijas is very pleasant, and very easy to reach (the direct A368 hilltop route from the A7 autovia, not the boring & over-developed valley route from Fuengirola). It too has a small bullring, super views, plenty of bars, restaurants & shops, and winding alleyways. And parking problems.

But it's "the tourist's idea of the real Spain", if you get my drift.

 

The coast is pretty-well wall-to-wall modern development all the way to Gib. Marbella perhaps the only place of any interest.

 

John Bull

[kestrel]

John Bull,

 

There is a parking lot not too far from the bullring in Ronda. You do need to pay, but it's not expensive at all. There are plenty of parking spaces there.

[dingsterkat]

Hi all - Driving in the South of Spain stresses out DH - is there a good alternative to get to Ronda and back to Malaga without missing the ship?? We're on a TA in October with Celebrity, and there is no shore excursion to Ronda, just Mijas. I've seen photos of Ronda and it looks very cool...

 

Thanks!

[John Bull]

Hi all - Driving in the South of Spain stresses out DH - is there a good alternative to get to Ronda and back to Malaga without missing the ship?? We're on a TA in October with Celebrity, and there is no shore excursion to Ronda, just Mijas. I've seen photos of Ronda and it looks very cool...

 

Thanks!

 

You can get to Ronda by train, bus or excursion coach - but your time constraints may preclude both train & excursion coach.

 

Best precis I can find on the web is http://spain-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/malaga_to_ronda_by_bus_or_train

 

Train - no direct service, although travelling time is OK there's pretty awful connection times.

Excursion coach - there's a number of coaches which pick up from hotels along the coast, but I could only find one on the web & it's out of your time frame. By their nature, they're unlikely to feature on the 'net as they're sold over-the-counter by hotels etc Hopefully someone local can come up with a coach trip which suits your times, though you'd need a taxi to a pick-up hotel.

Bus is your best bet. Journey time isn't a great deal longer than going by car, and the service seems pretty frequent.

All based on the 'net, no personal experience.

 

By bus or car, its a nice round trip to cut across quiet country roads by the direct route via Yunquera & El Burgo, & return down the very attractive A397 & turning onto the fast A7 expressway before San Pedro, then keeping to the toll sections to avoid hold-ups.

 

Mijas is pleasant. But Mijas vs Ronda? No contest.

Incidentally, there's a lot of Mijas's nowadays - developments cashing in on the name/proximity to Mijas. The place we're all talking about is Mijas Pueblo.

 

John Bull

[LegalEagle2012]

I would appreciate any and all suggestions for pre-and post-cruise hotels in Malaga.

 

We have one night before and one night afterwards and are looking for a city hotel which will sleep four - 2 adults, a teenager and an 11 year old. Most hotels seem to suggest two rooms and I would really prefer to keep costs down by booking only one.

 

Osfan

[sarh]

Ronda would be excellent pre or post cruise but I really would not try it self drive from a cruise in a day. It is good roads, but it is easy to get stuck in traffic. Depending when you are visiting, parking in Ronda can also be quite difficult. We were once due to meet friends there for lunch and picked up over one hour delay, just coming from Marbella! if you are on pre or post cruise, I would highly recommend it - lots of places to wander and some lovely restaurants down the side of the gorge. The journey up and down is good too. Mijas cannot compete with Ronda. Unlike John Bull, I like Malaga. Picasso musuem, churches, back streets, tapas... The kids quite enjoy the horse and cart ride (tacky, I know...) Also nice to spend a day on the beach with a San Miguel and some fried seafood. I know 99% of people would disagree with me but I actually prefer Malaga to Barcelona, much more Spanish and less touristy.