Can I help with any Malaga info?

[I-Cruiser]

Thank you all for the help:-) I will look into all options mentioned!

 

 

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[cruisemuse13]

Our November cruise ends in Malaga on a Sunday. The ship actually arrives at 9pm on Friday, and we will have all day Saturday to spend in Malaga, and disembark on Sunday morning. I need to purchase Renfe train tickets from Malaga to Madrid, and the best price is for the 9am train.

 

How much time should I allow to travel from the ship to the train station, and how early do I need to get to the train station before my train departure at 9am? Also, has anyone had any experience with luggage being oversized or overweight for the train and what costs are involved?

 

This is the first time I am travelling by train in Europe so any advice is welcome.

[MitchellS]

Campolady,

I just started reading threads today & noticed you offer guidance on Malaga. We arrive on 9/9 from 11:30-6:30 and I have some questions based on your earlier posts for an itinerary.

Should we take cab to Gibralfaro castle first and buy dual ticket for Alcazaba?

Next walk to Alcazaba castle.

Then take elevator down to rear of town. Next walk to amphitheater.

Then visit Cathedral & finally Atarazanas market.

Finally, should we take city shuttle or train f/ city center back to ship?

Also, is there any need to purchase "Foosteps Through Malaga" book?

Also, you said shops are closed from 1:30 -5pm; is this everyday?

[campolady]

Campolady,

I just started reading threads today & noticed you offer guidance on Malaga. We arrive on 9/9 from 11:30-6:30 and I have some questions based on your earlier posts for an itinerary.

Should we take cab to Gibralfaro castle first and buy dual ticket for Alcazaba?

Next walk to Alcazaba castle.

Then take elevator down to rear of town. Next walk to amphitheater.

Then visit Cathedral & finally Atarazanas market.

Finally, should we take city shuttle or train f/ city center back to ship?

Also, is there any need to purchase "Foosteps Through Malaga" book?

Also, you said shops are closed from 1:30 -5pm; is this everyday?

 

 

No need to purchase the ´Footsteps´ book - it is just a useful tool rather than essential reading.

 

Your itinerary sounds fine except for the Atarazanas market section as this closes at 2.00 (stalls start to close from 1.oo p.m. onwards) so would not be open at the end of your trip. As you do not dock until late morning you would have to do this first then get a cab or bus up to Gibralfaro. http://www.andalucia.com/cities/malaga/ataranzas-market.htm

 

Yes. shops have siesta every day. Some small shops stay open in high season but most do close. Tapas Bars and restaurants will all be open though

 

From the Cathedral it is only a fairly short walk back to the port entrance where you will find shuttle buses back to your ship - although if you have any energy left it is a shame to miss the Muelle Uno development (shops, bars and restaurants within the port grounds) which you would pass if you walk through the port to your ship.

Edited August 20, 2014 by campolady

[ShopperfiendTO]

Hi Campolady,

 

You've made some recommendations for restaurants near the old town. Do you know of any that are near (south of) the railway station?

 

We've booked a hotel around there for the day we arrive and are looking for a good place to eat nearby in case we decide to eat out that night. It will depend on how we're dealing with the jet lag. :o

 

Many thanks!

[StarTrkGeek]

How easy is it to find chocolate con churros? Also, do you know if they use milk chocolate or dark chocolate (I am allergic to milk:eek:)?

 

Alan

Edited August 25, 2014 by StarTrkGeek

[campolady]

How easy is it to find chocolate con churros? Also, do you know if they use milk chocolate or dark chocolate (I am allergic to milk:eek:)?

 

Alan

 

Available everywhere. The chocolate comes ready mixed - very thick and dark so doubt it is milk chocolate based. Will look on a carton for you when we go to the supermarket.

 

You can have Churros with Coffee - just as acceptable as with chocolate and we prefer this as the chocolate is very sweet.

[StarTrkGeek]

Available everywhere. The chocolate comes ready mixed - very thick and dark so doubt it is milk chocolate based. Will look on a carton for you when we go to the supermarket.

 

You can have Churros with Coffee - just as acceptable as with chocolate and we prefer this as the chocolate is very sweet.

No offense, but I cannot stand coffee.:eek:

[campolady]

How easy is it to find chocolate con churros? Also, do you know if they use milk chocolate or dark chocolate (I am allergic to milk:eek:)?

 

Alan

 

Spoke to three of our local bar owners this morning for you - all say that if you are allergic to milk chocolate you should not have Chocolate with your Churros.

[StarTrkGeek]

Spoke to three of our local bar owners this morning for you - all say that if you are allergic to milk chocolate you should not have Chocolate with your Churros.

Thank you for checking.

Alan

[Jldevlin]

We have just booked a cruise for next april and we are starting to find what we want to do in each port. I just found this post and I am soooo excited !!!!! This is exactly what we want to do as often as we can.... get off the ship and walk.... shop .. eat ....a little wine .. and see the sites without needing a guide to help us.Thanks so much to campolady for making it feel easy before we even get there.

[campolady]

We have just booked a cruise for next april and we are starting to find what we want to do in each port. I just found this post and I am soooo excited !!!!! This is exactly what we want to do as often as we can.... get off the ship and walk.... shop .. eat ....a little wine .. and see the sites without needing a guide to help us.Thanks so much to campolady for making it feel easy before we even get there.

 

I am sure that you will love Malaga - and april is a lovely month to visit.

 

Please feel free to ask any questions before your trip and I will do my best to help.

[sailingdutchy]

I am glad I have found this forum.I just booked a cruise for Oct.2015 and have two days in Malaga and are planning on Granada for a day to see the Alhambra.Just wondering if we could take a train to get there or if we should do a tour.My husband is not big on tours but will do one if it is the best option.Second day we will spend in Malaga doing some of the things that I read on this forum.Thanks for all the info.

 

I would seriously consider a tour with spaindaytours who provide a great tour reasonable and they will look after the tickets to get you into the Alhambra . On a lot of days tickets are hard to get they are time sensitive and the line ups are long . Spain day tours will look after that . Have a look at their website .

We have done tours with them at a lot of the ports in Spain and have never had a problem . They also form smaller groups that the ships tours will .

[sailingdutchy]

We have been a couple of times in Granada to the Alhambra which is just out of this world .

 

This time on the cruise on the Noordam in October we will do for the second time a tour of Malaga itself . Last time we were on the HOHO but this time specially with all the very valuable information that I found on this forum from you , I think I am going to do a walking tour .

First to the Atarazanas , than to the Cathedral the Alcazaba and back to the Antigua Casa de Guardia . We have lots of time and are in port until 11 pm . I am just not sure yet if we should walk all the way to the market or take the shuttle . And of course we will go for the tappa's !

 

Thank you very much for starting this forum and keeping it going with the most minute information . You are a true ambassador to this city ! :D

[campolady]

I think I am going to do a walking tour .

First to the Atarazanas , than to the Cathedral the Alcazaba and back to the Antigua Casa de Guardia . We have lots of time and are in port until 11 pm . I am just not sure yet if we should walk all the way to the market or take the shuttle . And of course we will go for the tappa's !

 

If you are going to be walking for much of the day it may well be worth you taking transport to the market to start off with.

 

Wear comfortable shoes for the climbs at the Alcazaba.

 

Sudden short, but very sharp, showers are possible in October so I would suggest that you carry a lightweight fold-up umbrella if possible. The good news is that, generally, as soon as the shower stops the sun is out again.

 

Try the Pedro Jimenez Malaga Wine at the Antigua Casa - seems to suit most palates - then ask what the staff recommend if you want to go sweeter or drier.

 

Enjoy.

[SugarLover]

You are most generous with your time and advice on this thread, CampoLady, thank you!

 

Like a few others here recently, we'll be in Malaga on Thur Oct 30 (after the time change) when the Celebrity Equinox makes a call there on it's TA from BCN to the States. Fortunately, we'll have the evening in port, as we are there not til 11 am, but don't depart until 9 pm.

 

We are interested in seeing as much as we can, albeit not in a rush though. Our plan will be similar to Kathy (TourdeCruise) or Mitchell, but with some tweaks, so I'd like to ask a few questions and get your recommendations.

 

We want to see: the Atarazanas Market before it closes, Gibralfaro, Alcazaba, the theater ruins, the cathedral, etc. and maybe Picasso's house/ or museum.

We also want to try several tapas places, and Arnada for the churros.

We like to walk, but also don't want to waste a lot of time walking everywhere, and would gladly take a few shortcuts to save 20 min here or there.

 

I have long heard about the Espeto de Sardinas but my research hasn't told me where to find that exactly (what beach, time, etc) or if we can still get them at the end of October, after summer's over. Can you help me with that?

 

If we want to hit the market first, before catching the bus to the top, how/where would we do that from the ship, and then is it easy to go from the market by bus up to the fort? From there, I think we can manage finding our way down and slowly through town, alternating sights with tapas joints :D. However, would it be possible to end up at the beach for sardines, then back to the ship? or do we not want to be on the beach after dark? Or do we want to try the beach earlier, and then do sunset from a rooftop hotel? or El Pimpi to look up on the illuminated sights?

 

Many of our co-cruisers will likely head back to the ship for dinner, but we want to take advantage of our unusual port hours, and do our eating in Malaga.

 

Can you advise on this plan of attack? I appreciate your insights, and want to get the most out of our visit, but do it on our own, not with a tour.

 

Lastly, I have two 'shopping' questions...

1) will I be able to get a Biznaga? or will they be out of season? if so, easily found where?

2) Is there anything particularly special to buy in Malaga? available only there, or something that is a good deal, or recommended for whatever reason? I'm assuming some Malaga wine, but what else?

 

thank you again for your great advice to everyone here, and hopefully to me as well!

 

- Lee (SugarLover)

[ricki]

Hi Campolady,

 

Thank you for being so willing to answer questions about your area.

 

I have friends who are hoping to visit Costa del Sol for a week or so before a trans-Atlantic cruise from Barcelona in October, 2015. The wife has had a stroke, so accessibility is important.

 

Can you suggest which town might be best for them: Malaga, Marbella, Torremolinos, Fuengirola, Estepona, or Benalmadena?

 

They will have a car and enjoy dining out, shopping and beautiful views.

 

I appreciate your help!

 

Ricki

[karska]

Campolady. Thank you for your advice and suggestions. Listening to you, we chose to spend the day in Malaga. Loved it.

Took #35 bus to top and walked down. Ate at El Pimpi. A wonderful town. Thanks again.

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[bowbiter]

Campolady. Thank you for your advice and suggestions. Listening to you, we chose to spend the day in Malaga. Loved it.

Took #35 bus to top and walked down. Ate at El Pimpi. A wonderful town. Thanks again.

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#35 to the top of where?

 

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[karska]

#35 to the top of where?

 

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Gilbrafaro castle. Then down to Alcazaba. Go out to left then

Stay to the right if you want to walk down from castle. We got confused, didn't realize you had to leave castle area...not connected. Figured it out eventually. Better walking down than up. Read all posts on this thread, campo lady is extremely informative.

 

 

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[Denverite]

Campolady: Thank you so much for all the information. We will be in Malaga on May 9th (Saturday) from 8:00am to 11:00pm. We want to spend some time in Malaga and will use your helpful information in this thread. Because we have quite a bit of time, we are also thinking of going to Mijas for a short time. I read that you can take the train and then the bus, but if we opted to take a taxi to save time, do you know approximate cost? Also, would we need to get the taxi to wait for a couple of hours or are there taxis in Mijas that would return us to Malaga?

 

Thank you.

[Bellaggio Cruisers]

We live mid-way between Malaga and Granada and know the city of Malaga well.

 

If anyone visiting Malaga on a cruise has any questions I will be happy to do my best to help - the city is not great at promoting itself which is such a shame as it has so much to offer.

 

Need a private day guide/driver from port in Malaga to Cordoba. Can you help?

Thanks.

Sheila

[TMLAalum]

Hi Campolady

 

We are in port on a Sunday in October 2017 from 7am to 7pm. Do you have any suggestions for a Catholic church walkable from the pier?

 

Thanks!

[campolady]

Hi Campolady

 

We are in port on a Sunday in October 2017 from 7am to 7pm. Do you have any suggestions for a Catholic church walkable from the pier?

 

Thanks!

 

Why not visit the beautiful Cathedral for Mass? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%A1laga_Cathedral 20 minutes walk from the cruise terminal to the Cathedral or take the shuttle train from the terminal plus a 5 minutes walk.

 

Sunday Mass times at the Cathedral are listed here under 'Festivos' http://www.misas.org/p/santa-iglesia-catedral-basilica-la-manquita-malaga

 

Another option is http://www.thecatholicdirectory.com/directory.cfm?fuseaction=display_site_info&siteid=121347

Edited March 3, 2016 by campolady

[TMLAalum]

Why not visit the beautiful Cathedral for Mass? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%A1laga_Cathedral 20 minutes walk from the cruise terminal to the Cathedral or take the shuttle train from the terminal plus a 5 minutes walk.

 

Sunday Mass times at the Cathedral are listed here under 'Festivos' http://www.misas.org/p/santa-iglesia-catedral-basilica-la-manquita-malaga

 

Another option is http://www.thecatholicdirectory.com/directory.cfm?fuseaction=display_site_info&siteid=121347

 

Will light a candle for you there!