Mijas Pueblo

[Caitlin's Mom]

We have a full day an evening (a Saturday) in Malaga and are thinking about taking a taxi to Mijas Peublo in the morning.  I'm torn between spending a leisurely day there, or doing half day in Mijas and leaving half the day to see some of the sites in Malaga.  Definitely want to hit the Picasso museum and the Alcazaba, Roman Theatre and Cathedral also sound interesting.  Are we pushing it trying to do too much in one day?

 

Also, looking for recommendations for a good place for an authentic Flamenco show and tapas/dinner not too far away from the port.

 

Any thoughts or recommendations would be very much appreciated.

 

Thank you!

 

Caitlin's Mom

[Daisyloo]

That sounds like a lot for one port day!!

 

We did a ship's excursion to Mijas last December. If I recall, the drive there on the coach was at least half an hour, so I wonder if a taxi would be very expensive.

We loved Mijas.  It is a beautiful town and I would think you could spend a very pleasant leisurely day there.  We are doing a Med cruise again this October and have already booked the same shore excursion to Mijas.  

[campolady]

Personally I wouldn't miss the sites of Malaga and it is quite possible to do both Mijas in one day although it would be tiring and not cheap by taxi.

 

You say that you have the evening in Malaga but what time do you have to be back on board as most Flamenco shows e.g. the one at El Jardin by the Cathedral, don't start until 10 p.m.? Cal y Canto do have an early show with dinner at 8 p.m. with a second show starting at 10 p.m. http://www.elgalloronco.com/en/flamenco-show-cal-y-canto/

 

Both venues are very popular (and both around a 20 minutes walk from the port) so you would need to pre-book - the show at El Jardin is excellent but a little bit more touristy as they encourage audience participation at the end.

 

 

Edited July 31, 2019 by campolady

[hkto]

There is a direct bus http://siu.ctmam.ctan.es/es/movil/horarios_lineas_tabla.php?lang=en&linea=3

 

More frequent buses need transfer in Torremolinos

[Caitlin's Mom]

We made a reservation at Vino Mio for the flamenco dance.  Campolady -- very much appreciate all of your great posts on Malaga.  Would you recommend this show?  The show starts at 8:30 and we have a 7:30 reservation so the show will be over in time for us to get back to our ship.  We don't leave until midnight.  So, I'm not worried about this.  I did look at prebooking a taxi to Mijas -- there's 4 of us and to get a van/taxi, I think it was around 55 euros -- so not too bad shared by four.  Could be more expensive on the way back I suppose if we don't prebook, but was thinking taxi would give us more time to try to do both.

 

One thought I had was heading over to Mijas in the morning/early afternoon and leaving 2-ish in order to see a few of the sites in Malaga.  If the taxi dropped us at the castle, it looks like we could walk downhill to Alcazaba then perhaps have time for the picasso museum and/or the cathedral.  It's not ideal but with only one day there's a lot to see!  Is this doable?

 

I'm sort of leaning towards trying to do both, but also know sometimes less is more.

 

Thanks for all of your input!

 

Caitlin's Mom

 

 

[Caitlin's Mom]

Back from our cruise and just posting a quick update in case anyone else is planning a similar trip.  We ended up taking a taxi to Mijas which was great fun.  It's a small village and it's really easy to wander around the main sites.  The tourist office has a good map and a circuit planned out to see everything and involves an easy/pretty walk.  We had wanted to start off with the electric Tuk Tuk Spain tour, but because it had rained that morning and the roads were slick it wasn't running.  We did do the donkey ride which was good for laughs, but really not necessary to see the town.  It was easy to get a return taxi and we had time to see some of the sights in Malaga upon our return.  Malaga really does have a lot to offer and if we wish we had had more time to spend.

 

The Vino Mio flamenco dance/dinner was fabulous!

 

Caitlin's Mom

[Hlitner]

We will often have a rental car when in southern Spain (be it a port day or an extended driving trip) and Mijas is one of our "go to places" if we simply want a charming town for a coffee break, lunch, etc.  But I cannot imagine spending more then 2-3 hours in Mijas and certainly would not recommend giving up a day in Malaga for Mijas unless you have already spent time exploring Malaga and are looking for other alternatives.  As to taking a taxi to Mijas, I think you will find that this is going to cost more then you want to spend.  If you do decide to use a taxi make sure to get a price before you get in the taxi.   Since you might have some difficulty finding a taxi for the return drive you might want to consider hiring a taxi for the round trip.   By the way, we recently revisited the Picasso museum in October and enjoyed our time.  For Picasso fans (I am not) you can find several other Picasso museums scattered around Spain (including Barcelona).  We simply walked to the Malaga museum from the port (we love to walk) and had an enjoyable day just exploring the streets, shops, cafes, etc. 

 

Hank

[ollienbertsmum]

The Picasso museum has a really great audio guide for anyone (like me) who is not really used to his style of painting.  

 

I have a weekend booked in Malaga at the end of March.  A morning in Mijas might be a good way to spend a couple of hours.  

 

 

Edited December 21, 2019 by ollienbertsmum

[Hlitner]

On 12/21/2019 at 3:44 PM, ollienbertsmum said:

The Picasso museum has a really great audio guide for anyone (like me) who is not really used to his style of painting.  

 

I have a weekend booked in Malaga at the end of March.  A morning in Mijas might be a good way to spend a couple of hours.  

 

 

The problem with your idea is getting to and from Mijas.  For us it is usually not an issue because we have a rental car.  Without your own car you are faced with spending some major Euros to use taxis.  I still remember the last time we went to Mijas (and it was in the morning) to simply browse some shops and have some cappuccino.  We had our own car and were driving to Ronda for lunch.  Mijas was the perfect respite for a morning break.  At the time I mentioned to DW that I always enjoyed spending a couple of hours in Mijas, but it was not a great option for those without a car.

 

And this gets to an issue I have posted about for many years.  Having one's own car, in many parts of Europe, is a very reasonable way to keep maximum flexibility, allow great freedom. and keep costs to a reasonable number of Euros.   Very small group tours also work for many folks as long as everyone is on the same page.  Larger group tours (like cruise line excursions) usually mean you will spend too much time waiting for the slowest in the group, standing in queues for the only rest room, etc.  Having a car means we can stop anywhere for coffee or a snack and move on as soon as we are ready.  

 

Hank

[ollienbertsmum]

I wish I could be like you with driving Hank.  I was in Malaga with my car yesterday and I was “aaarrrggghhh” trying to find the car park that the person I was visiting had suggested.  There was nothing but diversions.  We just ditched the car and walked the last km (with cases).  I don’t know how I found my way out, I guessed and followed the car in front.  

 

Malaga Christmas lights are something to see, but most cruisers would obviously miss them.  It is a buzzing city and we are planning a weekend there at the end of MArch.  

 

I get the cost of getting to Mijas.  It is a pity that the local train only goes in the other direction.  I don’t think any of the stops are really tourist destinations.  

[hkto]

See my previous post re: bus to Mijas. I think it's was 2.30€ o/w from Malaga Central. Direct bus takes 1 hr. If using bus buy in both directions then it can be used for any bus back (with Torremolinos transfer). Also any Mijas Pueblo bus stops by Benalmádena train station that will take one back to Malaga. This is probably even faster. 

 

Having said all that I think that Mijas Pueblo can be skipped especially for people who are in Malaga for the first time and haven't seen the city.

[ollienbertsmum]

2 hours ago, hkto said:

See my previous post re: bus to Mijas. I think it's was 2.30€ o/w from Malaga Central. Direct bus takes 1 hr. If using bus buy in both directions then it can be used for any bus back (with Torremolinos transfer). Also any Mijas Pueblo bus stops by Benalmádena train station that will take one back to Malaga. This is probably even faster. 

 

Having said all that I think that Mijas Pueblo can be skipped especially for people who are in Malaga for the first time and haven't seen the city.

But for my upcoming weekend in Benalmadena that is good information.  I know that Hank likes to drive, but I like a little glass of wine with my lunch when I am on a trip.  Spain has zero tolerance, so if we run out of things to do then I have an extra idea.  

[Hlitner]

On 12/27/2019 at 1:45 AM, ollienbertsmum said:

I wish I could be like you with driving Hank.  I was in Malaga with my car yesterday and I was “aaarrrggghhh” trying to find the car park that the person I was visiting had suggested.  There was nothing but diversions.  We just ditched the car and walked the last km (with cases).  I don’t know how I found my way out, I guessed and followed the car in front.  

 

Malaga Christmas lights are something to see, but most cruisers would obviously miss them.  It is a buzzing city and we are planning a weekend there at the end of MArch.  

 

I get the cost of getting to Mijas.  It is a pity that the local train only goes in the other direction.  I don’t think any of the stops are really tourist destinations.  

Oh my!  While I have no problem renting cars and driving just about anywhere in Europe, it is the parking that drives me absolutely nutz!  So I can understand your frustration.  I have never gotten a moving violation in Europe, but could wallpaper my bathroom with all the parking tickets (unpaid).   If we are driving in unfamiliar areas I will spend some pre trip homework looking at parking options.   We have spent some significant time staying in the Marbella area and have driven to Malaga for lunch.  I recall we were always lucky and could find on the street parking.

 

Hope you enjoy your March trip :).

 

Hank

[Caitlin's Mom]

We had prebooked a taxi from the port through Solhop transfers.  Cost was 79 euros.  A taxi was waiting at the taxi stand in Mijas when we were ready to go so that wasn't a problem.  Cost back was only 50 euros.  There were four of us, so split four ways it wasn't quite so bad, about $36 each and took about half an hour each way.  Not really necessary to prebook the taxi and probably cheaper.  There was a taxi line a short walk from where our ship was docked.  As it turned out there are two places to dock and our taxi was waiting for us on the other side so we didn't really save any time by prebooking.  We made it back to Malaga with plenty of time to see the Picasso museum and wander the city a bit.  The Picasso museum (and audioguide as mentioned above) was great, however, if you've already seen the one in Barcelona and/or are not that into Picasso, there's plenty of other sites to see and it's a lively city if you just want to hang out.  We were very glad to have made the trip and it's still one of the places we talk about the most fondly when remembering our trip.  It's just a small town though -- and the attractions are also small .... like the miniatures museum which is a hoot.  We enjoyed the walk the tourist office has mapped out which takes in all of the attractions.  If you are an ice cream and/or chocolate lover don't miss the Mayan Monkey ice cream shop or chocolate factory.

[edinburgher]

Another option is to take the train to Fuengirola. Bus station only 100 or so metres away and a frequent local bus service goes up to Mijas Pueblo in a few minutes.