Alhambra out of Malaga

[UAcruiser]

We're on The Vision of the Seas in September going into Malaga. I've read Alhambra is a beautiful place to see but the drive there and back is long and not much to see. Has anyone ever done the drive/tour and do you think it is worth the time/expense? We would probably do a ship tour because of the time and distance.

[kestrel]

Alhambra is indeed a very beautiful place. We went there during a land trip a couple years ago. I highly recommend it.

 

For cruise passengers, I will suggest taking a cruise shore excursion for the following reasons:

(1) Alhambra is far away from Malaga. One way drive takes 2+ hours, and the traffic is unpredictable.

(2) In order to enter the Palace, you need to pre-book a ticket with specified time slot. You can only enter during the specified 30-min time slot. It is difficult for cruise passengers to estimate the time, not to mention that the cruise line probably already reserved all the "good" time slots.

(3) If you are unlucky, the ticket machines may not recognize your reservation. It happened to us :mad: , and we had to wait in a long line to ask for help.

[Chelly]

The Alhambra is a must-see for me regardless of two-hour drive. Will be there Oct. Taking ship's tour.

[cberge]

Alhambra is indeed a very beautiful place. We went there during a land trip a couple years ago. I highly recommend it.

 

For cruise passengers, I will suggest taking a cruise shore excursion for the following reasons:

(1) Alhambra is far away from Malaga. One way drive takes 2+ hours, and the traffic is unpredictable.

(2) In order to enter the Palace, you need to pre-book a ticket with specified time slot. You can only enter during the specified 30-min time slot. It is difficult for cruise passengers to estimate the time, not to mention that the cruise line probably already reserved all the "good" time slots.

(3) If you are unlucky, the ticket machines may not recognize your reservation. It happened to us :mad: , and we had to wait in a long line to ask for help.

I agree totally with this post..I was staying in the south of Spain and it was not as controlled as it is today,but a ships tour would be they way to go..I enjoyed the ride as you crossed into the olive goroves and climed away from the water.The Alhambra IMHO should NOT be missed. Also,as you walk the grounds look at the "cave" homes off in the distance..people still live in them I believe.Enjoy.

[Bowie MeMe]

I agree with the others. This palace is like no other and the wonderful decorations and carvings and pools and the GARDENS were worth the ride to and from the ship. We bought a picture calender for 2009 and the pictures remind us of just how beautiful it was. Definitely do a ship's tour and wear solid walking shoes -- surfaces and steps a bit uneven. Our ship's tour had lunch and entertainment. The band was so good we bought their CD -- must admit we like to buy folkloric CD's on vacation. Know how many courses the lunch will include. We stuffed on the palenta thinking that was lunch and two more courses were served later. I am sure this will be one of your favorite experiences and the ride back in comfortable AC bus is just the perfect length for a nap! Don't snore.

[John Bull]

Hi UAcruiser, Sorry, going to confuse you here with an option or two.

 

RONDA is about 90mins from Malaga by car, 2hrs by bus. An amazing gorge splits the town, the old Moorish part - church, museums, curiosity shops, etc from the later part - Spain's first bullring & associated stockyard & museum, lots of shops, pleasant to stroll. Depending on time ashore, you can make a circular tour of the drive, meander up through the hills, then steeper return direct and along the coast, incl Marbella & mebbe even Mijas back to the ship, using the fast problem-free toll road if necessary. Making a tour would involve renting a car, very cheap in Spain. A very pleasant, varied and interesting "spanish" day.

 

GRANADA - THE ALHAMBRA is beautiful, as are its grounds & location, and an interesting fort overlooking the city. You will not manage to see it all in a day, either privately or on ship's tour.

 

By ship’s tour. Unfortunately they tend to use the A45/A92 inland valley auto route past Loja, prob a little under two hours, and it is very boring. Once at Granada you should be able to go in with the ship’s pre-booked & timed tickets, as mentioned by Kestrel. And you will get the full flavour – though not enough time for everything. Then the same drive back. Ship’s tour of course means that missing sailing time is ship’s problem & not yours. The full Alhambra experience & nothing else

 

By hire car. In the same time that the bus takes by the inland auto route, you can head east along the coast to Motril, then up the A44 to Granada. First part is auto route, scenic in parts, to just past Nerja, then twisting coast road & villages to Motril. Then the quiet & eassy A44 auto route goes north over the foothills of the Sierra Nevada (snow up higher) & you arrive at the Alhambra conveniently located just off your road into Granada. Without pre-booking or time constraints, you can simply buy a ticket to the grounds, selected buildings and the fort. You will not get the full flavour, but still plenty to see in your own time. You should also have enough time for the 40 minute drive to the village of Gaudix, where most of the villagers live in caves or houses built into the hillside. Alternatively drop into the Caves of Nerja or nearby Burriana beach on you way back from Granada. A partial Alhambra experience in a more free-wheeling & varied day.

 

Traffic on the routes suggested generally not a problem, other than sometimes mid-am into the centre of Ronda and frequently rush-hour the last 3 to 5 miles back to port.

 

Not promoting any one over the others, just suggesting options. Google some of the places & make your mind up. Have fun choosin & cruisin

 

Regards, John Bull

[Lair Bear]

GRANADA - THE ALHAMBRA is beautiful, as are its grounds & location, and an interesting fort overlooking the city. You will not manage to see it all in a day, either privately or on ship's tour.

 

So right. We just returned from a visit to Alhambra and found the experience to be one of the best in Spain. The fortress dates back to the Moorish days, but the restoration of the palaces and gardens has been marvelous.

To see some of the pictures and descriptions of Alhambra take a look at the following web site:

http://www.*****.com/Alhambra1.html

 

Keep in mind that tickets and reservations are needed, so a ship's tour is highly recommended unless you are staying overnight in the area.

[new salt]

May I add to everything that has gone before on this and other threads that the Islamic buildings of the Alhambra are the most beautiful constructs of human endeavour I have ever seen in my 64 (well travelled) years. To pass this way and miss them would almost be a crime against your own humanity. This sounds way over the top, but trust me, it is not.

[PangeanSir]

Hi UAcruiser, Sorry, going to confuse you here with an option or two.

 

RONDA is about 90mins from Malaga by car, 2hrs by bus. An amazing gorge splits the town, the old Moorish part - church, museums, curiosity shops, etc from the later part - Spain's first bullring & associated stockyard & museum, lots of shops, pleasant to stroll. Depending on time ashore, you can make a circular tour of the drive, meander up through the hills, then steeper return direct and along the coast, incl Marbella & mebbe even Mijas back to the ship, using the fast problem-free toll road if necessary. Making a tour would involve renting a car, very cheap in Spain. A very pleasant, varied and interesting "spanish" day.

 

GRANADA - THE ALHAMBRA is beautiful, as are its grounds & location, and an interesting fort overlooking the city. You will not manage to see it all in a day, either privately or on ship's tour.

 

By ship’s tour. Unfortunately they tend to use the A45/A92 inland valley auto route past Loja, prob a little under two hours, and it is very boring. Once at Granada you should be able to go in with the ship’s pre-booked & timed tickets, as mentioned by Kestrel. And you will get the full flavour – though not enough time for everything. Then the same drive back. Ship’s tour of course means that missing sailing time is ship’s problem & not yours. The full Alhambra experience & nothing else

 

By hire car. In the same time that the bus takes by the inland auto route, you can head east along the coast to Motril, then up the A44 to Granada. First part is auto route, scenic in parts, to just past Nerja, then twisting coast road & villages to Motril. Then the quiet & eassy A44 auto route goes north over the foothills of the Sierra Nevada (snow up higher) & you arrive at the Alhambra conveniently located just off your road into Granada. Without pre-booking or time constraints, you can simply buy a ticket to the grounds, selected buildings and the fort. You will not get the full flavour, but still plenty to see in your own time. You should also have enough time for the 40 minute drive to the village of Gaudix, where most of the villagers live in caves or houses built into the hillside. Alternatively drop into the Caves of Nerja or nearby Burriana beach on you way back from Granada. A partial Alhambra experience in a more free-wheeling & varied day.

 

Traffic on the routes suggested generally not a problem, other than sometimes mid-am into the centre of Ronda and frequently rush-hour the last 3 to 5 miles back to port.

 

Not promoting any one over the others, just suggesting options. Google some of the places & make your mind up. Have fun choosin & cruisin

 

Regards, John Bull

 

Do you have any information on bus/train arrangements between Malaga and Granada?

 

P.

[bqkali]

Do you have any information on bus/train arrangements between Malaga and Granada?

 

P.

 

Train schedules are at http://www.renfe.es/

 

I don't believe there is a direct train, but I could be mistaken.

 

Bus schedules http://www.alsa.es

 

The bus has many departures and your tickets are very flexible (i.e. if you miss your bus, you shouldn't have a problem getting on the next one). Buses leave about every half hour and take two hours to get to Granada, some are faster because they don't make any stops on the way. 20 euro round-trip. You can book online and print tickets from home or you can buy tickets the day you arrive. It is unlikely they will sell out.

 

Alhambra tickets WILL sell out, so prebook those online. www.alhambra-tickets.es

[martyap]

I have driven to Granada from Malaga on a land trip and yes the Alhambra is fantastic. Highways are well signed and traffic was no problem in May. Summer months are heavier. I really think the trip is too risky on your own on a single port day. Either book the ship's excursion or consider some closer options like Ronda or Marbella....Marty

[Lair Bear]

I have driven to Granada from Malaga on a land trip and yes the Alhambra is fantastic. Highways are well signed and traffic was no problem in May. Summer months are heavier. I really think the trip is too risky on your own on a single port day. Either book the ship's excursion or consider some closer options like Ronda or Marbella....Marty

 

You are so right, Marty.

There is one more reason for the ship's tour. You need reserved tickets to get into the Alhambra, especially to see the main palace. Yes, you can do that in advance but it maybe a big hassle.

 

If you take a ship's tour, it is all inclusive: the bus drive (which is not all that bad!!! with scenery of orchards, aspargus fields and rolling hill sides with lots of olive trees), a guided tour of the gardens and the main Alhambra sights. But most importantly, it includes the prearranged timing to enter the main palace.

In our case, it also included a nice lunch, but, of course, you somehow pay for that heavy, extra.

 

However, in addition, we did not have to worry about how long it would take us to get back and possibly miss the boat.

[Lair Bear]

May I add to everything that has gone before on this and other threads that the Islamic buildings of the Alhambra are the most beautiful constructs of human endeavour I have ever seen in my 64 (well travelled) years. To pass this way and miss them would almost be a crime against your own humanity. This sounds way over the top, but trust me, it is not.

I agree that the architecture of the Moorish invaders of Spain is certainly beautiful. To go as far as to say that it would be a crime against 'your own humanity' would be going a bit too far. But Alhambra should not be missed.

 

[DrCindy]

We took the ship's excursion the Alhambra last November. It is a long ride, 2 hours each way, and we chose this route because of the tight time frames. Almost missing the ship out of Civitavecchia earlier in the week also made me gun shy!:rolleyes: The drive up there isn't all that great, but as someone else mentioned, just prior to your approach to the castle there are caves where gypsies live. The ship provided lunch (only mediocre) and a mariachi band :confused:. There were several tour buses so the restaurant was very crowded, but they had several buffet lines. When we returned to Malaga, we ran into another couple from our ship who said they took a taxi to the castle. I'm not sure what they did about advance tickets though. I personally would not chance the taxi option. Have fun and enjoy!

[willy paul]

Do not miss it !!! We have been twice and are planning to go a third time this Fall. I would recommend taking the ship's tour because of the distance and traffic, you would not want to miss the ship.

[PangeanSir]

Train schedules are at http://www.renfe.es/

 

I don't believe there is a direct train, but I could be mistaken.

 

Bus schedules http://www.alsa.es

 

The bus has many departures and your tickets are very flexible (i.e. if you miss your bus, you shouldn't have a problem getting on the next one). Buses leave about every half hour and take two hours to get to Granada, some are faster because they don't make any stops on the way. 20 euro round-trip. You can book online and print tickets from home or you can buy tickets the day you arrive. It is unlikely they will sell out.

 

Alhambra tickets WILL sell out, so prebook those online. www.alhambra-tickets.es

 

Thank you bq;

 

The bus option looks to give us about 5 hours in Granada. Do you know how to get to the Malaga bus station from the port?

 

P.

[jane02]

We will be in Malaga on Monday 24th August. We are in port from 8am - 7pm. Does anyone know of any private drivers or companys that do Alhambra? I am not a big fan of bus tours.

Thanks:)