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A round-up of the easiest day journeys you possibly can take from Malaga, Spain – dropped at you by a neighborhood expat!
When you’re staying in Malaga, you discovered your self within the excellent location that can mean you can discover way more of what Southern Spain has to supply.
Malaga is the primary journey hotspot on Costa del Sol. It presents a handy distance to the airport and is well-connected with the remainder of the nation through trains, buses and motorways. Even should you’re not planning to lease a automobile, there are many totally different choices to plan great day journeys.
When you’re searching for some attention-grabbing locations to see, this text will present you a few of the greatest choices accessible from Malaga.
Better of all? I’ve been residing near Malaga for over three years now, so I’m very conversant in all of the day journeys on the record. I’ll solely advocate locations which might be actually value your time.
Lets dive in?
Selecting and Planning your Day Journeys from Malaga
Earlier than you randomly decide a spot from the record, you need to first take into account how a lot time you wish to spend within the vacation spot, and the way you wish to journey there.
When you don’t need the effort of navigating within the native visitors and renting a automobile, the good information is that nearly the entire locations on my record might be explored by prepare or by native bus. Native transport choices are typically additionally very inexpensive and handy. So it’s possible you’ll thank your self that you just didn’t hassle paying further for automobile rental.
When you do determine to drive, that’s fairly simple too. You’ll head out of the city on one of many fundamental freeway junctions, and the streets in Malaga are fairly simple to navigate. Aside from the town of Ronda, not one of the different locations current any difficult terrain for driving.
The locations I chosen are all inside a brief attain from Malaga. The furthest ones are Seville and Gibraltar, whereas the closest are Benalmadena, Antequera, Fuengirola and Nerja.
I attempted to maintain the utmost journey time both by prepare or automobile as much as two hours, so you’ve gotten loads of time to see the vacation spot and don’t need to spend most of your day journey commuting.
9 Finest Day Journeys from Malaga
Right here is an summary of the highest day journey locations that made it on the record. You’ll discover a detailed description and highlights for every vacation spot beneath.
- Benalmadena
- Fuengirola
- Granada
- Nerja
- Marbella
- Ronda
- Antequera
- Gibraltar
- Seville
1. Benalmadena – shut, attention-grabbing & family-friendly
Benalmadena is simply a brief drive from Malaga (about 35 minutes), but additionally accessible with the native commuter prepare C1 which runs each 20 minutes (journey round 30 minutes).
Benalmadena has three fundamental elements – the coastal space the place you can see the award-winning marina, the Sea World park with its big aquarium and an extended stretch of seashore lined with eating places and outlets.
Up within the hills above the shoreline is Arroyo de la Miel, the older historic a part of Benalmadena. Essentially the most charming half is additional up within the hills known as Benalmadena Pueblo.
The Pueblo is a typical Andalusian white village with cobbled roads, charming homes, native tavernas and delightful views throughout. When you stroll to the tip of the village to Jariden de Muro, you can see an previous church with fairly cascading gardens and beautiful views of the shoreline.
Under the backyard is La Cupula Lounge with stay music, cocktails and the very best views on the town. Additional down the highway is Castillo Colomares, a citadel monument constructed within the honor of the travels of Christopher Columbus, a really distinctive place to see.
If you wish to discover additional, on the fringe of the Pueblo you can see Mariposario, the butterfly park the place you possibly can stroll amongst tons of of butterflies and see them hatching in their very own nursery. Proper subsequent to the park is a large Buddhist temple with a viewing platform and spectacular views of the entire shoreline.
2. Fuengirola – household journey or day on the seashore
Fuengirola is my dwelling city, so maybe a little bit of a biased addition to the record. However I wished to supply an possibility for individuals who want to have a day on the seashore, or do one thing particular with children.
In Fuengirola, you can see 7 km of well-equipped sandy seashores, an extended seashore promenade that stretches from the beginning of the city till Castillo Sohail (value a go to for the views, entrance is free), and loads of choices for water sports activities too.
When you’re coming with children, they are going to love a go to to the native Bioparc, which permits them to expertise totally different animals of their pure habitat, with out tall fences and miserable enclosures. A child gorilla is the newest addition to this park, which feels way more like a lush jungle than a typical zoo.
For many who like much more adventures, you can even play 18-hole minigolf proper subsequent to the massive Miramar Buying Centre (near Sohail Fort), or strive go-karting accessible on high of the mall.
3. Granada – for historical past fans
Granada is by far my favourite Andalusian metropolis, because it doesn’t really feel as crowded as the opposite ones, and nonetheless has a whole lot of attraction that you’d count on to see in a small village. Granada isn’t removed from Malaga and with a lot to see, it makes an ideal day journey vacation spot.
Well-known for the Moorish palace complicated of Alhambra, which was a part of the Nasrid Kingdom, it attracts thousands and thousands of vacationers yearly. When you’re planning a visit right here, you actually need to ebook your tickets on-line asap as they have a tendency to promote out weeks prematurely, and sure – you may need a problem getting a ticket even in low season months.
Additional down from the Alhambra complicated – which additionally incorporates the fortress of Alcazaba and the gorgeous gardens of Generalife – you can see Carmen de los Martires, an exquisite effectively maintained park and backyard with peacocks working freely.
Visiting Granada isn’t full with out taking a stroll via Albaicin, the historic previous city with its slender streets main as much as the hills, with the very best views of Alhambra. Speaking of the views – the very best spot for taking in the great thing about Alhambra is on the Mirador of St Nicholas in Albaicin.
When you’re touring with children, they are going to love to go to the Parque de las Ciencias, a neighborhood science museum with very cool reveals devoted to house, the human physique, a planetarium and a biodome – with freely working monkeys. I’ve been twice already and would nonetheless return!
4. Nerja – distinctive mix of views, nature and sights
Nerja is a neighborhood’s favourite spot on Costa del Sol. It’s fully totally different to the sun-bleached resorts and all-inclusive inns you’ll usually count on, Nerja is way more elegant and conventional.
Identified for a fairly coastal platform known as Balcony of Europe, in Nerja you can see an enthralling previous city with a maze of streets main you to eating places with fairly sea views, native outlets promoting artisan merchandise, and delightful seashores framed by rocky hills.
Nerja is additionally recognized for its caves positioned on the sting of the city. In case you have some spare time, you possibly can drive 10 minutes as much as the hills and attain the gorgeous white village of Frigiliana, voted a lot of occasions because the prettiest white village of Andalusia.
5. Marbella – flashy resort city with charming previous city
Marbella has an attention-grabbing mixture of previous and new, flashy and conventional. The coastal space may be very effectively maintained with an exquisite lush promenade displaying the statues of Gaudi, and should you observe up via Alameda Park, you can see the standard previous city, the prettiest ones I’ve seen.
The previous city of Marbella is a maze of colored homes, flowers climbing on previous partitions, immaculately offered vegetation and conventional tavernas. Head to the Plaza de los Naranjos, the central sq. the place you possibly can dine or take pleasure in a drink beneath the blooming orange bushes.
If you’d like a style of luxurious, proceed additional down the ‘golden mile’ to the flashiest district of all – Puerto Banus, recognized for luxurious buying, multi-million-dollar yachts, supercars passing the streets and essentially the most spectacular seashore golf equipment.
6. Ronda – a bucket record expertise
The traditional city of Ronda is hidden away within the mountains, divided in a half by the el Tajo gorge. Connecting the 2 elements of the city is the well-known Puente Nuevo bridge with its stunning arches, a bridge of historic significance that was as soon as a house to the smallest jail on the earth.
Additional down the el Tajo Gorge, you can see well-preserved stays of conventional Roman baths. However Ronda is principally recognized for its bullfighting historical past. It has one of many oldest bullrings in Andalucia which is effectively value a go to.
Ernest Hemingway amongst many different authors had been big followers of Ronda and spent prolonged durations of time right here, soaking within the views and discovering inspiration for his or her work.
If that wasn’t sufficient to get you excited, Ronda has spectacular views throughout, beautiful sunsets and loads of mountaineering alternatives too.
In case you have a bit of additional time in your arms, you possibly can drive an additional quarter-hour to succeed in the village of Setenil de las Bodegas, the place you can see properties and eating places carved right into a mass of strong rock, offering for a fairly uncommon eating expertise, with an enormous rock formation hanging over your head.
7. Antequera – historic pure park and mountaineering
Antequera is a brief drive away from Malaga, or you can even use the native buses or trains to get there fairly quick.
It’s one of many least touristy cities on this record, and one which’s dwelling to the well-known Dolmens of Antequera and Torcal de Antequera, a historic pure park the place you possibly can witness a few of the most spectacular limestone rock formations of all time.
The town itself can be value exploring. It’s a conventional white Andalusian city with a central sq., even an previous Alcazaba fortress.
8. Gibraltar – hopping over to the UK for fish & chips
Fancy a change of surroundings? Expertise British hospitality whereas in Spain!
From Malaga, you possibly can drive to Gibraltar in round 2 hours. Right here, you possibly can and revel in a day of duty-free buying, discovering the native pure park providing spectacular views of the ocean and saying whats up to the native monkeys working freely within the reserve. On a transparent day, you possibly can see Africa within the distance, and may also ebook a dolphin watching tour.
Only a little bit of sensible recommendation – it’s not attainable to get to Gibraltar with no automobile. You’ll be able to solely get a neighborhood bus to La Linea, which is on the borders, after which cross on foot.
Even should you’re travelling by automobile, I extremely advocate parking on the borders and crossing on foot because the crossing occasions for automobiles are for much longer than for pedestrians. From the crossing, it’s a couple of 15 to twenty minutes stroll to the central a part of the city.
9. Seville – Andalusian capital metropolis with a lot to see
Seville is likely one of the most spectacular Andalusian cities and has a lot to supply.
You will get misplaced within the charming previous city, go to the Royal Alcazar (used as film location for Recreation of Thrones), and admire the Andalusian structure at Palacio de Duenas or Casa de los Pilatos.
Seville is a real magnificence, with such a spread of various experiences. Admire the historic previous constructing of the Seville Cathedral with the burial tomb of Christopher Columbus. Climb as much as the platform of Giralda tower inside the cathedral for unimaginable metropolis views.
You’ll want to jump over to the world-famous Plaza de Espana, which is able to mean you can expertise a little bit of Venice in Spain. There’s a ship canal across the plaza embellished head to toe with beautiful ceramic artwork.
There’s a lot to see in Seville that you may simply keep for per week! When you’re doing a day journey, the journey time from Malaga is slightly longer. So, I might recommend focusing on the three fundamental highlights: the Royal Alcazar, the Cathedral with Giralda Tower and the Plaza de Espana.
READ MORE: What to Eat in Seville
Bonus Journey Suggestions from a Native
Listed below are a number of suggestions that can make planning your day journey way more pleasant and hassle-free:
- When you’re planning to journey by prepare, I like to recommend getting your tickets early as you should have extra connection choices accessible and also will avoid wasting cash on the tickets
- When you’re driving, a few of the highways are toll roads. They normally have the phrase P within the identify, such because the AP-7. So that you must have some spare change prepared as you’re passing the toll gates
- Many of the historic sights round Andalusia get fairly crowded in the summertime months. So if you wish to take pleasure in them in relative peace and away from the scorching solar, attempt to get there as early as attainable within the morning, or get the primary accessible ticket slot for the day
- On that time, shopping for tickets to a lot of the monuments in the summertime might be tough. It’s effectively value doing it prematurely to be sure you can nonetheless get in. Even should you can’t get tickets, a lot of the locations on this record – like Granada and Seville – are an expertise in their very own league. So whilst you won’t see the primary points of interest, it’s nonetheless effectively value your time to go to.
I hope you loved this record of the very best day journeys from Malaga and located plenty of attention-grabbing locations to find. Tell us within the feedback which one is your favorite!
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Lucia is a Slovak expat residing in Southern Spain. On her weblog, Viva la Vita she shares her discoveries about stunning areas, hidden gems and genuine experiences from Costa del Sol and past.
