Best Tips for Malaga province in Andalusia: your guide n°1

Malaga

💒Cathedral of Malaga

📍The Cathedral of Malaga is located in the historic center, on Molina Lario Street.

💫It’s visible from almost every part of the city.

🕌 It’s actually a Moorish Almohad Mosque converted into a Cathedral to mark the power of the Catholic monarchs, a new era for the Andalusians.

🚌 Nearest bus station is Paseo del Parque/ Plaza de la Marina.

🪖The construction of the Cathedral was unfinished ( one of the towers is missing) .

🦋Hence, La Manquita “one armed woman” is the nickname of the cathedral.

👷Málaga Cathedral is considered to be one of the finest examples of Baroque-Renaissance architecture in Spain.

🌌 It is the second-highest cathedral in Andalusia After La Giralda de Sevilla

💰 It’s well worth paying a few more euros to visit the Cathedral’s roof for superb views
Cathedral and Museum8€.
Cathedral and Museum and The rooftop tour 12€.

📣Free access: Monday to Saturday: 8.30am – 9.00am. Sunday: 8.30am – 9.30am.

🛕The Alcazaba of Malaga

The Alcazaba of Malaga, Moorish citadel, is built between 1057 and 1063 under the rule of the Amazigh king, Badis ben Habus.

🗯More than 500,000 people visit Alcazaba every year.

📍The Alcazaba is located in a strategic place : the historic centre of Malaga. The street Alcazabilla. The Roman Theatre lies at the foot of the Alcazaba.

📣And from here, you can’t miss out on the path that leads to the Castle of Gibralfaro that stretches along a hilltop above Málaga.

☀️ Málaga’s Mediterranean climate is pleasant at any time of the year.

💙It has commanding views over Malaga and the bay below.

🔍Alcazaba de Malaga consisted of 3 concentric walls and 110 towers!

🛕The Gibralfaro Castle was built above the Alcazaba in the 14th century, adding even more fortitude to the mountainside.

💰 The entrance is free on Sunday after 14.00 .
Normal: € 2.20
Joint visit Alcazaba-Gibralfaro: € 3.55

🦶 The Alcazaba can be accessed on foot.

🛗 There is also a lift which can be accessed on Calle Guillén Sotelo, in front of the City Hall building.

⛰ Not only is visiting this spot wonderful to study local history, but it is also a good way to hike and enjoy the outdoors during beautiful days!

🎒 I recommend you to go up for Mundo Nuevo calle (little hike in the Gibralfaro mountain) visit the Gibralfaro then go down for the Coracha way ( the wall that connects the Alcazaba and the Gibralfaro) and visit the Alcazaba

🚌 Bus 35 runs to Gibralfaro Castle from Paseo del Parque.

🥂 There is a terrace bar inside the Alcazaba with stunning views over the bay!

Teatro Romano de Málaga

📜Dating from 1st century and only discovered in 1951.

🪅It remained hidden underground until it got discovered during work to create a new garden area.

📍It is located at the foot of the Alcazaba fortress.

🎪 The Theater was used until the 3rd century.
It was used as a cemetery in the 5th and 6th centuries and subsequently became a source of stone for restructuring the Alcazaba in the period of Al Andalus.

🎭Nowadays, occasionally, there are plays and Antonio Banderas (who has his residence a few meters away), participated in several performances when he was a child.

🎬There are two options to visit the theatre, the first one is from Alcazabilla street. The second one is to walk inside, the entrance is free.

⏱The schedule is:

• • Tuesday to Saturday… from 10am to 6pm.
• Sundays and holidays… from 10am to 4am.
• Monday… closed.

Caminito del Rey

Tips pour randonner à Caminito del Rey

📢This path was once considered one of the most dangerous in the world. Today the entire route has been carefully restored and it’s much safer!

💰I recommend buying the tickets for El Caminito del Rey early in there official website. A normal ticket is 10€. -Otherwise, it’s fully booked or only guided tickets are available 18€.

⚠️The guided tour can only help you learn more about the region’s history, geography and biodiversity. But not for the trail directions. It’s easy to do by yourself.

🔂 The trail is not circular, only one way.
The entrance is north in the town of Ardales (Acceso Norte) and the exit is south in Álora (Acceso Sur).

🚌 There is a frequent shuttle bus near El Chorro train station that takes you to the start point of the hike.

🚶‍♀️At the exit south, you can walk back to the train station.

🕑It takes about 3-4 hours to walk (7.7 km).

🚊 El Chorro-Caminito del Rey railway station is on the Málaga-Seville line

🏨 Accomodation: La Barbería de Miguel

We’ve stayed in an Airbnb called la Barberia de Miguel.

🏞The view from the terrace is stunning! Well worth staying just for that.

🏡The apartment was just as described, newly renovated and sparkling clean with great facilities.

🚊 A few minutes walk from the train station, groceries, restaurant, and paths into the mountains.

🍴There is a local restaurant with a lovely the terrace nearby in the same street of the apartment a.

🍅A supermarket called Mirabel Supermarket just behind the apt. and a snack near the train station, few minutes’ walk.

🍖 The accommodation has also a super quiet outdoor area.

💰 We paid 103€ for the night for the 3 of us
The accommodation had a capacity of 4 persons.

🛏 One bedroom and a living room with a convertible sofa bed.

👨‍🍳 It has big kitchen with everything that you need.

📣Antonio was extremely helpful and responsive. He is a local with great knowledge of the area.

📍Ronda

💞Considered one of the most romantic villages in the world.It history, architecture, landscape, serenity, Ronda is a scenic treasure in the Province of Malaga.

It’s also one of “Los Pueblos Blancos” you don’t wanna miss!

14 things to do!

1. Mirador de Ronda for a first stop, and a stunning views on Alameda de Trajo.
2. Puente Nuevo or New Bridge, the most emblematic monument of the city.
3. Visitez le petit musée situé dans une petite caverne aux murs de pierre au milieu du pont pour 2,50 euros.
4. Walk down into the El Tajo Gorge to have the best view of the Puente Nuevo and of the waterfall below it.
5. The Cuenca Gardens for the best view on all the bridges of the city.
6. Arco de Felipe V, right next the Jardines de Cuenca.
7. The Plaza de Toros, Spain's second oldest bullring and still used to stage bullfights.
8. The museum of the Plaza de Toros to learn more about Ronda’s bullfighting tradition. 6.50€
9. La Casa del Rey Moro, don’t miss the garden terraces
10. Banos Arabes (the Moorish Baths), these 13th- to 15th-century thermal baths are considered the best-preserved Moorish Baths in Spain.
11. Mondragon Palace, the residence of King Abomelic, son of the Sultan of Morocco Abul Asan.
12. Plaza de la Duquesa de Parcent, relax in this beautiful courtyard near the fountain.
13. Go shopping on the main street ‘Carrera Espinel’
14. Eat tapas in Las Maravillas

📣You can purchase a combined ticket for 12 EUR (12.20 USD) to visit different monuments

🚌How to get there

🚌 🚊 Ronda is the village best served by public transport: many buses and trains go there from Malaga. Also the carpooling is common.

Antequera

And here is the Andalusian village with the best local experience as it was the less touristic : Antequera.

🎉Well, this beautiful town has much things to do for its surface!

⛪️ It also has the largest amount of churches per inhabitant in Spain. 33 churches for such a small town!

What to do?

1️⃣Alcazaba de Antequera, the remains of the Moorish citadel (Moroccans :p ). 6euros ticket 🎫 💰

2️⃣. For the impressive views, climb the 50 steps up to the Homenaje Tower of Alcazaba. It’s the highest point to observe Antequera .

3️⃣ Mirador de las Almenillas, located just a few steps from the Antequera Alcazaba. You can also try to find all the Antequera churches from there. (first picture)📸

4️⃣ The Royal Collegiate of Santa Maria just outside the Alcazaba, an imposing building known as the first Renaissance church to be built in Andalusia.
A ticket to visit the church costs 3 euros, but it’s cheaper if you buy a combined one, together with the Alcazaba at 6 euros 💰 (3d picture 📸)

5️⃣. On the left-hand side of the church, you can find the remains of the old roman baths. ( last video📸)

6️⃣ Arco de Los Gigantes
The arch is very popular for photographers, since you can see the city and the mountains in the distance through it. After you've passed through the arch, you'll find the entrance to the Alcazaba on your right hand side. (Second picture) 📸

7️⃣Walk around the white town and discover its hidden corners.

8️⃣ Museum of Antequera for the local history starting from the Neolithic times and ending in the present day. Entrance to Museo de la Ciudad de Antequera costs €3 🎫 💰

9️⃣For outdoors enthusiasts, hiking at El Torcal de Antequera is unique for its limestone rock formations formed over millions of years.

🍴Where to eat?

¡Vamos a tapear !
One of my best experience in a local tapas bar in Andalucia : 📍Bar Restaurant Hotel Castilla, Antequera.

It has plenty of choices of several tapas of Spanish Cuisine like : Albóndigas, Bacalao, Boquerones, Calamares, Tortillitas de camarones, Gambas al Ajillo, Ensaladilla Rusa, Pulpo a la Gallega, Pollo al ajillo, puchero…🤤

I tasted many of them and they were all tasty

🚌How to get there

Daytrip from Malaga
It takes around 45 minutes to drive to Antequera.
There are also several buses each day connecting the two cities, with tickets starting at 💰 4.50 euros each way, and a travel time of one hour.

Setenil de las Bodegas

📍This time I’m taking you to the most unique village of “la ruta de los pueblos blancos” : Setenil de Las Bodegas.

🪨 This white village is nestled deep within a canyon, and huge rocks overhang the houses.

Not part of the province of Malaga but still very close, on the border of the province of Murcia and Malaga.

🔎These natural rocks are used as walls and roofs of each building which maintains a cool temperature in summer and warm in winter.

What to do?

💗 For the lovers, you can stop by a “kiss me in this corner” in the street ‘Calle Herreria’ for a cute picture.

✨ The main gorgeous street is “Calle Cuevas del Sol”. It’s built under an overhanging huge rock.

🍴This street ‘Calle Cuevas del Sol” is also home to the best cave restaurants in town.

⏱Lunch in Spain is generally served between 2–4PM. Restaurants reopen again around 8 PM.

💡Another narrow overhanging rock streets are ‘Calle Cuevas de la Sombra’, ‘Calle Herreria’ and ‘Calle Mina’

🔭Some spectacular viewpoints: Calle San Sebastian, Calle Ventosilla, Mirador del Lizon and Mirador del Carmen (higher up in the village)

🧗Climb to the top and visit the Arab❌ Amazigh/Moorish✅ Castle (12Century- Al Mohade Period) of Setenil de Las Bodegas.

🚶‍♂️For hiking enthusiasts, The area surrounding Setenil de las Bodegas is worth exploring via one of the walking trails : the Ruta de los Molinos, The Ruta de los Bandoleros or The Ruta de los Bandoleros .

🚌How to get there

We personally used Blablacar from Malaga to Setenil de Las Bodegas.

⚠️Be carefull for the return if you’re planning a daytrip. There are few rides that goes and comes from Malaga to Setenil de Las Bodegas.

📣We couldn’t find any direct bus or train to Setenil. So another tip is to go to Ronda then Setenil de Las Bodegas and visit both.
💭Ronda is the closest and best-known town near Setenil. And only 30 minutes drive from Ronda to Setenil de Las Bodegas. Also, there is a frequent direct bus from Ronda to Setenil.

🌆 Closest big cities for a daytrip :

• Malaga to Setenil de las Bodegas = 1h20 drive
• Cadiz to Setenil de las Bodegas = 1h45 drive
• Seville to Setenil de las Bodegas = 1h45 drive

📍Frigiliana

This fairytale white village in Andalucia is tucked into the hills above Nerja (7km).

Frigiliana is perfect destination if you wanna escape the bustling beaches of the Costa del Sol, for a more laidback vibe.

How to get there?

🚌 There is a bus that runs between Nerja and Frigiliana. But It’s not a very frequent bus (1.20euro)
🚕 You can also take a taxi if you are more than one person as it’s close by (13min)
🚶‍♀️ If you like hiking, You go on foot to Frigiliana(1H30 hike).

What to do?

Strolling through the narrow streets is definitely the best way to visit the landmarks of this white charm full village.

⛪️ Visit the Church of San Antonio

🎊Visit in late August to attend the Three Cultures Festival, tribute to the three main religions that have inhabited this region throughout the past centuries: Islam, Christianity, and Judaism.

🚿See la Fuente Vieja, that was designed to water both humans and animals alike.

🌱The Santa Fiora Botanical Garden, very small but lovely garden.

🌝Enjoy the views: The Mirador de Castillo: spectacular hightest views from Castillo de Lizar, Mirador de Santo Cristo the main viewpoint, Mirador de las Almijaras or the Plaza de las Tres Culturas.

🧗‍♀️Hike along the trail Rio Higueron Frigiliana which leads to a waterfall following the gorge.

⏳A half day is a perfect amount of time to explore Frigiliana.

🍽Restaurants :

I tried Puento de Encuentro terrasse restaurant in a beautiful alley.
And don’t miss the Pionono ( an Andalusian pastry) in Panaderia Manolo.

Nerja

Nerja is now a picturesque coastal resort town that once was a sleepy fishing village.

How to get there?

🚌Cheapest way to go from Malaga is by bus (5-8euros) from Maria Zambrano Station.

What to do?

🏖 Walk from the beach of Calahonda to Burriana and laze on one of the best beaches of Spain!

🏞Visit the most bustling place in Nerja especially at night: Balcon de Europa square. It has the best views over the sea and Axarquia mountains around.
🍦 Have an ice cream near the white arches.

🔎Other viewpoints: Mirador de Chanquete, Mirador Balcón de Carabeo , Mirador de La Torrecilla and for more altitude: Pico del Cielo (6hours hike)

🛖Visit the amazing Nerja Caves with largest stalactite in the world., 10€ per adult 💰

🏰Take a picture of the impressive Aqueduct of El Águila from below

🐠 Wander around Nerjas historic Center: flowerful street: Calle Tajillo, Climb the Rainbow steps to see the beautifull ‘La Dorada’ fishing boat.

🍴Eat local tapas, Nerja still preserves the Andalusian tradition of offering a free tapas for each drink. My favorite was Sevillano tapas bar.

🎉Party at Tutti Fruitti Plaza.

🚤 Go on a boat trip from Burriana to Maro to explore sea caves, sea watefalls, watch dolphins 🐬 or snorkeling.

🏖Visit around: Frigiliana, Maro beach, hike up el Cielo, River walk up Rio Chillar and make your way through the Sierras de Tejeda and the Alhama Natural Park.

For more pictures, see my instagram post here.

🏖Beaches near Malaga:

-Playa de la Malagueta, it’s actually the closest beach to the city and the most popular one. There are various restaurants and bars along the Pablo Ruiz Picasso Promenade.

-Playa El Palo, a beach filled with locals in a tiny colourfull fishing village.
🍽 🐠 I recommend restaurant Gabi for fresh fish, paella and the local specialty is espetos (sardine skewers) cooked on a babecue on the beach.
🚶‍♀️ You can go for a long walk east Malaga, or Rent a bike 🚴 and follow the coastline.
🚌 You can also take bus number 11 from the city center.

🏖Beaches near Nerja
Honestly, I think Nerja has the best picturesque beaches in Costa del Sol.

-Playa Calahonda, the most popular and central one in Nerja, just at the bottom of Balcon de Europa. If you walk further north you’ll be in Playa Chorrillo, Playa Carabeo then finally Playa de Burianna.

-For a good summer vibe, Playa Burriana is your spot in Nerja! It’s also Nerja’s largest beach. It has a great youth atmosphere. You’ll no doubt find people playing beach volley 🏐 , tennis🎾 , jet skiing, parasailing or pedal boating 🛶 ! And most of the activities are available to rent..

-🏝Playa de Maro, I think my favourite beach in this area and the wildest. It’s surrounded by cliffs and vegetation.
There’s a small chiringuito on the beach where you can rent umbrellas or chairs, or order food while you are down here.

🚕 From Nerja, you can either take a taxi or walk to Playa de Maro, which is approximately 1.5 kilometers away.
Just be sure to grab the number of the taxi before they drop you off so that you can call for a taxi to get you back at the end of the day.

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