A week spent chilling and driving in Andalucia
Getting there
We travelled to Malaga Airport from Luton with easyJet via James Villas. We had never used James before, but were impressed that their call centre was willing to find us the best deal on flights, not only the fare but also convenience in terms of flight times. The good thing about booking with James is that they automatically include the extras you would normally pay for if booking with easyJet direct – increased luggage allowance, an allocated seat number, and more. It’s possible they’re not "included" for "free" and we still paid for these upgrades – but I couldn’t find the same price for the same features on the same flights when looking at the easyJet site direct.
We wanted to get out of Malaga as quickly as possible – even just saying its name gave us shivers and rendered scenes in ITV’s Benidorm programme in our heads. However, as we were to find out later, to our shame, the old part of the city is actually very pleasant.
We’d pre-booked car hire from Malaga Airport using our Avios points; upon arriving at the Avis desk, we were 'given the choice' of upgrading to a convertible for no extra cost. I say given the choice – actually, it would have been interesting to see what had happened had we refused, given that the clerk took out the keys to the very convertible we eventually drove away from a pre-packed envelope with our name on. Our guess was that in the high summer season, they had run out of the class of car we had actually booked!
Keys received, our next task was to wheel our suitcases to the carpark and find the car. The first thing we did – as responsible consumers holidaying abroad – was to inspect the car, and we couldn’t help but try to open the roof. An ominous 'ding' from the dashboard and an error message in Spanish were our only clues as to why the "Pop The Roof Button" (and it shall henceforth be known as that) didn't respond. A trip back to the car hire desk – via a grumpy passport official – didn’t elicit any answer beyond ‘cover’ in broken English. Stumped, we (somehow) managed to squeeze two suitcases, two rucksacks, a handbag, a driver and a passenger into our ride for the week, and headed off towards Nerja. Convertibles are not designed to be roomy.
The villa
Home for the week was "Villa Tranquila" (photo, right), a beautiful single-story house high up on the Costa del Sol mountains, with an even more beautiful view out to the valley and sea beyond (with the exception of a blue-painted, very high road bridge connecting the two sides). After the twisty drive up the mountain, with no barriers to protect you from swerving off to certain convertible-car destruction, its pool on the terrace was the perfect place to jump in to.
Car interlude (i)
After removing the bags from the car (and almost certainly jumping in the pool at least once), we figured out where we were going wrong with the car roof. In the boot was a retractable cover which must be pulled forward and clipped into place on the rear bumper before the pop the roof button could be used – presumably to protect anything in the boot from flying out. Satisfied with our work, we sat in the villa’s drive opening and closing the roof to our heart’s content...
Nerja
Bags unpacked, villa grounds and interior fully explored, we set off 20 minutes down the road (a proportion of which – namely, carefully watching the car’s position compared to the edge of the road – felt like an eternity) to Nerja, the nearest big town.
Nerja is home to the Balcon d’Europa – or Balcony of Europe – due to its position as one of the southern-most parts of the continent before Morocco and Africa begins. It’s a pretty, but busy, Meditteranean open space (photo, left) surrounded by cafes, beaches and the sea. The town itself spreads out along the coast, with the big family Burianna beach (deckchairs, parasols, beach games and café-bars) to the east, and smaller and quieter beaches to its west.
We visited Nerja for evening meals three times in the week, and twice for lunch. The best was a tapas restaurant very close to the Balcony called La Mariposa – also the cheapest meal we had in the whole of the holiday, although it would have been better had the sea-view terrace been open when we visited. We came across Merendero Montemar while looking for another restaurant (which we later found out was only open on Thursdays), and were drawn in by the sight of fish being cooked over a flame on the beach. Tired and hungry, we placed an order for the catch of the day. The food was alright, but nothing special – even after we’d killed our tastebuds with wine while waiting an hour or so for it to arrive.
For lunch, we highly recommend Anahi – not only for the octopus (Sarah) and bocadillo (me), but also for the pastries and cakes (yum) and the sea views. We also ate in Payapa (the beach café directly below the Balcony – good for drinks and snacks) and Restaurant 34 (part of Hotel Carebou – a boutique restaurant, and hence very over-priced, although the candle-lit garden and pool setting was a good experience).
Car interlude (ii)
By about day three, when we hadn’t really driven anywhere major but were preparing for the trip to Ronda the next day, we both decided that the ‘sports’ car wasn’t very sporty on the inside. Even on the motorway, we struggled to get above 60mph without it sounding like an obese person climbing Everest...
Frigiliana, Antequera, El Chorro and Ronda
One of two epic drives on this holiday, we set off for the 250-mile round trip to Ronda via Frigiliana, Torrox, Antequera and lake Guadalhorce – and back via Marbella.
We think we missed the best bit of white-washed Frigiliana, having parked in the town centre, walked down to a modern housing estate, decided it wasn’t worth wasting more time, and returned to the car. The guide books we had were very complimentary about its village centre, but we thought it was nothing special – maybe we were in the wrong part. Driving out on a mountain road, though, it looks spectacular from a distance (right - although the photo doesn't do it justice) – the contrast of white against the mountainside, sea and sky.
While continuing our drive towards Ronda, the town of Torrox suddenly appeared before us. Hungry, we found a free car park and strolled into town, arriving at a square with fountains and locals eating – always a good sign – at La Plaza café. We stopped for gazpacho and seafood and then stretched our legs by wandering the narrow streets built into the hillside.
Antequera was the reverse of Frigiliana: we’d only expected to stop for a quick drink, given its position approximately half-way between the villa and Ronda – however, we ended up staying for a few hours exploring. Its Alcazaba (Islamic castle – photo, left) dominates from its hilly position on the edge of the town, and it’s there we spent the most time walking in and around the castle walls.
Our final stop before Ronda was El Chorro, a village on the edge of manmade Lake Guadalhorce. The lake is hauntingly beautiful, despite the presence of a dam and its associated machinery.
Near El Chorro, the lake gets squeezed into a 10-meter wide chasm in the cliffs (photo, right). It’s an easy enough walk to get close enough to the chasm to appreciate its beauty, and the more serious can climb up one side of the cliff using wooden bridges originally constructed for the dam workers – looking at the state of them (admittedly from a distance), we didn’t fancy our chances. But the best view for photos is actually from the opposite side of the lake (cross in your car via the dam) just before you hit the start of yet another mountain road which takes you to Ronda.
Ronda enjoys a spectacular position, built high on opposite sides of a rocky gorge. The bridge that links the two sides, the Puente Nuevo or New Bridge (photo, left), is a masterpiece of engineering and architecture, built as three arching viaducts stacked on top of each other to fill the void. The sight is breathtaking, as was Sarah's slap around my mouth as she reached up to stop her hat from blowing off.
Wounded and with bleeding teeth - fixed with a White Magnum icecream each - we explored the rest of the town. The bullring is magnificent, its walls breathing the history it has seen. And the walk around the town's many streets and large public squares is very tranquil.
We should have stuck around for an evening meal in Ronda, but - with the two-hour journey back and Marbella still to visit - we decided to push on. Wrong decision.
Car interlude (iii)
At some point towards the start of the Ronda trip, we had to top-up with petrol – again. It was then we realised that it was the third time we had done so, and we couldn’t reconcile the apparently terrible fuel inefficiency of the car with the speeds it struggled to achieve. Only when we realised what we were paying for a full tank of petrol – about €20 – did we come to the conclusion that the car had a tiny tank capacity. What do you do when you’ve produced a car which can barely make maximum motorway speed and can only accommodate a few gallons of petrol? Append its name with ‘sport edition’, give it a retractable roof and market it to men, of course! Maybe the car hire company had the last laugh after all...
Puerto Banus and Marbella
Avoid – at all costs. It’s a beautiful area marred by obscene amounts of expenditure and development. We walked around trying to find a decent place to eat. We walked past and discounted the Lonestar Brasserie, Amore e Fantasia, The Hard Rock Cafe, and "e Gastrobar". We could not find a single traditional Spanish restaurant at all. On our third circle of the marina, in desperation, we plumped for "Celebrities Gold" restaurant (yes, really) where the pizzas were themed and named after celebrities (yes... really). We can't remember what we had, but it was food (albeit expensive tack) for the journey home - and that's what we did. As quickly as possible.
No more needs to be said except don’t go there. If you absolutely must, watch your back - we saw plenty of people nearly run over while crossing the road near the harbour by a rich bugger with a proper sporty car AND their own boat (I’m not jealous. Honest). A place to be seen in, not a place to see the sights.
Sarah adds...
"The only word that sums up Marbella and Puerto Banus is VULGAR. Oh and seedy, flashytrashy, full of pathetic wanabees and posers, materialistic scumbags, it is like TOWIE shagged made in chelsea and gave it an STD."
Stuart would never be that rude, however.
Alhambra de Granada (and Alhama de Granada)
The city of Granada is known internationally renowned for its tapas restaurants, and for being the site of probably the most important Islamic site in Europe - the Alhambra. For us, it will be forever remembered as the place with the wierdest and least stringent security arrangements.
The Alhambra (photo, right) was the single most expensive entrance fee of the trip, at €20 each, which grants you access to the gardens and all the buildings on the site. A general admission ticket - which only grants admission to the gardens - is available for €13. All well. However, when booking tickets, you must select a session (either 10am-1pm, or 2pm-5pm) for your building visits in order to control visitor numbers.
We assumed that this would only apply to entrance to the actual buildings, and that we could enjoy the gardens and site before our booked 2pm session. Upon arrival at the main entrance, however, we were turned away, with a Spanish security garden simply pointing to "14:00" on our tickets and refusing us access. Slightly put out, we consulted our guidebook for the quickest walk into the city centre and started following the route - which took us along the outer wall of the Alhambra site. Less than two minutes walk away was an unguarded side entrance which we simply walked into without question. Not only could somebody enter outside of their specified time, it seems that anyone could enter the gardens at any time.
The site itself is amazing - everywhere you look, you are surrounded by history dating back thousands of years.
I can't write anything here in terms of explaining the buildings which haven't been written elsewhere, except to say that make sure you look in all directions - to the floor and the ceilings, and the walls and behind them. The scriptings and carvings are everywhere - Allah u-akhbar, God is great - and in many different styles. We were also very taken by the style of pattern tiling across the site, especially on the walls. Some of the intricate isometric designs must have taken months to calculate, let alone make, and the effect is overwhelming. There are also shops on-site where you can purchase various tiles in the same style to use as drink coasters or place mats.
We were also impressed by the engineering that went into ensuring the site was always running with water - pools, channels and other waterways have been brilliantly executed - while still remaining faithful to isometrics - and provide lots of place to dip your feet into after walking to the next building!
Overall, although the entrance fee seems high, the experience is definitely value for money and you will spend at least half a day here, if not longer.
Alhama de Granada is a pretty hilltop village next to a deep gorge about half-way between Granada and Malaga. Apparently, it was the place where the water which kept the Alhambra sparkling was sourced, and waterways were commissioned to transport the water to the site, more than 50km away. After a little wander around taking in the views across the valley, we had dinner at Comidas on the town's square, overlooking the fountains.
Getting out of Alhama was a nightmare, made slightly better now we realise the Google Car had the same issues: the SatNav took us through tiny squares surely not designed as a road, past rubbish tips that were about to fall into the gorge, and we're sure, at one point, up someone's private drive.
Car Interlude (iv)
Stuart’s convertible car tips #38: When driving around with the top down, to avoid looking like a lobster, make sure you apply extra suncream to your forehead and back of your neck...
Maro
We had been intrigued by Maro - on the road between Nerja and the mountain road to our villa - for most of the week. Driving past, all you can see is plastic sheeting making up greenhouses to grow various vegetables in the winter. However, we had read that there were secluded beaches once you had gotten past the food fields, and the surrounding countryside looked like it would make for an interesting walk if nothing else.
On our first attempt to get to Maro, we travelled down a single-track road past a carpark which seemed too far away from the beach to be for Maro. So we continued until we hit a mass of about 30 cars and motorbikes all trying to either park or turn around where the road got even narrower before going to who-knows-where. We joined the throngs - with the top down - in doing a 28-point turn and returned back up the hill, this time entering the carpark. A short walk away was a sign marked "playa" - Spanish for beach - so we followed it down a sandy road, passing greenhouses and man-made watercourses for the veggies. The signs continued in a zig-zag of paths, slowly going downhill but sometimes in the opposite direction to the sea.
Eventually we reached the beach. The first thing Sarah saw was a man with his bits out; the first thing I saw was a woman with her bits out - both sitting cross-legged on a large rock next to their dogs. We didn't stay long.
Car Interlude (v)
If life ever presents a chance to swap a hire car, pre-booked for the specific purpose of having space in the boot for two suitcases, enough leg room for the driver and a passenger to sit behind, for a ‘free upgrade’ to a convertible car instead – seize the moment... and stick with your original plan. If anything, it’d be fun to see the car hire company running around working out what to give to you instead.
Malaga
I mentioned at the beginning our shameful discarding of Malaga as a place to visit. However, practical necessity dictated that we spend most of our last day in or near the city, between vacating the villa and waiting for the late-afternoon flight home. We reluctantly opted for heading into the centre and trying to make the most of it... when we discovered the amazing alcazaba complex in the original part of the city.
The well-preserved site (Photo, left) is made up of three parts: the roman ampitheatre (free), the exterior courtyards and gardens, and the interior buildings. The exterior and interior are accessed via different entrances, so you have to leave one and walk to the other for access. You can either purchase individual entrance tickets or a joint ticket to both parts from either ticket hall.
The courtyards are excellently preserved and offer lots of water features, views over the city and port of Malaga from its fortified walls, and Islamic architectural features.
The interior features various buildings - some now missing a roof - such as palaces and exquisitely-decorated tiling on the walls and floors.
Don't rule out Malaga from the off if you visit Andalucia. I can't speak for the rest of the city, and we didn't eat here, but the alcazaba complex alone is worth two or three hours of your time.
Map
Photo Gallery
See more photos in the photo gallery 'A week in Andalucia'
Dates and Updates
Originally written in August 2012.
Minor typos corrected in October 2013.
