| Recommended days | 5 |
| Budget | £ |
| Difficulty | Easy |
Malaga doesn’t have a good rep in the UK, it’s seen as a bit down market but the city is a great base for exploring beach free Andalusia. There are plenty of flights to the nearby airport and accomodation is plentiful. We stayed in a resort hotel but it was a bit of a waste really as we were barely there and didn’t use any of the facilities.
We landed early in the morning so after collecting our hire car we drove straight into the historic centre of Malaga for breakfast. The area near the Moorish fortress looked like it had recently been renovated and we had a nice breakfast, sat outside enjoying the December sunshine.
Malaga Alcazaba
After breakfast we headed to the Malaga Alcazaba, a Moorish fortress/palace built from recycled Roman buildings. There is actually a small Roman theatre at the foot of the hill where the Alcazaba is. As it was December we had the place pretty much to ourselves.
The Alcazaba is quite a trek to the top but from memory there are lifts between the different sections. It was a few euros for the entry fee and although it doesn’t compare with the Alhambra it is still an impressive structure and we bought a combined ticket to give access to the Gibralfaro Castle at the top of the hill.
It was interesting to see the mix of Roman, Arabic and post conquest Christian in the same structure and the restorations make it easier to see what the structure was meant to look like. It is a very impressive fortification.
Malaga Alcazar 
Malaga Alcazar 
Malaga Alcazar 
Malaga Alcazar 
Malaga Alcazar 
Malaga Alcazar 
Malaga Alcazar 
Malaga Alcazar 
Malaga Alcazar 
Malaga Alcazar 
Roman theatre 
Malaga Alcazar
Estepona
After checking in to our resort we took an afternoon drive along the coast to Estepona, about 20 minutes away. What a beautiful town! I read that in 2012 they decided to tart the place up so they dug up all the roads to re-lay gas pipes and electric cables and then cobbled the new roads. They installed 14,000 flower pots in matching colours for each street and banned cars from the centre.
Very pretty. The parking (as in a lot of Spanish resorts) is all underground so it takes up less space, doesn’t disturb the aesthetics of the place and means the cars stay cool.
The town has no ‘must see’ landmarks but is a pleasant place with lovely shaded squares and it just nice to spend an afternoon meandering through. We took a walk along the beach and saw Gibraltar in the distance then drove to the resort for dinner.
Gaucin and Casares
The next day was rather a lazy day. After a late breakfast we drove up into the white villages (Pueblo Blancos) which were only about 30km from us but due to the mountain roads (some VERY interesting ones!) it took about an hour. We stopped on the way at a roadside cafe for coffee and to enjoy the views. Annoyingly I can’t remember the name but we sat on the terrace outside and watched the condors circle overhead which was quite impressive.
From there we continued on to Gaucin first and then to Casares, both were very pretty towns with amazingly narrow streets and both had inaccessible castles. Spent some time in Castillo del Aguilla (Eagles Castle) and then had lunch overlooking Casares castle which was delightful.
Tarifa
The next day we drove south and west to Tarifa, possibly the most southerly point in Spain. North Africa was just a 45 minute ferry trip away but we stayed in Europe, wandered round the castle and old town and just enjoyed a non touristy place.
The castle there is a brutal defensive device with none of the adornments of Arabic castles. We stopped for lunch at a hillside cafe overlooking the straits of Gibraltar and then drove to Estepona again where we watched some kite surfing for a while.
Cordoba
We saved the best until last and our final trip was to Cordoba. This was a 5 hour round trip and what an excellent decision it was! The weather was amazing and the buildings superb.
We didn’t get to see the Synagogue or Torre De La Calahorra so we’ll save those for next time. The Mezquita was quite incredible, recycled Roman/Visigothic columns, Arab art and simplicity with a gaudy Catholic church dropped in to the middle of it.
The water gardens of the Alcazar were a real pleasure to walk around and mostly empty too. A very worthwhile day.
Cordoba Alcazar 
Cordoba Alcazar 
Cordoba Alcazar 
Cordoba Alcazar 
Cordoba Alcazar 
Cordoba Alcazar 
Cordoba Alcazar 
Cordoba Alcazar 
Cordoba Alcazar 
Cordoba Alcazar 
Cordoba Alcazar 
Cordoba Alcazar 
Cordoba Alcazar 
Cordoba Alcazar 
Cordoba Alcazar
Cordoba Mezquita 
Cordoba Mezquita 
Cordoba Mezquita 
Cordoba Mezquita 
Cordoba Mezquita 
Cordoba Mezquita 
Cordoba Mezquita 
Cordoba Mezquita 
Cordoba Mezquita 
Cordoba Mezquita 
Cordoba Mezquita
Cordoba Roman bridge 
Cordoba Roman tower 
Cordoba Roman bridge
So, another break in the Spanish sun and seeing some of the gorgeous sights of Moorish and early Catholic history. Even Cordoba wasn’t too far as a day trip and Malaga was a great base as the roads in the region are superb, although beware the cost of tolls! Beach free Andalusia offers plenty of options for sightseeing and enjoying diverse scenery.
2013
I have to to read more of this from you! Of course I’ll link back to this |blog straight away. Awesome!
nice Marcus, I have just landed is your website it looks amazing , I know you are a malaga fan too
Thank you, lovely place, can’t wait to retire there!