Day 1 - Malaga
Malaga
is a good place to start as the airport is the largest in Andalusia and
easily
accessible from just about everywhere in Europe.
In Malaga, take a
walk through
the historical centre, and visit Calle Larios and the surrounding
streets. This is
also Malaga’s
commercial and social arts centre. Check
out too, the quaint shops, bars and restaurants.
I recommend:
Restaurant
El Trillo
can be found in a tiny street
off
Calle Larios. They
serve excellent
appetizers and ensure you ask for the jamón (ham) or lomo (pork)
dishes. Head here
for a high quality feed in a great
atmosphere.
Where?
Calle Juan Díaz, 4, Tel: +34 952 603 920
“Lo
Güeno”Restaurant: This
is one of the best traditionally
Andalusian tapas bars in Malaga.
Because it’s small and popular with the locals, I’d recommend arriving
early to
bag a table. They
serve up a massive
selection of weird and wonderful tapas including tripe stew (nicer than
it
sounds)! Where: Calle Marín García, 9 Phone: +34 952 223
048
Tripe stew digested, head to Malaga Picasso Museum,
where you can see pieces from his collection.
A short walk up the road, and
you’ll also find the building where
Picasso was born.
Where: Calle San Agustín, 8. www.museopicassomalaga.org
Head on to Malaga
Cathedral, which is home to over
42 wooden carvings by Pedro de Mena and the regionally famous painting
of the Virgen
del Rosario by Alonso Cano. The
acoustics here are incredible and if you’re lucky, and the choir is
practicing
while you visit, you’ll get to hear them.
The
Cathedral is known as 'the Manquita' because it lacks a tower that
should’ve been
built during its construction.
Also see
the Alcazaba, which is a
fortress/palace
and was built in the Muslim era. Where: C /
Alcazabilla, s / n. Tel.:
+34, 952122020
From here,
head up to Gibralfaro Castle which
dominates the city skyline and has some amazing views.
The Roman Theatre
is located below the Citadel, and was discovered by chance in the city,
making this
one of the city’s most unusual sights. Where:
Calle Alcazabilla, 8, Phone:
+34 951 041 400
Also check out Bar
Pim-pi in front of the Roman Theatre. This is one of my
favourite traditional bars
in Malaga. I used
to come here with my
parents and over the years, I’ve seen its popularity grow. Today, it’s filled barrels
signed by famous
people, while their photos adorn the walls.
The atmosphere hasn’t changed a
bit and still retains its quintessential
Malaga
charm. Where: Calle
Granada 62, Malaga. Tel.:
+34 952228990
The
Campana Bodega is also nearby.
Bodegas are traditional wine
cellars, which
serve not only the best local wines, but fantastic tapas. Try the “pescaito frito”
(fried fish), it’s
delicious!
Where:
C / Granada,
35
For dinner,
there are plenty of restaurants to choose from in Malaga,
however, for somewhere a little
unusual, I recommend El Tintero. It’s not a
traditional restaurant in the
true sense of the word, but in fact a value for money beachside café or
“chiringuito” which comes with its own singing waiters.
Plus it serves up the best
shellfish, grilled
fish, fried fish and sardines that are so fresh, they’ve just stopped
swimming! Where: Playa El
Dedo (El Palo) Tel.: +34
952 204 464.
Miguelito Chiringuito
is another great seafood stop off, serving up traditional dishes from
Pedregalejo (the old town fishing area of Malaga).
Also situated directly on the beach, it serves a massive selection of
fish, seafood and paella dishes.
Where:
Paseo Marítimo El Pedregal, 77 Tel.:
+34 952 299 443
Hotels
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Day 2 – Malaga
/ Nerja / Granada
Get up
early and begin the journey down to Granada. Instead of taking the
short cut, take the
more picturesque route via the Costa Nerja.
There are some stunning caves to
visit here, which are filled with
stalagmites and stalactites.
Also in
Neja, take a walk through the town to the cliffs and discover why it’s
known as
the “Balcony of Europe.”
Back on the
route to Granada,
and I recommend stopping off at Almuñecar and Salobreña to enjoy the
coastal
views. Check out the marina
at Marina
del Este. It is a
beautiful natural
harbour, and makes a good coffee break before continuing on the road to
Granada.
You should reach Granada
by the afternoon. Head
to the Sacromonte
district located in the Valpariso
Valley,
in front of the Alhambra,
Granda’s most famous building. Homes in this unique
neighbourhood were built
into the hillside during in the 16th Century and
remain in use today. While
in the neighbourhood, head to the Casa
Ruanillo for some tapas.
Where: C / Camino
del Monte, 81 (Sacromonte)
Day 3 – Granada
Dedicate
the day to visiting the city. Of
course,
start by visiting Granada’s
most iconic sight, Granada's
Alhambra
and Generalife Gardens. Because of the
crowds, visitors are limited,
so ensure you book your ticked ahead of time.
Log onto www.alhambra-tickets.es
or
call +34 902888001.
You can easily spend the morning here, and then walk down through the
winding
Moorish streets of "Albaicin",
which has been a declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Pathways
lead up to the Mirador de San Nicolas lookout, offering
a picture postcard view of
the Alhambra
in
all its glory. Also, see the traditional
“carmines” or houses
typical to the Granada
region, especially the most impressive, the “Carmen de la
Victoria”. Where: Cuesta del
Chapiz, s / n, Tel:
+34 958 223 122,
Continue along
to the Plaza San Miguel Bajo and take a break for tapas and beer at the
Acebuche
al Ándalus restaurant. The owner is Brazilian and
has added a touch
of Brazilian spice to the meals on offer.
Try their Andalusian
style chicken which with is fragranced with orange blossom, lemon and
carrot
puree! Also
sample the unusually
delicious couscous with meat, banana, caramel, honey and herbs. It’s a taste
sensation! Where: Plaza San
Miguel Bajo. Tel.:
+34 687279149
If you
still have energy to see other historical buildings, visit the
cathedral and
the Capilla Real chapel. It is a masterpiece of Spanish Renaissance and
worth a
look.
In the afternoon,
soak up the atmosphere in this historical centre and if you’re feeling
peckish,
then check out the tea shops and cafes.
You’ll notice the Muslim influence
here.
My favourite is
Morisca Pastry Tetería
tea-shop. Where:
Calle Calderería Vieja, 12.
Alternatively,
if you fancy a drink and an afternoon snack, I recommend El Pilar del
Toro
Where:
Hospital de Santa Ana, 12, which is very close to Plaza Nueva, a
seventh
century former manor house with a beautiful airy interior courtyard.
Favourite dinner options include:
Mirador
de Moraima
Restaurant
is situated in a traditional “carmen”
style house in the Albaicín area offering
views to the Alhambra
in Granada.
It’s worth pre-booking a table
here, but don’t forget to ask for a table
with a view. The restaurant serves
traditional dishes from
the region, which are a little pricey, but worth spending the extra
Euros. Where: Calle
Pianista Garcia Carrillo, 2. Tel: +34 958 228 290
Reca
Bar:
is perfect place to head for tapas. It’s
a small on the inside, but step out onto
the enormous terrace. The
tapas are also
some of the finest in Granada.
Where:
Plaza
de la Trinidad on the corner of Calle Infantes.
Bar Los
Diamantes
is
another good tapas choice which specialises in fish dishes. But arrive early to get a
table as this is a
favourite with the locals. Where:
Calle Navas, 26, Granada.
Ruta del
Veleta
Restaurant:
In
my opinion, this is the best
restaurant in Granada. But don’t just take my
word for it as it
comes recommended in the Michelin Guide.
Its location is dramatic – on an
old road running up towards the Sierra
Nevada so, so it’s quite an adventure to get to. The food here, as
you can expect comes highly
recommended, but then quality does come at a (high) price.
Where:
Cenes de la Vega. Tel: +34
958 486 134
Day 4 – Granada
/ Córdoba
Hit the
road early and head directly to the pretty town of Córdoba.
The drive is picturesque and
passes orchards filled with of olive trees
which go onto make Spain’s
liquid gold – olive oil.
Once in Cordoba
take a troll long the banks of the Guadalquivir River over
to the Roman bridge:
Cordoba
Mosque (or Mezquita) and the
Synagogue
is the point at which two religions
meet. The synagogue lies in the Jewish
Quarter and
is worth a visit, while the Mezquita is possibly Cordoba’s most
famous building as its Arabic
column formation is quite a sight.
It
was once the world’s second largest mosque until
reclaimed by the Christians during the Spanish Conquest.
Entrance to
the Mezquita costs 8€ , however I recommend joining a guided tour. At 35€, it’s not cheap,
but you’ll receive a
lively insight into this fascinating building’s history.
The
Jewish area
is a recognised World Heritage
Site and the
largest in Europe. Some recommended tapas
stops include:
Bar
“Pepe de la Judería
is an old tavern with great service where you can sample the famous
“salmorejo”
or bull's tail which is a typical Cordoban dish.
Where:
Calle
Romero, 1. Tel.: +34
957 200 744.
Once
fed,
hit the bars in town. Head
to Plaza de
Las Tendillas, Plaza del Cristo de los Faroles, and onto Plaza del
Potro and
Plaza de la Corredera for a lively atmosphere and a chance to mingle
with the
locals.
Other
recommended
restaurants in this area include the Cellar
Restaurant which offers home-cooked meals that come highly
recommended, and
also where you can try their take on local bull’s tail dish –
“salmorejo
flamenquín” - but this time with a Flamencan twist.”
Alternatively tuck into the
aubergines with
honey (berenjenas con miel) – it’s devine. Plus
during the Spring months, sit b
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