The Spanish Fly - Travels in Spain

Last week we treated ourselves to a couple of days on the coast near Malaga City.

We were going to the February get-together of the Costa Press Club, of which I am a member, so we thought we'd make a mini-break out of it.

Tuesday

On Tuesday late morning we set off by car from Ronda to Malaga. We were headed for Torremolinos, the eastern, relatively undeveloped end. No high rise hotels full of trashy foreign tourists, great sandy beaches and a huge choice of good value chiringuitos.

In actual fact there wasn't a huge choice in mid-February, as many were closed for their winter break or were undergoing repairs and renovations.

No matter, one of our favourites, Restaurante Familiar, was open. We found a table on the back terrace facing the sea. The sun was shining brightly from a bright blue sky. 

Since we were going for a gourmet meal that evening, we opted for a big house salad, a fritura malagueña and papas a lo pobre to share - it was plenty.

After a chat with a German family at the next table we drove into Malaga to our pre-booked hotel. Mr Google Maps took us straight there, to the two-star Hotel Goartin. It was basic, clean and well-priced at 59€, with an extra 9€ for a car parking space for 24 hours. We felt that was outstanding value.

After checking in and unpacking we walked to the Puerto de Malaga, where they've recently done a Liverpool, a Bristol, a Salford, by turning part of a scruffy industrial port into a recreational area with bars, restaurants, shops and a market. There's also an art gallery, the Pompidou Centre, an offshoot of the famous gallery in Paris.

We sat on the terrace in the first hostelry, opposite a three-masted, wooden sailing ship flying a Danish flag and registered in Copenhagen.

Then it was back to the hotel to get washed and togged up for dinner with other members of the Costa Press Club at the Restaurante La Alvaroteca just across the road. You can read about that event here: ImPRESSive! (eyeonspain.com)

Wednesday

After a sound night's sleep, I popped to a nearby cafe, El Parque, for an early morning coffee and a read. When I got back, Rita was already up and making herself beautiful. We checked out, got the car and drove to the port again for breakfast at a branch of one of our favourite cafes, Granier. 

First of all, we popped back into the casco antiguo. Rita had her eyes on a pair of shoes. On the way back we came across a demo, one of the series of farmers' protests taking place currently throughout Europe. It was all very genial and orderly, although they were blocking the main road.

After a huge and tasty desayuno we browsed the market stalls for a while before going to the afore-mentioned Pompidou Centre to take in the temporary exhibition. With proof of our pensioner status we got in for half price, just 2.50€ each! We were glad it was cheap, as the exhibition was somewhat disappointing.

Back to the Beach

By now it was late afternoon, so we drove to Guadalmar, near the airport.

We've been there a few times. There's a delightful little bay with a great chiringuito, Mari Gutierrez. We sat at a table in the sun and enjoyed a great ensalada de la casa and "tanked" a bit of winter sun.

As we were down on the coast we popped into IKEA to check out a wardrobe we'd seen there before Christmas. It had been reduced by 20€ plus there was a further 10% off for IKEA Family cardholders, which we are. So, a veritable bargain.

Then it was back home to Ronda and the relative cold of the mountains.

We'd enjoyed our Away Days: great food, a bit of culture, meeting friends at the CPC, sunshine .....

© The Spanish Fly

Acknowledgements:

All photographs by The Spanish Fly

Tags:

Alvaroteca, Away Days, Costa Press Club, CPC, Granier, Guadalmar, Hotel Goartin, IKEA, IKEA Family, Malaga, Pompidou Centre, Puerto de Malaga, Spanish Fly, Torremolinos, 

I collect imanes, fridge magnets. Anything I come across that takes my fancy and is affordable.

From photos of my grandchildren to corkscrews and bottle openers.

But most are memoirs of places I have visited, in Spain, Germany and the UK. I’ve been further afield but that was in the past before I became a collector. So, no magnets from America, Australia, Dubai, Eastern Europe, Singapore nor the Soviet Union.

Andalucía

The largest autonomous region in Spain, Andalucía has eight provinces, each of which bears the name of its capital city.

In alphabetical order these are: Almería, Cádiz, Córdoba, Granada, Huelva, Jaen, Málaga, and Sevilla.

Over the years I’ve been to every province and all the capitals, bar Huelva.

Oddly, I have no mementoes of a few of them, probably because my visits pre-dated the start of my hobby. According to my wife, my obsession.

So, there is no imán of my favourite capital, Córdoba, nor of the one I have been to most frequently in the past, Granada. Almería and Jaen aren’t on my fridge either.

I do, however, have magnets to celebrate my visits to Cádiz, my second favourite, and of Málaga and Sevilla, which vie for third place.

Best of the Rest in Málaga Province

Ronda is my favourite place in Spain. That’s why I opted to move here from the UK, 15 years ago.

I also love Montejaque, 15 kilometres away. I have a house there. I bought it three years ago as a renovation project in order to keep me off the streets. Casa Real is now a holiday rental.

Strangely, I have no iman of Montejaque, but I do have a car sticker.

I also fell for Frigiliana. I first visited this exquisite mountain village to the north of Nerja with my German pointer, Berti, for company. My wife was away in Germany convalescing after a serious brush with Covid-19 in 2021.

Nerja is good too, especially the caves, the beach and the Balcón de Europa. We go there often, sometimes to meet up with English friends who like to holiday there.

                                 Photo courtesy Malaga Hoy

The long confinamiento (lockdown) had just been eased to allow in-province travel. Like many down here I was desperate to get away after being cooped up for months.

A couple of months later, after my wife had returned home to me, we went to Frigiliana together to celebrate my 71^st birthday.

Frigiliana is simply stunning. A great location, a vibrant casco antiguo (Old Part), fine restaurants and a buzzing atmosphere.

I would consider living there, but I would have to win the lotería first –property prices are sky-high!

I have a fridge magnet for another pueblo in Málaga province, namely Mijas.

I have visited many other places in the province yet have no imanes. Torremolinos (East) has great chiringuitos on its fine long beach.

Fuengirola (East) also has its charms. Cafetería Granier does great breakfasts and the vegetarian restaurant Vegetalia offers fabulous lunches. No meat, of course.

Puerto Banús has a Corte Inglés, and adjacent Marbella is home for our private hospital, and my German urologist.

San Pedro de Alcantara is charming with one of our favourite chiringuitos on the beach, our private clinic, and a good choice of restaurants.

Further along the coast are Estepona, Casares, Sabinillas, and La Duquesa, each of which have their attractions.

Restaurante Vegetalia L to R Rita and owner Katja [Photo: Paul Whitelock]

Beyond Málaga – Cádiz province

I adore Cádiz. I’ve been there six times in 20-odd years; with three “wives”, a stepson and my brother and sister-in-law. It just keeps getting better and better. Great Old Part, fabulous restaurants, fine beaches, the Cámara Oscura, the Cathedral, and the market.

Read about Cádiz here: Cádiz -¡Qué maravilla! - Help me, Ronda (help-me-ronda.com)

Other places in Cádiz province featured on my fridges include Arcos de la Frontera (great Parador de Turismo and views), Benaocaz (abandoned Arab village), Bolonia (beaches and Roman village Baelo Claudio), Caños de Meca (nudist beach), Grazalema (rainiest place in Spain and great views), Jimena de la Frontera (steep old village with great views and atmosphere), Medina Sidonia (very Roman, great views), El Palmar (long beach popular with campers  and nudists; good  restaurants), Setenil de las Bodegas (cave dwellings, stunning location and great bars and restaurants), Tarifa (where the Mediterranean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean; African feel), Vejer de la Frontera (mountain-top village with fabulous views and super restaurants), Zahara de la Sierra (mountain-top village by a reservoir with good restaurants), and Zahara de los Atunes (beach resort on the Costa de la Luz).

    Photos:Cadiz [Maria Vizsla] and Tarifa [TUI]

Elsewhere in Andalucía

I have fridge magnets to commemorate my many visits to Sevilla over 20-odd years. With my first wife, Jeryl; my two children, Amy and Tom, when they were just kids; my elderly mother, Vera; a Welsh cousin, Roger; and current wife, Rita.

The best visit was last year with Rita – it was Autumn, and the temperature was just right. All my other visits were in the searing heat of Summer.

The highlights of Sevilla are too many to mention them all. Our favourites are: La Catedral, La Giralda, Plaza de España, Real Alcázar, Santa Cruz, and La Torre del Oro.

Places I’ve visited and liked elsewhere in the region are Almuñecar (Granada), Córdoba, Écija (Sevilla), Granada, Jaén, Motril (Granada), Salobreña (Granada), and Úbeda (Jaén).

Further reading:

Andalucía's 3 C’s: Cádiz, Córdoba, Ciudad Soñada (secretserrania.com)

Unsung cities: Cadiz - a light less ordinary | City breaks | The Guardian

El diario británico 'The Sun' recomienda visitar Cádiz por su gastronomía y su "ambiente diferente" (lavozdelsur.es) 

Features III - costa de la luz - COSTA DE LA LUZ - Help me, Ronda (help-me-ronda.com)

Tags:

Almería, Almuñecar, Amy, Andalucia, Arcos de la Frontera, Baelo Claudio, Balcón de Europa, Benaocaz, Bolonia, Cádiz, Cafetería Granier, Cámara Oscura, Caños de Meca, Casa Real, Casares, confinamiento, Córdoba, Corte Ingles, Covid-19, Écija, El Palmar, Estepona, Frigiliana, Fuengirola, Granada, Grazalema, Huelva, iman, Jaen, Jeryl, Jimena de la Frontera, La Catedral, La Giralda, La Torre del Oro. Málaga, Marbella, Medina Sidonia, Mijas, Montejaque, Motril, Nerja, Plaza de España, Puerto Banus, Puerto de La Duquesa, Real Alcázar, Roger, Ronda, Sabinillas, Salobreña, San Pedro de Alcantara, Santa Cruz, Setenil de las Bodegas, Sevilla, Tarifa, Tom, Torremolinos, Úbeda, Vegetalia, Vejer de la Frontera, Vera, Zahara de la Sierra, Zahara de los Atunes,