8I really wanted to get to Andalusia, and after several failed attempts, with cancelled flights and the pandemic, the planets aligned and I managed to get to see one of the most beautiful areas of Spain. Obviously, I didn't manage to see it all, but I will leave an itinerary with everything we managed to visit in 8 days.
It is a very busy itinerary and maybe, a little bit tiring. Obviously, the purpose of this article is to give an idea of what is to visit in the area. My way of recharging my batteries is when I visit as much as possible and explore, not necessarily when I'm staying on the beach. You can make your own program depending on what you like to do, this article aims to offer ideas about what to visit in the area.
The holiday in Andalusia started on 5th of September. I want to mention that it was still very hot outside, but the sea water was extremely cold. I don't have the information to tell you if it's like this all the time or only in September or maybe there was a storm at sea when I was there... So, if you're planning a beach holiday in this area, check the water temperature beforehand, I leave the website.
To get around in this vacation, we chose to rent a car. I found it at a very good price of only 60 euros for 7 days, to which I added the optional insurance of 135 euros to avoid leaving a deposit. As a tip, if you arrive in Spain during this period, reserve the car a few days before, not from August. I tried to book the car in August (for September), and the price was 300 euros. I leave a link with some things to know about renting a car: how not to pay a deposit, renting with a debit card, search engines for finding the best offers, etc.
Because the places and tourist attractions we wanted to visit were quite far from each other, we decided to save more time and stay less in the car, changing more accommodations. We had a total of 4 accommodations, where we ended up staying in the evening, after visiting what we planned, keeping our luggage in the car.
Andalusia is a very vast area of Spain, we chose to see only a part of it, leaving the big cities, such as Seville or Gordoba, to be visited on another occasion. Also from this area of Spain, you can visit Gibraltar or take one or more day trips to Morocco.
And moving on to what we managed to visit:
Day 1: Malaga
It was a full day, which we dedicated to exploring the city of Malaga. I allocated only one day to this city, which was enough to see most of the tourist attractions. For this day we didn't need a car or public transport, we walked between the places we wanted to check. We visited Gibralfaro Castle, the Alcazaba, the cathedral, the historic center, the port and Malagueta Beach.
We arrived the night before, quite late and no rent a car counter was open, so we took a taxi. It costed 30 euros from the airport to our accommodation. I booked a studio in the Limehome Complex, which has a check-in/out system without having to rely on a receptionist, you enter the apartment based on a password. I recommend it, everything was absolutely wonderful. We spent two nights there.
I filmed a vlog from Malaga, you can find it on my Youtube channel.
Day 2: Colomares Castle and Mijas Pueblo
The next day started quite early. We checked out at the accommodation and left for the airport to pick up our rented car. We called a taxi, which left us at the rent a car counter.
The first stop to visit was Colomares Castle, which can only be visited from the outside. The visit lasted less than an hour, and the entrance ticket cost 3 euros.
The second stop was in Mijas Pueblo, which was a very pleasant surprise. It is located less than half an hour from the castle. It is a village with white houses, with absolutely spectacular views of the Costa del Sol.
Towards the end of the day, we went to the second accommodation, where we spent two nights. The hotel is located in Marbella and was one of the few places that had free parking and at the same time decent prices. The hotel is not necessarily a place of accommodation that I recommend, but I was satisfied with the fact that the room was clean. The hotel is called El Tio Mateo.
Day 3: Marbella, the historic centre and the beaches
The third day began early morning, with the exploration of the old center of Marbella. It is an absolutely gorgeous place, which I think looks best in June-July, when the flowers from the streets are in full bloom.
We visited Alameda Park, a small oasis of coolness in the middle of the city, then we admired the statues of Salvador Dali, on Avenida del Mar.
We took a tour of the beaches and ended the day with a well-deserved relaxation at the beach.
Day 4: Puerto Banus, Ronda and Olvera
The fourth day also started very early in the morning. We checked out at the accommodation and left for Puerto Banus, a more luxurious area of Marbella, which we hadn't had the chance to see the day before. We did a short tour of the Puerto Banus beach and the port, one of the most luxurious in the world. Some yachts could be rented, the price was 400 euros/hour for a yacht with a capacity of up to 30 people.
In Ronda, the second destination of the day, we walked the streets, admiring the most beautiful buildings and visited Puente Nuevo, the famous iconic bridge of the town, which I think you've already seen everywhere in the photos online. It can also be visited inside, and the ticket costs 2.5 euros.
Then we entered the Museo de Ronda, where the entrance ticket cost 8 euros. We ended our visit to Ronda with the Jardines de Cuenta, with free entry. From these gardens, you have a superb view of Puente Nuevo.
Although we felt a bit tired, we didn't want to give up visiting the village of Olvera, and we did well, because it is a place that I liked very much. The main attractions are the Fortress, from where you can admire a spectacular view of the village and the cathedral, which is very imposing, comparing it to the size of the town.
We ended the day at the third accommodation, in Setenil de las Botecas.
Day 5: El Caminito del Rey
The fifth day of exploring started a little later, because we had an appointment for El Caminito at 2:00 p.m., so we thought it was a good opportunity to rest before doing the hike.
To visit the Caminito del Rey canyon, you need to book your tickets a few weeks in advance. We wanted to start our vacation with this route, but we didn't find tickets until the fifth day and we had to redo the entire itinerary.
The route is absolutely spectacular, but unfortunately, it was extremely hot. I recommend doing this hike between October and April, when the temperatures are lower.
Although I have a huge fear of heights, I managed to do this route very easily, without having moments of panic. Everything is very well set up and I felt safe. It is possible, if you are also afraid of heights, to be able to walk it without problems.
Day 6: Setenil and Nerja
The sixth day began with a visit to Setenil, the village that is famous for the houses built in small caves dug into the rock. It is quite small and there are not many things to do. A walk through the streets, visiting the shops and/or relaxing on one of the terraces, these are the activities you can have in Setenil. If you skip the part with relaxing on the terrace, you will see it all in an hour.
The next stop of the day was Nerja, where we spent the rest of the vacation. We stayed at Hostal Azahara, a very clean budget hotel.
We walked through the historic center of the resort, admired the scenery towards the beach from Balcon de Europa and enjoyed a white wine Sangria, on one of the terraces overlooking the sea.
To my surprise, this resort was much more crowded than Marbella, which is promoted everywhere as being the most beautiful. At the same time, I liked it even more (comparing to Marbella), especially the beaches, which are special, but also the atmosphere of the place.
Day 7: Snorkeling at La Herradura
The seventh day was planned to go kayaking from the beach at Burriana to Cascada de Maro. Unfortunately, our plan did not match what was on site. The waterfall was dry due to the lack of precipitation, and the kayaks were booked by other tourists.
So, instead, we chose to go snorkelling in La Herradura. I had read many reviews about this location, saying that it is a very good area for snorkelling. Probably, compared to other areas in Spain, it really is. I managed to see some fish, corals and a starfish. Unfortunately, the water was extremely cold and I couldn't stay very long.
I can't say that I liked the beach in La Herradura. The sand looked like ballast, full of small pebbles, and the resort quite crowded, compared to Marbella, which was almost empty.
Day 8: Nerja Cave and Frigiliana
The last day in Andalusia started with visiting the cave in Nerja. The visit lasts less than an hour, and the ticket costs 13 euros. Free tickets can also be reserved, from Monday to Friday at 9:30 a.m., limited to 60 people/day, I leave a link.
The village of Frigiliana was our last stop in Andalusia. It is located a few minutes drive from Nerja and is worth visiting if you are in the area. It is not very big, but you have to climb quite a lot, being a mountain village. And this place, like most in the south of Spain, has white houses and narrow and cobbled streets.
These were the places we managed to see in the 8 days we spent in Andalusia and from my point of view, they are some of the most beautiful places in this region. I hope this article inspires you. For all locations you can find a vlog on my Youtube channel.
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Thank you for reading!
Looks wonderful! I'd love to get back to Spain again sometime.