I've never been before, but it looks like this is where we will be going for our family holiday in August. I've already spotted some off-road riding to be done near Malaga but I wonder if anyone who knows the region has any tips for me, the Mrs and my two girls (12 and 10)?
August will be very hot - my first experience of heat exhaustion was on a family summer holiday in Almeria aged about 10. Make sure wherever you stay has a nice pool to cool off. If you're planning on doing any off road riding, get one of those Camelbak rucksacks with a drink container. My more recent trip to Andalucia (October 2011) with my sister was for the Moorish architecture - Seville, Cordoba and Granada. Awesome, but I'd have resented being dragged round the Alhambra when I was your daughters' age. The Alhambra in Granada is a victim of its own success (like the Taj Mahal) and you need to buy tickets in advance. On the way back to Malaga airport we stopped for lunch in Nerja, which struck me as a little more upmarket than the average Costa del Sol "full English breakfast and Premier League footie on Sky TV" tourist resort.
Head for Nerja and stay there. It's a lovely resort and I think is probably the nicest tourist town in the area. Frigiliana is just a couple of miles inland and is a nice place to stay too. Head inland to Ronda and take the guide book tour around the place. The bull ring is worth a visit. I like the Alhambra. You must buy tickets in advance which actually keeps the numbers to sensible levels. Make sure you park in the official car parks and ignore the locals with "park here" signs. Get some time on track at nearby Guadix too. Great little circuit.
The caves at Nerja are well worth seeing, and the A-397 from Ronda to San Pedro de Alcantara is the best road I've ever been on (just a shame it was in an underpowered hire car).
Thanks all. As well as a bit of off-roading with Redtread Spain : Professionally guided off road motorcycle tours, close to Malaga, Southern Spain I would really like to hire a road bike for a bit of an explore (plenty of places to hire a RG1200GS - I'm curious as i've never ridden one before), or even a sportsbike for a trackday. I'd have to be able to hire all the kit as well though. Anyone know if I might be able to do this anywhere?
Been to Mojacar a couple of times - up that direction is very Spanish, which is great. Further up the coast is Garrucha which is a fishing town...nothing posh but superb seafood there. Seville is just breathtaking but like an oven - best to do an open top bus tour to get your bearing first. We just arrived in Seville, found a hotel and spent a superb evening eating amazing tapas in numerous bars by a big bridge over the river. Could have done with more time there. Granada is comparatively small but as mentioned the Alhambra is a must - but you gotta book in advance otherwise you won't get in. If in Granada then there's a place called La Cueva de 1900 on one of the main roads in the city that does superb Serrano ham and beer - well worth a try. If you want to know more about the Almeria circuit then get in touch with Alison, as she's been a couple of times.
My brother in law lives near Mojacar. He has a villa and olive farm out there. It gets very very hot in August. It is desert country and tops 45C regularly in the shade. Food is fantastic. Scenery is parched earth. Its not pretty. A day in Granada and the Alhambra is not to be missed
Granada and Ronda, wonderful places. I enjoyed a visit to Gibraltar, too. Visit them! Going to be scorchio though. I didn't like Cadiz, a bit grubby.
...or park up in Puerto Banus, grab a bite to eat and a cold beer and just watch the money go by. A pleasant way to spend a couple of hours, but keep your missus out of the shops.
