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Would you give up time in Malaga for more time in Granada?

Would you give up time in Malaga for more time in Granada?

Old Feb 7th, 2016, 12:01 AM
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Would you give up time in Malaga for more time in Granada?

Greetings!

As most first time visitors my eyes are set on Granda, Cordoba, Seville and Ronda. Due to flight arrangements, we must fly into Malaga, so our first 2 nights in Andalusia will be spent there . The photos of Malaga that I've seen look quite lovely, but Malaga was not my primary interest in Andalusia (we're not going for a beach holiday).

Day 1, Arriving late at night
Day 2, we are doing a whole day excursion to Ronda (the only white town/village on our itinerary) with a wine tasting and home cooked lunch at a winery.
Day 3, we are moving on to Granda for 2 nights (from there to Cordoba > Seville >Madrid).

So that pretty much leaves us just enough time to enjoy one dinner in Malaga on Day 2 (if we are able to eat much after the winery visit . In addition, we'll be pretty jet legged coming from Tokyo. On day 3, in order to have more time in Granada, I am thinking of leaving Malaga right after the check out-- forgoing any real sightseeing in Malaga (departing ca. 9.30-10.00am). Maybe just popping into the Market for some snacks for the bus.

It feels a little strange not to do any real sightseeing in Malaga even though we are spending two nights there.

Would you sacrifice time in Malaga for more time in Granada or vice versa?
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Old Feb 7th, 2016, 12:05 AM
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forgot to mention we'll have a private minibus transfer from Malaga to Granada.
Inland route: 1h 45min
OR
Coastal route with a stop at Nerja's Balcony of Europe : 55min + 1h 15min (if it's worth the detour).
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Old Feb 7th, 2016, 12:11 AM
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Well, I DID skip Malaga -- so I guess I shouldn't comment! But I'm not sure I fully understand the options: I think I need to know more about days 4 and 5 to be able to comment about your time in Granada...
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Old Feb 7th, 2016, 12:24 AM
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Málaga is far more then a beach destination, but you're current schedule doesn't leave you much time to enjoy the cultural aspects of the city, or its cuisine.
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Old Feb 7th, 2016, 12:41 AM
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I'm having some difficulty with the itinerary as you've described it as well, but I can say that we were surprised to find Malaga a truly beautiful place. Enjoyed the market and the cathedral especially. Whatever you do, arrange to see both of them.
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Old Feb 7th, 2016, 12:56 AM
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Thank you for the feedback!

yes, I wish we had more time for the whole trip and for each place individually. But work schedules and budget constrains....well, you get the picture

Kja, so far the plan is :
Day 1 / arrive late at night (Malaga 2 nights)
Day 2 / Ronda + winery visit + dinner in Malaga
Day 3 / Granada city tour + dinner with the view of Alhambra (Granada 2 nights)
Day 4 / Alhambra (ca. 4hour visit) + Moroccan lunch + Hammam visit (2hhours)
Day 5 / Granda > Cordoba main sites visits > Seville (3 nights in Seville)
*Leaning towards skiping a one-night stay in Cordoba in favour of staying 3 nights in Seville. Less packing /unpacking makes more sense for the age of my group
Day 6 / Full day sightseeing in Seville + Flamenco at the Casa de la Memoria
Day 7 / Half day sightseeing in Seville + Horse ride tour of the Maria Louise park + free afternoon for shopping etc.
Day 8 / Morning in Seville > AVE to Madrid > possibly one of the Art Museums there (2 nights in Madrid)
Day 9 / Free to roam / shop + Farewell dinner
Day 10 / Say goodbye to Spain (Flight at 12.00h)
**It's our second time in Madrid, so we aren't doing main sites or Toledo/Segovia, etc.
***For most excursions we'll hire a Japanese speaking guide, so the pace is more organised than individual wandering around. It'll also keep us in check with the program.
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Old Feb 7th, 2016, 03:44 AM
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To be honest, staying in Malaga seems to be for convenience only, but you don't really spend any time there. It is worth seeing, but in your trip, I would skip it and add it elsewhere. Granada is certainly worth it -- lots to see there, too.

I know you don't want to pack up too many times, but rather than returning to Malaga after you visit Ronda, why don't you stay in Ronda? It's lovely in the evening and morning, especially. Is it possible to drive there the evening you arrive? I know it's late and its dark but if you are being driven to Malaga, perhaps its possible to go the extra hour to Ronda, so you're already there. I know it's not ideal but it's a thought. I just don't see that you're spending time in Malaga and returning there on Day 2 seems a bit of a waste.

Or, if you wanted to do a day trip to Ronda, I'd add the day to Seville and do the day trip there. That might make even more sense.
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Old Feb 7th, 2016, 04:07 AM
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Hi Progol, i wish our flight was landing earlier then Ronda overnight would be my definite choice. alas, we land at 22.30h. So by the time we get through customs + luggage, I doubt that we'll get to Malaga's hotel before 23.30h. Our travel time from Tokyo to Malaga is roughly 17 hours, that's why we are sticking with Malaga But I totally believe you about Ronda being lovely in the morning and evening.
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Old Feb 7th, 2016, 04:15 AM
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You itinerary is already very full. If you want to spend a day exploring Malaga I would drop Ronda - not take from your limited time in Granada. The former is cute/charming rather than historically fascinating as is Granada. But before changing I would know exactly what I wanted to see in Malaga.
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Old Feb 7th, 2016, 04:44 AM
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You know what? From what I see of your interests, I would probably leave your itinerary the way it is. While it's not perfect it works pretty well. Ronda is, as nytraveler says, a cute/charming town in contrast with the larger, historically significant towns, but it does give you a nice counterbalance to the rest of the trip and brings you into the beautiful countryside. And Malaga in the evening is lovely, too. But one question -- will you all be up to a very full day of touring the day after you arrive?
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Old Feb 7th, 2016, 05:36 AM
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I'm definitely set on seeing Ronda, so that stays. as far as the < very full day of touring the day after you arrive?> I think that should be okay seeing that we are only in Ronda for 2.5-3 hours at most + the winery with food AND wine! In fact, I am less interested in learning how the wine is made etc and more in tasting it and having a home cooked meal (weather willing) al fresco. Last Sept in Transyvlania, Romania, we had a home cooked meal at one of the villages. Just sitting in the shades of the trees, enjoyed the simple pleasures of life. It was beautiful. So with the visit to the Bodegas Bodegas García Hidalgo, I am hoping to recreate that magic. http://goo.gl/a805uQ I bet everyone will be asleep on the way back to Malaga.
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Old Feb 7th, 2016, 06:51 AM
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All kinds of Malaga wines on barrel in Antigua Casa de Guardia in the heart of town. Not much have changed here since they opend in 1840:
http://antiguacasadeguardia.com/
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attract...Andalucia.html

Here are some ideas for your day 2 dinner in Malaga, based on many visits the past fourteen years.

El Cortijo de Pepe is a no fuss traditional tapas bar and restaurant in central Placa de la Merced:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran...Andalucia.html

Dom Vinos is cutting edge and excellent wine celler with some 140 wines: http://azahar-spain.com/azahartapas/dom-vinos/

For the best steaks, lamb etc., go to El Botijo a five min and 7-8€ taxi ride from the heart of town. Had the lamb leg of my life here a few months ago, and the solomillo with the house mushroom sauce was also spot on. Genuine place with no molecular gastronomy pretensions, and not many tourists find their way out here. http://www.tripadvisor.es/Restaurant...Andalucia.html
Home page: http://www.restauranteelbotijo.com/M...tacion_ma.html

Bodega El Pimpi is an institution in town and a good idea later in the night: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQ60p6dyFEs
http://www.elpimpi.com/en/

Perhaps breakast in Casa Aranda next to the Ararazanas food market (some excellent tapas bars inside here as well), perhaps my favourite cafe in all of Spain: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/spain/an...=lp-affiliates

The Atarazanas market: http://eastofmalaga.net/2014/07/25/w...ry-perception/
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Old Feb 7th, 2016, 06:53 AM
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Your trip plan is fine as is.
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Old Feb 7th, 2016, 07:28 AM
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My best advice, then, is don't second guess yourself. You've made a trip plan that will work for your group. If you ask for feedback you will get differing opinions, critiques and suggestions as we all travel differently and many folk have more time to spend than the limited time you have. So stick to your plan and enjoy it!
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Old Feb 7th, 2016, 08:56 AM
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I agree that your plan makes sense for your purposes. Enjoy!
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Old Feb 7th, 2016, 09:44 PM
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Thank you all! Okay, will keep working with my initial plan hoping that it all works out in the end

kimhe, wow.... mouthwatering! Especially the description of the lamb leg. Bookmarked the restaurants. Thank you!

Before kimhe's list, I've been doing some research on places to eat in Malaga and I came across this post on Spain-Holiday http://www.spain-holiday.com/Malaga-...nt-restaurants "Malaga's Best Chiringuitos and Beachfront Restaurants" This sounds like something very different from our other dining experiences and options.

Am I crazy to think that this would be a cool way to experience Magala's seafood? Do have to mention that we are coming from Tokyo, so good fish is something we are familiar with Can anyone recommend / comment on these restaurants?
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Old Feb 8th, 2016, 01:08 AM
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I can highly recommend Pedregalejo a little east of the city center for excellent chiringuitos/beach restaurants that are very popular with locals. As it says in yur link: "For the best Chiringuitos, head just east of the city towards a strip of beaches and to one of Malaga's oldest fishing neighbourhoods, Pedregalejo. The seafront is a long row of restaurants, with a paseo maritimo that runs from El Palo to Baños de Carmen."

El Caleño is one of several no fuss places here with the freshest fish and seafood: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran...Andalucia.html

And you must have some Conchas finas, the pride of the Malaga coast, tastes pure sea: http://lacocinamalaguena-alsurdelsur...e-limpian.html
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Old Feb 8th, 2016, 04:10 AM
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hi Kimhe, yes, that's exactly the area I was interested in. Pedregalejo. I looked at Google maps, and it should be about 15-20min ride, so that should not be too bad (initially wanted to do something really close to the hotel due to the jet-leg).

I've been looking at the restaurant mentioned in the article. lots of those places (including El Caleno) don't seem to have a website / email which right away worries me. I usually email the restaurants to make sure they will seat us. As a last resort, I can ask the hotel to try and get us a reservation I reckon.


Some other restaurants I've looked at and some seem to have websites/email:

Andres Maricuchi
http://goo.gl/FQ36tG

Restaurante El Cabra http://www.restauranteelcabra.es
http://goo.gl/HN45Z5

El Lirio http://goo.gl/fkgj8Q
http://www.ellirio.com

And finally....... El Tintero II The most unusual restaurant I'd say! That would be a definite change to our dining style. But I am not sure how good in reality the food is at this restaurant.

El Tintero II
http://goo.gl/N5gZsf
http://goo.gl/p6yzvk

Any thoughts regarding the list? We like to eat well, so if one is a little more expensive than the other, that's not the most important factor. Important : good food and atmosphere.
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Old Feb 8th, 2016, 06:05 AM
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El Cabra, El Lirio, El Caleño etc. all serve excellent fish and seafood, and so does emblematic El Tintero, the most famous of all the places along this stretch. In all these places, expect nothing fancy, just the freshest fish and seafood in the simple and delicious Malaga style. http://www.restauranteeltintero.com/

But be sure to ask if the restaurants are open at night, the chringuitos are first and foremost jam packed lunch places.
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Old Feb 8th, 2016, 06:26 AM
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Hi Kimhe, spent a little more time digging and came up with an unpleasant discovery -- El Lirio (and perhaps some other places too) is closed on Mondays. Read some place that there is no fresh fish on Mondays ..I guess fishermen's day off. Guess when our dinner most like might take place.... Monday!

by the way, normally is it still pretty warm to have dinner al fresco in the first part of October?
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