Cadiz or Malaga
 

My wife and I are planning an Andulucia adventure. We are for sure seeing Seville (5 nights), a day trip to Cordova, and Granada (2 nights). Where we are not decided is either to spend time in Cadiz or Malaga? We like to eat, walk aimlessly, and just really hang out. Any thoughts? If it matters, we will be travelling in May.

Malaga is a lot closer to Granada than Cadiz and IMO of seeing both a much more interesting town - Cadiz is nice but Malaga ever and ever more awesome.

Are you traveling by car or train - makes a difference perhaps.

Both would be excellent options, but I have a strong bias for Málaga, "the province's city of culture with its so-called 'mile of art' being compared to Madrid, and its dynamism and fine dining to Barcelona". https://www.lonelyplanet.com/spain/andalucia/malaga. Just home from my fifteenth visit in about as many years in my favourite city in the region, and you can see some of my numerous comments and tips about Málaga in
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-andalusia.cfm

But not much beats the light and the beaches in Cádiz, 3000 year old Phoenician Gadir: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mn1R8E6T_aM

May is perfect time of year to go, and serious festival time in Andalucía, especially in Córdoba. http://www.andalucia.com/festival/monthlyguide-may.htm
May in Córdoba: http://www.andalucia.com/cities/cordoba/festivals.htm

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...m#last-comment

For Malaga info check this current Fodor's thread and scroll down to kimhe's SUPERB info on Malaga and how awesome it is now - much more than just a few years ago it seems.

We stayed in Malaga for 3 nights and liked the city more than we expected.
Don't know Cadiz

I'm currently based in Madrid and know Malaga and Cadiz quite well and, in my opinion, they are really incomparable. I'm also not Spanish so this is simply an unbiased overview of what I've seen during my visits.

Malaga is more of a transportation hub with a major airport and a high-speed railway station to use while visiting interesting Andalucían towns or beach resorts at the Costa del Sol. It does have a lovely town center that can keep you occupied for a day or so but it can be rather disappointing because it simply lacks the charm of other Andalucian towns like Granada or Seville being full of modern apartment buildings and international chain stores at every corner.

Cadiz on the other hand is a perfectly preserved medieval island with a distinctive architectural style and is considered by many to be Spain's best kept secret. It is said to be Europe's oldest continuously inhabited city, which is evident in many of it's ally ways and plazas. At times you may feel like you have traveled in time to such a fascinating and unique place.

If you have any interest in visiting beautiful beaches, I would highly recommend the Costa de la Luz next to Cadiz, which is hardly visited by any foreigners and is simply one of the most naturally beautiful coasts of Spain.

Presenting Málaga as "more of a transportation hub" is totally misleading. Several world-class museums around town, the Picasso museum, the Pompidou center, the Carmen Thyssen museum, The Russian museum, the contemporary art Málaga Soho district etc. etc. A very charming center of town with major Roman, Moorish and Christian sights, a maze of narrow streets, fabulous tapas bars, terraces, small shops etc. etc.

I've travelled much in Andalucia the past 15 years, and I love both Sevilla and Córdoba. But large parts of both cities first and foremost live up to (and intensively try to live up to) the tourist stereotype image of Andalucía than much more genuine and laid-back Andalucian atmosphere Málaga city.

Lonely Planet is very right in calling Málaga ""the province's city of culture with its so-called 'mile of art' being compared to Madrid, and its dynamism and fine dining to Barcelona", and New York Times shows good judgement by recommending Málaga as one of three Spanish cities to visit now. The two other are fabulous and very different Barcelona and San Sebastián. NYT presents Málaga as a "Beauty, but now a cultural capital, too": http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2...isit.html?_r=3

Could give you tons of tips about excellent both traditional and cutting edge restaurants, tapas bars, venues etc. etc. here, based on your interests.

As a city Granada did not impress me very much outside the environs of the Alhambra and I looked all around it. But perhaps beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder.

chillout to make big Cadiz you do not have to belittle Malaga.

Cadiz is an amazing place, but also Malaga.


This made me laugh:

"It does have a lovely town center that can keep you occupied for a day or so but it can be rather disappointing because it simply lacks the charm of other Andalucian towns like Granada or Seville being full of modern apartment buildings and international chain stores at every corner."

Also Cadiz has chain stores, and Sevilla...and so?

Modern apartment buildings..you can also find it in Cadiz and in Sevilla...don´t see the difference

The charm is something very personal, a Roman theater and a Arab fortress so close? How many cities in the world have this?

If Malaga can keep you occupied for a day or so but it can be rather disappointing...I can tell you

I can tell you that you have not been to Malaga or you are very boring. lol

Cadiz is amazing but no need to torpedoes Malaga to show that Cadiz is great

Malaga, Cadiz is just too big and lots of cars. I would spend more time at the Alhambra, or outstanding Toledo. Go to the Parador and have Sangria overlooking the town. Classic day trip.

Spain is a wonderful experience, enjoy and have fun.

when we were in spain 2 years ago (Madrid and sevilla) many locals that we met highly recommended Cadiz so now that is on my bucket list...

You can't go wrong with either.

NYTimes travel section recently had a glowing report on Malaga and especially it flock of neat new museums:

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/21/tr...days.html?_r=0