Costa del Sol
Oct 9th, 2016, 08:57 AM
#1
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Costa del Sol
Spending two weeks outside Malaga in countryside next September and would like recommendation for 7 day stay along the coast. Interested in small town with restaurants and fewer tourists: beach itself not as important as atmosphere of the town. Would like to be able to then fly tome to USA from Malaga.
Oct 9th, 2016, 09:30 AM
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Where are you spending those two weeks in the countryside ? It may be better to stay right there and do day trips to the coast. The coast is very developped all the way from Gibraltar to the French border, and if you've already paid for a pace, why spend yet more to be right on the sea.
Oct 9th, 2016, 11:15 AM
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I can suggest Nerja, which is about 50 km east from Malaga, and in contrast to the resorts west of Malaga, has no high-rise hotels and largely retained the Spanish atmosphere, with no rowdy bars or discos. Plenty of tapas bars and restaurants. Just had a fabulous week there.
Oct 9th, 2016, 01:22 PM
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Second Alec's suggestion of Nerja. A beautiful, coastal town with nine small and large beaches among the cliffs that has got all the amenities that makes it popular with tourists, but Nerja has also has kept much of its Andalucian charm, especially up in the old town. http://www.nerjatoday.com/
Photo of Nerja: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2622/...de6a8146_o.jpg
Nice, small villages up into the pretty spectacular Almijara mountain range just behind Nerja, and Nerja is also close to fabulous Andalucian capitals such as genuine Andalucian atmosphere Málaga city and Granada with the Alhambra. Buses all the time to Málaga (some 30 miles) and a couple of times a day to Granada (some 60 miles).
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/de...pt-secret.html
Some of my Nerja favourites:
Marisquería La Marina is about as good as you get a seafood freiduría in all of Andalucía and very popular with locals. Have splurged on fabulous seafood here on many occasions: http://www.guideofnerja.com/pages/gu.../marina_en.htm
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran...Andalucia.html
Free tapas to choose with every drink of beer, wine or mineral water in most tapas bars and restaurants in Nerja for some 1,50-2€. Dozens of absolutely excellent places. For example delicious free tapas grilled on the spot (conchas finas, mussels, clams, prawns, monkfish, whitebait, baby-squid, sausages, pinchos morunos, mini-burgers etc.) and great atmosphere at El Pulguilla in C/Cristo, just off landmark Balcón de Europa.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran...Andalucia.html
La Puntilla in the heart of the Old town:
http://www.nerjatoday.com/barsandres...s/la-puntilla/
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaur...Andalucia.html
Close to legendary beach restaurant Ayo's with the famous paella: http://www.ayonerja.com/index.html
The spectacular Nerja Caves count for much of the tourist boom since the early 1960's: http://www.cuevadenerja.es/index.php?lenguaje=en
I recommend to stay in or close to seafront Calle Carabeo, the oldest street in town. Runs along the cliffs on the photo above. Several apartments to rent here, and also some nice hotels (Hotel Carabeo, Parador de Nerja) and a couple of basic hotel standard hostals.
Photo of Nerja: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2622/...de6a8146_o.jpg
Nice, small villages up into the pretty spectacular Almijara mountain range just behind Nerja, and Nerja is also close to fabulous Andalucian capitals such as genuine Andalucian atmosphere Málaga city and Granada with the Alhambra. Buses all the time to Málaga (some 30 miles) and a couple of times a day to Granada (some 60 miles).
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/de...pt-secret.html
Some of my Nerja favourites:
Marisquería La Marina is about as good as you get a seafood freiduría in all of Andalucía and very popular with locals. Have splurged on fabulous seafood here on many occasions: http://www.guideofnerja.com/pages/gu.../marina_en.htm
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran...Andalucia.html
Free tapas to choose with every drink of beer, wine or mineral water in most tapas bars and restaurants in Nerja for some 1,50-2€. Dozens of absolutely excellent places. For example delicious free tapas grilled on the spot (conchas finas, mussels, clams, prawns, monkfish, whitebait, baby-squid, sausages, pinchos morunos, mini-burgers etc.) and great atmosphere at El Pulguilla in C/Cristo, just off landmark Balcón de Europa.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran...Andalucia.html
La Puntilla in the heart of the Old town:
http://www.nerjatoday.com/barsandres...s/la-puntilla/
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaur...Andalucia.html
Close to legendary beach restaurant Ayo's with the famous paella: http://www.ayonerja.com/index.html
The spectacular Nerja Caves count for much of the tourist boom since the early 1960's: http://www.cuevadenerja.es/index.php?lenguaje=en
I recommend to stay in or close to seafront Calle Carabeo, the oldest street in town. Runs along the cliffs on the photo above. Several apartments to rent here, and also some nice hotels (Hotel Carabeo, Parador de Nerja) and a couple of basic hotel standard hostals.
Oct 9th, 2016, 01:36 PM
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Correct link to the Nerja photo. Seafront Calle Carabeo mentioned above runs along these cliffs over three of the nine beaches in town: https://www.flickr.com/photos/trondjs/3735908317/
Oct 9th, 2016, 11:24 PM
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I would highly recommend Cadiz and the surrounding Costa de la Luz. It is very different from the Malaga area and is much more local and authentic. If you are looking for a beach resort you could look up the Sancti Petri area, which has some of the best beach resorts in Europe.
Oct 10th, 2016, 12:47 AM
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And of course, 3000 year old Málaga city itself (Phoenician Malaka) is also a good option, genuine and laid-back Andalucian atmosphere. And you'll get the small town and few tourists feel in El Palo/Pedregalejo just east of the city center. Great beachfront restaurants and beaches out here that are very popular with locals.
Málaga city beaches: https://www.spain-holiday.com/Malaga...ty-beach-guide
Málaga beach restaurants (chiringuitos): https://www.spain-holiday.com/Malaga...nt-restaurants
"Málaga - Spain's best kept secret": http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/de...pt-secret.html
Málaga city beaches: https://www.spain-holiday.com/Malaga...ty-beach-guide
Málaga beach restaurants (chiringuitos): https://www.spain-holiday.com/Malaga...nt-restaurants
"Málaga - Spain's best kept secret": http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/de...pt-secret.html
Oct 10th, 2016, 09:19 AM
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Great suggestions from kimhe. Despite its busyness I love Torremolinos it has a great promenade that is littered with bars grilling sardines and you can walk to LA Carhuela with fabulous fish restaurants. September is a great month to go there.
Oct 10th, 2016, 12:59 PM
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<Interested in small town with restaurants and fewer tourists: beach itself not as important as atmosphere of the town.>
Think Nerja, and especially the beautiful and local atmosphere old town part up from seaside Calle Carabeo along the cliffs, is about as close you get in the Costa del Sol. A couple of dozens genuine tapas bars and restaurants in the area. Or as suggested El Palo/Pedregalejo just east of Málaga city center. But you have of course tiny places like charming Maro just east of Nerja and right below the spectacular Nerja Cave. A few perfectly fine restaurants here also.
http://www.nerjatoday.com/maro/
The Nerja Cave: http://www.cuevadenerja.es/index.php?lenguaje=en
Think Nerja, and especially the beautiful and local atmosphere old town part up from seaside Calle Carabeo along the cliffs, is about as close you get in the Costa del Sol. A couple of dozens genuine tapas bars and restaurants in the area. Or as suggested El Palo/Pedregalejo just east of Málaga city center. But you have of course tiny places like charming Maro just east of Nerja and right below the spectacular Nerja Cave. A few perfectly fine restaurants here also.
http://www.nerjatoday.com/maro/
The Nerja Cave: http://www.cuevadenerja.es/index.php?lenguaje=en
Oct 11th, 2016, 07:21 AM
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1: The water cleaning plant in Nerja is underway, at least they have started the works, but it has been stopped during the high season...
2: All beaches in Nerja have the highest bathing water quality ("excellent quality") every year since 2011 according to the European Union's European Environment Agency. Some 350 beaches in Spain (some 15 %) with less than "excellent quality" in 2015 according to the agency.
http://www.eea.europa.eu/themes/wate...bathing-waters
2: All beaches in Nerja have the highest bathing water quality ("excellent quality") every year since 2011 according to the European Union's European Environment Agency. Some 350 beaches in Spain (some 15 %) with less than "excellent quality" in 2015 according to the agency.
http://www.eea.europa.eu/themes/wate...bathing-waters
