Gibraltar and the Costa del Sol car hire
The self-governing British colony of Gibraltar (whose name derives from the Arabic Jabalal Tarik) is only three miles long and three-quarters of a mile wide, with approximately 30,000 inhabitants, settled mainly in Gibraltar Town, on the Rock's west side. Car hire can be picked up directly from Gibraltar Airport and pre-booked before you travel.
Tiny as it is, the colony is an immense source of bitterness among the Spanish, who consider themselves its rightful owners; their attempts to reclaim it led to the closing of the frontier between Spain and Gibraltar in 1969.
Local residents have as stubbornly voted time after time to remain British. For years, the Rock (called El Peñon in Spanish) was accessible only by air or sea from the United Kingdom or North Africa. But the steel mesh gates swung open again in February 1985, and the border is now open round the clock. Visitors need only a passport, not a visa, to cross.
Ronda inland Andalusia
Ronda´s fame rests chiefly on EI Tajo, a 360-foot gorge cut by the Rio Guadalevin (Guadalevin River) that literally splits the town in two. Incredible cliff-hanging houses perch right along the edge of the precipice and look as if they might slide into the abyss at any moment. The five-foot-high iron grilles on the 18th-century Puente Nuevo, one of three bridges that span the gorge, are all that separate visitors from a horrifying drop. The bridge links two towns and two eras.
To the north lies the new town, called El Mercadillo, begun around 1500, after Ronda fell to the Christians. Here, a pedestrian street, the Carrera de Espinel, is lined with scores of shops, becoming a vibrant sea of shoppers and strollers each afternoon. At the head of the street is the Plaza de Taros, Ronda's famous bullring. Although bullfights are held only about once a month from May through October, visitors may inspect Spain's oldest (1785) and most beautiful bullring daily. The country's top bullfighting museum is also located here, in the cradle of modern bullfighting. It's also open daily; admission charge .
Bullfighting in Ronda
The local Romero family developed most of the bullfighting rules and techniques used today, including the introduction of the cape, the killing sword, and the group of assistants to the matador called the cuadrilla. Each September, at the Corrida Goyesca (Goya Bullfight) aficionados pay homage to a 19th-century family member, Pedro Romero, who killed 5,600 bulls during his career and fought until the age of 90. (Goya immortalized the epoch in several sketches and engravings.) End a tour of EI Mercadillo by strolling north from the bullring through the Alameda Gardens (Calle Virgen de la Paz), supposedly paid for with fines levied on anyone using foul language in public. The Old Quarter, known as simply La Ciudad (the City), is a labyrinth of cramped streets and wrought-iron balconies brimming with potted geraniums.
Here are some of Andalusia's finest aristocratic mansions, such as the twin-turreted 16th-century Renaissance Casa de Mondragon. It's open daily; admission charge.A short walk away is the circular Plaza de la Ciudad, the coolest spot in town on a summer day. Fronting it is a 15th-century church, Iglesia de Santa Marfa la Mayor, with a Baroque altar dripping with gilt and a former Muslim mihrab (a niche indicating the direction of Mecca); the church's tower was once a minaret.
On the other side of La Ciudad (near the bridge off Calle del Comandante Alejandro) are more mansions, including the Casa del Rey Mom, which is the restored home of King Badis, a Moorish ruler who drank wine from the jewel-encrusted skulls of his victims (today it's a private home that can't be visited). But farther down the same street visitors can tour the 18th-century Palacio del Marques de Salvatierra, the home of a Spanish marquis complete with Plateresque portal, marble staircase, and Alhambra-style gardens.
The Arab baths Ronda
At the bottom of the same hill, the Banos Arabes (Arab Baths), which were recently renovated, are among the finest in Spain. Located on Calle Marques de Salvatierra, they're closed Monday mornings, and there's no admission charge (no phone). Ronda's Oficina de Turismo is on the Plaza de Espana.
Puerto Banus and Marbella car hire
If you are planning to visit the jet-set resorts of Marbella and Puerto Banus, hire a car online from Malaga Airport, so you can pick it up when you arrive.
The first town on the coast for those who arrive from Ronda is an insignificant resort, San Pedro de Alcantara. Only 2 miles (3 km) east of it, however, is the crown jewel of local tourism, Puerto Jose Banus, a yacht harbor filled with dozens of pleasant places to stop for a drink or a meal. The Port, as it's known to residents, is home to hundreds of craft of all sizes and pedigrees; Rolls Royces and Mercedeses wait quayside, as their impeccably groomed owners join the evening parade of strollers who come to see and be seen on the promenade. Behind the harbor is a modern, quasi-Andalusian fishing village that looks like a giant cardboard cutout and is filled with luxury apartments.
Puerto Banus is technically part of San Pedro, but in spirit it belongs to Marbella, 5 miles (8 km) east, the fabled resort where the beautiful people play or at least used to play, before package tourism began to drive them away. The golf is great at several local courses; so are the tennis, and the windsurfing and other water sports. Even sunbathing is better here than at other spots on the coast, thanks to a superb climate created by a backdrop of coastal mountains. Marbella's Casco Antiguo (Old Town) is a traffic-free oasis of cool, cobbled alleys and half-hidden squares brimming with aromatic flowers and fruit trees.
Orange Square Marbella
Among them, the Plaza de los Naranjos, a truly idyllic spot with orange trees (as its name states), gurgling fountains, and outdoor cafes, is the best. Also on the square are a statue of King Juan Carlos (where one of dictator Francisco Franco once loomed), and the 16th-century Ayuntamiento (Town Hall). The Museo Arqueologico (Archeological Museum) has been closed for renovations but is due to reopen this year in the former Hospital Bazan, on the Calle Viento. Call the Oficina Municipal de Turismo de Marbella for the latest information. There are two other tourist offices in Marbella, at Arco de Marbella (open daily from 10 AM to 2 PM) and at Arco de San Pedro (open daily).
Other sites in the Casco Antiguo are the paris Iglesia de la Encarnación (Church of the Incarnation) and its clock tower on the Plaza Caridad, and the adjacent Calle Gloria, a tiny street that has become a floral showcase. Just across Avenida Ricardo Soriano from the Casco Antiguo lies the Alameda del Parque, a park and promenade with an abundance of vegetation and beautifully tiled benches. Two blocks away is the Mediterranean in all its glory, framed nicely with a promenade, the Paseo Maritimo, and a much smaller, humbler version of Puerto Banus, the Puerto Deportivo. The Oficina de Turismo can supply further information.
Mijas Pueblo Andalusia
Despite being mobbed by busloads of sightseers and armies of souvenir hawkers, Mijas retains a good deal of its original charm. Much of the appeal derives from its spectacular site, welded to the side of a mountain and looking like a stack of sugar cubes against a pine-draped backdrop. From stunning lookout points, a gaze takes in much of the coast and the luminous Mediterranean as far as Morocco's foreboding Rif Mountains.
The road splits at the entrance to Mijas; take the left fork to a wide parking area, then walk up the hill to an early Christian shrine, the Santuario de la Virgen de la Pena (after passing the burro taxi service - corny but fun). Walk toward the center of town to the Plaza de la Constitucion, a shady spot for watching village life.
Malaga city
Malaga has been around since the Phoenicians, who founded a settlement here to trade in salted fish; the hill overlooking the sinewy harbor was later fortified by every power to rule the Mediterranean. The sweet malaga wine has been famous since antiquity and is still served from 500-liter barrels at murky little bodegas. (One of the best is the Antigua Casa Guardia on the Alameda.)
The town's center is dominated by the refreshing Paseo del Parque, which begins at the Plaza de la Marina (where there is underground parking) and extends eastward. This pedestrian promenade and park, lined with palms and banana trees, features fountains, ponds with geese and ducks, and 3,000 species of luxuriant plants bathed in Malaga's intense light. Fronting it are the lemon colored Ayuntamiento (Town Hall) and other government buildings.
Beyond, to the east, are the bullring, the Paseo Maritimo beach promenade along Playa de la Malagueta; and a nostalgia-tinged district of aging buildings known as El Limonar. Better beaches lie to the east at Banos de Carmen and El Palo.
The Alcazaba Malaga
The Alcazaba is an 11th century Moorish fortress-palace, which is perched directly above the park and reached via Calle Alcazabilla. The winding approach passes ruins of a Roman amphitheater, horseshoe arches, and walls draped in bougainvillea and wisteria. Peer down the murky hole where Christian prisoners were kept and, in the Museo Arqueologico (Archaeological Museum) in the main building, peruse the collection of artifacts.
Rearing up to the east is another Moorish fortress, the 14thcentury Castillo de Gibralfaro, built on the site of an ancient Greek lighthouse. It can be reached by a strenuous walk up from the Alcazaba, or by driving a mile east from the Paseo del Parque and then another mile up the hill. Wander at will around the extensive ramparts and towers, which held off many an attack before the city fell to Christian armies in 1487. The fortress is open daily; no admission charge.
Malaga Cathedral
Malaga's Renaissance cathedral (Calle de Molina Larios in the center of town) has only one of the two towers originally planned because, so the story goes, money was diverted to help the American colonials fight their revolution. It's quite dark inside, but look for the Corinthian columns as big as giant redwoods and the 17th-century choir stalls, with 100 seats and dozens of saints carved by the famous artisan Pedro de Mena.
A small museum with religious artifacts is open daily, but has irregular hours; there's an admission charge. From the cathedral's north side, follow the signs to the Museo de Bellas Artes. The eclectic collection 20 rooms full, much of it on permanent loan from the Prado, includes paintings by Murillo and Ribera, as well as a small room devoted to the boyhood works of Malaga's most famous 'on, Pablo Picasso. The museum is closed Sunday afternoons and Mondays (also Saturday afternoons in winter) and charges admIssIon.
Not far from the museum (take Calle Granada toward the Plaza de la Constitución) is the Pasaje de Chinitas, where the malaguena style of flamenco evolved in the mid-19th century. Stroll along this car-free stretch of wrought iron lamps and cobblestones, then stop nearby for tapas; some of the best tapas bars are a short hop from the Pasaje de Chinitas.
Nerja things to do
This resort town lies at the mouth of the Rio Chillar (Chillar River), on a sloping site beneath a wall of jagged coastal mountains. The nicest spot in town is the Baleon de Europa (Balcony of Europe), a palm-shaded promenade jutting dramatically into the Mediterranean. Built in 1885 and named by King Alfonso XIII, it's lined with antique iron lampposts and old cannon, with one side overlooking a pretty beach and some fishing boats.
On the other side are several cafes with loyal customers and outdoor tables, the place to stop for a cup of cafe con leche.
Just around the corner sits the BaroqueMudejar parish church, the Iglesia del Salvador (Church of the Savior), which celebrated its 500th anniversary in 1983. The Oficina Municipal de Turismo de Nerja is at the entrance to the Balcon; it's closed Sundays.
Where to go in Salobrena
On sunny days this stunning village is nearly blinding, thanks to the endless layers of whitewash slapped on by old women wielding buckets and brushes. In the moonlight it becomes a dream town, rising above a broad plain, peacefully suspended between the stars and the sea. Its Castillo Arabe (Subida del Castillo; no phone), one of Andalusia's most imprssive Moorish castles, occupies an impregnable site that must have seemed a gift from Allah. From the castle, flatroofed houses spill down the hillside to the plain. It's possible to drive partway up, but park and walk to the top.
The final stretch climbs along Calle Andres Segovia, named for the renowned guitarist who called Salobrena home. Inside the castle, waner the atlements and catch an eyeful of coastal scenery. It's open daily; admission charge. For more information call the Oficina de Turismo de Salobrena.
Tiny as it is, the colony is an immense source of bitterness among the Spanish, who consider themselves its rightful owners; their attempts to reclaim it led to the closing of the frontier between Spain and Gibraltar in 1969.
Local residents have as stubbornly voted time after time to remain British. For years, the Rock (called El Peñon in Spanish) was accessible only by air or sea from the United Kingdom or North Africa. But the steel mesh gates swung open again in February 1985, and the border is now open round the clock. Visitors need only a passport, not a visa, to cross.
Ronda inland Andalusia
Ronda´s fame rests chiefly on EI Tajo, a 360-foot gorge cut by the Rio Guadalevin (Guadalevin River) that literally splits the town in two. Incredible cliff-hanging houses perch right along the edge of the precipice and look as if they might slide into the abyss at any moment. The five-foot-high iron grilles on the 18th-century Puente Nuevo, one of three bridges that span the gorge, are all that separate visitors from a horrifying drop. The bridge links two towns and two eras.
To the north lies the new town, called El Mercadillo, begun around 1500, after Ronda fell to the Christians. Here, a pedestrian street, the Carrera de Espinel, is lined with scores of shops, becoming a vibrant sea of shoppers and strollers each afternoon. At the head of the street is the Plaza de Taros, Ronda's famous bullring. Although bullfights are held only about once a month from May through October, visitors may inspect Spain's oldest (1785) and most beautiful bullring daily. The country's top bullfighting museum is also located here, in the cradle of modern bullfighting. It's also open daily; admission charge .
Bullfighting in Ronda
The local Romero family developed most of the bullfighting rules and techniques used today, including the introduction of the cape, the killing sword, and the group of assistants to the matador called the cuadrilla. Each September, at the Corrida Goyesca (Goya Bullfight) aficionados pay homage to a 19th-century family member, Pedro Romero, who killed 5,600 bulls during his career and fought until the age of 90. (Goya immortalized the epoch in several sketches and engravings.) End a tour of EI Mercadillo by strolling north from the bullring through the Alameda Gardens (Calle Virgen de la Paz), supposedly paid for with fines levied on anyone using foul language in public. The Old Quarter, known as simply La Ciudad (the City), is a labyrinth of cramped streets and wrought-iron balconies brimming with potted geraniums.
Here are some of Andalusia's finest aristocratic mansions, such as the twin-turreted 16th-century Renaissance Casa de Mondragon. It's open daily; admission charge.A short walk away is the circular Plaza de la Ciudad, the coolest spot in town on a summer day. Fronting it is a 15th-century church, Iglesia de Santa Marfa la Mayor, with a Baroque altar dripping with gilt and a former Muslim mihrab (a niche indicating the direction of Mecca); the church's tower was once a minaret.
On the other side of La Ciudad (near the bridge off Calle del Comandante Alejandro) are more mansions, including the Casa del Rey Mom, which is the restored home of King Badis, a Moorish ruler who drank wine from the jewel-encrusted skulls of his victims (today it's a private home that can't be visited). But farther down the same street visitors can tour the 18th-century Palacio del Marques de Salvatierra, the home of a Spanish marquis complete with Plateresque portal, marble staircase, and Alhambra-style gardens.
The Arab baths Ronda
At the bottom of the same hill, the Banos Arabes (Arab Baths), which were recently renovated, are among the finest in Spain. Located on Calle Marques de Salvatierra, they're closed Monday mornings, and there's no admission charge (no phone). Ronda's Oficina de Turismo is on the Plaza de Espana.
Puerto Banus and Marbella car hire
If you are planning to visit the jet-set resorts of Marbella and Puerto Banus, hire a car online from Malaga Airport, so you can pick it up when you arrive.
The first town on the coast for those who arrive from Ronda is an insignificant resort, San Pedro de Alcantara. Only 2 miles (3 km) east of it, however, is the crown jewel of local tourism, Puerto Jose Banus, a yacht harbor filled with dozens of pleasant places to stop for a drink or a meal. The Port, as it's known to residents, is home to hundreds of craft of all sizes and pedigrees; Rolls Royces and Mercedeses wait quayside, as their impeccably groomed owners join the evening parade of strollers who come to see and be seen on the promenade. Behind the harbor is a modern, quasi-Andalusian fishing village that looks like a giant cardboard cutout and is filled with luxury apartments.
Puerto Banus is technically part of San Pedro, but in spirit it belongs to Marbella, 5 miles (8 km) east, the fabled resort where the beautiful people play or at least used to play, before package tourism began to drive them away. The golf is great at several local courses; so are the tennis, and the windsurfing and other water sports. Even sunbathing is better here than at other spots on the coast, thanks to a superb climate created by a backdrop of coastal mountains. Marbella's Casco Antiguo (Old Town) is a traffic-free oasis of cool, cobbled alleys and half-hidden squares brimming with aromatic flowers and fruit trees.
Orange Square Marbella
Among them, the Plaza de los Naranjos, a truly idyllic spot with orange trees (as its name states), gurgling fountains, and outdoor cafes, is the best. Also on the square are a statue of King Juan Carlos (where one of dictator Francisco Franco once loomed), and the 16th-century Ayuntamiento (Town Hall). The Museo Arqueologico (Archeological Museum) has been closed for renovations but is due to reopen this year in the former Hospital Bazan, on the Calle Viento. Call the Oficina Municipal de Turismo de Marbella for the latest information. There are two other tourist offices in Marbella, at Arco de Marbella (open daily from 10 AM to 2 PM) and at Arco de San Pedro (open daily).
Other sites in the Casco Antiguo are the paris Iglesia de la Encarnación (Church of the Incarnation) and its clock tower on the Plaza Caridad, and the adjacent Calle Gloria, a tiny street that has become a floral showcase. Just across Avenida Ricardo Soriano from the Casco Antiguo lies the Alameda del Parque, a park and promenade with an abundance of vegetation and beautifully tiled benches. Two blocks away is the Mediterranean in all its glory, framed nicely with a promenade, the Paseo Maritimo, and a much smaller, humbler version of Puerto Banus, the Puerto Deportivo. The Oficina de Turismo can supply further information.
Mijas Pueblo Andalusia
Despite being mobbed by busloads of sightseers and armies of souvenir hawkers, Mijas retains a good deal of its original charm. Much of the appeal derives from its spectacular site, welded to the side of a mountain and looking like a stack of sugar cubes against a pine-draped backdrop. From stunning lookout points, a gaze takes in much of the coast and the luminous Mediterranean as far as Morocco's foreboding Rif Mountains.
The road splits at the entrance to Mijas; take the left fork to a wide parking area, then walk up the hill to an early Christian shrine, the Santuario de la Virgen de la Pena (after passing the burro taxi service - corny but fun). Walk toward the center of town to the Plaza de la Constitucion, a shady spot for watching village life.
Malaga city
Malaga has been around since the Phoenicians, who founded a settlement here to trade in salted fish; the hill overlooking the sinewy harbor was later fortified by every power to rule the Mediterranean. The sweet malaga wine has been famous since antiquity and is still served from 500-liter barrels at murky little bodegas. (One of the best is the Antigua Casa Guardia on the Alameda.)
The town's center is dominated by the refreshing Paseo del Parque, which begins at the Plaza de la Marina (where there is underground parking) and extends eastward. This pedestrian promenade and park, lined with palms and banana trees, features fountains, ponds with geese and ducks, and 3,000 species of luxuriant plants bathed in Malaga's intense light. Fronting it are the lemon colored Ayuntamiento (Town Hall) and other government buildings.
Beyond, to the east, are the bullring, the Paseo Maritimo beach promenade along Playa de la Malagueta; and a nostalgia-tinged district of aging buildings known as El Limonar. Better beaches lie to the east at Banos de Carmen and El Palo.
The Alcazaba Malaga
The Alcazaba is an 11th century Moorish fortress-palace, which is perched directly above the park and reached via Calle Alcazabilla. The winding approach passes ruins of a Roman amphitheater, horseshoe arches, and walls draped in bougainvillea and wisteria. Peer down the murky hole where Christian prisoners were kept and, in the Museo Arqueologico (Archaeological Museum) in the main building, peruse the collection of artifacts.
Rearing up to the east is another Moorish fortress, the 14thcentury Castillo de Gibralfaro, built on the site of an ancient Greek lighthouse. It can be reached by a strenuous walk up from the Alcazaba, or by driving a mile east from the Paseo del Parque and then another mile up the hill. Wander at will around the extensive ramparts and towers, which held off many an attack before the city fell to Christian armies in 1487. The fortress is open daily; no admission charge.
Malaga Cathedral
Malaga's Renaissance cathedral (Calle de Molina Larios in the center of town) has only one of the two towers originally planned because, so the story goes, money was diverted to help the American colonials fight their revolution. It's quite dark inside, but look for the Corinthian columns as big as giant redwoods and the 17th-century choir stalls, with 100 seats and dozens of saints carved by the famous artisan Pedro de Mena.
A small museum with religious artifacts is open daily, but has irregular hours; there's an admission charge. From the cathedral's north side, follow the signs to the Museo de Bellas Artes. The eclectic collection 20 rooms full, much of it on permanent loan from the Prado, includes paintings by Murillo and Ribera, as well as a small room devoted to the boyhood works of Malaga's most famous 'on, Pablo Picasso. The museum is closed Sunday afternoons and Mondays (also Saturday afternoons in winter) and charges admIssIon.
Not far from the museum (take Calle Granada toward the Plaza de la Constitución) is the Pasaje de Chinitas, where the malaguena style of flamenco evolved in the mid-19th century. Stroll along this car-free stretch of wrought iron lamps and cobblestones, then stop nearby for tapas; some of the best tapas bars are a short hop from the Pasaje de Chinitas.
Nerja things to do
This resort town lies at the mouth of the Rio Chillar (Chillar River), on a sloping site beneath a wall of jagged coastal mountains. The nicest spot in town is the Baleon de Europa (Balcony of Europe), a palm-shaded promenade jutting dramatically into the Mediterranean. Built in 1885 and named by King Alfonso XIII, it's lined with antique iron lampposts and old cannon, with one side overlooking a pretty beach and some fishing boats.
On the other side are several cafes with loyal customers and outdoor tables, the place to stop for a cup of cafe con leche.
Just around the corner sits the BaroqueMudejar parish church, the Iglesia del Salvador (Church of the Savior), which celebrated its 500th anniversary in 1983. The Oficina Municipal de Turismo de Nerja is at the entrance to the Balcon; it's closed Sundays.
Where to go in Salobrena
On sunny days this stunning village is nearly blinding, thanks to the endless layers of whitewash slapped on by old women wielding buckets and brushes. In the moonlight it becomes a dream town, rising above a broad plain, peacefully suspended between the stars and the sea. Its Castillo Arabe (Subida del Castillo; no phone), one of Andalusia's most imprssive Moorish castles, occupies an impregnable site that must have seemed a gift from Allah. From the castle, flatroofed houses spill down the hillside to the plain. It's possible to drive partway up, but park and walk to the top.
The final stretch climbs along Calle Andres Segovia, named for the renowned guitarist who called Salobrena home. Inside the castle, waner the atlements and catch an eyeful of coastal scenery. It's open daily; admission charge. For more information call the Oficina de Turismo de Salobrena.
Labels: Bullfighting in Ronda, Malaga city
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