Hello, my name is Tanja Linna. I am 24 years old student from Rovaniemi. The subject of my blog-post is the most interesting places to visit in the Andalusia region, Spain. I, myself, have lived for 7 months in the Málaga area, Benalmádena and traveled aroud the area and seen amazing cities and sights. Here, in my opinion, are the best sights in the Málaga/Andalusia region.
My favorites were selected on the basis that I really like nature and culture. If you dream of more urban destinations, you shouldn’t follow this list.
I use Fuengirola as an example for distances, because it is a popular holiday destination for Finns.
Caminito del Rey
Caminito del Rey (Kuninkaanpolku) is a wonderful walking route located in Andalusia, about an hour’s drive from Fuengirola. The hiking trail runs on plank bridges built on the mountain walls. Below you can see a deep gorge and a river. The route also goes partly on land in wonderful landscape. The route is 7 kilometres long and has an age limit of 8 years. I would not recommend taking children with you. The route is also not suitable for those suffering from fear of heights, as the route rises to a height of up to 100 meters. At the end of the trail is a suspension bridge that you have to cross to get to the other side of the gorge. However, I definitely recommend visiting the route if you have a chance!
Tips:
- Tickets for the route (10 euros) should definitely be booked in advance, as the place is popular destination. You can access the route with a weather reservation, so check the weather before booking.
- The easiest way to get to the destination is with your own car. The car is left at the startingpoint of the route and a shuttle bus runs every 30 minutes from the end of the route back to the startingpoint.
- The route can apparently also be reached by local train Renfe by traveling to El Chorro – Caminito del Rey (Álora) station. When going by train, you also have to take into account the shuttle bus schedules.
Here is a link to a youtube video showing the hiking route before the route was renovated in 2015.
Nerja and Frigiliana
Nerja is a beautiful little seaside town in Málaga. The most famous attraction in Nerja is Cueva de Nerja, one of the largest stalactite caves in Europa. Ancient remains and ancient cave paintings have been found in the cave an it is estimated to be around five million years old. The cave was a wonderful experience that cannot really be described in words.
Near Nerja, high in the mountains lies a small and a beautiful white village, Frigiliana. I also recommend visiting there if you plan to travel to Nerja.
It takes 1h 15min to travel from Fuengirola to Nerja by car. Several buses also run between cities, so it is very easy to visit the destination.
Granada
In my opinion, Granada is one of the most beautiful and atmospheric travel destinations. Granada is home to the Alhambra Palace, which is classified as one of the finest palaces in the world. The palace is really beautiful inside and decorated with a lace-like arabesque pattern.
We also visited the beautiful Generalife-garden, which is located right next to the Alhambra Palace. One book from Lucinda Riley’s Seven Sisters- book series is set right here in Granada, so it was interesting to see the city also for that reason.
Granada is located in Andalusia, approx. 1h 30min by car from Fuengirola.
Gibraltar
Gibraltar’s most famous attraction is the 426-meter-high Mount of Gibraltar. You can get to the mountain either by foot, by taxi or by cable car. We walked up to the mountain and I think that’s the best way to see the beauty of the mountain. There are Magotti-monkeys living wild on the mountain, which local people and guides warned us that they might steal things from tourists in exchange for food.
We toured the route that goes around the mountain, which is only possible to go on foot. The route contains a lot of stairs and differences in height, and you should allow plenty of time for the route. However, the views were really amazing. You can also visit Gibraltar to admire the wonderful stalactite caves.
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory. It is located in the southern part of the Iberian Peninsula on the Spanish coast in the Strait of Gibraltar, 1h 30min drive from Fuengirola. You can get to Gibraltar either by your own car or by bus, which goes several times a day.
Pizarra
In the small town of Pizarra, there is nothing special in itself other that El Santo, the saint statue “El sagrado Corazón de Jesús” located high in the mountains. However, the 3-kilometer hiking trail to the statue on the mountain is a really great experience and I wish to get there again. The route is not difficult but it is worth setting aside time to admire the scenery and take breaks for food.
Pizarra can be easily reached from Fuengirola by local train (Renfe) by taking the train Fuengirola – Victoria Kent. There the train is changed from Victoria Kent to Pizarra.
Ronda
Ronda is also city worth seeing. The city is build high in the Serranía de Ronda mountain range. The 120-meter-deep El Tajo gorge runs throught the middle of the city, which makes the city an attraction. Ronda was not my favorite city, but seeing the gorge was an impressive experience.
Andalusia is certainly full of beautiful places and here were my favorites. 