When we traveled? In time winter holidays , end of February 2022.
Who ? Nika, Vasja and two children (3 and 4 years old). This was the first trip with the kids after corona. The flight was short and it went without crying and without tablets, which I consider unique a special achievement . We traveled on Monday afternoon from Milan to Malaga (although there are many options from nearby airports) with the low-cost airline Ryanair. We returned on Sunday morning. Flight tickets for all four: €200.
How much time ? We had 5 full days .
How did we travel? Rentals we are car . We were accommodated all day. in one location and then went on a trip somewhere every day. We stayed in an apartment (two bedrooms, two bathrooms, remote location but still close to the city) in Estepona . We paid €350 for 6 nights.
What did we see and experience?
- Gibraltar
We decided to visit Gibraltar on the very first day. We were a little unprepared in the sense that we didn't quite realize how much there was to see. We bought ticket for gondola + reserva natural . The cable car takes you to the top of this 420m high rock. We walked back to the city. Of course, the most interesting were the monkeys . A very special experience that impressed us all. Otherwise, be careful around these Barbary monkeys, luckily they only stole a bouquet of flowers from us. From the top (Upper Rock) there is a beautiful view of the city and the runway. Yes, Gibraltar has its own airport and when entering the country you drive your car across the runway. Hilarious. We walked and saw almost all the attractions that are part of the ticket: O'Hara's Battery, Moorish Castle, City Under Siege, Cueva de San Miguel (otherwise for us Karst , accustomed alive (slight disappointment) Apes' Den, The Lime Klim and Túneles de la Segunda Guerra Mundial . We only missed the Skywalk (which was currently being renovated) and the Mediterranean Steps.
I recommend that you really take a whole day for Gibraltar. It really impressed me and I believe I will return someday.
On the way home we stopped at a small beach Playa de los Toros .
2. Ronda and Setenil de las Bodegas
The second day we had a slightly longer drive to Ronda. Another place that we liked I really liked it . The city is built on the edge of a cliff. The city park ends with a fence and there is a precipice below. In Ronda, we walked through the old streets, across the bridge, to the viewpoint on the bridge. We also visited the bullring. I recommend it!
After visiting Ronda, we drove to one of the famous white villages. We went for a short walk and lunch in the charming village of Sentenil de las Bodegas.
3. Benahavis and the ascent to Montemayor Castle
On the third day we were already a bit tired from the driving and the pace of the trip. So we did our own thing in the morning. Skipped the city and went into nature. We climbed a hill with the remains of a castle: Castillo de Montemayor. The starting point is again the charming village of Benahavís with the blue staircase where we stopped just to take a few photos.
The first three days we had great weather for February - sunny and warm, even for short sleeves. But in the afternoon the clouds came and it started to rain. In the evening we went to see for the first time beach in Estepona . Endless amount of sand. Otherwise everything is closed and empty. In the summer it is full of tourists.
4. Mijas pueblo, SEALIFE Benalmadena and Castillo de Colomares
We woke up again to a cloudy and rainy day. We went for a walk optimistically. Past an abandoned quarry that had been turned into a tree-lined avenue: Fuente de Los Arenales. Then we visited Mijas. A beautiful white town with burro taxis , white streets and beautiful views. In the afternoon it was time for a slightly different activity, more suitable for spraying. We visited SEALIFE Benalmadena. A small aquarium. The first one with two cubs. Too small and expensive for us. We were not overly impressed. Lunch followed in the marina. In Spain you can eat well and cheaply out. We only had lunch twice. Otherwise we cooked a lot ourselves or ate sandwiches, snacks, fruit on the way.
Then we visited the area around Benalmadena Castillo de Colomares . We caught the last 30 minutes. It is a monument built between 1987 and 1994, dedicated to Columbus. It is placed somewhere between the houses. A bit funny . It feels like it's not a historic building, it doesn't have that authenticity. Well , if you have time, go take a look. comfortable release.
On the last day we had to adjust our activities to the weather again. We also visited museums Museo Paleontológico de Estepona . It's actually three museums in one. The bullring in Estepona has stuffed bulls on display, lots of photos and history of bullfighting, an extensive ethnographic museum and of course some dinosaur skeletons. The two mini paleontologists were impressed. Later we visited Estepona Orchid House . But there were few orchids. Oops .
And that's it. which we managed to see in one week. Otherwise, we really liked Andalusia. So we left Granada and Seville for next time. We will definitely come back.