Andalusia has so many beautiful towns and things to do.
Malaga province is a fairly large province, it’s central in the region with easy access to a lot of different attractions. It’s also only a 1-2 hours drive (or train) away from the other big cities in Andalusia.
My Personal Favourites:
I’ve seen a lot of different places here in Andalusia, so I can honestly say some places are over-rated but many are under-rated! Let me tell you about some of my favourites.
Torcal & Antequera
One of my personal favourite day trips is going to Torcal Mountain; which you can see in the photo above. It’s a beautiful park about an hours drive inland from Malaga city. The geological formations here are really unique. Round boulders and rock outcrops cover the mountain face. Spread across the mountainside are perpendicular lines that perfectly align across all the formations on the entire rock face. There are several small hiking trails and a couple longer ones once you are at the top. The main path takes you to 2 different view points that look towards the coast. On clear days you can easily see all the way to Malaga city. One thing to note if you want to go here: you will need to drive here, since there aren’t many (if any) tours or public transit options to get here. Fortunately, there is a train from Malaga to the nearby town of Antequera. This town is a wonderful destination in its own right, with a beautiful castle in the centre. If you can’t get to Torcal, Antequera is definitely worth the train ride!
Ronda
Every website you visit will tell you to go to Ronda when you are in the area; for good reason. This city is incredible. The old town is sprawling with spectacular views over the surrounding areas. It’s built with one side of the city on a steep and tall cliff face, and has a huge ravine with a waterfall that divides the city in half. You can walk from one end of the town to the other along the edge. There are plazas, parks, and viewpoints throughout. There are also a couple of trails which lead down through the ravine to view the city from below. You can get to Ronda on a group tour, or by car. Ronda is a small city and the main sites are close together. So you likely won’t need to be there for more than 2-3 hours. You can easily make a full day of it by stopping at various places while on the way. There are pullovers, other small towns along the way there from Malaga, and of course beautiful scenery as well. You can also go past Ronda when enroute to Sevilla, Cadiz, Jerez de La Frontera, or the National Park of Sierra de los Nieves.
Tarifa
Tarifa is getting futher away and a long drive for a day trip; it’s about 180km from Malaga but well worth the visit. This was our last day trip before leaving Spain. We honestly feel we should’ve gone sooner! The area is still relatively untouched. The road down to the town winds up and down the mountain side, with views all the way down to Morocco. The biggest draw to this area is a coast which has beaches go on for ages with white sand and clear waters. It makes you feel like you are in the Caribbean. If you love surfing, then this is the best place in Spain for it. Due to the high winds year round there are nice sized waves, while winter gets larger swells. You’ll see dozens of kite and windsurfers on the beaches. It’s easy to take a class or rent a board to go out as well. Another interesting thing here are the dunes, which are formed by the strong and steady winds moving the sand inland. There are 2 different dunes: Duna de Tarifa and Duna de Bolonia. Duna de Bolina is more expansive, and is a really interesting hike. They are both easy to get to, as they are direct extensions of the main beaches. When we go back (we can hope!), I’ll definitely try to go wind surfing!
La Herradura & Marina del Este (Almeñucar, Granada)
This one is for the divers and snorklers. This area is right on the border of the Granada province. Marina del Este is a small marine reserve/natural park around the point between two bays (in La Herradura and Almeñucar). I had the chance to go diving here. In my opinion it’s an incredible divesite, the best in all of Andalusia! The bays are shallow, which means LONG bottom times (I had two 70min dives with no long deco stops). I saw lots of octopi, cuttlefish, nudis, and even a flying fish. This area is a nesting site for octopus, whose hatching season is in late may. If you want to go here, then I recommend going with Diving with Nic based in Cala de Mijas (disclaimer: Nic is a friend of mine but his shop is still the best in Costa Del Sol). The area is well developed for seasonal tourism. It’s a comfortable area to spend multiple days, especially if you want to relax on the beach!
