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Can I help with any Malaga info?


campolady
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Hi,

 

We will be in Malaga in December on a Sunday. I've seen random posts (which I can't find now) about many things being closed on a Sunday. We are in port from 9am-7pm so we have a long day. Will the normal sights still be open? If things are open do they close earlier? This will be the last stop on our cruise so I think we may prefer walking around versus a tour. I know I didn't have any specific questions (other than stuff being opened on Sunday) but any suggestions would be appreciated!

 

(I did read that the Picasso Museum is free after 230pm on Sunday. Is that still true?)

Kelly

 

 

You are in luck, December is the one month of the year when everything - including shops and tourist attractions - is open on Sundays in the run up to Christmas and Three Kings. Normal hours apply. Hopefully the Christmas lights will have been switched on by the time you are in port - Malagas festive lights are famous throughout Spain; once they have been officially switched on they are lit around 5.30 p.m. each day so you would just have time to see the best of them in the Avenida Larios area before having to be back on board your cruise ship.

 

We love the Picasso Museum (and the little Tapas Bar immediately facing its main entrance LOL!) so it is somewhere we visit very regularly. To be honest, I have never heard of free entry after 2.30 on a Sunday but do know it is free all day on the last Sunday of every month. I will try to find out about other Sundays for you. This link will give you a little information http://www.andalucia.com/cities/malaga/picassomuseum.htm

 

Hope this helps.

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You are in luck, December is the one month of the year when everything - including shops and tourist attractions - is open on Sundays in the run up to Christmas and Three Kings. Normal hours apply. Hopefully the Christmas lights will have been switched on by the time you are in port - Malagas festive lights are famous throughout Spain; once they have been officially switched on they are lit around 5.30 p.m. each day so you would just have time to see the best of them in the Avenida Larios area before having to be back on board your cruise ship.

 

We love the Picasso Museum (and the little Tapas Bar immediately facing its main entrance LOL!) so it is somewhere we visit very regularly. To be honest, I have never heard of free entry after 2.30 on a Sunday but do know it is free all day on the last Sunday of every month. I will try to find out about other Sundays for you. This link will give you a little information http://www.andalucia.com/cities/malaga/picassomuseum.htm

 

Hope this helps.

 

Thank you for the quick response! We will be in Malaga Dec 14th so it is probably close enough to Christmas that the lights will be on. I am happy that shopping and sites are open too!

 

And I think you might be right about the last Sunday of the month for the Picasso museum. I remembered that after you wrote it. I am mostly interested in the ruins in the basement of the museum. I love Roman ruins and stuff like that.

 

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And I think you might be right about the last Sunday of the month for the Picasso museum. I remembered that after you wrote it. I am mostly interested in the ruins in the basement of the museum. I love Roman ruins and stuff like that.

 

We love Roman ruins too and look for them wherever possible during our European travels. Thanks for your information that the basement of the Picasso Museum has Roman ruins! I was unaware of that. I will add that to our list for next year. I would like to see the Picasso Museum as well as the ruins, and this will be a way to get my dh to the Picasso Museum as he would like to see the Roman and Phoenician ruins in the basement.

 

Of course you'll visit/see the Roman amphitheater in Malaga. Just in front of it in the plaza, you'll see a glass (plastic?) dome or small glass pyramid over the pavement. Look down and you will see the remains of a Roman fishing pit. I thought it was part of the amphitheater but found out later from the Footsteps guide that they are remains of a fishing pit. According to the Footsteps guide, in the center of the entrance hall of the Rector's House at Malaga University, there are the in-situ remains of a Roman fish-salting works. Those are the ruins we plan to look for during our Malaga visit next year.

 

Speaking of Roman ruins, does your itinerary include Cartagena?

 

Campolady, are there other Roman ruins to visit in Malaga in addition to the Roman amphitheater, fishing pit under dome in front of amphitheater, fishing works at university, or in the Picasso Museum basement?

 

Kathy

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Campolady, are there other Roman ruins to visit in Malaga in addition to the Roman amphitheater, fishing pit under dome in front of amphitheater, fishing works at university, or in the Picasso Museum basement?

 

Kathy

 

 

Sorry Kathy, I don' t know of any other Roman ruins. The ruins in the basement of the Picasso Museum are mainly Phoenician with just the odd Roman and Moorish artefact and were only discovered when the building was being renovated to house the Picasso Collection. As well as the permanent Picasso collection the museum generally also has a secondary temporary exhibition on that has nothing to do with the artist - the best we have seen was the Dennis Hopper exhibition of photos, paintings and, of course, motorbike late last year.

 

As I mentioned previously, there is a charming Tapas Bar right facing the entrance to the Picasso Museum that should not be missed called the Bodeguita El Gallo - see http://www.globalcitybreak.dk/begivenheder/paris/113-gastonomy/malaga/453-bodeguita-el-gallo-in-malaga-city-centre

Edited by campolady
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Due to flight cancellation and forced rebooking, we will be spending the day(Feb. 12, 2015) we arrive back in Malaga from our cruise and leaving the next day at 9:25 AM. I have read alot, but just wondering what you would suggest to do. We will arrive in Malaga about 2 PM on Feb. 1, before boarding on Feb. 2, 2015, so we will see a little of Malaga that day. We are staying both nights at AC Malaga, using our Marriot points. Thanks for your kind help.

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Due to flight cancellation and forced rebooking, we will be spending the day(Feb. 12, 2015) we arrive back in Malaga from our cruise and leaving the next day at 9:25 AM. I have read alot, but just wondering what you would suggest to do. We will arrive in Malaga about 2 PM on Feb. 1, before boarding on Feb. 2, 2015, so we will see a little of Malaga that day. We are staying both nights at AC Malaga, using our Marriot points. Thanks for your kind help.

 

The AC Malaga Palacio is a good 4 star hotel and is in a great location just a hundred meters or so from the Cathedral. I certainly wouldn' t eat at the hotel though as there are so many good restaurants within a short walk and, if you haven't pre-booked Breakfast, I would suggest you stay Room Only as their Breakfast is grossly overpriced and you would get a much more authentic experience at any of the local cafes for a fraction of the cost.

 

Horse and carriage rides are available from the hotel side of the Cathedral and these are a very pleasant way of seeing the city for an hour. Another popular way to see the city is the HOHO bus but, as Malaga old city is so pedestrian friendly, I would suggest you just wander around on foot.

 

Your hotel is opposite the Parque de Mar where bus no. 35 goes from - this will take you up to Gibralfaro Castle. Just below the castle is the Gibralfaro Parador hotel - a lovely place to call for a Coffee, glass of Vino or a full (not cheap) meal.

 

You say that you arrive at 2 p.m. - well by then the city will be in siesta mode until shops etc. re-open at 5 p.m. so I suggest you do as the locals do and have a lie down for a few hours then hit the city in the evening when it buzzes from around 8.30 onwards into the wee hours.

 

Do try some of the excellent Tapas Bars, don't miss a walk round the Cathedral, and the Castle and Alcazaba are 'must sees'. The myriad small streets around the Calle Granada area (less than 5 minutes walk from your hotel) are great for finding little shops full of local treasures such as handmade Silver jewellery and Flamenco dresses. Should you want a relaxing beach day before you leave Malaga you can either stay in the city and visit Malagueta Beach or get a bus or train to neighbouring Torremolinos where, even in February, many of the Chiringuitos (beach restaurants) will be open; think Feb 12th is a Thursday so Torremolinos street market will also be on.

 

Hope this helps.

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Campolady-you are wonderful. That helps us so very much and from that, we can make our plans. We appreciate your help so much! Wishing you a wonderful summer and on and on!!

 

Oh, how kind of you to say so; it is my pleasure to try to help.

 

By the way, for a mid-morning snack join the many, many locals at Casa Aranda for Churros and Chocolate only a 5 minute walk from your hotel - see http://www.globalcitybreak.co.uk/gastonomy/malaga/257-chocolate-and-churros-at-casa-aranda-in-malaga. Casa Aranda is one of the oldest bars in Malaga and is famous for the best Churros in the city so be prepared to have to queue for a table but the wait is well worth it.

 

Just don´t think of the calories or Cholesterol LOL

Edited by campolady
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  • 1 month later...

Thank you for all your posts Campolady I have read through them with interest.

We will be on the Eclipse arriving in August. Although we have been flying in to Malaga and hiring a car to go to Calahonda for over 20 years we have never actually visited the city of Malaga. We had booked a trip to the caves before I found your posts but are now thinking of cancelling in favour of the city.

Does the port run shuttles to the port gates?

Could you please tell me where the number 35 stops and where you buy tickets. Do you know the time table or could you post a link?

Or where the taxi rank is situated. We would like to follow your advice and head up to the castle and walk down.

Thank you.

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Thank you for all your posts Campolady I have read through them with interest.

We will be on the Eclipse arriving in August. Although we have been flying in to Malaga and hiring a car to go to Calahonda for over 20 years we have never actually visited the city of Malaga. We had booked a trip to the caves before I found your posts but are now thinking of cancelling in favour of the city.

Does the port run shuttles to the port gates?

Could you please tell me where the number 35 stops and where you buy tickets. Do you know the time table or could you post a link?

Or where the taxi rank is situated. We would like to follow your advice and head up to the castle and walk down.

Thank you.

 

Hi Welshfamily

 

I would definitely stay in Malaga rather than going to the caves; although there is a network of caves only one cavern is open to the public.

 

The port runs a shuttle train to the port gates that costs 3€; some cruise ships run their own shuttles that are sometimes free and sometimes dearer than the train depending on the cruise line. Taxis are available at the cruise terminal.

 

The no. 35 bus goes from the far side of the Paseo del Parque which is a 5 minutes walk from the port gates (go straight across the road from the port gates and veer slightly to your right when you can't miss the park- you can get a free map from the port terminal). There is a long stretch of bus stops at the far side of the park so just look for the stand marked 35 - each stand has an electronic notice board telling you how long you should wait for the next bus; you buy tickets from the driver Sorry, I haven't got a bus timetable but THINK they were roughly every forty minutes.

 

Personally, I would take a taxi from the cruise terminal up to the Castle as it won't cost you much more than paying for a shuttle and a bus and will be a lot quicker.

 

Hope this helps.

 

By the way, if you do go the the Caves be prepared for the photographers who take your picture as you enter the cavern; these pictures are not cheap and it can be difficult to get past the photo sellers who lurk at the cavern exit without buying!

Edited by campolady
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FOR WELSHFAMILY (continuation of my previous post) - Have found the bus times for you that are suitable times for going up to the castle:-

11.00

11.45

12.35

13.25

14.00

 

Usually I do recommend that people take the bus but as it will be very hot in August I would take a taxi direct from the cruise terminal.

Edited by campolady
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  • 2 weeks later...
hi campolady

can you tell me about how much is a taxi to Malaga airport? or how easy is public transport to get there

thanks

angelina

 

A taxi will cost about 25 Euro - there will be an additional cost for extra luggage or a night time ride.

 

A75 Express Airport-Malaga City Bus - The Malaga City Bus A75 has a journey time of approximately 15-25 minutes depending on the time of day. The single fare is 3 Euro per person. The nearest stop from the port gates is Paseo del Parque (Plaza del General Torrijos) - the walk from the port gates to the bus stop takes about 5 minutes.

 

The number 19 bus will also take you there for about 2€ per person but this is a longer journey.

 

You could also walk over to the Alameda railway station where trains run to the airport every 20 minutes (about 7 minutes from the port entrance).

 

As the walk from the cruise terminal to the port gates is 1.5 kilometers, I would just get in a taxi at the terminal building.

Edited by campolady
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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi campolady,

 

Thanks for all the info, looking forward to our visit to Malaga with P&O next Tuesday.

 

A question that is a bit more unusual :) - can you please tell me where I can find the official Malaga FC club shop, as I need to buy my son an official football shirt (not a fake one) - something we do in a lot of ports so, as you can imagine, very expensive!

 

Regards,

 

Helen

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Hi Campolady. We are disembarking at Malaga and need to get the bus/coach back to Almeria. Are there taxi´s inside the Port? 2yr ago when Malaga was one of our port stops I remember buses but not taxis. Also if you know where is the bus station or would it be better to get a taxi to the airport as I understand there´s a bus there? We will have 2 suitcases and 2 bits of handluggage. Thanx

 

Sandy in Spain

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Hi Campolady. We are disembarking at Malaga and need to get the bus/coach back to Almeria. Are there taxi´s inside the Port? 2yr ago when Malaga was one of our port stops I remember buses but not taxis. Also if you know where is the bus station or would it be better to get a taxi to the airport as I understand there´s a bus there? We will have 2 suitcases and 2 bits of handluggage. Thanx

 

Sandy in Spain

 

Plenty of taxis parked right next to the terminal building - 10 minute ride to the bus station (too far to walk with luggage).

 

Buses are more frequent from the bus station than from the airport (and taxi fare will be a lot less!). Almeria buses run at http://www.alsa.es/portal/site/Alsa/template.PAGE/menuitem.a2b8c42c4264a03c66c766c7421000e5/?javax.portlet.tpst=28b12525bd34c9fec845c845421000e5&javax.portlet.prp_28b12525bd34c9fec845c845421000e5=_spageview%3D%252FSearchExpeditions.do%26_kraview%3D1&javax.portlet.begCacheTok=com.vignette.cachetoken&javax.portlet.endCacheTok=com.vignette.cachetoken

 

Hope this helps.

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Can you recommend any private tour companies in the Malaga area ?

I have contacted a few but not gotten any reply back.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Cruise Critic Forums mobile app.

 

Sorry - Malaga is so pedestrian friendly/easy to see on your own that I have never made any enquiries about tour companies.

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Sorry - Malaga is so pedestrian friendly/easy to see on your own that I have never made any enquiries about tour companies.

 

 

I was more thinking about tour companies for tours to outside Malaga as we have been many many times to Malaga itself.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Cruise Critic Forums mobile app.

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I am not going to be able to recommend a tour company either.

 

I think the two destinations that cruise passengers think of as Malaga excursions that are outside Malaga are the Alhambra at Granada and Gibraltar. While Gibraltar is another country, Granada is a separate Autonomous Community.

 

These are both destinations that involve risk and therefore I would arrange them only with a ship excursion, due to their distance. They both involve a minimum of 5 hours of transfer time round-trip. Both routes are prone to traffic incidents and possible delays. Then add in the factor that the Alhambra works only with 'Authorized' Guides and this becomes somewhat more restrictive. Gibraltar currently has the added border dispute, with Spain delaying traffic at the border.

 

If one was looking at Mijas village, Marbella/Puerto Banus visits or a beach day transfer this might be more practical and using a private tour company might become more common.

 

If private tours are to become more feasible in this region, the cruise lines would need to start having longer calls at Malaga and for development more frequent calls would be necessary.

 

If you actually start adding up the costs of what is involved in the tour, the cruise line excursions are not really that 'outrageous', for the Alhambra trip, especially.

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Well, Thanks for ...........

There are many more touring options in the Malaga/Andalucia area.

We never do the horrible ship tours. We prefer the personal private tours where we get to see and learn more about the area we are visiting.

I guess the seatch goes on....

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Cruise Critic Forums mobile app.

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Well, Thanks for ...........

There are many more touring options in the Malaga/Andalucia area.

We never do the horrible ship tours. We prefer the personal private tours where we get to see and learn more about the area we are visiting.

I guess the seatch goes on....

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Cruise Critic Forums mobile app.

 

Just tossing out a suggestion as, like you, we rarely do a ship's tour. Have you looked at the Malaga section on TripAdvisor? They are the "sister" company to Cruise Critic (as you probably already know). There are several tour companies reviewed under the Things To Do/Activities section. You could also post your question on their Forum section.

 

As for my hubby and me, we ordered the Malaga Footsteps book recommended by Campolady for our first visit to Malaga this coming September.

 

Good luck with the "hunt."

 

tt

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Also look at the RENFE.es website. Depending on the times of your stopover in Malaga, it is possible to go to Ronda by train. It departs Malaga at about 10.05 and then departs Ronda at about 4.45 pm. But, to do this you need an early arrival and a late departure. there is also the possibility to take the train to Corboba on a day trip.

 

You could also take the bus (http://www.alsa.es) to Nerja.

Edited by VMax1700
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