What to do in Malaga

[S&B]

Campolady, I'm currently on the Harmony having just left Malaga. I just wanted to say that there was a twist in the tale of my quest to get to the Alhambra (Spain Day Tours cancelled our booking as could not get tickets)

Found out on day 3 of the cruise that Ship was offering an excursion afterall. It was not advertised online. Apparently Royal took up a strict limited allocation of tickets-- just one bus -- two days before leaving Southampton, so I grabbed the chance. Ship also had to give names two days in advance, don't know why. Did not get to see Granada itself but very happy to see the palaces!

 

We have a reservation with Spain Day Tours which has been confirmed but I am concerned that they cancelled dutchclogs booking to Alhambra. Does anyone know if this has happened before or since. We are going to be there in October and there are three ships in port that day. Would it be possible there are other days Spain Day Tours cannot get tickets?

 

Thanks for any information

[campolady]

We have a reservation with Spain Day Tours which has been confirmed but I am concerned that they cancelled dutchclogs booking to Alhambra. Does anyone know if this has happened before or since. We are going to be there in October and there are three ships in port that day. Would it be possible there are other days Spain Day Tours cannot get tickets?

 

Thanks for any information

 

Spain Day Tours have a good reputation and Dutchclogs is the only person I know to have had tickets cancelled; October generally has more Alhambra availability than June when she wanted to visit. You can always check up to date availability on the Alhambra website to see whether tickets are still available for the date you are booked for http://www.alhambra.org/eng/index.asp?secc=/inicio If I were you I would contact Spain Day Tours and ask if they can guarantee that your booking will be honoured - if they prevaricate you may be better booking cancelling and booking a ships excursion instead.

Edited June 27, 2016 by campolady

[dutchclogs]

Spain Day Tours have a good reputation and Dutchclogs is the only person I know to have had tickets cancelled; October generally has more Alhambra availability than June when she wanted to visit. You can always check up to date availability on the Alhambra website to see whether tickets are still available for the date you are booked for http://www.alhambra.org/eng/index.asp?secc=/inicio If I were you I would contact Spain Day Tours and ask if they can guarantee that your booking will be honoured - if they prevaricate you may be better booking cancelling and booking a ships excursion instead.

 

Hi, just came across this post. FWIW I very much agree with Campolady. I have heard of just one other instance of SDT cancelling, we were undoubtedly unlucky.

I was told that the company gets tickets through route not available to the public but my experience suggests that if there is little availability at time of booking one cannot rely on tickets becoming available, if that makes sense.

 

If they can confirm ticket availability I would be confident tour would go ahead. Having toured in a ship excursion group of 27, I'd agree that a smaller group definitely has its merits!

[Mamareeb]

Hi Campolady,

 

Your posts have been enormously helpful in planning my family's port day in Malaga. Can you help me with a suggestion on the best way to get to the Automobile museum? We are a family of 6 - 2 adults and 4 children ages 7-16. I plan for us to visit Alcazaba first. We are in good shape and hope to beat the heat with an early start up the hill. Then on to the Automobile and Fashion museum, with a stop for snacks and drinks in between.

 

The museum website states it is on the Green Line tourist bus route. This looks to me like a part of the HOHO that we do not plan to use. Is that correct? Finding a taxi that holds 6 can be tricky. Are the EMT buses fairly straight forward and do you know the prices by chance? The green line would be easiest, but when you have to multiply everything by 6 it really adds up!

 

Thanks for any input,

Rebecca

[campolady]

Hi Campolady,

 

Your posts have been enormously helpful in planning my family's port day in Malaga. Can you help me with a suggestion on the best way to get to the Automobile museum? We are a family of 6 - 2 adults and 4 children ages 7-16. I plan for us to visit Alcazaba first. We are in good shape and hope to beat the heat with an early start up the hill. Then on to the Automobile and Fashion museum, with a stop for snacks and drinks in between.

 

The museum website states it is on the Green Line tourist bus route. This looks to me like a part of the HOHO that we do not plan to use. Is that correct? Finding a taxi that holds 6 can be tricky. Are the EMT buses fairly straight forward and do you know the prices by chance? The green line would be easiest, but when you have to multiply everything by 6 it really adds up!

 

Thanks for any input,

Rebecca

 

The cheapest way is to walk back to the main thoroughfare 'Alameda Principal' - 5 minutes walk from the bottom of the Alcazaba - then take bus 16 that stops at the Tabacalera building the home of the Automobile Museum; if I am reading the bus website correctly http://www.emtmalaga.es/emt-classic/home.html the bus stop number on the Alameda is 1605 and the Tabacalera stop is number 1530 on Avenida Sor Teresa Prat. Buses are frequent and reliable - buy your tickets on board; not sure of the current fare but it should be less than 2 Euros per person.

 

Yes, the Green Line is the HOHO bus.

Edited July 3, 2016 by campolady

[campolady]

Are the EMT buses fairly straight forward and do you know the prices by chance?

 

Rebecca - Further to my previous reply to your query, I can now confirm that the bus fare is just 1.30 Euro per person.

[Mamareeb]

Thanks so much campolady!

[campolady]

MALAGA FERIA 2016 - If you are in Malaga between 13th and 20th August do not miss going into the city centre to join in the amazing Malaga Feria (Fiesta). Music, dancing, foods and drink, national costumes - the city will be buzzing.

Info - http://www.andalucia.com/festival/malaga-feria.htm

Photos - https://uk.images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=A9mSs2i0JqBXs4AA9cVLBQx.;_ylu=X3oDMTByZmVxM3N0BGNvbG8DaXIyBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNzYw--?p=Malaga+Feria&fr=yfp-t-404-s

 

If you have an overnight stop in the city the Feria Ground just outside the city centre (free bus service) is the place to be for the fairground celebrations that go on until dawn each day of Feria week.

Edited August 2, 2016 by campolady

[mattR]

Taxi ended up costing us 20 euros to go up to the castle I said no it's only supposed to be 10 he said no that's just to go downtown. Didn't argue as whats 10 euros when your spending $10,000 on the trip. He tried to sell us a tour for 2 hours at 80 once we said no to that he offered a 3 hour tour for 60 but we declined as we knew what we were doing for the day and didn't need a tour. The entrance to the Alcazaba is at the bottom of the hill I thought it would be half way down but you enter at the bottom and then walk up inside the palace.

[2 Loving Cruising]

Campolady you are a real treasure and should be on the tourist bureau's payroll. ;). You have done a lot for Malaga's visitors. I have a question for you. My family will be visiting soon and due to some mobility issues we will not be able to do a lot of walking. We plan to catch the hoho bus at the port entrance and ride the circuit to get an overview of the city. We would like to stop for a tapas and wine lunch some where along the way. Do you have any idea which hoho bus stop might be closest to a nice bar or two? I wish that we could wander around and pick and choose, but that is not possible. Any suggestions that you have would be greatly appreciated. Again thank you for all your input.

[campolady]

Campolady you are a real treasure and should be on the tourist bureau's payroll. ;). You have done a lot for Malaga's visitors. I have a question for you. My family will be visiting soon and due to some mobility issues we will not be able to do a lot of walking. We plan to catch the hoho bus at the port entrance and ride the circuit to get an overview of the city. We would like to stop for a tapas and wine lunch some where along the way. Do you have any idea which hoho bus stop might be closest to a nice bar or two? I wish that we could wander around and pick and choose' date=' but that is not possible. Any suggestions that you have would be greatly appreciated. Again thank you for all your input.[/quote']

 

I would suggest stop number 12 at the Plaza de la Merced where there are many good Tapas Bars and cafes - you will be spoiled for choice http://www.andalucia.com/cities/malaga/plaza-de-la-merced.htm. Our particular favourite is Cortijo de Pepe which is a real Tapas institution for Malaga locals and tourists are made very welcome; the bar has been in business for over 40 years offering a wide range of delicious traditional Tapas. good wines and reasonable prices. Opening times - 12:30 – 16:00 and 20:00– 01:00 Wednesday - Monday. Closed on Tuesdays. Plaza Merced, 2, 29012 Málaga - tel. 952224071. https://www.cortijodepepe.com/

 

Hope this helps.

Edited August 6, 2016 by campolady

[NMLady]

The HOHO stop is right by the port gates - no bus or stop number, just look for the ticket booth. You can walk to the port gates in 15 minutes from the cruise terminal.

 

Is there a shuttle to the port gates from the pier? A fifteen minute walk to the HoHo bus might be fine for some but not for my mobility impaired hubby nor for overweight myself.

[campolady]

Is there a shuttle to the port gates from the pier? A fifteen minute walk to the HoHo bus might be fine for some but not for my mobility impaired hubby nor for overweight myself.

 

There is a shuttle train that takes you to the Parque del Mar that is virtually opposite the port gates - just cross the main road back to the port entrance/HOHO bus stop.

Edited August 7, 2016 by campolady

[NMLady]

There is a shuttle train that takes you to the Parque del Mar that is virtually opposite the port gates - just cross the main road back to the port entrance/HOHO bus stop.

 

Thank you!! Do we catch the shuttle train near the ship? We'll be on NCL Jade.

Any idea of cost of shuttle? We have Euros.

Edited August 7, 2016 by NMLady

[campolady]

 

Thank you!! Do we catch the shuttle train near the ship? We'll be on NCL Jade.

Any idea of cost of shuttle? We have Euros.

 

The shuttle train goes from immediately outside the cruise terminal building and costs 5 Euros per person (not sure if that is the return or one way fare as we have never used it). If there are more than 2 of you a taxi to the port entrance will cost 10 Euros for up to 4 people - due to one way systems a taxi has to go a long way round as it cannot drive through part of the port.

[NMLady]

The shuttle train goes from immediately outside the cruise terminal building and costs 5 Euros per person (not sure if that is the return or one way fare as we have never used it). If there are more than 2 of you a taxi to the port entrance will cost 10 Euros for up to 4 people - due to one way systems a taxi has to go a long way round as it cannot drive through part of the port.

 

Thank you for the additional information. There are only two of us.

 

You are indeed a treasure -- very generous and thoughtful to answer so many questions from people, thoroughly and promptly.

[alwayslost]

Hi campolady,

 

Seems this will be a Do It Yourself day for Malaga for us. Thank you for all the helpful information. I know it's several months away (arriving Jan. 4 2017, via Norwegian Spirit:). Do you know of a website where I can easily get a street map of the area so we can easily meander around? We dock at 7 am and leave at 5 pm.

 

We are traveling with our 15 year old son. Thinking of the automobile museum and the castle. Any other suggestion that he would enjoy?

 

I do like art, but shamefully I am not sophisticated enough to appreciate Picasso or modern art. I like the renaissance, realist, and impressionist. Any museums you recommend?

 

Thinking of doing the churros and coffee (in the morning), if we can get off the cruise ship early. Aside from that any suggestion? We just really want to experience the local culture.

 

Also, any suggestion of what we should buy in Malaga to bring home. I usually buy a souvenir that I can use and will keep for a long time. I typically buy some type of artwork or something I can use - like plates, tablecloth, etc....

 

Thanks again!

[campolady]

Hi campolady,

 

Seems this will be a Do It Yourself day for Malaga for us. Thank you for all the helpful information. I know it's several months away (arriving Jan. 4 2017, via Norwegian Spirit:). Do you know of a website where I can easily get a street map of the area so we can easily meander around? We dock at 7 am and leave at 5 pm.

 

We are traveling with our 15 year old son. Thinking of the automobile museum and the castle. Any other suggestion that he would enjoy?

 

I do like art, but shamefully I am not sophisticated enough to appreciate Picasso or modern art. I like the renaissance, realist, and impressionist. Any museums you recommend?

 

Thinking of doing the churros and coffee (in the morning), if we can get off the cruise ship early. Aside from that any suggestion? We just really want to experience the local culture.

 

Also, any suggestion of what we should buy in Malaga to bring home. I usually buy a souvenir that I can use and will keep for a long time. I typically buy some type of artwork or something I can use - like plates, tablecloth, etc....

 

Thanks again!

 

The motor museum and castle sound ideal for your son - he may also enjoy a horse and carriage ride around the city that you can board at the rear of the Cathedral. For art the Carmen Thyssen museum would suit you well http://www.andalucia.com/cities/malaga/museums/thyssen.htm . I don't know the best street map but found this one that seems quite good http://24timezones.com/onlinemap/spain_malaga.php; you can collect 'proper' paper maps from the port or any tourist information office.

 

The most famous Malaga souvenir is the Malaga Wine - fortified wine similar to Sherry which you must sample during your time in the city; Casa de Guardia, where the Wines are served direct from the cask, is a Malaga institution that should not be missed http://www.casadeguardia.com/! In the narrow back streets of the old city you will find several jewellery shops specialising in Silver items for which Malaga is renowned. Flamenco wear shops abound so a pair of specialised shoes may be a good souvenir. There are many shops around Calle Granada where you can buy ceramics and tablecloths but these tend to be of the more touristy type.

 

Hope this helps - have a wonderful day in Malaga.

Edited August 9, 2016 by campolady

[alwayslost]

Thank you Campolady. Really appreciate the information.

 

Also, any suggestion on what to do? Many of our best memories when we travel is when we do something like biking, kayaking, scuba diving, etc. Any suggestion of that sort we can do around the area? We are arriving in January, so doing anything with the water I think would be cold. right? Any biking area?

[campolady]

Thank you Campolady. Really appreciate the information.

 

Also, any suggestion on what to do? Many of our best memories when we travel is when we do something like biking, kayaking, scuba diving, etc. Any suggestion of that sort we can do around the area? We are arriving in January, so doing anything with the water I think would be cold. right? Any biking area?

 

You may find this of interest http://www.biketoursmalaga.com/en/

[BHVOL]

Can you suggest a private driver/guide out of Malaga? We want to do a 1/2 day in Ronda and I 1/2 day in Marbella.

[campolady]

Can you suggest a private driver/guide out of Malaga? We want to do a 1/2 day in Ronda and I 1/2 day in Marbella.

 

Sorry - I don't know any private drivers.

[kazu]

Hi Campolady,

 

We are going to be in Spain during Semana Santa next year. Yay!

 

We will be in Malaga on April 11th, 2017 (Tuesday before Easter) followed by Cartagena & Barcelona.

 

The last time we were in Malaga at Easter time there were processions during the day and the evening.

 

Do you think there is a possibility that there will be processions on Tuesday during the day? and if so, how could I find out about them ahead of time to make sure we are in the right place? (Ie., link to newspaper, etc. - DH and I read Spanish).

 

Thank you so much for you help :)

Edited August 14, 2016 by kazu

[campolady]

Hi Campolady,

 

We are going to be in Spain during Semana Santa next year. Yay!

 

We will be in Malaga on April 11th, 2017 (Tuesday before Easter) followed by Cartagena & Barcelona.

 

The last time we were in Malaga at Easter time there were processions during the day and the evening.

 

Do you think there is a possibility that there will be processions on Tuesday during the day? and if so, how could I find out about them ahead of time to make sure we are in the right place? (Ie., link to newspaper, etc. - DH and I read Spanish).

 

Thank you so much for you help :)

 

Martes Santo/Holy Tuesday processions are generally at night - the main daytime ones take place Thursday to Saturday. Having said that, you may well find that one of the smaller processions takes place in the backstreets of the city during your time in port. Unfortunately the schedules are not published until much nearer the time - usually just a week before Semana Santa - you can see the list the weekend before on the Malaga Hoy newspaper webpage. I will also post the schedule on here as soon as I know it.

Edited August 14, 2016 by campolady

[kazu]

Martes Santo/Holy Tuesday processions are generally at night - the main daytime ones take place Thursday to Sunday. Having said that, you may well find that one of the smaller processions takes place in the backstreets of the city during your time in port. Unfortunately the schedules are not published until much nearer the time - can be as late as just a month before Semana Santa. I will post the schedule on here as soon as I know it.

 

Thank you so much campolady :)

 

How very kind of you :).

 

I'll check Barcelona as we get closer to the time as we are there on Thursday.

 

The procession we saw in Malaga last time was truly marvellous.

 

I suspected it would be in the evening, but thought it wouldn't hurt to ask.

 

 

Many, many thanks for your help :)