The Old Town historic area in Marbella is amazingly beautiful. I recommend at least an hour of just…read morewalking around, photographing all you see, because there is incredible architecture and landscaping everywhere you turn. Every inch of this place is a postcard-perfect picture. Tropical climbers everywhere, bougainvillea galore. As with many Andalucian towns, geraniums have a big spotlight in the pots mounted to the walls. Palms, citrus trees, Hypericum, Kalanchoe, and impressive succulents, among many more. Marbella, like most of the Costa del Sol towns, is an upscale vacation destination, for visitors from around the world. There is a particularly large English ex-pat community in this town. Tons of posh shopping, and gorgeous restaurants. The beautiful beaches are not a far walk from the old town, but I recommend visiting them separately, in separate time blocks, with different outfits. The old town is kind of dressy, if you want to fit in and not look too obviously touristic. We found out the hard way that the old quarter is pretty much a walking-only district, and you need to dispense of your car in one of the nearby parking garages (which are NOT cheap, capping at 35€ per day, more than twice that of cities in the Cadiz province). Street parking is pretty much unavailable; there are so many cars parked everywhere, you can drive for hours and not find a single spot (and this was our experience in the off-season). There are tourism offices available, but there are plenty of directory-type maps on the street, to guide you through the old town. There are a number of really charming squares in the old quarter, but Plaza de los Naranjos is the most well-known. There are some extremely good restaurants in this city, with great Michelin reviews, but you will pay big bucks for most of them. We had a list of places in the old town that looked great, but sadly, most of these places close for the season, or at least for a month or so in the winter, and we hit them at the wrong time. There are still many winter dining options, but too many had those creepy pictures of the plate of food on a sandwich board out front, and I just couldn't do it. Decided to wait for our next stop. All in all the old town of Marbella is one of the most beautiful towns I have ever seen. The local Spanish population was friendly, but there was high sales pressure in the shops. Tourists attracted to this location are the see-and-be-seen type, which is not my fave. Traffic and parking absolutely suck, and prices are HIGH. Had the restaurants I wanted to visit been open, I think I wouldn't have minded the quirks, but I left old town pretty hungry.

Beautiful square in Marbella's old town. The name comes from 1941, when the town removed the palm…read moretrees that used to populate this square, and planted orange trees (prior to the palms, there had been chestnut trees). This is one of the most well-known spots along the Costa del Sol. Beautiful place to sit and enjoy the breathtaking architecture and horticulture. Public benches surround the inner part of the square, with cafes along the perimeter. Interesting aesthetic details are all over the place, even the pebble mosaics on the paved ground. Plaza de los Naranjos (Orange Square) is in a walkable zone, so do not try to drive to it. Best to park in a nearby garage and walk through the old town to get there. Worth the walk and the parking fee just to see this lovely square... and the adjacent Plaza De la Iglesia, a very short walk away.

Puente Viejo is a bridge as you'd have guessed, the oldest one built in Ronda in 1616. Easy to…read moreremember. It's very easy to find, like everything else in Ronda, just grab a map - a self guided walking tour and follow the main drag. Everything is close by, within walking distance. The bridge is old, beautiful, take a break for a while to take all the details in and the amazing views all around! Roman bridge with some Moorish influences, a great example of Andalusian architecture. Pedestrian only, a wonderful sight!

The Puente Viejo (old bridge) in Ronda, was built on remains of an older bridge. According to…read moreSpanish touring sites, this version of the bridge was built in the 16thC, however, Wikipedia claims it was built in 1616 (the year of Shakespeare's death). I would tend to go with the Spanish info, dating it to the 1500s. The more famous Puente Nuevo (new bridge) is a "young" 200+ years old. While Puente Nuevo allows vehicular traffic, Puente Viejo is a pedestrian-only bridge. It is accessible from lower points in town, down the hill from the Palacio del Rey Moro, on the old side of the city, and near Iglesia de Padre Jesús on the new side. This bridge has great views, but, IMO, not as dramatic as those from Puente Nuevo. Puente Viejo is in Carlos Saura's film version of Carmen (1983). Los Caños bar, nearby, shows photo stills from the movie. * * * TIP * * * Near the old bridge, there is an entrance to walk the INTERIOR of the city walls, to see these old ramparts from the inside. Ask for more info from your hotel, because this is not of widespread tourist knowledge.

At the time of this review, Sierra de las Nieves ("range of the snows") is about to become a…read moreNational Park (it became a Natural Park in 1989). In 1995, it became a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. We drove along the western border of the park, on our way from Marbella to Ronda. The views are breathtaking, and I got to see a lot of what my research on the park described of its terrain. Here is a summary about the park, from my research of various sources: The park surrounds the Sierra de las Nieves mountain range in the Málaga province, in Andalucia. La Torrecilla (1,919 m) is the highest point in the range. It also hosts one of the deepest shafts in Europe (named "GESM"). Lots of limestone in this region gives the park white cliffs, spotted with reddish iron deposits. Sierra de las Nieves has numerous caves, the most well-known are Hoyos del Pilar, Hoyos de Lifa, and Cuevas del Moro. Apparently, the name of the Park came from its snowy peaks, which used to be more plentiful than in our current (warmer) global climate. Back when, the locals stored the snow in "snowfields" and carted it down to the local towns for water. The park harbors Spanish fir forests, and the Mediterranean spruce, that dates to the glacial period in Iberia. One is 500yo, named the Escalereta, a Natural Monument. The forests also contain oaks, cork trees, wild olive trees, ash trees, junipers, carob trees and chestnut trees. **Local black pigs survive on acorns from these trees, and their cured ham (pata negra) is a local delicacy. Fauna here are typical of southern Spain, and include mountain goats, muflons, meloncillo (a kind of mongoose), roe deer, and otters. This is a destination for bird watching tours, with Griffin vultures, golden eagles, eagle owls, royal owls, goshawks and hawks. This pristine park has never been inhabited except for a smattering of villages, hence it is very unspoiled terrain. Camping is no longer permitted in the park. Park activities include, hiking, bird watching, mountain biking (with tours such as Monda-Istán), mountain climbing, and horseback-riding.

Large, beautiful park in Marbella. It runs along a huge boulevard (Avda. Ramón y Cajal), is near a…read moretourism office, and abuts the boundary of the old town, so it is hard to miss. Alameda (sometimes written Alhameda) has a very late-19thC/early-20thC look to it. There are botanical gardens in the park (another mania of the era mentioned). This made sense when I read the history of the park, which dates to the 18thC, but had a major rehaul in the late 19thC, to give it its present look. During the reno, they got rid of former attractions, like a pond, a niche for the Christ of the Alameda, and the Cross of the Mentidero. The foliage in this park is really lush, with a lot of banana palms, rubber plants, Ficus Pandurata, and sandy pines. Tons of places to sit and people-watch. There are gorgeous tiled areas in the squares formed within the grid of the park, and then sandy-gravely walking paths to ramble from point to point. Many benches are concrete forms, clad in hand-painted tiles, in an Andalusian style. The Fuente Virgen del Rocio, shown in my photo, is in the center of the park, and is the pièce de résistance, however, I thought watching people go by, particularly school groups of Spanish kids touring, was the most fun. There are a bunch of cafes surrounding the park, many were extremely cheesy and touristy, but some had a lot of Spanish locals eating there, and appeared to be good for authentic tapas.

The Puente Nuevo (New Bridge) is the most emblematic monument of the Malaga city of Ronda…read more Built between 1751 and 1793, until 1839 it was the highest bridge in the world with a height of 98 meters (about 300 feet). It unites the historic and modern areas of the city by crossing the Ronda tajo, a gorge excavated by the Guadalevín River. The Puente Nuevo constitutes, together with the Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza de Caballería de Ronda, the symbol and soul of the city. That is why it has been declared a Natural Monument of Andalusia in April 2019. We walked across it and also down the gorge to take some of the most iconic pictures of the bridge. The trek is tough with a steep uphill, but worth every minute.

This place is a definite must see if you're in the southern coast of Spain. The view from and…read morearound the bridge is just stunning. There are no admission fees, but if you want to visit the lower levels of the bridge, there is a small fee. Be aware to get here, the road can be steep, winding, and narrow. It can be a bit challenging, especially traveling at night. Located in the town of Ronda, there are plenty of restaurants in the town to try out. Numerous gift shops are also present for your wants.

Entered the Plaza after walking down the backside of the Gibralfaro Castle,…read more The Plaza de la Merced is the public square located in central Málaga. It dates back to the Romans and the market place since the 15th century, hence the name, mercado- market. Here is a statue of Pablo Picasso, since his childhood home is at number 15 in the plaza. The house is now a museum and headquarters of the Pablo Ruiz Picasso Foundation. There is also a statue of General Riego, it honors him and 48 of his friends who killed by orders of Ferdinand VII for their part in the 1820 uprising. At the time of my visit in 2024, there were not many trees for shade. There was a lot of construction at one end of the plaza. So in the summer be prepared for the hot sun

Plaza de la Merced has many reasons why people visit...first of all, the square is a nice relaxing…read morespot not far from the historic center. Then it is right by the Picasso birthplace museum and house. Also, it's full of nice open patio restaurants where people can eat or drink while doing some nice people-watching. Several gay businesses, bars and restaurants are located around this area, making it the "rainbow" section of Malaga. During late April and early May, the Jacaranda trees start blooming and the beautiful purple flowers make this a great place to visit. There's a market on Sunday mornings in the square.

More than a beach city in the south of Spain…read more Yes, it does have 16 beaches, one in the city center. But does offer way more than lazy sunny days relaxing on the beach. It is the birthplace of Pablo Picasso. And full of various cultural sites. I suggest an early morning hike up to Gibralfaro Castle, as the path is not fully shaded and the line for entry can get long. It is one of the largest Arab fortresses in the area. From here you can look out to the Mediterranean, the historic old city and Plaza de Toro de la Malagueta bull ring. On the back side back down in the city is a fabulously preserved Roman theater, the city museum, and the Cathedral de la Encarnation. The entire day can be spent wandering this great old area, with a few stops at small cafes for a snack and occasional coffee or sangria. Food and drink here are affordable and delicious. For unique and incredible fresh grilled seafood, head back down to the beach and enjoy the grilled sardines on skewers.

Last weekend I was in Malaga and, while I was having breakfast on the terrasse of a café, a woman…read moredistributed flyers. I usually don't take flyers. But here I was in Spain so maybe flyers were interesting. And it was ! After wandering through the beautiful city, we found the place. hidden in the patio of an old building. Away from the sun, we felt some fresh air and walk in the craft market. I just love so much how it feels to walk from table to table and admire craft ! It feels so personal. Someone made something and you are about to acquire a unique piece of Art ! We sat for a while, drank a coke. Loved it I highly recommend the place and the market :)

Seriously cool place to have a beer!…read more We walked past this place one day while walking off the beaten path. we made a mental note to come back for for a few beers. So we came back for a few beers. And cheap mind you. You won't break the bank here. Doesn't feel very touristy, felt more like a place where locals hang. And had a arty farty vibe. I saw a bloke sitting at a table on his own reading a book and drinking a beer. I love feel of this place. It's set back off the road into a giant garden patio. I think they hold lots of events here. I saw a list of events, but didn't really pay much attention. I think I may wind up a regular here!