3-4 weeks with outside Malaga

Hi Mary,

I can recommend 4 possible towns just outside Málaga that you can search for an Airbnb. You can find good rates for Airbnbs at the following Costa del Sol towns which are very near Málaga.

Torrenmolinos , Marbella, Fuengirola, and Nerja. Marbella and Nerja are must see places.

http://www.explorenerja.com/

Thank you so much.

You are welcome Mary. As your trip approaches and if there is a need to obtain more info, message me.

Take care

Mary,
Are you planning to take day trips from your base location?

Do check a map to figure out the distances between the places you’d like to visit before settling down.

What’s your itinerary?

If you’re planning to visit the Alhambra, make sure you book you tickets 3 months in advance.

Enjoy your trip!

I'd have a read through the article I've linked below - I'll mention Cartama as a good option, with regular bus services, but parts might be too hilly? I will say that neither Torremolinos nor Fuengirola sound like what you're looking for. They're more major seaside resorts than small towns (and in March not at their best, perhaps). Compared to these, I think you might be better off just choosing to stay in Malaga city centre itself which has good public transport links (rail & coach), for many day-trip options and plenty of its own sights.

http://www.andalucia.com/villages/malaga.htm

It depends on what you want to do and how far from Malaga you’re willing to travel to. To me, Marbella, Fuengirola and Torremolinos and filled with UK ex-pats and don’t provide a true Spanish feel that other parts of Spain provide. Not certain about March, but there is lively nightlife during the main tourist season and would be comparable to many resorts in Mexico. They are close to the beach. If that’s what you are trying to avoid, then I’d look elsewhere. I avoid the Costa del Sol since that’s not I look for when visiting Span. Personally, I’d look east of Malaga, Nerja, Motrin, and Almeria area. A couple I know just spent a week at a resort in Marbella and enjoyed it, but they had a car to get around.

I recommend staying in Malaga. We loved it! I think Malaga is an under-rated city. The city center is beautiful; it’s pedestrianized, and has lovely architecture. It’s clean, and has lots of restaurants and cafes. There is also lots to do in Malaga, such as the Alcazaba, with ruins, lush greenery, beautiful flowers, small patios, fountains, and gorgeous views of the harbor and the Mediterranean. There is the Castillo, Roman theater, cathedral, promenade along the port, and many art museums. And you have the beach right there, too. Not sure if it’s beach weather in March, though.

Another vote for Malaga itself. A fantastic city, not as chaotic as the word city implies, on the sea, ideal for traveling with public transport, loads to see and do in and around, and most of all not 'just for tourists.'...... here's a longer description of our stay March last year
https://slowtravelitalyspain.blogspot.com/2019/01/malaga-in-march-trip-report.html?m=1
We are going back for a longer stay in a fortnight :)

Thank you so much for the link to your description of your week in Malaga. It sounds wonderful and you gave all the information that I need I think to make a decision that that’s where we will go. It sounds like a perfect place for a vacation and in March anything will be better than Northern Michigan so my expectations are not that high weatherwise. This forum is so helpful and people are so kind to leave all this information for us thanks again. Mary

Mary - Look into Nerja before finalizing on Malaga. Nerja is a jewel coastal small town with great beaches and a very short distance to Malaga. So if you want a slower pace and reasonable accomodations, Nerja is the way to go. You can enjoy the fruits of a big city without staying in it. Malaga to Nerja is 35 miles apart in distance.

The train from Malaga airport to Nerja station is the quickest and easiest option, taking around 15 mins. Trains depart every 30 minutes. There are daily departures from Malaga to Nerja, roughly every hour or so, starting at around 7:00am and finishing at around 11:00pm.

I totally agree with the two posters above your response. We also love Malaga! We spent four weeks there this past March to get out of MN winter. We are returning March of 2020. While there we took the bus to Nerja, Marbella, Seville and Granada. Transport very easy though, of course, we spent 2-3 nights each in Seville and Granada. We walked to the beach most days and sometimes we stayed to read or wander and other days it was too windy for us to stay long. Temp in 60's and sunny most days. Lots to keep you interested and busy in the clean and attractive city center!