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Advice Needed: Ronda & Setenil Tour vs. Full Day in Málaga

Posted by (Florida) on

I’m looking for advice on whether to book a semi-private tour from Málaga to Ronda and Setenil de las Bodegas during my cruise. My ship will be stopping at the ports listed below, and I’m trying to decide how to spend my time in Málaga.
Would visiting Ronda and Setenil de las Bodegas offer a unique experience compared to the other destinations on my itinerary — and would it be worth the approximately 3.5-hour round-trip drive? My alternative is to spend the entire day exploring Málaga while the ship is in port.
I would greatly appreciate any recommendations or insights.

Cruise Ports/Activity
Barcelona Port => Barcelona
Cadiz Port (day 1) => Cadiz
Cadiz Port (day 2) => Day trip to Seville
Malaga Port => Malaga or day trip to Ronda and Setenil de las Bodegas
Cartagena Port => Cartagena
Valencia Port => Valencia
Motril Port => Day trip to Granada
Portimao Port => Day trip to Alvor & Ferragudo
Gibraltar Port => Gibraltar

Posted by
863 posts

Having lived near Malaga for a number of years, I'd opt to stay in Malaga.
The old centre is wonderful to wander. It has a hilltop alcazar, Roman ruins, a Picasso musuem, another great art museum, cathedral.
Great tapas bars.
Near to the cruise terminal is a modern small marina with great shops and restaurants.

Ronda is small but is the home of modern (19th c) bull flighting. The gorge is spectacular. The scenery on the drive via Sntenil is great.
But it is nearly 4 hours on a coach.

Posted by
8485 posts

Lin did a good job of summarizing the locations. To me it comes down to whether you want to visit a couple small towns or a large city.

Both Ronda and Setenil will have plenty of tourists. On a tour you may not have much time to wander on your own and you could end up feeling like you were just herded from place to place.

Look at photos of the smaller towns to see if they may be of interest to you. Also research things to do in Malaga to see what interests you.

Posted by
720 posts

We loved Malaga; Ronda not so much (super crowded and touristy). So given those options, I too would opt for Malaga. Another option, though, might be a day trip to El Caminito del Rey. Walking the El Caminito was a highlight of our trip to Andalucia: https://www.caminitodelrey.info/en

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