I was planning 2 nights at the beginning of Semana Santa - Palm Sunday, Monday, then on to Sevilla sometime on Tuesday. I've never been to Malaga. Now I'm thinking that it might be better to drop Madrid (been before) and add those 2 nights to Malaga to have time to see some tourist sights besides the holiday events.
I enjoy art, history, scenic views, museums. I'm not much of a foodie, not into night life or beaches.
Ah Chani! Due to your ample number of wonderful contributions it is a pleasure to be of help to you. We have made Malaga our Andalusia travel base for the past six years. There is am ample to see/do within Malaga and the immediate area to justify investing your time with a visit. Most important, we find the local folks to be warm hearted and welcoming to visitors (much like I am view you due to your positive presence within the RS travel forum).
Safe travels!
Refresh us on your entire plans my dear friend.
You are both so sweet.
Marbles - I am 90% there. Tell me some great sights!!
David - The whole itinerary (with nights)
7 - Barcelona
3 - Valencia (Las Fallas)
2 - Madrid . . . maybe
2 - Malaga (Semana Santa)
4 - Sevilla (Semana Santa)
3 - Cordoba
Flying into Barcelona and out of Madrid. I have a night flight out, so I will go to Barajas from Cordoba by train (via Atocha). Madrid got into the itinerary as a convenient stop between Valencia and Malaga. I can be happy in the Prado and the Thyssen over and over, though Madrid is my least favorite city in Spain. Now that I'm down to detailed planning, it occurred to me that there might be enough to fill 2 days in Malaga before Semana Santa, and eliminating one hotel change is always a plus. . . . staying at the Ibis Centro Ciudad.
Have you been to Baeza and Ubeda in Jaen Province ?
Direct (slow) train from Valencia would eliminate a Madrid connection.
TAL 697 Dep 12:55 VALENCIA-ESTACIO DEL NORD (Spain) Arr 17:45 LINARES-BAEZA (Spain)
http://ubedaybaezaturismo.com/en/
http://www.spain.info/en/reportajes/ubeda_y_baeza_joyas_del_renacimiento_mundial.html
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/522
Train connection to Malaga via Cordoba.
Sorry, David, I don's see what I gain from that. It's a longer train ride to Baeza than to Malaga (and a lot longer than to Madrid - more than twice as long). Then it's an hour more on the train from there to Malaga than from Madrid . . . so more train time, and I wouldn't get to Malaga until late at night on Palm Sunday (looks like the only direct train is in the evening) or I'd only stay one night in Baeza . . . adds 3-4 hours train time for not much more than 1/2 day of sightseeing. I didn't check the travel times with a train change in Cordoba, but I doubt it would save much, if any, and that just adds one more hassle.
Just a suggestion, if you were looking for an alternative. In Spain it's usually fastest via Madrid with the trains.
I see. I thought about a stop in Granada, too. There just aren't "easy" destinations from Valencia for 2 nights.
It looks like there are quite a few sights in Malaga - enough to fill a couple of days, so I'm going to streamline my itinerary, dropping Madrid and spending 2 more nights in Malaga.
If anyone has suggestions for things to see and do, please share.
Thank you!
Some links (but as if you need my help) ...
http://www.malagaturismo.com/es/rutas/malaga-monumental/21
http://www.museopicassomalaga.org/
http://centrepompidou-malaga.eu/
The Picasso museum in Malaga is better than the Picasso museums in several other cities (I'm looking at you, Antibes) and worth a long stop. The new branch of the Thyssen is worth a stop not just for the art but also for the local glitterati.
There is a musical instruments museum shoehorned into an odd space shared with the big underground parking garage at the bottom end of the main street, and they have interesting performers a few time a week in the mid-evening. The Roman theater has been rehabilitated. Several churches worth a short detour.
Note that as RS says, there is also a lot of cookie-cutter Brits-on-holiday pubs and promenade space, but it's pretty easy to figure out which ones those are, and move along.
Just like Granada and Marseille, there's plenty of North African spots to enjoy if you're so inclined.
Here's the music museum:
http://www.musicaenaccion.com/mimma/
Actually, staying at the Ibis over by the river means you'll have no trouble finding the spicier immigrant spots :-)
I suggest using Calle Compania to get over to the Plaza Constitucion -- you'll be going by the Thyssen on your way,
and it's a little easier to figure out than the streetscape to the south.
I'm envious just looking at it on google -- haven't walked around the universidad there yet myself...
Avirose - you mentioned British expats. Can I get scones with clotted cream?
I don't think they'll be as good as in England, but there must be accommodating establishments roughly between Constitution Plaza and the waterfront -- one right across the walkway from the plaza (La Canasta, maybe) is open in the mornings, early by local standards, and I've gotten pastries there.
You can tell whom an establishment is catering to if they have a name like The Velvet Room or JoyBurger or Paris Snack, compared to , say, La Cueva 1900.
