I’ll preface this trip report by saying I’ve had more required changes before a trip started than I’ve ever experienced! Flexibility has been key!
The major train collision occurred north of Cordoba the month before the trip. I immediately changed my RT Madrid flights to RT to Malaga to hopefully minimize transportation issues. Ironically, the storm flooding a few weeks later caused the trains to not run north from Malaga. So that route became a bus, instead. This was something I could work through, but receiving multiple emails of delayed trains, cancelled trains and the cancelled Cordoba evening illumination outdoor show began to make me wander if I’d made the right choice to return to Spain this year.
Last year I came to several of these cities and wrote this trip report “A Widow’s Trip - Southern Spain - February Trip Report”. My goal this year was to return to Cadiz where I hadn’t returned and to have a final February trip in southern Spain before switching to different plans for 2027.
I stay at my airport hotel when I have an early flight to sleep as long as possible for an early flight. I was ready for my three flights the next morning beginning at 6:45am. Upon arriving at Malaga through Minneapolis & Amsterdam, I took the easy metro from the Malaga airport to downtown Malaga. I love easy transportation from the airport after jet lag, and it’s inexpensive.
Malaga: I returned to the Soho Boutique Colon Hotel. It’s the hotel my husband & I stayed at two years ago so I thought it would be nice as a beginning for this trip & nice memories. Lucciano’s Gelato at the end of my block is still excellent! I walked around the center streets, past the view of the castle but mainly to the free botanical garden that borders the main street to both be in the sun & also to steady my body. The last flight had severe turbulence for an hour with an ending punctuation mark of the hardest landing on the tarmac I’ve experienced, so I was feeling a little loopy.
My first full day in Spain began with an excellent hotel breakfast - nice variety, and a refreshing walk over to the waterfront harbor. The parrots were happily squawking in the trees and on the sidewalk. I saw a large banner for a festival in Malaga during my last days of this trip. That sealed the choice that I wouldn’t try to change my flight to leave from Madrid.
I took a taxi to the bus station to spend three days in Cordoba. I could have taken the metro again & walked to the station except it was extremely crowded at this stop going back that direction, so I decided to spend a few “kindness Euros”. It was very few; less than €5 for the taxi!
The bus to Cordoba (no trains running that route) was provided as an extra one for that route, and we didn’t make any stops along the way. It stopped at the station across the street from the Cordoba train station.
Cordoba: For my three days in Cordoba I stayed at the beautiful H10 Palacio Colomera at Plaza de las Tendillas again. I paid for the upgrade again to be facing the plaza with a balcony room. I like evening noise when I’m traveling solo. Select a different side of the hotel if you want a quiet room. Their breakfast is excellent, my room was large with very high ceilings & a modern bathroom, and they have a rooftop lounging area, plus a plunge pool on the 1st floor. (I’m still amazed at the very reasonable price for such a nice hotel - much nicer than I usually pick.)