Alhaurin el Grande [about 10 mins] is a delightful typical Andalucian small town. Situated at the foot of the northern slopes of the Mijas mountains, Alhaurin provides wonderful views over the Guadalhorce valley which is rich in fruit and vegetable patches, and olive and cereal groves . .
 
Ronda [about 30 mins] is a stunning clifftop town. Hemmingway wrote "Death in the afternoon" here, Orson Welles is buried here and Spain's oldest bullring is also here.

Places to Visit

Mijas [about 10 mins]
At one time, the only way up to Mijas was along a donkey trail through the mountains from Benalmadena. Today it is one of the largest municipalities on the Costa del Sol and a very popular attraction with its famous donkey taxis, horse-drawn carriages, gift shops, cafe bars and a magnificent view across to the Mediteranean.

Malaga [about 30 mins] is the capital of the Costa Del Sol and has rail and bus services serving all the major cities and attractions of Andalusia. It is a fine city, rich in history. The old town, at the heart of Malaga, radiates from the cathedral and includes such splendours as the Museo de Bellas Artes, Picasso's birthplace and the Moorish Castle de Gibalfaro.

Ronda's magnificent roman bridge spans a deep gorge with a classic Moorish 'Pueblo Blanco' on one side and the newer town of El Mercadillo on the other.

 

Take the train from Malaga to Ronda and you will see the breathtaking scenery which includes the El Chorro canyon.

Alora [about 30 mins] is one of the most ancient towns in the province. Steep streets lined with lemon trees lead you to many interesting places including the "Cruz del Humilladero" that commemorates the handing over of the keys to Alora by the last Arabic mayor to the Catholic Kings in 1484. The old part of the city is at the foot of the castle from which there is a wonderful view.

Granada and the Alhambra [about 2 hours] - are truly magical. The Moorish palace (and castle) displays a wealth of beautiful architecture, decoration and civilised living from well over 700 years ago. The adjacent gardens - The Generalife - are similarly capitivating. Washington Irving wrote "Tales of the Alhambra" here and Albenez composed "Requerdos de la Alhambra". One of Europe's jewels, if you can do it choose a less popular time and day to get space to marvel and think.

The Alpujarras [about 2 hours] lies betwen Malaga and Granada. This beautiful self-contained district of hills, valleys, streams and small villages is fed by melt-water from the Sierra Nevada and was one of the last Moorish enclaves. The setting for Chris Stewart's autobiography "Driving over Lemons".