Andalucia

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Spring on the Coast in Andalucia

A March 2004 trip to Andalucia by Coronado Bob & Berie

Starting in Sevilla, we traveled to Estepona on the Costa Del Sol and then on across the coast of Spain through the Costa Tropical, the Costa Almeria, to Vera on the Costa Calida. We toured Ronda and the "pueblos blancos"-- Gibralter, Mojacar, and Granada.

  • 21 reviews
  • 1 story/tip

Spring on the Coast in AndaluciaBest of IgoUgo

Overview

Estepona, next to Marbella, on the Costa Del Sol was in its off season so there were no crowds. Although the weather was sunny, it was too cool for the beach but okay on some days for lounging by a protected pool. The high city of Ronda with its ancient arched bridge was awesome and a must see. Traveling the coast of Spain through the Costa Tropical and the Costa Almeria to the Costa Calida was truly a scenic drive. With a rental car, we enjoyed wonderful coastal highways. Vera on the Costa Calida is a desert climate but we had an unusual rain and overcast much like San Diego in June. Vera, near the fishing village of Garrucha and the Moorish hill city of Mojacar, is lively and less sophisticated than the Costa Del Sol. The seafood at any restaurant you pick is to die for and inexpensive! A trip back through the mountains alongside the snow-capped peaks of the Sierra Nevada with a night in Granada to tour the Alhambra in the old city is a MUST!

Quick Tips:

In Sevilla and Granada, little English is spoken so be prepared with a Franklin Dictionary or other and struggle with Spanish and French. The Spanish Coasts have so many ex-pat. Brits that there is much English. If you have a rental car and stay in quaint hotels in the old cities of Sevilla or Granada, park it outside the perimeter and take a cab to the door as the streets are extremely narrow, one-way, confusing, and scary to drive. Be prepared for having only twin beds in hotels and timeshares and don't count on washing machines for clothing in timeshares. Eat where the locals eat. If renting a car, an International Driving License is required in Spain and you can get one at your local DMV (good for one year).

Best Way To Get Around:

Walk in the cities. Drive the fabulous highways between cities and villages. Parking in cities and villages is limited but there are public parking places for a small price.

Los SeisesBest of IgoUgo

Hotel

Converted from some old ruins, this quaint hotel is in the heart of old Sevilla in the quarter known as Santa Cruz. From the rooftop deck with pool, you can look right at the Cathedral of Seville and La Giralda. It is steps from hundreds of tapas bars and walking distance from the Gualaquivar River promenade and the bullrings.

The rooms are very comfortable, but beware of the twin beds. Amenities included toothbrushes, toothpaste, razor, comb, and the usual shower gel and soap (no shampoo). There is a cute on-site bar and a fine restaurant.

Don't try to drive -- take a cab. The streets are barely car width and one-way, so it is difficult to get anywhere unless you know the way.

  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by Coronado Bob & Berie on April 5, 2004

Los Seises
Segovia Seis Andalucia, Spain

Hotel Palacio Santa InesBest of IgoUgo

Hotel

This is another quaint hotel fashioned from an old palace in the Albaicin section of Granada. Our fourth-floor suite had views of the Alhambra and rooftops of buildings along the river. We had two sitting rooms, a separate bedroom, and a bathroom, which also had windows to the Alhambra and Generalife. Funky art made it unique.

Again, we were in the heart of the old part of the city with many restaurants and tapas bars all around, and within walking distance to cathedrals and the Alhambra. There was no parking at the hotel and the Albaicin is even harder to drive than old Sevilla because the streets are steep hills in addition to being narrow. Find public parking outside of the Albaicin and walk or cab in.

  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by Coronado Bob & Berie on April 5, 2004

Hotel Palacio Santa Ines
Questa de Santa Ines 9 Andalucia, Spain

MacDonald VillacanaBest of IgoUgo

Hotel

Best Things Nearby:
Beaches, marina, mountains, and white-washed pueblo cities (pueblos blancos).

Best Things About the Resort:
On-site grocery with fresh baked croissants and fresh French bread. Resort is well maintained. Pool is sheltered from the wind and the pool and hot tub are heated. Nice gymnasium facilities and the beach is just a short walk through the resort. There is a very nice restaurant on site and a snack restaurant by one of the pools.

Resort Experience:
The resort has a very Mediterranean look with lots of white walls, red tiles, and bougainvillea vines. Small orange and lemon trees are all over the property.

Each unit has its own private courtyard, although the second floors of the units can look into the courtyard next door. Courtyards have a small outdoor grill. The floors and the bathrooms are all made of marble, and the kitchens have granite counters, which makes the units quite nice. The silverware is a complete set, including the very European fish forks and fish knives and the crystal include wine and water goblets, champagnes, liquor glasses etc. There are no VCRs, CD players, or washer/dryers in the units. There is a washer/dryer on site, but the cost is $3 per load of wash. For the spring weather, the best units would be those with afternoon sun on the patio (west side), but in the heat of summer, the east units with morning sun and afternoon shade are likely to be better. The marble floors are very cold at night in the spring requiring slippers, socks, or something worn on the feet.

  • Unit Type: 2 Bedroom
  • Activities: Good
  • Amenities: Very Good
  • Unit Satisfaction: Good
  • Family Friendliness: Excellent
  • Service: Very Good
  • Member Rating 3 out of 5 by Coronado Bob & Berie on April 4, 2004

MacDonald Villacana
Carretera de Cadiz Kilometro 165 Andalucia, Spain

Vera Beach ClubBest of IgoUgo

Hotel

Best Things Nearby:
Beaches, restaurants and bars, a grocery on site, marina and small fishing village, Moorish hillside city of Mojacar.

Best Things About the Resort:
In a quieter location than Costa Del Sol. Excellent on-site restaurant, plus about half a dozen more restaurants within two blocks. Promenade from the resort to the fishing village of Garrucha, which is also filled with restaurants. The units are cute and well equipped. There was a bottle of red wine as a gift in the unit and a complimentary card for bottle of wine with a meal at the on-site Dali Restaurant.

Resort Experience:
The units are in two-story buildings, some with four units, some with two or three, depending on size. They are very close together so the balconies offer no privacy at all. The units are light and airy with lots of windows. There are no dishwashers in the one-bedroom units at least, but there was a washing machine- no dryer. The one-bedroom has only twin beds.

There are two beautiful swimming pools, but the weather did not allow us to determine if they were pleasant to frequent.

  • Unit Type: 1 Bedroom
  • Activities: Good
  • Amenities: Very Good
  • Unit Satisfaction: Good
  • Family Friendliness: Excellent
  • Service: Excellent
  • Member Rating 3 out of 5 by Coronado Bob & Berie on April 4, 2004

Vera Beach Club
Apartemento Correos 198 Andalucia, Spain 04630

Las DunasBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

This is a "beach shack" that is literally on the beach at Cabopino. Outside there are lounges for rent to sun and be served drinks. You have to walk from the beach parking to this restaurant.

It is simple, but the food is wonderful. The specialties are typical coastal Andalucian seafood and tapas. The fried green peppers are to die for and the fried baby squid is fabulously light and tasty.

  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by Coronado Bob & Berie on April 4, 2004

Las Dunas
Campo de Cabopino Andalucia, Spain

The Millionare PubBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

This is a cute little bar near the Vera Beach Club timeshare. It has icy cold beer on tap and you can get on the internet for 20 minutes for one euro. We ate some nachos (Andalucian style) and split a roast beef sandwich. The food is nothing to write home about, but the ambience is the fun part.
  • Member Rating 3 out of 5 by Coronado Bob & Berie on April 5, 2004

The Millionare Pub
Vera Beach Club Andalucia, Spain

Restaurante MalibuBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

We sat on a sunny deck beside a small marina/harbor next to the beach of the only town on the Cabo de Gata, San Jose. Resorts are in the making, but there are fewer than many areas of the Spanish Coast. We selected some delicious crab croquets, mediocre chicken croquets, and an excellent garlic and tomato salad. Once again, the beer was on tap and icy cold.
  • Member Rating 3 out of 5 by Coronado Bob & Berie on April 5, 2004

Restaurante Malibu
Puerto San Jose Andalucia, Spain

La BirraBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

This is a typical family style seafood restaurant in the fishing village of Garrucha. It’s right on the harbor and the main street. They display the fish of the day in a big case of ice in front. On a Sunday afternoon, we saw people eating fresh paellas of several kinds, platters of fried fish and seafood, and local lobsters.

We had a salad and then a platter of fried seafood. It contained calamari, hake, prawns, small lobsters, sardines, and some flaky fish we think were fried anchovies. And we enjoyed cold, cold beer to wash it down!

The place was open and airy, and we could people watch as we enjoyed our Sunday midday meal.

  • Member Rating 3 out of 5 by Coronado Bob & Berie on April 5, 2004

La Birra
Garrucha Garrucha

Chiringuito NeptuneBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

Right on the oceanfront in Mojacar, this little place has a complete meal special for 8.50 euros!! The families pack into it for a midday meal. We sat outside on a patio in the sun and just had a beer before heading on to find a place to have a tapas-type of meal.
  • Member Rating 3 out of 5 by Coronado Bob & Berie on April 5, 2004

Chiringuito Neptune
Mojacar Andalucia, Spain

Chiringuito Kon TikiBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

This is right on the beach in Mojacar across from the Mojacar Parador. It attracts more of the "rich and famous" crowd than those that frequents the paradors of Spain. Clearly the crowd was well to do, but in casual attire. We had some great fried calamari and avocados with olive oil dressing and the de rigueur ice-cold beer. We drove by several times while we were in the area and it was always busy there.
  • Member Rating 3 out of 5 by Coronado Bob & Berie on April 5, 2004

Chiringuito Kon Tiki
Mojacar Andalucia, Spain

Las MarinasBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

It is one of the half dozen restaurants one block from the Vera Beach Club and is located on the beach. It is next to the Millionare Pub. Families seemed to flock there for Sunday midday meals. We had paella, garlic bread, and a mixed salad. This time we ordered a bottle or Anares '97 red Spanish wine. The food was good.
  • Member Rating 3 out of 5 by Coronado Bob & Berie on April 5, 2004

Las Marinas
Vera Andalucia, Spain

Barbary Ape CafeBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

A light lunch at the Barbary Ape Cafe at the bottom of the teleferique in Gibraltar nets you the best fish and chips you could taste -- you will be receiving your change in pounds rather than euros and you will pay twice as much as you paid for a meal in Spain, but only the British do perfect fish and chips like this.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by Coronado Bob & Berie on April 18, 2004

Barbary Ape Cafe
Gibraltar Andalucia, Spain

AlhambraBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Alhambra Tour"

The Alhambra is well worth visiting for several hours. Reserve tickets on the internet before your trip so that you can get inside. The carvings in the old Moorish palaces are so incredible. The views from the military quarters towers are stunning. The gardens of the Generlife are simply beautiful and again it is hard to believe that they could be built so long ago.
  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by Coronado Bob & Berie on April 4, 2004

Alhambra
Plaza Bib-rambla 27 Granada, Spain
958 523 929

RondaBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Touring Ronda and the Pueblos Blancos"

The Moorish mountain city of Ronda is just beautiful. The Puente Nueva (new bridge) above a 300-foot gorge is breathtaking. The houses built along the gorge are a sight to behold. It’s a busy, friendly place to tour, shop, and have a nice lunch. The "white towns" are built down high cliffs to ward off the enemy. They are fascinating and unique in the eyes Americans since we have only a few such sights.
  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by Coronado Bob & Berie on April 4, 2004

Ronda
Ronda Andalucia, Spain

Rock of GibraltarBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "The Rock of Gibraltar"

There is a teaming modern British city of about 70,000 inhabitants on this "isthmus" located between southern Spain and northern Africa. The Rock of Gibralter is a natural wonder. This highly coveted military outpost has a long and interesting history, awesome views and duty free shopping. It is well worth a side trip if you are visiting the Costa Del Sol.
  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by Coronado Bob & Berie on April 5, 2004

Rock of Gibraltar

Cabo de Gata - Najir Natural ParkBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Cabo de Gato National Park"

The Cabo de Gato extends around a point of land and mountains just past Almeria. There is a lighthouse on the very tip at a high altitude. The two beaches, Playa Genoveses and Playa Monsul, are very unspoiled. It's worth a day trip.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by Coronado Bob & Berie on April 5, 2004

Cabo de Gata - Najir Natural Park
Almeria, Spain

GibraltarBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Getting to Gibraltar"

Gibraltar is within easy reach of Estepona on the Costa del Sol. While it is best to park in Spain and walk across into Gibraltar, we drove the rental car in and parked in the parking garage of an indoor shopping mall. Either way, be sure to take your passport along, as you will have to show it.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by Coronado Bob & Berie on April 18, 2004

Gibraltar

Gibraltar MuseumBest of IgoUgo

Attraction

The Gibraltar Museum is definitely worth a visit as it explains the whole history of this famous rock. A 15-minute movie takes you from the rock's formation to present day.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by Coronado Bob & Berie on April 18, 2004

Gibraltar Museum
18/20 Bomb House Lane
(+350) 74289

Rock of GibraltarBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "The Rock"

Take the teleferique to the top of the Rock for magnificent views!! See the Barbary apes everywhere around you at the top, but beware not to have a sack in hand that they might think is food. We skipped the caves and walked halfway down to catch the teleferique at its mid point to go back down.
  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by Coronado Bob & Berie on April 18, 2004

Rock of Gibraltar

GibraltarBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Shopping in Gibraltar"

Many shops sell duty-free liquor and cigarettes, but we are not shoppers. It is a great way to spend the day learning another piece of history. You will also find the usual crystal, perfume, etc.
  • Member Rating 2 out of 5 by Coronado Bob & Berie on April 18, 2004

Gibraltar

Dining in AnaluciaBest of IgoUgo

Story/Tip

You just can't go wrong. Stop in the most humble of places or where you see the locals go and you will get wonderful tapas, raciones (meal-sized orders of tapas), paella, and salads. The salads are so fresh it seems that they just picked the lettuce and tomatoes. Stay with seafood -- you simply cannot go wrong. The meats are really not special in Andalucia. The main meal of the day is very social and should be consumed between 2 and 4pm; then skip dinner or have a snack (tapa) and beer.

The Spanish serve their beer ice cold, literally! The taps are actually iced so the beer stays cold even while flowing out of the tap. They are possessive of their local beers, so drink what they have on tap! Spanish champagnes are great for those who do not want sweet champagne and the price is wonderful. The red wines are excellent and, of course, the sherry that comes from Jerez de la Fontera in Andalucia is also great.

Eat lots of local olives, use olive oil on everything, and munch the Spanish sheep cheese, whether new or aged (we used it for daily omelettes). Be aware that they will almost always bring bread with your meal and then you will be charged for it!! The garlic bread they sometimes serve is very different and very addictive! They will always ask before they bring that kind of bread.

We did comment on specific restaurants, but except for Las Dunes (which we thought was extra special), they were just all good.

About the Writer

Coronado Bob & Berie
Coronado Bob & Berie
Coronado, California

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