18th of March 2026 - Mijas Pueblo

Today is my last day staying in Mijas as I fly home tomorrow.  I strolled up into the village to take some final pictures.

I do not normally take photos of WCs however was intrigued by the mosaics on the wall depicting the world.

My last lunch was in a tapas bar where I finally managed to get some calamari which was washed down with a very pleasant glass of rosé wine.

17th of March 2026 - Gibraltar

The Rock of Gibraltar is a monolithic limestone mountain 426 m (1,398 ft) high dominating the western entrance to the Mediterranean Sea located within the British territory of Gibraltar.

The desalination waterfall in Gibraltar is a result of Gibraltar's desalination plant where excess water cascades down the rocky terrain creating a waterfall effect.  Gibraltar's supply of drinking water comes entirely from desalination with a separate supply of saltwater for sanitary purposes.

We visited the southernmost tip of Gibraltar.  From here we could see Africa across the Strait of Gibraltar.  It was extremely windy and we were close to being bowled over.

We then visited St. Michael’s Cave with its dramatic stalactites and lighting.  To be honest I preferred seeing the cave when the lighting had more natural colours.

On our way back down we stopped at the Queen’s Balcony which is where Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh stood during their visit to the Rock in 1954.  This gave us a view of the bay of Gibraltar and a chance to meet the Barbary Macaques who roam freely across the upper part of the rock.

The Moorish Castle is a medieval fortress perched high on the Rock of Gibraltar, dominated by its massive Tower of Homage, which still stands as one of the most visible symbols of the territory’s long Islamic period.

16th of March 2026 - Frigiliana and Nerja

Our day started with a visit to the very pretty town of Frigiliana sitting high in the Sierra de Tejeda mountain range overlooking the coastal town of Nerja.  Frigiliana is a whitewashed town with views over the Mediterranean Sea and the spectacular surrounding mountains.

After visiting Frigiliana we descended to the old fishing town of Nerja with cobbled streets and sandy beaches.  I had a most enjoyable paella for lunch.

15th of March 2026 - Granada and Alhambra Palace

Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains however is only one hour by car from the Mediterranean coast.

 

Granada is best known for the majestic hilltop stronghold of Alhambra consisting of ornately decorated palaces, robust fortifications and graceful gardens.  It is a significant achievement of Islamic architecture and later Renaissance influence.  Alhambra was originally begun in 1238 by Muhammad I Ibn al‑Ahmar, founder of the Nasrid dynasty; it has evolved over centuries into a self‑contained royal city with mosques, baths, workshops, and lush gardens.  We walked through the ornately stuccoed rooms of the palace and courtyards with marble fountains.  After the Christian Reconquista in 1492, the site became the royal court of Ferdinand and Isabella.  Today, the Alhambra stands as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of Spain’s most visited cultural treasures.

 There was a lovely view of Granada from Alhambra.

14th March 2026 - Ronda

Ronda was built on a high plateau split by the El Tajo gorge and has a dramatic history, littered with outlaws, bandits, guerrilla warriors and rebels.  During its millennia of existence it has been a Celtic settlement, an important Roman bastion and a breakaway Moorish kingdom.

 

The most famous sight in Ronda is the grand Puente Nuevo (New Bridge) which stands 98m from its base.  The bridge straddles the dramatic gorge of the Río Guadalevín which connects the two halves of the city.  Although its name means “new”, the bridge was completed in 1793 and was named Puente Nuevo because it was newer than the Puente Viejo (Old Bridge).

 

Our time spent walking around Ronda was limited due to biting winds so we headed into the town for shelter.  Jamón ibérico (Spanish for "Iberian ham") is a type of cured leg of pork (primarily Black Iberian pigs) produced in Spain.  There were legs of jamón ibérico hanging outside a number of the shops in Ronda and I treated myself to some for lunch.

13th of March 2026 - Málaga

I had just associated Málaga with holiday resorts and beaches with it being the capital of the Costa del Sol.  It has however a very interesting historic old town and there are also Moorish and Roman ruins.

The port area has may shops and restaurants.  We found a lovely place to sit with a glass of wine and enjoy the view.

Málaga is the birthplace of the famed painter Pablo Picasso and has two museums in his honour.  I visited the Picasso Museum opened in 2003 which housed in the Buenavista Palace built around an internal courtyard with twelve halls of permanent exhibitions.

The basement of the Picasso Museum contains important archaeological remains from several eras.

The Cathedral of Málaga is a Roman Catholic church built in the Renaissance architectural tradition.  It was constructed between 1528 and 1782 on the site of a former Mosque. Locals affectionately call the cathedral “la Manquita” (the one-armed woman) because it was never actually finished. To this day, it is still missing one of its two bell towers.