Spain Travel Answers

the three cities you mention are well known for a good reason - great cities, but also time consuming trips from malaga. ronda is hardly a hidden gem, but worth a look on the internet to see if it interests you.

We spent a week in Malaga, in the old town, not the Costa and found plenty to do. One thing I would recommend is the Glass Museum, world class, and if you are lucky enough to have the owner show you round, then you are in for a real treat. Also the Flamenco Museum (not sure if that if the correct name) where, again, you might be lucky and be able to watch a class taking place - this is not a class for tourists but for professional flamenco dancers. Granada, Cordoba and Seville are goodly trips from Malaga and we visited all of them on our way north, as part of a trip north, not as day trips from Malaga. The Alcazar in Malaga is, to my mind, much better than the one in Granada - not nearly so over-restored and much more of an 'experience'. As to the press-card, haven't a clue but it is always useful to carry professional cards and one never knows!!

For landscape, you must bike all the way to El Torcal (in Antequera) just 30 km north of Malaga -- it is a unique and impressive geological formation that is a must see for nature lovers. The countryside all around is interesting, and the views from this mountain range is awesome.

Thanks everyone! berenices: could you tell me little bit more about road from Malaga to El Torcal? I am looking at google map right now and I guess I will use A-357 and then A-343, right? Because other way to Antequera is highway and we can't ride on highways :) Is it easy to reach El Torcal through these two roads (A-357 and A-343) - difficult climbs somewhere, any signs on the road or I would have to find maps... ? Btw, it looks great and I will definitely ride to Antequera and El Torcal :) hawkhead: thanks for the tips, will listen to you. Maybe I could use my press card in that case - to say that I want to do report about Glass Museum for example and then owner should come to show me everything :) nicolaitan: yes, I heard for Ronda of course, it is on my list. I was looking for places like El Torcal (which berenices suggested), if possible :)

I think the owner will want to show you everything, if you have the interest! He is a very educated, erudite, sophisticated, charming and knowledgeable man from one of the old families. However, if you do indeed want to write about it, then do so but do not use your press pass just to gain entry - you would be doing neither yourself nor the museum a service. The museum really needs publicity, so any help you can give it would be greatly appreciated. It is has a world class collection, owned by not only a really knowledgeable and enthusiastic person but by someone who is a world expert. Btw, the house is extremely interesting and is one of the few of its type left in Malaga.

We were based in Antequera, so we went to El Torcal from that direction, rather than from Malaga. But we did manage to use A-343 all the way to Alora -- the roads are well maintained, not narrow at all, and not steep. The slopes and curves are quite gentle, and with shoulder wide enough for a cyclist to stop and enjoy the views all around. There is very little road traffic both ways, so the ride is not stressful at all. Inside El Torcal, there are trails you could explore (on foot of course) -- and if you're lucky, you just might see wild goats and other small animals. Though the roads are well indicated, with good signs, better bring a map as villages are few and far between, so it's not too easy to ask around in case you need directions.

Thanks again! :) hawkhead: you are right, I could write about it and forward text to my colleagues who write about tourism and who will publish it. Do you have any contact? berenices: thanks a lot, I couldn't have asked for a more helpful reply. :) If you have any other similar suggestion, feel free to write :)

Not a personal contact, no. However, the owner, founder is: Gonzalo Fernadez-Pietro and the museum is at: Plazuelo Santisima Cristo de la Sangre 2 Tel: 952-221949 Open 11.00-19.00 - not Mons or in August.