Hello gallivanters! Summertime is here and time to pack our bags and chase some sunshine. Living in the UK has got me thinking that the seasons skipped summer. Summer did come for a day and decided that the UK isn’t for her. So she just sprinkled a little bit of sunshine and dashed to another location. LOL. I’m off to another foreign land and this time, I’m off to España. I’ve been to the capital, Barcelona a few years back. I enjoyed the beach and city life. This trip is all about Malaga. Why? I’ll tell you plenty of reasons why in this article. The picture below shows my mini- itinerary to Malaga from the UK.

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Here is the itinerary I made for my trip and the money I spent. Note that I converted the amount from Euros to GBP so there will be differences in rate. The values have been rounded off to the nearest tenth decimal point. They are the prices at the time of booking. The amount changes depending on when you book and the season you’re going.

Itinerary

Date and Time	Activities and Must See Things	Price
Day 1 07:25- 11:30	Flight from London Gatwick (LGW) to Málaga- Costa del Sol Airport (AGP). The price stated is a round trip fare. -Pass through baggage control (if applicable) and immigration	£ 44
From 12:00	Proceed to train station and buy one-way ticket at the entrance. Ride C1 Line Malaga- C. Alameda (takes 20 minutes).	£1.9
	Walk to accommodation (6-minute walk from train station to accommodation). The price stated is for 2 nights.	£75
	Buy a Malaga Travel Pass	£6
From 13:00	Late lunch and start exploring Malaga Old Town Malaga Museum entrance fee	£1.3
	Dinner at Picasso	£20
Day 2 From 07:30- 20:00	Walk towards Maria Zambrano Train Station where the tour starts (5 minute walk) Grab some snacks and light breakfast from the train station Start of Tour to Caminito Del Rey and the White Village	£10 £50
From 20:00	Back to Malaga Old Town for dinner and back to hotel	£15
Day 3 From 08:00	Explore the Alcazaba and the Gibralfaro	£6
	Brunch and Early dinner	£20
From 18:00	Head back to the airport for the 20:15 flight back to London

I departed from London early in the morning and arrived at Málaga- Costa del Sol Airport (AGP) at lunch time. After disembarking, I passed through passport control directly because I didn’t have any checked- in baggage to collect. I followed the signs that say exit (Salida) to train/ bus/ taxi. It is very easy to follow because a lot of passengers were heading that way. The directional signs are adequately placed.

Currency

Spain is part of the European Union and uses Euro as the national currency. Since I came from the UK which uses Great British Pound (GBP), there are slight differences in price conversion. I learned that there is a way to get the most value out of your money conversion. I discovered Wise! This is an online banking platform which I have used myself and I find it safe and secure. I have my Wise account for more than four years now and never had any problems with it.

Why do I recommend this for travel?

The first and very important reason is that you can open multiple currency in your account. For example, if your main account is using GBP, you can also open other accounts such as the Euro. You can see a full list of countries on this sponsored link here: Countries supported by Wise.
You can order the physical debit card to be sent straight to your home. If you prefer, you can just link your digital card to Apple Wallet or Google Pay.

Why is it better to open up an account in the local currency?

By opening up an account in the local currency, it lets you get the “real” exchange rate at the time. It is important to note when the exchange rates are better so you can transfer on that day. What’s good is that Wise also has a tracker of when it is best to transfer your money. For the best exchange rate time, click through this ad link: Wise Exchange Rate Tracker.
You don’t have to pay a conversion fee every time you tap in your card because it automatically uses the local currency (the currency of the country you’re travelling) before your account currency. If you do need to have cash, you can withdraw from almost all atm machines. There is a one-time withdrawal fee and no conversion fee. It will use the local currency that you have opened up in your account. There are a lot of benefits from Wise which I have personally experienced. Which I will tell you in my next articles.

Are you ready to open up an account with wise and enjoy all the benefits for travelling? Then click this sponsored link here: Create your Wise Account

Transportation

From the Airport, you can get to Malaga Centre with any of these transport modes:

• Bus (Linea A)- You can take a bus from the airport to Malaga City Centre. The bus station is just in front of the airport.
• Underground train (C-1)- I took the train route. The trains and bus stations are both fairly easy to locate as they are just after the airport exit gate.

When I got the ticket, I head to Platform C1 Malaga M. Zambrano/ Malaga Centro- Alameda. There are only two platforms from the airport. You can make a stop at the Maria Zambrano Train station or the Centro Alameda. Both these stations are already in the city center but the Centro Alameda is located deeper in the Old Town.

Maria Zambrano Train Station

After arriving at my final stop, I was so glad to be walking out in what looked like a mall or a shopping centre. The train station is huge and houses shopping areas and restaurants which closes until late (probably 8pm but I cannot confirm). I was already hungry so I chose to eat from one of the fastfood restaurants in the train station. I also bought myself some essential groceries for the hotel.

Malaga Travel Card

I bought a Malaga travel card. I planned to buy this from the airport and take a bus going to the city but I didn’t have the energy to faff around asking people how to buy this card. It can be a little scary going in another place as a solo traveller. Anyway, I managed to find a tobacconist shop selling the Transport Card just a 3 minutes away from the train station and in the direction of the place I booked to stay.

This travel card can be used on long- distance and local buses, underground train, Renfe’s suburban train service with conditions and other Andalusian areas covered by the Transport consortium. You can find more information about this travel card here from their Malaga Metropolitan Transport.

Accommodation

The hotel I booked is just about 5 minutes walk away now from the tobacconist shop. I continued walking to the hotel to put my bag and get myself sorted. I booked this hotel through this ad link: Booking.com.

EasyHotel Malaga was the cheapest for a solo traveller at the time of booking. It is strategically located and have all these benefits:
1. It is 5 minutes away by walking from the main train station and bus stops
2. About 8-minute walk to the nearby beach of San Andres
3. It is still part of the city centre but a quieter neighborhood
4. It has a 24-hour front desk should my flight be late. There is parking on site available if you need it.

It was about 2 o’clock in the afternoon now so it was just in time for check ins. After check in, I put my bag and had sat down to rest for a while. I planned to make the most of my day today. The sunset was around 7 in the evening so I still have plenty of time. I decided to go see three places this afternoon: the Teatro Romano, Alcazaba and the Gibralfaro. It takes 6 minutes by bus to the bus stop (Paseo del Parque) near the Alcazaba and walk a few minutes to the entrance.

Must-see Attractions

First Day: Exploring the City of Malaga

The Alcazaba

The Alcazaba in Malaga is a palace fortress built during the Muslim-ruled period in Andalucia. It is considered to be one of the best- preserved alcazabas in Spain. The Alcazaba is connected to Gibralfaro by a walled corridor.

The entrance to the Alcazaba is just by the exit of the Roman Theatre. There is also a visitors’ center at the exit if you need any help. The tickets can be bought at the entrance or online. I bought mine at the entrance. It was almost summer when I came here so there was quite a queue in buying tickets.

The cost for adult tickets are €3.50 for the Alcazaba and €3.50 for GIbralfaro but if you buy both, it will only be €5.50. There are ticket machines which accepts cash and cards inside the ticket office. There is also an option to buy tickets with guided tour. The advantage of booking online tickets is that you can enter right away. Opening and closing times differ per season and you are not allowed to bring dogs. For more information, visit their official website. These are pictures taken inside the Alcazaba.

It took me about an hour and a half to just wander around the Alcazaba. I headed back down to the exit. Although the Alcazaba and Mount Gibralfaro seems to be in one location, there is no connection that will take you to the Gibralfaro entrance. I hope one day, they’d think about making a doorway or stairway connection (wishful thinking).

The Gibralfaro

Gibralfaro Castle is located on the top of Mount Gibralfaro. It was used as a defensive fortress from the 14th century and is regarded as the most impenetrable fortress of its time. The entrance to the castle is adjacent to the Alcazaba. I wasn’t expecting anything when I was climbing up the hill nor did I expect the distance it takes to get to the top.

It was a considerable distance but it was well worth it for the views. I have finally researched how long I’ve walked after I climbed it and it was 1.5 km of steep and winding road. If you don’t want to walk that length, there is a bus which stops nearly at the castle but you still got to do some steps. There is a restaurant and viewing platforms at the castle perfect for enjoying a cold drink in the summer while taking in the panoramic tableau of the port and the city.

End of Day 1

I ended my day with a dinner at the Picasso Tapas bar recommended by google before riding a bus back to the hotel. I slept soundly that night and I was glad I have set up my alarm for early morning.

Second Day: Caminito del Rey and the White Village of Alora

The next day is my most anticipated day in this trip. I’m going to Caminito del Rey. I booked my trip through GetYourGuide. Initially, I was planning to just go there without at package tour but when I looked at the Official Caminito Del Rey Website to book, there were’t anymore slots for my selected date. I soon learned that tickets from the website must be purchased at least two weeks in advance.

It is compulsory to own tickets to enter the site whether on your own or with a guided tour. The ticket provides you with liability insurance in case any contingency events occur. If you book from the site, the general tickets costs € 10 and €18 with guided tour. Children 8 years old and below can’t go and children 9-18 years old must be accompanied by an adult. You must arrive at the access point at least 30 minutes prior to your scheduled time slot. The access point is always the northern zone (Ardales) so your route is downhill.

If you managed to book your own slot from their official website, I think it will be better for you to stay at one of the hotels near the northern access point already. There are a few hotels there that I have seen when I went there.

Mode of Transport from Malaga to Caminito del Rey

Getting to Caminito del Rey Without a Tour Company

If you are staying at Malaga Center, there are a few options:

• Car/ Taxi- You can drive towards the location which takes about an hour or you can take a taxi/ uber which costs roughly €70-€90. It will be less expensive if you travel with friends because then you can split the bill
• Train/ Bus- If you search on google maps or citymapper, there are options which involves changing modes of transport twice or thrice and takes about 4 hours to get there. If you have no option but this mode, then you have to book your slot for the afternoon so you can use the morning for travel alone. I heard that there is a train that goes directly to El Chorro but couldn’t find it on google when I searched it. Here is one example of a route you can take:
  1. Take the C-1 train from Malaga Centro Alameda or from Malaga Maria Zambrano depending on where you are nearest. Get off at Alora
  2. Walk to the bus station Estacion Fc.cc and take the M-343 bus to Piscina
  3. From Piscina, take the M-340 bus to Caminito del Rey
• Train- There is a direct train from Malaga Centro Alameda or from Malaga Maria Zambrano to El Chorro which takes about an hour and costs around € 4-7 for trains starting from 9am -5pm. Trains before 9am and after 5pm costs more (€30+). You can find the train schedules here: Renfe Malaga . From El Chorro Train station, you still have to ride the bus which takes around 30 minutes to the northern access. The bus runs every hour. The bus stops at Camping Ardales. From there, you need to walk 1.3 km (19 minutes) to get to the Northern access point.

Getting to Caminito Del Rey with a Tour Company

I was glad I booked a guided tour through Getyourguide because I wasn’t staying near the access point and I didn’t want any hassle. (I am not promoting GetYourGuide. This is just based on experience. When I booked it, I thought might as well book the tour that includes the White Village of Alora so I did. It costs me about €50 but it could have been cheaper if I booked in advance. The tour bus picked us up in front of Maria- Malaga Train station at 09:00 am. I woke up early and decided to just pick up breakfast from one of the fastfood restaurants at the train station and also bought some snacks for the journey. Our first stop was Alora.

We walked around the village. They included this as part of the tour so that tourists can appreciate the beauty of real Andalusian living. Everywhere we walk, there are lemons and orange trees planted in front of houses giving it a vibe of peace and gentle repose. We visited their church called the Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de la Encarnacion located in the main plaza. Based on the stories from our guide. This church has been here since the 16th century and had multiple occupations. It was used as a school, market, hospital, refuge center and all other community needs you can think of. This was also used as a fort during the reign of the Roman emperor, Julius Caesar. The long history of the church makes it a very important structure of Alora.

During holy week, the statue of Mary is carried from this church towards the cobblestone path to meet the statue of Jesus Christ.

We also explored the Plaza Baja de la Despedia and hiked towards Calle Ancha to see the castle at the hilltop. Castillo Arabe is situated at the highest point in the village. There is a gentle steep pathway to get there but the view was well worth it. We had plenty of time to take pictures of the castle and the village views from the viewing point of the castle

It was almost lunch time when he headed back down to the village. Lunch was also included in the tour and we were served the famous tapas at one of the authentic Andalusian restaurant.

Nearing the afternoon, we were all called back to the bus to make our journey towards Caminito del Rey. It was about another 20-minute bus ride to get there.

Caminito Del Rey

From there, there’s another 10- minute or so bus ride to the North Access Point. There are toilets, water fountains and shops at the site. There were also a lot of tourists queuing up for registration. Since I was part of the tour group, our registration was made by the tour guide. Then, they signalled us to gather to the office to be given the hard hat with net. This is followed by a briefing of the rules and regulations. We had to wear hard hats because there are still times when tiny pieces of rocks fall from the mountain top. We begin our journey down the mountain and then up again towards the wooden pathway.

Caminito del Rey means the “Path of the King”. It used to be just an aerial trail connecting the narrow Gaitanes gorge for the workers to maintain the hydroelectric power plants in the area. The walkway is pinned along the steep walls of the gorge. It’s construction began in 1901 and in 1912, King Alfonso XIII opened the path. He crossed the Conde del Guadalhorce dam through the trail and that is when people started calling it the Caminito del Rey which has stuck since then.

Most Dangerous Walkway in the World

For us nature lovers, I highly recommend you to walk this trail. It used to be regarded as the Most Dangerous Hike in the World. Human actions and natural phenomenons caused it to be in a most abominable state by the year 2000s. There used to be a zip line connecting one point of the pathway to the dam but was abandoned for years. There was a time when a group of adventurous young men decided to use the zip line but had a devastating turn events in that they all fall to their death. The Caminito del Rey was closed to the public after that.

What we see today is already a result of the government’s restoration effort. The pathway of wood and steel clings precariously to the rock face and suspended over 100 meters above the river at some points. As I traverse the narrow boardwalks, the dramatic landscapes and the sheer limestone cliffs can simply take my breath away. The sound of the rushing water and the occasional cry of the vultures soaring high above accompanied me, heightening the sense of immersion in this wild and untamed environment. One of the most iconic section of the path is the glass- floored balcony. From here, you can look straight down into the depths of the gorge. Before reaching the South end of the pathway, some parts of the bridge seemed too narrow and too high in what seemed like the most vertiginous experience I had but it was a very unforgettable experience

Finishing the Hike

From the end of the boardwalk, we had to walk downhill towards the South access point which is the exit. There are also shops and toilet facilities there. I had some ice cream to reward myself for staying sane in the entire journey. We had time to eat because our tour bus was not there yet when we finished the trail.

The journey back to the city center was quiet and fulfilling. I rested my tired feet and body while in the bus. It was around 6 in the evening when we got back to where we were picked up. I grabbed some dinner at the nearby restaurant and headed back to the hotel.

Third Day

The third day, I decided to explore more of the Old Town area. I woke up early and wanted to see the beach in Malaga. The Playa del Huelin- San Andres Beach is just 20-minutes away by bus and walking from where I am staying do I went there early. They have a really charming boulevard and sandy beaches. I only stayed there for about two hours and had brunch at a nearby cafe. The locals are really warm and friendly in that I didn’t feel out of place eating alone at that homey cafe.

In the afternoon, I decided to see the Santa Iglesia Catedral Basilica, the Malaga Museum and the Centre Pompidou Malaga. I also wanted to see the Picasso Museum but I may not have enough time as my flight is at 8pm.

I went to the airport around 5pm by bus. The transport payment is still included in my travel card which I bought when I came in. The transport card as I have read online doesn’t expire so I still have some € left in there when I decide to visit Malaga again.

That was my 3-day trip to Malaga. I hope you enjoy your visit as much as I did mine!

Outfit Recommendations

One of the things I think about with my holidays is the outfit that I wear. I like to pack lightly and I don’t really want to pay for an extra cabin luggage so I plan it well. I like packing for summer because I can bring light clothings with me and not worry about bulky coats fitting in my underseat bag.

The first thing I thought about with regards to what to wear is what footwear to use for the hike. The trail is a combination of dirt path and wooden walkway pinned to the side of the cliffs and you wouldn’t be climbing steep hills or going down slopes. If you looked at the Caminito del Rey Website, they said to wear a closed footwear. I think a normal hiking shoes with good grip and traction will suffice. Some of the tourists I’ve met were wearing normal trainers. I have seen one who slipped on the dirt path as the tiny pebbles can put you off balance if your shoes doesn’t have good grip. For an affordable option, I used my Skechers Trail Sneakers (#ad). You can always opt to buy shoes specialized for hiking such as the Columbia and North Face brands.

Wear light clothings such as the dri-fit and climalite shirt because it is still warm in there even if it is at a higher altitude. The other people I’ve seen are wearing casual t-shirts and shorts or trousers and they all managed to get on with the trail.