Málaga is one of the best bases in Spain for day trips. Within two hours you can reach mountain gorges, white villages, Moorish palaces, a vast cave and even a British outpost on a rock. The challenge is choosing, because there are more good options than most visits have days. Here is a guide to the best of them, with travel times and who each suits.
Caminito del Rey: for walkers and thrill-seekers
About an hour’s drive inland, near the village of Ardales and the El Chorro gorge, the Caminito del Rey is a walkway fixed to the sheer walls of the Gaitanes gorge, with a glass-floored viewing point and a hanging bridge. The route is about 7.7 kilometres and takes roughly three to four hours, including the walk to the entrance. It is the one ticket that sells out regularly, so book early, remember that it is closed on Mondays and that children must be at least 8 years old, and wear sturdy shoes. Spring and autumn are the best seasons.
Ronda: for drama and history
Ronda sits about 100 kilometres west of Málaga, on the edge of a spectacular gorge crossed by the eighteenth-century Puente Nuevo. The town has one of Spain’s oldest bullrings, Moorish baths, a charming old quarter and wonderful views. Many tours combine Ronda with the white village of Setenil de las Bodegas, whose houses are built under overhanging rocks. The drive takes about an hour and a half through the mountains, so a guided day tour is the easiest way to see both.
Granada and the Alhambra: for a world-famous monument
Granada is about two hours away by road and has a world-famous palace-city, the Alhambra, with the Nasrid Palaces, the Generalife gardens and the fortress. Tickets for the palaces are limited by time slots and sell out ahead of time, so a tour that includes entry is a safe option. The day is long, but it is the best way to see one of the great monuments of Europe from a base on the coast.
Córdoba: for the Mezquita
About two hours north by road, or less than an hour by high-speed train, Córdoba has the Mosque-Cathedral, one of the most remarkable buildings in the world, with its forest of red-and-white arches. The Jewish Quarter and the flower-lined patios make it a pleasure to wander. It is hot in summer, so choose spring or autumn if you can.
Nerja and Frigiliana: for caves, sea and a white village
East along the coast, about an hour from Málaga, Nerja has the Balcón de Europa viewpoint and the Caves of Nerja, a vast cavern system with enormous stalactites and a huge column. Nearby, Frigiliana is one of the prettiest white villages in Andalusia, with steep Moorish lanes and tiled panels on the walls. The two combine easily in a day, and the caves make a good choice in any weather.
Gibraltar: for something different
About an hour and a half to two hours southwest, Gibraltar offers the Rock, the Upper Rock Nature Reserve with its Barbary macaques, St Michael’s Cave and Main Street. You will need a passport or identity document for the border. It is a long day but a very different one from the rest of Andalusia, and children usually love the monkeys.
Seville, Antequera and the beaches
Seville is a little over two hours by train or road, and is better done with an overnight stay. Antequera, about an hour north, has remarkable prehistoric burial mounds and a dramatic limestone landscape at El Torcal. Closer to home, the beaches east of the port, Marbella to the west and the hilltop village of Mijas are all easy half-day trips.
Tour or train or car?
Guided tours take the stress out of timed entries, steep roads and parking, and they are the best choice for the Alhambra, Ronda and the Caminito del Rey. Trains are good for Córdoba and Seville, because they are fast and the stations are close to the sights. A hire car gives freedom for Nerja, Frigiliana, Antequera and Mijas, though parking in small villages can be tricky, so use the car parks at the edge of town.
Putting them together
If you have a week, you might do the old town in two days, the Caminito or Ronda on the third, Granada on the fourth, and Nerja and Frigiliana on the fifth, leaving a day for the beach. With only three days, choose one day trip based on your interests: walking and adrenaline for the Caminito, history and views for Ronda, a bucket-list monument for Granada, or sea, caves and villages for Nerja. Start early, carry water and plan to return in the evening for dinner in the old town.