Darling escapes: driving around Andalusia
We always liked to describe ourselves as slow travelers (even before the name of this blog was decided and even before our journey as digital nomads began). Why slow travelers? Because although we visit places that usually attract a lot of tourists, we rarely go to the most well-known sites in a city. We tend to stay away from the crowds and choose to connect with the locals instead. Stay in a residential neighborhood, have breakfast at a small cafeteria, stop for a snack at a local market, choose experiences over sights. Connect with the locals and try to find out from them what the best places to visit are, and not from the hop-on hop-off bus guide. Getting to know the local culture is more important than a check list of Been there. Done that! Our travel style didn’t change when we became parents. We still don’t choose the all-inclusive packages and don’t have a list of places to tick off. Although we have to be more organized, we still live for the unexpected, we do less, but we experience more. Our first travelling experience as a family of three was in Andalusia and it was just as we expected…amazing! We rented a small apartment in the historical center of Malaga, and although the city has a lot of tourists we somehow managed to live like locals during our stay there. We spent our mornings walking around the city, stopped for coffee and Spanish pastries, bought fresh fruits, cheese and vegetables from the Atarazanas market and had our lunch in the park or at the beach. All just by walking around with no map (but with the help of a stroller instead😊). You can rent a car and go on day trips from Malaga to the nearby cities. For us this was the perfect schedule, a short drive for the morning nap, another one in the afternoon and then late night with tapas on the rooftop terrace of our flat in Malaga. Here are some day trips that you can try with your family:
Nerja and Frigiliana : have lunch at a restaurant with sea view (Platou de Europa) and go for a walk on the streets of the most beautiful village of Spain. Frigiliana, also known as the white village, has spectacular panoramic views and can be explored by foot. It’s a great way to admire the architecture with Moorish influences and stop by the small shops that sell pottery and ceramics. Mijas and the famous coastline towns : you might think that Benalmadena and all the other towns on the coast are crowded and fancy. But if you go for a walk in the morning you will find the beach empty. The cities are beautiful but are pretty much the same. So if you’re not looking for a day at a water park, a short drive through the town and maybe a lunch on a terrace in Estepona should be enough. You can then climb the hills and go the Mijas Pueblo, a small village which is still steeped in the old Andalucian traditions and customs. The flower decked houses and the tiny squares make this village a very popular destinations, especially because it offers a stunning view of the Costa del Sol. Despite that, we were able to go for a walk on the narrow streets, admire the old churches and the Moorish houses with beautiful patios full of flowers, stop for lunch in the central market without feeling overwhelmed. There is something about these white-washed villages that inspires peace and relaxation. Tarifa : the drive from Malaga to Tarifa is a bit longer but the unspoiled countryside and the wild coastline definitely make it worth. And if the drive is too long you can stop for a night at Meson de Sancho, an unexpected fantastic place that might look like a roadside motel from the outside, but is an amazingly beautiful Spanish finca once you enter. Tarifa looks like a small fishermen town. Nothing like the glamorous towns on Costa del Sol. A place for nature lovers and true a paradise for surfers. The Moorish influence is even more present since the Moroccan coastline can be seen from any mirador. The people are very friendly and the seafood is…the best in all Andalusia. These were our days in Andalusia. Of course, you can tailor your own trip. That is the pleasure of slow travel. There are no must see’s and to do’s. Of course we sometimes visit some of the well-known tourist attractions. But other times we don’t and that’s perfectly fine!