Alhaurin el Grande & Málaga

Last week I went to visit a friend in Alhaurín el Grande, a small village 20 minutes driving from the beautiful city Málaga.

Spain felt so big, when I had a domestic flight which took 1 hour and 20 minutes. But, the advantage is that going by plane really feels like holiday.

Alhaurín el Grande is the perfect place to relax and to get some rest. All houses are located between mountains and most of them have a swimming pool. The views while driving your car to villages closeby (like Coín or Fuengerola with a great beach) are stunning. The village has a few stores and supermarkets, all very cosy and primitive.

BE AWARE: to rent or have a car in Alhaurin el Grande, otherwise your mobility is reduced. A recommender is to lunch tapas at ‘Vivero Casa de las Flores’. At first, you think this is a garden center. But when you walk in the store, you will find a restaurant with terrace in the back! Owned by a real ‘abuelo’ (Spanish grandpa) with tasty food.

One of the prettiest B&B’s I know is located there as well: La Granja de Antonio.  Perfect for a romantic getaway. The staff is very kind and they make you feel like home. They organize paella and flamenco nights and the comfortable rooms and views make you escape from reality. Besides that, there are a lot of animals living around the B&B, so perfect for animal lovers (trust me, you want to take them home with you).

A day trip to Mála city is easy and FUN! A few recommenders in this amazing city:

1. Walk trough the fresh market Mercado Atarazanas towards the city center.

2. Start with coffee and churros which you can dip in chocolate sauce at Casa Aranda (yummy)!

3. Go shopping in the most famous shopping street of Málaga: Calle Marques Larios (besides the siësta hours of course, all the boutique stores close during siësta and the bigger chains in this street stay open)

4. Take a break with a glass of champaign and some luxurious snacks like oysters, at La Medusa.

5. Go to the Picasso Museum (in the vicinity of the birth house of Pablo Picasso) or to the Roman Theatre to do some culture and history sniffing.

6. Have a tapas lunch at Los Gatos and share a platter with ‘pinxtos’ (a piece of baquette with meat/fish or vegetarian topping).

7. Enjoy a walk across the Port of Málaga: pretty boats and beach clubs!