22 – 25 January 2014 – Nerja to Malaga, Andalucía, Spain

We spent our last few days in Spain making our way back to Malaga Airport to return our hire car and catch our flight to Morocco.
The Balcón de Europa is a lookout built onto a natural headland in the centre of Nerja with spectacular views up and down the coast.
Apparently King Alphonso VII stood upon the site in 1865, where the Balcón now stands, and said "This is the balcony of Europe"

The palm lined paseo leading to the Balcón de Europa

Views from the Balcón de Europa


We visited the Nerja Donkey Sanctuary, dedicated to rescuing and caring for donkeys, mules and horses

And other waifs and strays……

The waterfront at Torrox Costa

Plenty to choose from at Torrox Costa’s Asador Ferrara

On our last day in Spain, we went to Frigiliana, a small whitewashed Andalucían village perched on top of a hill 8 km inland from Torrox Costa

We spent the afternoon wandering around the labyrinth of narrow whitewashed streets with old houses, tiny alleys, covered passageways, stairways, and colourful plants and flowers.

19 – 21 January 2014 – Almeria, Andalucía, Spain

Chocolate y churros at Cafeteria Coimbra – breakfast of choice for many Spaniards

Almeria’s newest museum – The Guitar Museum

The John Lennon Monument commemorates the Fab Four’s visit to Almeria in 1966 where the song “Strawberry Fields Forever” was penned

Casa de Mariposas (House of Butterflies)

Murallas de Jayran (the old city walls)

The Alcazaba

Hand woven straw items for sale on the waterfront

Jamon at the Casa Puga

Raf tomatoes grown in the Almeria region

17 - 18 January 2014 – Cabo de Gata, Andalucía, Spain

Cabo de Gata Natural Park is Andalucia's largest coastal protected area and the only region in Europe with a desert climate.

Countless Spaghetti Western films were shot in the Cabo de Gata region because of the area’s resemblance to the Wild West

We spent one night in the picturesque village of Lucainena de las Torres

Ruined Moorish watchtower above the village.  These watchtowers can be found all along the coast of Southern Spain, all built for the purpose of looking out for invaders from the sea.

On the edge of Lucainena de las Torres were the Hornos de calcinacion – a row of eight cylindrical brick kilns used to burn off impurities from the iron rich rocks that were mined from the surrounding hills

Just outside the beachside settlement of Cabo de Gata we saw a large shallow lagoon with flamingos and other waterbirds

The Sierra del Cabo de Gata is Spain’s largest volcanic rock formation and falls steeply into the Mediterranean sea

15 – 16 January 2014 - Cartagena, Murcia, Spain

Cartagena has a perfect natural harbour used by successive empires.  It was known as Carthago Nova (New Carthage) before the Carthaginians lost the Punic wars against the Romans.

The remains of the ancient Roman theatre

The city has several Modernist buildings, made by the pupils of the famous architect Gaudi

Casa Maestre

The Gran Hotel

Palacio Aguirre

Cartagena is the main seaport of the Murcia region and still an important naval station

The Arsenal de Cartagena – Spanish Navy logistics and support base

The waterfront

Cafe Asiatico is a specialty of Cartagena.  This a coffee made with condensed milk, brandy and Licor Cuarenta Y Tres (43) – a bright yellow Spanish liqueur made from citrus and fruit juices, flavoured with vanilla and other aromatic herbs and spices – in total 43 different ingredients.

The antique coffee machine at El Barril del Tapeo

The paella at El Barril del Tapeo

10 –13 January 2013 – Granada, Andalucía, Spain

Granada was the last Muslim city to be conquered by the Christians in 1492, led by Queen Isabel of Castile and King Fernando of Aragon.  Pope Alexander IV rewarded them with the title of Los Reyes Catolicos (Catholic Monarchs) for their efforts in defending the Catholic faith.

Statue of Queen Isabel granting Cristobal Colon (Christopher Columbus) ships and supplies for the discovery voyage to the New World in the Plaza de Isabel la Católica

Boabdil the last Muslim ruler, is said to have shed tears on his departure from Granada and after seeing the Alhambra Palaces and its lush green gardens, we could understand why.

Sunset view of the Alhambra Palace complex from the Mirador San Nicolas at the highest point of the Albaicin (the old Moorish medina), with the snow-capped Sierra Nevada in the background

The Nasrid Palaces – the jewel of the Alhambra complex

View from the ramparts of the Alcazaba (fortress)

The Generalife – the Summer Palace and Gardens of the Alhambra

A well-earned paella for dinner after walking around the Alhambra all day

The entrance to the Capilla Real (Royal Chapel), a mausoleum containing the intricately carved marble tombs of Isabel and Fernando and those of their unfortunate daughter Juana La Loca (Joanna the Mad) and her husband Felipe El Hermoso (Philip the Handsome)

Statue of Flamenco artists

Plaza Romanilla, known by the locals as “Plaza del Burro” because of the donkey statue