Arcadia Spain

Spain is internationally renowned for the sun and the beach. How would you spend a summer in southern Spain without visiting Costa del Sol? Costa del Sol is comprised of a series of coastal towns along the coastline of the province of Málaga, all of them very touristic all year long, and barely 6o miles away from Granada.

On our first day, we visited Málaga, the capital of the province, and second biggest city in Andalusia. With a history of about 2800 years, Málaga is one of the oldest cities in the world, founded by the Phoenicians (as Malaka). It is well known for three things: the beach, fried fish, and Pablo Picasso. Nowadays, about 70% of its population lives off tourism (mostly European: British and German). Our city tour included the recently renewed port, the Gibralfaro castle and viewpoint, the city center, the cathedral, Picasso´s birthplace, and the Picasso Museum. It was a full day!

On our second day, we visited Nerja, another Mediterranean coastal town near Málaga. One of Nerja’s unique features is the Cueva de Nerja (Nerja Caves), a series of pre-historical caverns (around five million years old) coincidentally discovered by some kids in 1959. Its wealth includes Neanderthal original paintings, giant stalactites, and stalagmites. The place is so cool that they even have summer concerts in one of the caves, a natural amphitheater (can you imagine the acoustics in there?)

After our tour, we went to see Balcón de Europa, Nerja´s viewpoint with stunning views of the coast and the sea. It was finally time for paella and sunbathing on the beach. All in all, it was a very complete weekend!