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Costa del Sol, Spain


 Independent Travel Blog Show Notes: Costa del Sol, Spain

Welcome to Dr. Mary Travelbest’s Independent Travel Guide. This is for women who travel, who want to travel, and especially for those who want to travel independently.

In this episode: FAQ is quick packing tips for the flight, the destination is Costa del Sol, my mistake, Parking Tickets, and tips are for leaving early if you have a long drive.

FAQ: What are some quick packing tips for the airplane?
When you are going on a long airline flight, here are some packing tips from my independent travel friend, Pat Brown. She says to pack a small bag for your “in flight” only items. She used noise cancelling headphones, which she says work great. She recommends wearing slip on shoes for faster security passing. I like to bring a mask so I can sleep on the plane and extra socks to keep my toes warm. I try to charge up an extra external phone battery, so I don’t run out of juice on a long plane trip.

Today’s Independent Destination- Costa Del Sol, Spain

My visit to southern Spain began in Ireland, specifically Dublin. That’s the stop off point before you fly to Malaga, Spain, on the Costa del Sol.
Touristy: My destination was Nerja (NEAR-HA, spelled NERJA), which is about an hour from Malaga, and worth a visit if you like Southern Spain. Many of the Irish and English “winter” here, just like in the USA, snowbirds from New York and New Jersey often go to Florida for the winter days. It has a tropical feel to the city, with palm trees and beaches like Burryana Beach.
You can enjoy the town of Frigliana, the Old Town of the area. Churches from the 1600’s and narrow streets allowed for many tourists, but not too many cars. Here, you will find an old sugar factory converted into a craft store where you can find plenty of souvenirs.
Another touristy place is The Caves (Las Cuevas), about 2.5 miles east of Nerja. These were inhabited by man some 20,000 years ago. Some of the wonders here are 32 meters long, from above and from below. Music and dance were celebrated in these caves.

On a future episode, I’ll tell more about nearby Andalucía and Granada, Spain, which is nearby Costa del Sol. I took a day to visit La Alhambra, a Moorish cultural mecca, a palace from the 13th century. It should take a full day to explore, and during the low season we did not need reservations, but you may book ahead on a busy holiday, especially in the summer.
We found the crypts of Queen Isabel and King Ferdinand in downtown Grenada. Think, Cristopher Columbus and you’ll remember them. This busy city only allows local traffic, unless you pay extra to drive to the intercity. That’s one way to keep the gridlock from being too congested.

Off the Beaten Path:

Another day we explored the small towns near Nerja, specifically Maro and Herradura. These are both on the Mediterranean Sea and very relaxing to enjoy the water. And yes, I did go swimming in the Med. Delightful, even in November.
What did we eat? Why fish, of course, monkfish and shrimp, El Dorado
One of the traditions of the area is a daily siesta, which you will love, too. So nearly every day, take a nap from 2-4pm and relax your soul a bit.
The area is called The Balcony of Europe, because it juts out into the key, like a balcony over the Mediterranean. See a Flamenco performance here if you can, visit a Catholic church for mass. Our friends Don and Jill Herlihy are tour guides in Ireland, and it was so nice of them to host me and my friend, Pat, on this trip.



Today’s Mistake

Parking tickets: Read the signs more carefully and don’t get one.

Today’s Travel Advice

Leave early. When we go on a trip in the car, we usually leave by 3 or 4 am for a long drive. We pack the car the night before, so that’s a time saver, and we have our destination planned out. The traffic is much lighter, of course, and people are not in so much of a hurry at that time of day. So, if you are heading on a long journey, try to leave early and get there sooner.

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