Easy Driving Directions From Málaga Airport to The Axarquía

Posted on April 19, 2011 by Marianne under Axarquía

After arriving on your flight to Málaga airport and collecting your hire car, you may have a lot on your mind, not least of which could be driving on the opposite side of the road than you are normally used to. You will also be faced with a bewildering array of road direction signs bearing unfamiliar names, as well as road works to improve road access to the airport and to build a new underground train station.

The following easy driving directions will soon have you on your way to your accommodation in the Axarquía, with no fuss!

As you drive away from the airport terminal and car hire premises, you will see a large roundabout. Follow the road signs for Málaga, keeping the large San Miguel brewery building on your right.

At this point, the road has two lanes and you need to be in the left-hand lane. As you pass the brewery, this left lane will take you up and over a dual-carriageway road (the N 340) and will loop around to the right. As you follow this road around, you will be brought back down to join the N 340 that you have just driven over.

Despite the many directional road-signs you will now see, after approx. 2 kms, be in the right-hand lane and follow the signs for Motril or Almeria. Sometimes you will see only one of these names and sometimes both. Motril and Almeria are both situated to the east, beyond the Axarquía, so either will do.

Bear right to loop over the bridge and swing left to join the aptly named Autovía del Mediterraneo – E 15/ A7. Keep following signs for Motril or Almeria until you reach your chosen destination in the Axarquía.

DON’T FORGET TO DRIVE ON THE RIGHT!

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Driving in Spain: Back on the Throttle

Try Before You Buy: Renting a house for a while

Posted on March 20, 2011 by Marianne under Axarquía, Slice of Life

Once you have fallen in love with our beautiful area, east of Málaga, and the associated agreeable lifestyle, you may decide that this is a wonderful place to come to live.

There are many important things to consider though.

What will it be like to leave family and friends in another country? Will the long-term reality compare to the holiday experience? It isn’t summer all year, so what will the changing seasons be like?

Many other considerations may also arise, and the best way to discover the answers, with the least commitment, is to find the area that you think will suit you best, and rent a property for a period.

This will give you the chance to immerse yourself in the reality of living in another country.

One suggestion would be to rent for a full year, so you can see the effects of the passage of the seasons, with the changing weather. You will also get some idea of the Spanish fiestas and festivals, especially around Christmas and Easter time.

If you would prefer your rental period to be for only six months, perhaps you should try midwinter to midsummer, rather than over the summertime only. This way you will still experience the changing weather.

Hopefully during this time of easing yourself into life in a new country, you will get a feel for how often you have the need to return to visit your family and friends.

Fortunately the combination of the proximity of Málaga airport and the ability to book flights on the internet, will give good prices combined with an easy journey back to the UK.

Do you think it’s a good idea to rent before you buy, or do you have other ideas?

Seeing Stars: The Night Sky over the Axarquía

Posted on March 15, 2011 by Marianne under Axarquía, Slice of Life

If you are fortunate enough to spend time in the Axarquía, away from large urban areas, one of the delights that you will encounter is the sight of the night sky, virtually free from the light pollution.

An amazing spectacle awaits you when you see what nature has to offer from the hillsides of this part of Andalucía during the hours of darkness. Instead of counting the visible stars in dozens, suddenly they will be present in thousands.

[Image:eastendpro]

You will become aware of the patterns that form the constellations, and even though you may not know their names, you will see that amongst them twinkle many varied stars. The brighter ones can shine in several colours ranging from orangey red, through yellow, white and finally to blue. The blue stars are the hottest of all, with temperatures so high as to be meaningless to our minds.

With our dry air up in the Axarquía hillsides, we get a really clear view of all that the night sky can offer.

One of the most awe-inspiring sights is the Milky Way, the luminescent band of light, clearly visible in the Andalucían night sky. The Milky Way spreads across the sky, passing through the constellation known as Cygnus (The Swan). It is quite astonishing to realize when we look up at this broad band of hazy light, that what we are actually seeing is millions and millions of single stars, too far away to be identified individually.

Can you imagine staying at your villa in the beautiful countryside, East of Malaga, maybe floating on your back on an airbed in your swimming pool, looking up at all this wonderful display that nature offers to us?

Let me tell you, it is MAGIC!

There is yet another cosmic masterpiece available. At certain times of the year our planet Earth passes through bands of dust and debris that circle the Sun. We see these as meteor showers. There are several occasions each year, but a good show is the Perseids meteor showers, around the 12th August. Once again we shall be floating on our pool, watching these tiny fragments of space dust hurtling into our atmosphere at enormous speeds, 30 miles per second or more, and burning up to provide magnificent celestial fireworks.

Much slower are our own Earth-launched satellites which drift lazily by, so often these days, that you can usually spot one within a few minutes. Their speed is deceptive though, because the satellites are very high, they actually have to maintain about 18,000 miles per hour to remain in orbit.

Do you have a favourite place where you can gaze at the natural wonders of the Earth?

Whilst you´re here, you might like to look at:

Photographs I love …. and why!

Photographs I love …. and why! [2]

Posted on February 13, 2011 by Marianne under Axarquía, Photographs I love

This is just one of a series of photos I have taken, and will share with you over time, capturing the essence of living east of Málaga. Each one, in it’s own unique way, reminds me of why I love living in southern Spain, and in particular the Axarquía.

This photograph shows the coastline of the Axarquía, as it drops into the Mediterranean Sea. The view, looking west from Cerro Gordo towards Maro and Nerja, is the one that I have chosen to incorporate into the heading of this blog. I captured the moment on a particularly beautiful summer’s day, after having had lunch on the terrace of a local restaurant.

What’s your favourite photograph, and why?

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Other photographs I love …. and why!