Direct bus service from the Axarquía to Málaga airport

Posted on July 28, 2014 by Marianne under Axarquía, Cost of Living, Places

If you’re searching the internet for information about buses from Málaga airport heading to the eastern Costa del Sol, here’s the current situation for Summer 2014 (until 28th August).

Yes, there´s good news for visitors arriving at Málaga airport who don´t want to hire a vehicle to continue their travels. During the summer months, Alsina Graells (ALSA) operate an airport bus service along the coast between Málaga airport and Maro, with lots of stops along the way.

The bad news is that the service only operates twice a day in either direction, though that’s twice as many buses as there were last year – so I guess there is some progress!

Travelling from La Axarquía to Málaga Airport (AGP)

Starting in Maro ten minutes before, the bus leaves Nerja at 8.10am and 3.10pm, and calls at Torrox Costa, El Morche, Lagos, Mezquitilla, Caleta de Vélez and Torre del Mar before proceeding to the airport without further stops (arriving at 9.40am and 4.40pm respectively).

The cost (from Nerja) is €4.52 one-way (ida) or €8.18 return (ida y vuelta).

Although there are only two buses each day direct from the coast of the Axarquía region to Malaga airport – don’t let this worry you. There are plenty of buses ALL YEAR ROUND to Málaga bus station in the city centre, from where you can get another bus to the airport. This second bus (every 20 minutes) will drop you off right outside the new terminal (T3) building.

If you prefer to continue your journey from Málaga city to the airport by train, right next door to the bus station in Málaga is the Maria Zambrano railway station, where you can jump on one of the frequent trains direct to Terminal 3 of the airport. You will need to catch the local commuter train (known as Cercanias) C-1 in the direction of Fuengirola. Trains to the airport leave every half hour between 5:23am and 10:33pm. The journey only takes 10 minutes and the fare costs between €1.70 and €2.60 depending on the time and day of travel.

Travelling from Málaga Airport to La Axarquía

The journey on the direct-bus to the coastal areas of the Axarquía begins at Málaga airport, Terminal 3 (Arrivals Llegadas) at 11.45am and 5.15pm travelling via Torre del Mar, Caleta de Vélez, Mezquitilla, Lagos, El Morche, Torrox Costa and through to Nerja (arriving at 1.20pm and 6.50pm respectively). The service actually terminates in Maro ten minutes later.

The cost (to Nerja) is €4.52 one-way (ida) or €8.18 return (ida y vuelta).

If the limited direct-bus times don’t fit in with your schedule, then just hop on the C19 Malaga city bus (every 20 minutes) from right outside Terminal 3 and for approx.€1.20 you’ll soon be at the Estación de Autobuses (bus station) in the city, from where you can catch a bus to anywhere in Spain (including other towns and villages of the Axarquía).

Alternatively, to get into Málaga city from the airport, jump on the local train (the station is just across the road from the bus stop) heading towards Málaga Centro and get off at Maria Zambrano railway station (the journey takes approximately 10 minutes and costs between €1.70 and €2.60 depending on the time and day of travel).

The bus and railway stations in Málaga city are next door to each other.

The Alsina Graells (ALSA) website is in English, where you can study bus schedules and often purchase tickets in advance of your trip.

Disclaimer: It says on the ALSA website “These timetables are for guidance purposes only”, so please check the times before you travel as they may be subject to change.

Silent Sunday: Malaga Cathedral

Posted on July 27, 2014 by Marianne under Places

WARNING: Malaga’s Atarazanas market will EXPLODE your sensory perception

Posted on July 25, 2014 by Marianne under Axarquía, Places, Slice of Life

I’m a HUGE fan of food markets. They are something I seek out, wherever I am in the world – from Barcelona’s Boqueria and Melbourne’s Queen Victoria to local street-markets in Cambodia and Thailand, I’ve visited them all. So, a trip around Malaga’s Mercado Central de Atarazanas is always a pleasure, every time I’m in Malaga city, as well as featuring high on the list of places to take visitors to.

Stained glass window of Atarazanas market, Malaga

The Moorish arched entrance blends seamlessly with 19th century industrial design and the huge, colourful stained-glass window, to create not only a beautiful back drop but also to tell the history of the origins of this bustling market-place.

Set near the heart of the city, Atarazanas has undergone many transformations since it was originally built in the 14th century as a shipyard, when the waves of the Mediterranean Sea lapped at its entrance. Over the years, changes have seen the building used as a convent, military arsenal, hospital and medical school before finally being demolished in 1868 and re-built using the current iron structure, as the city food market, in 1879. Further renovation took place from 2008 to 2010, when Málaga’s Atarazanas market was once again restored to its former glory.

You might not expect to be given a warning when you visit a city food market, but as you walk through the main entrance, which is the only remaining marble archway of what was once a seven-arched shipyard, I can guarantee your senses will explode!

Taste, sight, smell, hearing and touch – the clean interior of Mercado Central de Atarazanas has it all, from pig’s ears to pink Himalayan salt!

The market is structured into three naves – fish, meat and fruit and vegetables, and with more than 250 stalls there is surely something to tickle your tastebuds.

As you wander around, take in the dazzling displays of freshly-caught fish with their scarlet gills and scales glistening under the spotlights. Marvel at the kaleidoscope of colours in the artistically displayed fresh fruit and vegetables that smell like they’ve been picked only that morning. And savour the counters of aromatic cheeses, spices, bread, olives, dried fruits, nuts, sausages and hams, where the stall-holders are usually happy to let you taste before you buy.

A cacophony of sound fills the market, as the competing stall-holders call out to prospective customers and in turn are interrogated by discerning shoppers, eager to discover where the produce is from and how it should be prepared.

I love to watch the locals, who are not only trying to buy the freshest seasonal produce but also socializing with their neighbours as they block the aisles with their roller-trollies, discussing the latest gossip.

Shopping is a much more personal experience in Atarazanas market and, with so many stalls to choose from, cheaper than most supermarkets, too.

If you have time and are ready for some lunch after feasting your senses on all the wonderful produce, then make your way to one of the tapas bars at either end of the market, El Yerno or Cafe-Bar Atarazanas – they are both equally good. Stand near to the bar and you will soon be noticed by one of the staff who will make a space for you. It’s standing room only and always crowded, but well worth it to taste the freshly-cooked, mouth-watering pinchos de gambas, atun o cerdo (skewered prawns, tuna or seasoned pork), boquerones al limón (deep-fried whitebait with lemon) or frito de verduras (tempura-battered vegetables), which you can wash down with a caña (small beer) or vino tinto (red wine).