Spain Cruise: Málaga
In this sixth post of a multi-part series, Bethany explores Málaga, Spain and a few nearby villages on her Spanish Wine Discoveries Cruise on Azamara.
The fourth full day of the cruise was spent in and around Málaga, Spain. As with a few other stops on the cruise, I did not spend much time in the actual port of Málaga itself. Instead, I spent the day on a fabulous excursion that took me to a few smaller villages nearby. It was an absolutely wonderful day, full of beautiful sights, warm smiles, and delicious food!
Spanish Wine Discoveries Cruise Full Itinerary
Below is the full itinerary for the trip. This post includes details about Cruise Day 4 in Málaga, Spain. Looking for info on other stops? Check out the ‘Links’ section at the end of this post!
- Pre-Cruise Day 1 – April 7: Barcelona, Spain
- Pre-Cruise Day 2 – April 8: Barcelona, Spain
- Cruise Day 1 – April 9: Valencia, Spain
- Cruise Day 2 – April 10: Alicante, Spain
- Cruise Day 3 – April 11: Melilla, Spain
- Cruise Day 4 – April 12: Málaga, Spain
- Cruise Day 5 – April 13: Cadiz/Seville, Spain
- Cruise Day 6 – April 14: Lisbon, Portugal
Morning in Málaga
It was yet another marvelous morning in yet another magnificent Spanish port – this time, Málaga. This bustling city is perched on the Costa del Sol (“Coast of the Sun”) of the Mediterranean, and it is the birthplace of Pablo Picaso. The population here is just shy of 600,000, making it the second-most populous city in Andalusia and the sixth-most populous within all of Spain. As the sun started peeking out over the horizon, I ate breakfast on the ship and prepared for my full-day excursion.
Churros in Colmenar
Today’s excursion was called “Village Experience with Mama Home Cooking.” Throughout the day, we visited three small villages near the port of Málaga. Our first stop was about a 30-minute drive north of the port, in Colmenar. We drove through the small village, with a population of around 3,500 people. Our stop here was to a local churreria to sample the local breakfast specialty, churros. The churros were fresh from the fryer, and we could choose to dip them in hot chocolate, sugar, or both. It was a delicious start to a delicious day!
Olives and Almonds
After enjoying the churros, we continued our very scenic drive, winding our way through many olive and almond groves. Our guide had the driver stop at a particularly pretty spot so we could see the trees up close.
We took a few minutes to soak up the scenic views amongst the green trees. There were many olive trees, both old ones with large trunks and more newly planted ones with thinner trunks. The almond trees were everywhere as well. Our guide found several almonds that had fallen from the trees and used a small rock from the ground to open the shells so we could all try some fresh almonds. They were delicious!
Click through the slideshow below for some more pictures of the olive and almond trees.
Olive Mill
Our journey continued to Alfarnate, another 25 minutes northeast of Colmenar. As we continue our journey, we continue to gain elevation – Alfarnate sits about 3000 feet (900 meters) above sea level. This stop included a tour of the Monsalud Olive and Cereal Cooperative. This cooperative, which includes about 140 members, processes olive oils, cereals, and fertilizers. We got a tour of the olive mill from one of the members, who explained the process of receiving the olives from the farmers, cleaning and weighing them, and then pressing them to extract the extra virgin olive oil.
The mill currently has only one milling line, which processes about 2200 tons of olives per year (about 375 tons of oil!). After our tour, we got to sample two of the oils they manufacture – extra virgin olive oil, and the same oil infused with garlic. Both were so good!
Enchanting Alfarnatejo
Our final stop was just a 5-minute drive from Alfarnate, to the neighboring village of Alfarnatejo. This tiny village has about 400 residents. It sits in the area known as the “Southern Pyrenees” because it is nestled within several breathtaking mountains. We got off the bus and walked through the gorgeous village.
The winding cobblestone streets are lined with whitewashed buildings. The municipal park was overflowing with gorgeous flowers and many herbs that the locals use while cooking.
The Village Church, Iglesia Parroquial del Santo Cristo de Cabrilla
We stopped to admire the local church, the Iglesia Parroquial del Santo Cristo de Cabrilla. Perched on the highest part of the town, it was built in the 18th century and then rebuilt in the 20th century. Our guide explained that the locals who live closest to the church typically have they keys. Sure enough, a woman popped out of her house and asked if we wanted to see inside the church. Of course, we said yes, so she pulled a key ring out of her pocked and welcomed us inside! She showed off the beautiful church with a wonderful sense of pride.
Visiting a Traditional Village House
During our walking tour of Alfarnatejo, we stopped to visit a traditional house. We got to enjoy fig bread, almonds, figs, and sweet wine here.
Scroll through the slideshow below to see pictures of the interior of the home we toured:
Village “Mama” Lunch
The highlight of today’s tour was being welcomed into a local home where we were served some traditional local foods for lunch. Our group was divided into two smaller groups, and each group went with a local “Mama” to enjoy the lunch she prepared for us. We entered her beautiful home and sat down to a lovely table, set with our first course of salad, meat, and cheese.
Our abundant and delicious lunch included:
- Starter of salad, meats and cheese platter, fresh bread
- Soup with beans and vegetables
- Main dish of pork in a mushroom cream sauce with fried potatoes
- Dessert of custard with cinnamon
- Coffee served with a traditional cake and a homemade plum anise liquor
Our welcoming hostess “Mama” does more than cook fabulous food – she also painted all of the artwork in the main sitting room we ate in! She proudly showed off her work as we enjoyed our coffee. The room we ate in also had a window that afforded a peek at the church we had visited earlier.
After a truly fantastic lunch, we walked back to the bus that was waiting at the main entrance of the village to pick us up and return us back to the ship. As we drove away, I had a wonderful view of the small village of Alfarnatejo.
Prime C Dinner
I had not fully considered my excursion when I booked my reservation for dinner on the ship tonight…I had an early reservation at the second specialty restaurant, Prime C! Even though I had been eating all day on my wonderful excursion, I still managed to enjoy a lovely dinner this evening.
- Amuse buche: Tuna with Seaweed and Wasabi
- Starter: Tempura Shrimp and Tuna Tartare
- Salad: Lobster Salad with Granny Smith Apple and Cucumber Slaw in a Mild Curry Vinaigrette
- Main course: Filet Mignon with Bearnaise sauce and Baked Hasselback Potato
- An assortment of chocolates before dessert
- Dessert: Key Lime Cheesecake
After dinner I enjoyed a walk on the upper deck, catching a few last glimpses of Málaga as we set sail again.
Conclusion
Málaga was another stop where I did not get to spend any time within the port city itself, but I had an absolutely fantastic day exploring the gorgeous small villages in the area. The views as we drove from village to village were breathtaking. The villages themselves were quaint and lovely. It was a thoroughly delicious day from start to end!
Links
Check the main page for this cruise to read more about my adventures:
Click the button below for more information about Azamara:
