25 Jun 2018
Posted by Barry Aldworth 
Spain has always been a popular destination for Irish people when choosing where to travel to for our main holiday. With sun, pools and beaches there are plenty of options if you want to spend your time relaxing, but if you fancy something a little bit more exotic, Spain also boasts a number of options for the culture vultures among us. Before you board the plane, our AA Travel Insurance team has pulled together our 5 favourite day trips to make your Spanish holiday an unforgettable experience.
Alhambra
The Alhambra is a network of beautiful gardens, impressive architecture & stunning views which will make you fall in love with Spain. It is a wonderful place to spend a few hours enjoying both nature and man made beauty.
Alhambra means “The Red One”. This palace complex was built in AD 889 and over the centuries has been renovated and added to over the centuries. It is a mixture of Islamic architecture and later Christian styles. It is a UNESCO world heritage site.
The Alhambra is one of the world’s most popular places to visit and is well worth making the journey to Granada for. As it is so popular, it is recommended to book your tickets as far in advance as possible, up to a couple of months before if you can. In the summer months, try to visit it early morning or evening as Granada is extremely hot in summer.
The city of Granada itself is well worth spending time in. You can take a walk through the old town (Albaicín), and enjoy the view from the top of the city. You can also see “cave houses” built into the side of the hill, which are still inhabited. At night, enjoy the generous tapa culture in Granada, – many bars will offer you a tapa with each glass of wine or beer you buy, and the more you eat, the better the food gets.
Alcazaba
The Alcazaba is a fortress and palace in the city centre of Malaga. It contains examples of Roman, Moorish and Renaissance history side by side each other. Within the Alcazaba you can find gardens, fountains, a Roman amphitheatre and spectacular views over the sea and the city.
It is a great way to get to know the history of Malaga and the surrounding region.
You should also spend some time exploring Malaga city, which is often overlooked as many people head straight to the resorts from Malaga airport. The city itself is great to explore, to shop in and to sit and enjoy a coffee or a drink and watch the world go by. You can go to city’s beaches by day and at night enjoy the atmosphere – in the summer particularly it is a city the almost never sleeps and the streets are filled with people hopping from bar to bar eating and drinking. In summer, take an evening stroll down by the seafront in the upmarket El Palo district, where there are loads of bars and places to eat. In the city centre there is an incredible amount of places to eat and drink, recommended is Bodega El Pimpi, which sits just beside the walls of the Alcazaba. It is a little more expensive than the other eateries but still very cheap by Irish standards. It is very popular and you may have to queue but the food is very very good. Dishes to try in Malaga are Fritura de Mar – a mixture of fresh deep fried seafood and berejenas – deep fried aubergine , served with treacle. Malaga is worth a visit as a city break all year round, and is warm up until about October.
Morocco
If your holiday involves spending some time in southern Spain, you may be surprised to learn that there are a number of quick ferry options which could take you to another continent for a day or two. Ferries to Morocco leave from Tarifa, Gibralter and Algeciras, with overnight travel options also available from Malaga and Almeria. For those in a hurry, Tarifa may be the best option, as the ferry to Morocco will take approximately 1 hour and along the way you’ll get to take in some amazing views of the Straits of Gibralter.
Most day trips will give you the opportunity to spend some time in Tangier and Kasba, as well as the chance to sample some authentic Moroccan food. Personally we recommend indulging in a lamb tajine or mrouzia to get your taste-buds dancing!
Ronda
We appreciate the irony of what we’re about to say, given that you’ll be in Spain as a tourist, but one of the only issues with visiting Ronda is the busloads of tourists that will pour in from the early afternoon. If you plan on including this some time in this beautiful mountain-top city during your Spanish visit then we recommend putting on your alarm and getting to Ronda early in the day when it will be a little quieter. There are a number of great things to do in this city, but our favourites are a nice relaxing stroll along the river (a great opportunity to get some Instagram worthy pictures and work on your tan) and a visit to one of the vineyards to sample some of the local produce!
Gibraltar
Similarly to Ronda, we recommend heading to Gibraltar early in the morning, as once you’re there you’ll easily pass away an entire day before you realise. Before you visit you will need to bring your passport with you and get some of the local currency (Gibraltar pound), although if finding the currency is an issue most shops and restaurants will also accept euros. One of the great things about Gibraltar is that you’ll have options for things to do whether you want to embrace the sun or get some shade. If you want to stay in the sun then we definitely recommend a trip to the Rock of Gibralter which provides some amazing views. Wear comfortable shoes though, because at 426metres to the top it can be a tough climb for some. If all the time in the sun has left you needing some respite, then a visit to Gibraltar’s caves is perfect for you.
Whether you’re planning on spending your holiday by the pool or climbing the Rock of Gibralter, make sure to have travel insurance in place before you leave. Until the end of June, AA Annual Travel Insurance is available online from just €21.50.
Image Credit: xlibber. Used under CC licence.
