Tarifa
Drive on down the coast for about half an hour and you'll find Tarifa, the southern most point of Spain.
Tarifa is the wind and surfing sports capital situated on the Atlantic, so take your wet suit and board.
This is actually Costa de la Luz and has a very different look and feel to the Costa del Sol, much more what you think Spain should be like...
If you can book a room at the Hurricane Hotel you will be very pleasantly surprised, though with only 70 rooms and reasonable prices all year round, they can be in demand! Even if you can't book a room, pop into their cliff top bar which does an excellent lunch menu. The Hurricane also offers horse riding and trekking excursions though again you do need to book.
Drive on down the coast for about half an hour and you'll find Tarifa, the southern most point of Spain.
Tarifa is the wind and surfing sports capital situated on the Atlantic, so take your wet suit and board.
This is actually Costa de la Luz and has a very different look and feel to the Costa del Sol, much more what you think Spain should be like...
If you can book a room at the Hurricane Hotel you will be very pleasantly surprised, though with only 70 rooms and reasonable prices all year round, they can be in demand! Even if you can't book a room, pop into their cliff top bar which does an excellent lunch menu. The Hurricane also offers horse riding and trekking excursions though again you do need to book.
Ronda
This is historical Andalucian bandit country and the home of modern bull fighting, with the amazing and historical Plaza de Toros. There are two ways to get to Ronda, follow the A-366 road and route of the bandits from Coin through the mountains and National Park which takes about 3 hours as you climb higher and higher, the views over the mountains and valleys are magnificent. This route is not for the nervous driver as the road is very narrow and winding with steep drops down the mountains sides. Alternatively take the A-376 which is a much quicker and larger road, taking about 1 hour starting on the other side of Marbella.
The drive is well worth it however, Ronda straddles the 100m deep El Tajo gorge which plunges steeply beneath the town and was a medieval walled city with parts of the walls still standing. There are several museums e.g. the Bandit Museum, the Bull Fighting Museum within the bull ring and the Casa del Rey Moro and The Mina. This later is a water mine with a stairway all the way down to the gorge, used for the town's water supply hauled up by a chain of slaves. It's an amazing piece of medieval engineering, however it is a very strenuous climb back up, so be warned...!
This is historical Andalucian bandit country and the home of modern bull fighting, with the amazing and historical Plaza de Toros. There are two ways to get to Ronda, follow the A-366 road and route of the bandits from Coin through the mountains and National Park which takes about 3 hours as you climb higher and higher, the views over the mountains and valleys are magnificent. This route is not for the nervous driver as the road is very narrow and winding with steep drops down the mountains sides. Alternatively take the A-376 which is a much quicker and larger road, taking about 1 hour starting on the other side of Marbella.
The drive is well worth it however, Ronda straddles the 100m deep El Tajo gorge which plunges steeply beneath the town and was a medieval walled city with parts of the walls still standing. There are several museums e.g. the Bandit Museum, the Bull Fighting Museum within the bull ring and the Casa del Rey Moro and The Mina. This later is a water mine with a stairway all the way down to the gorge, used for the town's water supply hauled up by a chain of slaves. It's an amazing piece of medieval engineering, however it is a very strenuous climb back up, so be warned...!
Gibraltar
About 45 minutes by car on the toll road, which is not as expensive as you may think.
Make sure you park on the Spanish side and walk across the border, otherwise you could queue for a very long time.
When you get across the border, take a double decker bus to the centre or take a taxi and enjoy the "Rock" first, alternatively it's a five minute walk. Loads of shops selling designer watches, clothes, alcohol and tobacco.
After you've strolled around, take the cable car up to the top of the rock and talk to the Barbary Apes, most astounding views of North Africa and the Spanish coast. Well worth a visit.
DON'T FORGET TO TAKE YOUR PASSPORT!
About 45 minutes by car on the toll road, which is not as expensive as you may think.
Make sure you park on the Spanish side and walk across the border, otherwise you could queue for a very long time.
When you get across the border, take a double decker bus to the centre or take a taxi and enjoy the "Rock" first, alternatively it's a five minute walk. Loads of shops selling designer watches, clothes, alcohol and tobacco.
After you've strolled around, take the cable car up to the top of the rock and talk to the Barbary Apes, most astounding views of North Africa and the Spanish coast. Well worth a visit.
DON'T FORGET TO TAKE YOUR PASSPORT!