Return to MALAGA SPANISH LANGUAGE PROGRAM

Excursions in and around Malaga

At the weekend take a trip with the other students from the school to nearby places of interest, price ranging from 15 - 50 Euros.

Destinations include: Granada with the Alhambra, Seville the capital of Andalusia, Cordoba and the Mezquita. Visits to the El Chorro lakeside and Nerja with it’s beautiful beaches and caves are organized only in the summer.

Every 2 weeks a 3-day weekend excursion to Morocco (only a short ferry trip away) from Friday to Sunday will take place together with other language schools from Granada, Marbella and Malaga.

White villages of Andalusia

The white villages of Andalusia are probably most peoples stereotype of a traditional Spanish village. Perched upon a hill side with picturesque with the small villas divided by narrow alleys and streets. Surprisingly it is still possible to find villages such as this on the Costa del Sol.

Alpandeire - the place where Fray Leopoldo was born. J·brique - situated on the top of a mountain, giving a fantastic views of the Sierra Ronde±a. Pujerra - famed for its fine work with leather. Carratraca - famous for its natural sulphur spas. Alfarnatejo - with the ruins of its Muslim castle. Totalßn - a little village of great interest for its natural beauty and for its archeological treasures. Sedella and Archez - full of monuments and Moorish retreats of great value and historical interest.

Ronda

Ronda is a picturesque old town that straddles a breath taking gorge. Perched high on a rock precipice 150 metres (just under 500 ft) above the gorge below the town sits on both sides of the gorge with the old Moorish town of La Ciudad (literally 'The City') to the South and the newer El Mercadillo (Little Market) district to the North.

Three bridges span the ravine, the most impressive being the Puente Nuevo (New Bridge) which was built in the 18th Century. This is where most tourist activity can be found and where the most dramatic photos can be taken.

Marbella

Marbella has been and continues to be the most prestigious spot on the Costa del Sol ever since, a half century ago, Max Hohenlohe, married to woman from a wealthy Mßlaga family, invited his European friends to his seaside house, which was later transformed by his son Alfonso into the select Marbella Club. Marbella boasts luxury estates, yacht basins, stately residences and villas like palaces. This town, now one of the most popular tourist destinations, is famous for its "Golden Mile" with its luxury hotels, gardens and the residences of aristocrats, society people and businessmen.

Seville

One of the largest cities in Spain, bearing numerous traces of the 500 years of Moorish occupation. Seville is the romantic heart of the country, the city of Carmen and Don Juan; its cathedral is the largest Gothic building in the world and has a superb collection of art and period stonework. Christopher Columbus is buried here. The cathedral bell tower, known as the Giralda from its crowning weather vane was originally a minaret and observatory. The climb is worth the effort for the commanding views.

Cordoba

During the early Moorish period it was reputed to be the most splendid city in Europe. The Great Mosque built between 785 and 1002 is the main tourist attraction. Highlights include the Great Hall, characterised by delicately carved horseshoe arches of alternating white stone and red brick, the Patio de Los Naranjas, the Ablutions Courtyard still shaded by orange trees and cooled by fountains, and the Mihrab, (prayer niche). In the 16th century the mosque was transformed into a Christian church with the building of a Renaissance Choir. Other reminders of Cordoba's history are the old Jewish Quarter which boasts a 14th-century mosque (one of only three in Spain), the Archaeological Museum with its substantial Roman and Moorish finds and the area by the river.

Granada

Outstanding monument is the Alhambra, the palace fortress built by the Nasrid rulers in the 13th-14th centuries. The most popular tourist attraction in Spain, tickets must be booked at least 24 hours in advance. The highlights include: the Palacios NazariTs, its halls, courtyards and loggias decorated with painted enamel tiles, delicately fretted arches, stalactite vaulting, marble sculptures and stucco ornament; the Alcazßba, an 11th-century hilltop fortress, and the Generalife, the gardens of the summer palace.

Gibraltar

Situated in the western entrance to the Mediterranean about 2 hours west from Malaga, the 5km-long (3 mile) rock contains 143 caves, over 48km (30 miles) of road and miles of tunnels. An internal self-governing British Crown Colony, Gibraltar has given its name to the Bay and the Straits which it overlooks. The town of Gibraltar is an 18th-century British Regency town built on a 15th-century Spanish town. Well worth a visit is St. Michael's Cave, part of a complex series of interlinked caverns, which is used for concerts and ballet.

Morocco

Ferry services operate from Soutrhern Spain ports and you can spend the weekend in in Morrocco. A ferry leaves daily from the port of Gibraltar to the port of Tanger, Morocco and is the quickest crossing by boat. The crossing time is normally about 70 minutes depending on weather conditions. The ferry normally leaves a few times daily during the week and once at the weekend, the price per person is approx. $30.00. For additional information, please visit: www.viamare.com.

The ski slopes of Sierra Nevada

The Sierra Nevada, meaning "snowy range" in Spanish, is a mountain range in the region of Andalusia in Spain. It contains the highest point of continental Spain, Mulhacén at 3,479 m.

It is a popular tourist destination, as its high peaks make skiing possible in Europe's most southern ski resort in an area along the Mediterranean Sea predominantly known for its warm temperatures and abundant sunshine. At its foothills is found the city of Granada and, a little farther, Málaga and Almería.

Parts of the range have been included in the Sierra Nevada National Park. The range has also been declared a biosphere reserve. The Sierra Nevada Observatory is located on the northern slopes at 2800 m.