Great views of the city, the entrance was free and learned a bit of history. Well worth the hour…read morethat I spent there.

I remember standing on the ramparts and looking down over Almeria and realising that basically the…read morewhole town used to be inside the walls of this fortress the bit that you can see now is a tiny part of once was one of the major ports on the Mediterranean. There's a good AV in English that tells you about the history. Lots to wander around, including the ruins of a formal garden, and massive interconnected room-sized tanks where the water supply for the city was once kept. Apparently it was once as grand as Granada.

One of the highlights of visiting Grenada is the Alhambra. My husband had it on his wishlist of…read moreplaces to visit so I booked tickets online via their official website ahead of time when I knew we would be in port. Since our port day was 11 hours, we booked a very expensive bus ride (cruise excursion) from the cruise port in Motril to Grenada. The bus dropped us off steps from the Alhambra and we were able to access the grounds with our prebooked tickets. I chose the 2 pm timeslot for the Nasrid Palace. We were dropped off around 11:15 am so we were able to walk the gardens and all the other spaces prior to gaining access to the palace. The Alhambra is one of the most famous monuments of Islamic architecture built in 1238 by Muhammad I Ibn al-Ahmar, the first Nasrid emir. After the conclusion of the Christian Reconquista in 1492, the site became the Royal Court of Ferdinand and Isabella (where Christopher Columbus received royal endorsement for his expedition to seek out the Indies and spices). In 1812, it was partially destroyed by Napoleon's troops. The Alhambra has been the subject of numerous restorations since the 19th century. It is now one of Spain's major tourist attractions and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. My husband and I spent the majority of our day exploring the Alhambra's grounds. We visited the Palace of Charles V, the Court of Lions, the Nasrid Palace, the Lindajara Courtyard, and the hammam. It's a vast complex of buildings and gardens. In the hot Spanish sun, we walked around marveling at the architecture and the grounds. They have an app to guide you through but the WiFi is spotty. It is beautiful and it is obvious they are preserving the history here. We just wandered around until we needed to grab lunch and head back to the bus.

I was really looking forward to seeing the Alhambra - it's a palace and fortress complex perching…read moreatop the steep hils of Granada, with construction first starting in the 1200s. It's one of the most famous architectural wonders of Islamic architecture and is one of the best preserved places in the world of islamic origin (mixed with Spanish Renaissance architecture). Our ticket included access to all visitable places of the complex (a lot free to the public), Nasrid palace (timed entrance), the gardens and the Generalife (former country estate). We did an unguided tour, so I felt like we missed out on the history a bit as we walked through the palace - it reminded us of the Real Alcazar from Seville, but bigger and more grand in scale. I'm glad our ticket was for 10AM because the grounds only got busier throughout the morning.

Wonderful air b&b view down centro city de granada and we are looking forward to our 13 minute walk…read moreto mirador de san nicolas

Great views of Alhambra. Pack full of people at night with…read morelive performers. Walk there through colorful moorish quarters and take a taxi back to your hotel. (Written by husband)

One of Spain's famed Pueblos Blancos, Frigiliana is a popular side trip for Costa del Sol visitors…read more It's SUPER touristy; the people who vacation at just one beach area and stay there the whole time--except a half-day bus trip here (This is just a 10-15min drive from Nerja)--rave about this as a "must see" because it's the only thing different they see in their whole trip. This is not what I would call a "must see" in Spain. If you're in Nerja go to the caves instead (Fundación Cueva de Nerja and/or Cueva del Tesoro). Frigiliana is a pretty scenic village, full of overpriced tourist shops, but lacking in any history. If you are the cruise ship-type vacationer who just wants somewhere to get steps, buy junk, and nurse a hangover, sure, Frigiliana is your place. My husband couldn't wait to get out of there. I'm all for callejear (wandering the streets) but you will get so much more out of that activity in the Juderia of Córdoba or the Albaicín in Granada. There just wasn't enough interest or history for us in Frigiliana. When I was trip planning restaurants to enjoy lunch in Frigiliana, and one of them was already booked for every time slot months in advance, it was clear I didn't want to eat there. We spent about a half hour there (paid €4 for "free" parking), and left. The only redeeming thing was the cat sanctuary. We spent money to donate there rather than buy a stupid magnet. Adios Frigiliana!

If you.Go to Malaga be absolutely sure you visit this place. The views are amazing, the town…read moreitself is very quaint and has shops and restaurants but not too many so it has a local vibe in some of the quiet Reas toward the top. There is a bus every hour to Nerja. You take the bus from Nerja to Frigiliana. If you stay in central Malaga the bus leaves from the main station but you can save time walking there if you research the route and wait at one of the stops along the way.closest to your hotel. If central, Estacion Muelle Heredia on the N-340 across from Soho. "Muelle" does not come up in google maps all the time, but it is written on the stop/mini station. Be sure to be on the south side of the street if going to Nerja ie the Mediterranean / Alboran Sea / port side. Once you arrive in Nerja stay at that same station and cross the street. You pay the bus driver direct. Websites said exact change only but someone used a credit card. Once you arrive in Frigiliana get off at the main drop off next to the playground and near a round about. The bus for us stopped before that in Old Town. We spent most of our time walking up and down little alleys where people lived and or rented houses. We also browsed the boutiques, had coffee and ate linch with an incredible view of the sea and mountains. Beautiful. Nerja has a more beach tourist vibe, this place has a quaint, relaxed and in places sophisticated vibe. You need 3-4 hours to get a feel for the place. We spent 4 hours here and 4 hours in Nerja. Absolutely worth a visit.

If you happen to be visiting Las Alpujarras in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, you must stop by…read morethe Fuente Agria (Fountain of Sourness). The crystal clear mineral waters flow through the Sierra Nevada and come out here for a quick taste. Beware at the fountain, there are gradual increases in terms of mineral level. It is recommended to drink from left to right, but I actually found the fountain on the very right to be most tasteless. The one on the left almost tastes like blood due to the high concentration of minerals. If you are ever curious what goes into those "Sierra Nevada" labeled spring water, it is great to visit this place and see the real thing. Traditionally, this water is used by the mountain villagers in las Alpujarras for medicinal purposes due to the high concentration of minerals in the water. Whether it works or not, beats me!