Spanish summer escape in September

When Adam first suggested Malaga as a holiday destination, I initially thought ‘Brits Abroad’ and rejected the idea but his research proved me wrong. Staying in the old town meant we were amongst the locals, within walking distance to the nearby beach, close enough to the vast array of restaurants and added bonus; located where we weren’t subjected to rowdy drunken behaviour. Despite some rain being forecasted, we were fortunate to have wall to wall sunshine with average temps of 30 degrees the entire duration of our 8 day stay. Winning!

Our walk to the beach.

This year, we decided to take Adam’s mum along to celebrate her birthday and what a celebration it was – a day spent visiting Alhambra. What a truly magnificent place! Luckily we managed to nab 3 tickets (which need to be booked in advance) for €20 each at ‘Get Your Guide’, giving us VIP ‘skip-the-line’ service and a 3-hour guided tour. The tour was split between English and German (there’s quite a lot of Germans over there) which probably worked in our favour as it gave us enough time to wonder around the site at our own pace when the English part was over. The multi-lingual guide was great and very informative – it was worth paying that little bit extra to gain a deeper understanding of the palace and fortress complex. Definitely worth a day trip out to Granada. The air-conditioned coach there and back (1.5 hours one way) was a breeze, getting your tix online here will prevent any disappointment at the bus station.

The remainder of our stay was spent soaking up the glorious sunshine on the beach – nothing spectacular but decent enough to serve our tanning purposes. Days in, we found hopping on a bus further down the coast, was quieter and free from people hassling you to buy massages, drinks, accessories and what not.

At €4 hire a day, these sun beds were our second home.

Evenings were spent filling our bellies with copious amounts of sangria (beer in Adam’s case) and traditional tapas from a variety of restaurants – some absolutely delicious, some good, some average but on the whole….a tasty culinary experience. One place that stood out was the restaurant we went to on our first night El Meson de Cervantes. Great service, quality food, good portions and at reasonable prices – massive thumbs up! Everything we ordered tasted delicious but the highlight for me would be the octopus, salmon rolls, tuna,  prawns and Iberico ham (not in any particular order).

This has got to be the best tasting octopus I’ve ever eaten. Nicely charred crispiness on the outside and ever so tender within – just the way I like it. Cooked to perfection!

These smoked salmon rolls came stuffed with ‘Russian salad’ which almost tasted like creme fraiche (the irony!) and was absolutely divine.

The tuna steaks were served on a bed of cauliflower puree and seared at just the right amount of time, leaving you with luscious pink flesh on the inside. The tanginess of the sauce and capers scattered over the top really elevated the taste of the tuna.

Although not usually one for battered prawns, these little babies won me over with their wafer thin crunch as you bite into the succulent crustacean.

As if Iberico ham couldn’t taste any better, served with grilled asparagus, artichoke and a light tomato mousse which had a slight hint of sweetness – marrying these flavours together made for a heavenly combination.

Other dishes we ordered and worth a mention were the patatas bravas, blood sausage, pork cheeks, squid, salmon, meatballs and padron peppers.

We were so impressed by the food that we returned not once, but twice! Ending our last meal in Malaga on a high.

Till next time…Outskies!

Srey x