Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Ruthdes]

I'm going to Spain for 3 weeks in September, and I want to spend about 3 or 4 days on the Mediterranean, drinking, swimming, relaxing, etc. I'll also be going to Granada and Sevilla, then on to Portugal, so proximity to them would be good.

I'm particularly looking for a place that won't be overrun with horrible package tourists from Britain (so I'm guessing not too close to an airport). I saw them in Turkey a few years ago, and I'd much rather be around backpackers. I'll be traveling alone and want to stay in a hostel, so if you know one feel free to recommend, but I'm happy to find one on Hostelworld too.

I'm also interested in scuba diving while I'm there, so if you can recommend a town with good scuba sites, that's another plus. My first consideration is relaxation in the sun on the beach, though.

I'm currently considering Cadiz, but I'm concerned that it will be too big, where a smaller town might be nicer.

So hit me! What do you know?

[ticktocktocktick]

The stretch of coast from Malaga down to Gibralta is pretty much all little Britain. Package tourists are concentrated more heavily immediately southwest of Malaga. If you're concerned about drunken louts, Marbella is a bit more upmarket, but has a price tag. However, I haven't been there for 11 years, so I don't know how it is nowadays. After the first week of September, the area quiets down a fair bit as most UK kids go back to school then.

Malaga itself is rather nice, and there are a few hostels on hostelworld as I recall. Take a bus up to the fortress, and walk back down along the old walls. The Picasso stuff is very much worth a look too. There's plenty of English service as it's so close to little Britain. For a beach, you would have to go down to Torremolinos (the original home of the British package tourist!) though.

Malaga airport is well served by the cheap airlines, and easy to get in and out of.

The only other thing I know about that region is that Granada is supposed to be a big party town, due to a huge amount of uni students.

[ticktocktocktick]

If you're on a tighter budget, you should also know that hotels in places like Torremolinos and Benalmedena will often be cheaper than the hostels in Malaga.

[Ruthdes]

Hey, Thanks for your reply!

I have pretty much ruled out Malaga because of the chav influence. As I mentioned in my OP, I was a little scarred by a trip to Marmaris in Turkey, 3 years ago. It was the end of September, and the whole town was still filled with loud, drunk, annoying, complaining Brits. I have nothing against a party, but I just prefer the backpacker crowd, rather than the package tourist crowd.

I am still considering Cadiz, and have found a (seemingly) good hostel there. My main concern is that maybe the city is a little big for my tastes, and also it's on the Atlantic coast, rather than the Mediterranean (I LOVE the Mediterranean!). If I don't decide on any other town, I'll go there. I'll be coming from Granada and then heading to Sevilla, so it's actually quite conveniently located. I'll be travelling by bus I think.

I'll check out Torremolinos and Benalmedena, though it seems like there may be too many of the clientele I wish to avoid!

[lalartu]

I went to Malaga and nearby towns roughly a year ago and it was all full of the British, the Russians and the French.

Torremolinos is a great spot, but it's also the most touristy one.

I think at this point, the entire coast is pretty much saturated with rich Europeans wanting to escape to the sunny south.

If you want to go SCUBA diving and enjoy a somewhat more quiet experience, try one of the ballearic islands maybe?
scuba in Andalucia region is very subpar as is their coast (black sand and boring sea floor)

best scuba as well as surfing spots are in the north of spain in galicia and basque region. i don't know of a single nice spot in the south.

[cazador83]

I studied in Sevilla several years ago and really enjoyed it.

Malaga has a Picasso museum (actually it used to be his house), but not sure about the beaches there. Marbellas is kinda famous also for their beaches I believe.

Algeciras is world-known for their strong winds and windsurfing. I think Tarifa has good winds as well.

Huelva has exact replicas of Columbus' 3 ships. It was pretty interesting, but again, I didn't go to the beaches so not sure about that.

If you're going to Portugal anyway, you could check out Faro and Lagos. They're very close to Andalucia. You're gonna love Andalucia! Granada was awesome!

[JBomb]

Cadiz is a great base. It is close to some nice beaches, you can hit up Sevilla to get your architecture fix, and it also close to Xeres which is situated on the river delta where the real sherry is produced. I went to the Gonzalez-Byass winery and thanks to Tio Pepe it was a truly "forgettable" experience if you know what I mean.

[Ruthdes]

Thanks for all the replies. I fly out tonight, and am sticking with Cadiz as my beach destination unless I get a recommendation on the fly. This is my first holiday where I have booked very little, and I'm counting on it being shoulder season to see me through. The idea of the flexibility is very appealing.

I had a heart attack two nights ago when I opened my passport (which I always carry on me - call me paranoid about the norks!), and found that my photo had sustained water damage! Holy Sh*t! So the last two mornings have seen me at the Aussie Embassy at Gwanghwamun, getting an emergency passport.

It was complete coincidence that I even opened my passport 2 days ago. I could've gone to check in this evening and been screwed.

I'm really not happy about it, as there was very little other evidence of water (no crinkled pages, etc), but my photo had run. I'm hoping to get the Oz government to reimburse me the cost of the emergency and new passports, b/c I really feel like the tiny amount of water that caused this means that the passport was defective.

Anyway, I'm still a little worried about taking an emergency passport to Europe, but I have no choice and I'll breathe easier once I make it through Spanish customs. But for now, I'm thinking positively: Adios Korea! I'll see you in October!

[methdxman]

[Ruthdes]