Faro, Malaga or Alicante for hols?

[Hotfeetcoldfeet]

DH myself and our 11 year old DD are going on a mini break over Easter, probs 5 nights. The local airport flies direct to Faro, Malaga and Alicante. We want a nice town to wander around, good food, a beach to mooch on, stuff to see and do but mainly lots of mooching and chilling. We will probably go Airbnb as I hate the feeling of touristy hotels. I know they are all touristy but anyone got any advice on which might be the least touristy and which might feel like a nice March getaway? Warmth is good but it’s March so not expecting too much. TIA!!!

@Hotfeetcoldfeet
Do you plan to stay within the city you are flying to or would you prefer to be in a resort ?

I don't know Faro as a city. We went to Alvor further down the coast as a holiday in late September. Alvor was lovely but I have no idea as to weather or how much would be open in March.

Alicante - is a lovely small city with a beach. We did a late December break there for 3 nights a couple of years ago - I'm not sure how much there is to do for longer as we were only there the 3 days.

Malaga is lovely - as others have said, there is plenty to do within Malaga itself and it has its own beach . Easy access by train to other Spanish cities - we've been to Seville and Cordoba but you can also do Granada. There is also a train along the coast to resorts on the Costa Del Sol. If you are looking at a resort to stay in slightly further out, Estepona (west) and Nerja (east) are lovely . I would recommend a car for either of those places though . For 5 days I would probably stay in Malaga itself as it's an easy taxi from the airport. (There is a train but it's packed and I wouldn't fancy it with suitcases.)

The Easter Day parades in Spain are amazing - not sure if they have them everywhere but we've experienced the one in Nerja a couple of times. Some of the costumes are a bit of a shock when you first see them though.

Weather-wise - of course it's a bit of a gamble and it may be cold and rainy . But it is just as likely to be lovely and sunny, early 20s. I've been staying on the Costa-del-Sol for the last two weeks and it's been beautiful. Yesterday in Seville it was 23 degrees. But last year we had a lot of rain - so variable . I would say it was lovely the couple of times I've been at Easter .

We loved Málaga, which is the only one off your list that we went to. DH and I tag-teamed to visit the museums (Picasso, Carmen Thyssen, Museo de Málaga), which were all great and well worth seeing, we also enjoyed the Alcazaba and Castillo (which have an online audio guide you can access via your phone), and we had some lovely food. We did a walking tour of the old city with a guide, who took us to taste local specialities and our kids enjoyed that - our guide was really warm and lovely. We were there in Feb and so the beach was a bit chilly, but it would be better at Easter. It's a nice, authentic Spanish city that didn't feel overly touristy. We love Spain though and enjoy just wandering around.

Definitely Malaga and accommodation in the Picasso Suites is good. If you hire a car you can also get to Cordoba, which is great for mooching.

Have you ever visited them? What didn't you like about them - and where do you like? (For context)

I love Malaga. It's got sea, near mountains, tons of history, tons of art, loads to see. Good trains and buses to other places - have also enjoyed the other cities round Andalusia and been along the coast.

Haven't been to Faro or Alicante, so can't compare with those.

I think you have all convinced us that Malaga is the one. There seems to be museums plus easy access to other areas with things to do. It also seems relatively cheap in terms of flights at the moment so think we will book this weekend. We will take a wide variety of clothes given that the weather could go either way! I’ll make a list of all your recommendations too so thank you all for your input!!

Are you Cornish OP? When people recommend somewhere else I don’t think they realise how far some of us usually travel just to get to an airport. I’ve been to Malaga for a day heading back from Nerja (flew from Exeter before Flybe went bust). Absolutely loved it and would definitely go back. Granada and Cordoba are gorgeous as well. I might go from Newquay sometime if I can face Ryanair.

Malaga is a good choice.

Mojo - what did you think of Nerja? It gets mixed reviews online. I'm trying to explore more of Spain and it doesnt seem to far from airport

Are you Cornish OP? When people recommend somewhere else I don’t think they realise how far some of us usually travel just to get to an airport.

Is that relevant though? Malaga, Faro and Alicante will all need an airport unless you have a boat to hand.

Because Ryanair have recently started flights to those three locations from Newquay airport. Saves driving 3 hours or more to Bristol. Those specific destinations made me think OP was local to Newquay and avoiding a long drive upcountry to go on her holiday.

It was nice enough but nothing amazing. We went one October half term staying in a very nice apartment in a small complex with a pool. Nerja doesn’t have loads of hotels and is more of a holiday apartment place which suited us. We were lucky to have nice weather and swam in the sea. Had a lovely day trip to Granada. The caves close by were interesting. I think I just prefer coast line with wide open spaces rather than built up Spanish Costa.

@MojoDojoCasaHouse @dreamingofsun

The coastline in Nerja is quite different to some of the other resorts on the CDL though - with 4-5 distinct different beaches as smaller coves which you have to descend to via steps - as opposed to the miles long stretch of beaches backed by promenade which you get eg in Torremolinos, Fuengirola and Marbella. Only Burriana beach has the Chiringuitos, beach playground and promenade backed by shops and restaurants you get in the pre-mentioned resorts. If you wanted a more isolated cove you could visit Maro which is around 5 miles further along the coast.

Came on here to ask for tips for our break at Easter to Malaga, so very grateful for this thread!

Not Cornish. Leeds Bradford is our local airport. They have a limited menu in winter. Seems they add more destinations April time but Easter is early this year!

Definitely Malaga; I have been to all three of those places and there’s a lot more to do there if the weather isn’t so good.
Saying that I was last in Malaga in mid January and it was warm enough for T-shirt and jeans in the middle of the day.

Malaga is a great choice. It is a great little city all on its own. The Cathedral area is brilliant, full of tapas places, bars, shopping, and a great buzz all round. If your kids (and/or you!) are active I'd suggest a day out from Malaga to the Caminito del Rey. Look it up, it's a magnificent gorge that has walkways for hikers. Be warned it is not for the fainthearted or vertigo sufferers! Train from Maria Zambrano station in Malaga to El Chorro will get you there.

You can take a bus from Malaga bus station to Ronda. Another great spot to visit for a day. The journey up the mountain from San Pedro is just fabulous, as is Ronda itself.

Granada is on the direct train line from Malaga, again Maria Zambrano station. Definitely worth a visit if you have time, but book your tickets for the Alhambra in advance and bring your passport with you as ID, it is necessary to get in.

Then you have the beach in the city (it's not the best in the world, but it works for a city!), and the newly refurbished Marina area, which is great for a stroll around.

As you can see I am a fan of Andalucia. There is so much I want to see around there, but I'm getting there bit by bit!