With a 4.30am check in at Birmingham airport I thought it best to venture up the day before so booked the Ibis hotel which is located a 2 minute walk from departures. We landed at Malaga airport 10.30 local time and once we had cleared passport control and collected luggage we made our way out to arrivals. This is where we meet Keith we couldn’t miss his Riviera Travel sign and welcoming smile.
The luggage was all loaded on the bus for us by the driver, which was good as I didn’t pack lightly! I was very impressed with the coach, it looked very new. Nice big windows for great views, comfortable seats, air conditioning and USB charging points. It was only a 40 minute drive to the first hotel during this time Keith went through the plans for the day and covered some useful information such as how the seating works on the coach, on longer journeys they rotate the seating, you will always be with your traveling companion.
10 minutes away Keith calls the hotel to let them know our arrival is imminent this meant on arrival check in was a breeze, with room keys all ready. We stayed at the hotel Illunion Hacienda del Sol on the outskirts of Mijas, it’s a 4* property with a lovely outdoor terrace and swimming pool. The rooms are very big with comfortable bed, air conditioning and a mini fridge.
We hadn’t expected to have any plans this first day the itinerary was clear but as we arrived on an early flight, Keith had arranged for the coach to drop anyone who wanted to go into Mijas later that afternoon for a few hours visit, this was a really nice touch I liked the fact that there was some flexibility to the tour Even though it had been an early start and I was feeling tired I decided it was be nice to take this surprise opportunity to visit and I am so glad I made the effort.
Mijas is a small Spanish village with plenty of shops, bars and restaurants. The Cobbled streets and steps that wind through the village will take you to the top of Mijas here you will find the bull ring and incredible views of the countryside and ocean beyond Fuengirola.
Enjoying Mijas and the mild November weather we decided to stay for a spot of food letting the coach leave without us and got a taxi back later which only cost €7. Breakfast at the hotel was lovely all the usual offerings and it was a bright and airy restaurant overlooking the terrace. Today we travel to west to Rhonda. Taking around 1.5 hours with a short refreshment and comfort break Keith is giving us lots of local information as we twist and turn up and up the mountains with beautiful views to the point you think we can’t go any higher.
Time in Ronda was at leisure, we had been given a map with ideas of places to visit and some advice from Keith so we set off for a wander we had a good few hours to explore. First stop was the Plaza de Toros y Museo Taurino (Bull ring and museum) entrance was only €9 and well worth a visit.
We then continued further into Rhona as we all wanted to visit Puente Nuevo bridge The Puente Nuevo is the newest and largest of three bridges that span the 120-metre-deep chasm that carries the Guadalevín River and divides the city of Ronda.
Time for lunch, being in Spain, Tapas was on my mind. We stumbled across a wonderful restaurant in one of the back streets and had a long lazy lunch in the sunshine with a cheeky sangria.
Back on the coach, now on route to Seville where we will be spending 3 nights at the 3* superior Don Paco hotel. The hotel is in a great location in the old town around 10 minute walk to the centre with a supermarket next door to stock up on water and a fridge in the room to keep it cold. The hotel has a roof top pool and terrace.
After Breakfast we board the coach for a short drive through Seville to meet to Local guide. We meet at Parque de Maria Louisa which is a lovely park to walk around or you could explore by horse and carriage the park is full of orange trees we learn that there is over 50,000 orange trees across Seville! Next to the park is the overwhelming Plaza de Espana, it is the most famous square in Seville. After the tour we walk back to the hotel and spend a few hours relaxing at the pool.
This evening the whole group met for a Tapas dinner at a local restaurant near the hotel, it was nice to see everyone on the tour spending time together chatting and enjoying food together. We had decided to book the optional Flamenco show for after dinner so the coach collected us from the hotel and took us to the venue. Now I have seen Flamenco shows on holidays before but I was not prepared for how exceptional this professional show was, it was a great night out and well worth the £33 extra.
Day 3 in Seville was a free day to do as you please. No visit to Seville is complete without a visit to the Real Alcazar. Designated aa a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Royal Alcázar of Seville is the oldest royal palace in Europe that is still in use today. It dates back to the 11th century, when the Muslim authorities decided to build a fortress in a strategic location to protect the city. We spent 2 hours exploring the buildings and gardens but could have easily spent longer. I would recommend booking this before you go as it’s very popular, it costs around £13.
I really enjoyed my time in Seville it’s a beautiful city with plenty to see and easy to navigate your way around. It’s very reasonably priced for food & drink which is not always the case in cities. A big plus is also it’s completely flat! Seville has a place in my heart and I have a feeling we will meet again.
This morning, we make our way to Granada via Cordoba arriving in Cordoba, mid-morning we had a guided tour included to visit the Cordoba Mosque. I had zero previous knowledge of Cordoba Mosque and wasn’t sure what to expect, all I can say was wow, this place is amazing! The tour guide was excellent, I could have spent hours here and so far, it was the highlight of the tour for me.
After the tour, er enjoyed lunch before moving on to Granada, passing fields of olive trees as far as the eye can see and eventually the snowcapped mountain of the Sierra Nevada range comes into view. We arrived at the 4* hotel Alixares hotel around 6pm, it had been a busy day and we have an early start in the morning so decided to eat at the hotel buffet restaurant rather than venture out this evening. Once again, I had a great room with views of the Sierra Nevada Mountains from my window.
Up bright and early we have a guided tour of Alhambra at 8.30 this is definitely the cherry on the cake. The tour takes around 2.5 hours, it was slow paced and the tour guide was excellent, so knowledgeable and happy to answer questions. I can see now why Alhambra is on so many people’s bucket list of places to visit, its breathtaking stunning!
For our last evening of the tour, we booked an Uber to take us from the hotel into the centre of Granada it’s a good 15 minute walk downhill from this hotel and the taxi was only around €8 so worth it as the legs are feeling tired now. The weather in Granada was a lot cooler being high up but the local restaurants are equipped with patio heaters so we could still dine for a late afternoon meal alfresco.
So, the time has come to head back to Malaga airport this takes around an hour and 40 minutes from Granada and it’s an early start so the hotel provides a picnic breakfast to enjoy on the way.
Now home and reflecting on my trip. I can easily see why this holiday is Riviera’s top selling European tour. For me, it actually didn’t feel like a coach tour but more of a multi-centre city break holiday with someone holding your hand. Exceptional value for money, for under £1000 I visited Mijas, Rhona, Seville, Cordoba and Granada, with flights, hotels B&B, transport, entrance costs and 2 professional guided tours, tapas diner and not forgetting the experience of the lovely tour guide Keith who has worked for Riviera for 24 years was all included!
If you are pondering the idea of an escorted coach tour but not sure if it’s the right holiday for you and would like to chat with me, I would love to hear from you.
