Well this trip was a long time coming!
Originally booked for March 2000 I was all geared up to travel then when the world shut down! Covid postponed the re-booking to March 2021 and then when re-booked to March 2022 I found myself heading to surgery instead so with a full travel diary for later in the year I plumped for the 2 June departure.
Was it worth the wait? Absolutely!
Firstly a couple of negatives both of which were out of JY’s control and relate to flight issues:-
- We had groups coming in from Birmingham, Manchester and London however Jet2 who were flying our Birmingham travellers decided to put on a smaller ‘plane for the outward flight meaning that 30 odd passengers including 5 of our group got bounced off. They arrived next day but missed the day in Malaga. I was not affected by this so will not comment further save that I understand from those affected that the CEO of Jet2 is now involved. I hope those affected get a satisfactory conclusion.
- On the return leg the London bound passengers had something of an adventure. I would have thought that a BA Airbus was big enough and easy to spot but evidently not for some hapless Spanish baggage handler who managed to hit it with his truck! Suffice to say we could not fly and were bussed off to a hotel for the night. The only redeeming feature of said hotel was that it was big enough to accommodate a plane load of disgruntled passengers. The room furniture was of the type I would have been embarrassed to take to the tip and the cooked breakfast was inedible. The BA captain was very good in keeping us informed until we deplaned but the same could not be said for the ground staff who merely handed out bits of paper and told us to go to the web site and manage my bookings. Flights back were eventually sorted for next day with some returning to Heathrow whilst I found myself headed to Gatwick. I live on the Isle of Wight so both airports are equally (in)convenient but I managed to get a slow train to Southampton and did make it back home before the last Solent crossing.
Now a Covid update, this was as it was for my trip and it needs to be remembered this is an ever changing situation:-
- Prior to travel I ‘phoned 119 and got my NHS Covid pass to show I was fully vaccinated. On arrival in Malaga we passed through a check point where they checked Covid status. I merely showed my bit of paper and was waved through.
- There was no Covid check returning to Spain from Gibraltar.
- Masks are obligatory on public transport and in certain places such as chemists.
- As for tour buses then whilst drivers are obliged to wear a mask we were told it was only necessary for us to wear a mask getting on and off. Most drivers were fairly relaxed about this though
A pre covid post about this tour suggests the hotel was a bit tired. I found it perfectly acceptable and it needs to be borne in mind that hotels have had a severe Covid cash flow problem and it will take a good while to recover from this. The room was clean and comfortable with tea and coffee facilities for that early morning brew. The restaurant was a buffet at both breakfast and dinner. For both meals there was a good variety of foods with no limit on the number of times you could serve yourself. Some people did eat out on occasion but I believe that was to ring the changes.
Our TM was Gina who was a lovely lady who had worked for JY for many years. She lives in Spain and with fluent Spanish was able to resolve any issues.
There is a little supermarket across the road and I found water there was much cheaper than anywhere else.
In a lot of the places we went the streets and walkways are stones embedded in concrete and are not smooth. Comfortable footwear is a must.
I won’t do a day by day account of exactly what we did but:-
- For anyone interested in art the Picasso museum in Malaga is a must.
- Too many people just associate Spain with the multi storey hotels that are on the coast. You only need to go inland a couple of miles to see the real Spain and once away from the coast routes we saw some delightful scenery.
- Ronda is not to be missed. Away from the shops the old town is full of character with lots of alleys and side streets to explore.
- The Alhambra palace is steeped in history and is, again, not to be missed. We had an excellent guide who handed out earpieces and receivers so we did not miss her commentary. She was full of enthusiasm with a great personality and was one of the best guides I have ever had. There was the option to go afterwards to Granada but this involved a lot of walking and as it was a Sunday we might not get into the cathedral which was the main attraction so the unanimous decision was to head back to the hotel.
- Of the village trips to Frigiliana and Nerja I much preferred the rustic charm of the former but each to their own and I did enjoy a nice lunch in the latter.
- I had not been to Gibraltar for 30 plus years so it was like seeing it with fresh eyes. Again we had an excellent guide who kept us entertained as well as informed. Several of the apes that inhabit the rock had young babies with them and the light show in the caves was very impressive.
- Finally Mijas is a delightful little place. Because I did all the other trips and excursions I did not see it properly until the last day but it was well worth the wait.
So would I go again? With unlimited resources then yes but in the real world there are other places to see but I heartily recommend it to others. With thanks to my fellow travellers for their company.
