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You are here: Experts > Food/Drink > Spanish Cuisine > Travel to Spain > Travelling to Spain and then Morocco- Need lots of Tips!
Travel to Spain - Travelling to Spain and then Morocco- Need lots of Tips!
Expert: Víctor Díaz - 10/19/2009
Question
Hi Victor,
Me and a group of friends will be travelling for roughly two weeks (December 20- January 3). In that space of time we want to travel to Spain and Morocco. This will be my first time visiting both countries. So I have a few questions and I’m hoping you can give me some great travelers’ advice:
-We want to visit some beaches while in Spain. Of course, I’d prefer if they were close to Morocco in order to make traveling there easier. I’ve heard people telling me that Malaga has some of the best beaches in Spain. But there are two problems: A.) Booking a flight to Malaga is more expensive versus booking a flight to Madrid (I’m coming from Canada). B.) If I fly to Madrid, what is the best (and cheapest) option of getting to Malaga (train? Bus? Car?).
-From Malaga I’d have to travel to Algeciras in order to take a ferry to Morocco. Again, what’s the best option of getting to Algeciras from Malaga? Actually, are there any other cities closer to Algeciras with great beaches other than Malaga?
-Temperature: How warm/cold can it get in Southern Spain during December? Would it be considered “beach season”?
-I’m not sure if you can answer this, but I went to the allexperts Morocco page and they don’t have an expert yet. Anyway, is it hard to enter and exit Morocco (i.e. would the border officials give me any trouble)? Any other tip regarding Morocco would be helpful (best places to travel, things to avoid, etc).
Thanks for your time!
Answer
Hello Tobias
Beaches in Spain during winter are not a main destination, even in the warmest palce of Spain (mainland), Costa del Sol the weather may be good enough for strolling under the sun by the beach , but not for bathing. The only place in Spain which have really warm temperatures in winter are Canary Islands.
Malaga looks like a right place to visit if you plan to follow to Morrocco via Algeciras. Beaches are probably better in the Cadiz province (where Algeciras is located) but those at Costa del Sol and Malaga will be ok since you can't bath and it will be slightly warmer and sunny. Spain have a long coastline and good beaches can be found in many places. As tourism focusing in sun and beach is a main industry, beaches are generally well cared and cleaned during tourist season, in winter you may find them not well cared, and more if there have been bad weather conditions.
Answering your question, winter is not a beach season at all, only Canary islands which have warm temperatures along the year.
cheapest option to get to Malaga from Madrid is by bus, but by train (high speed) if you find Web or Star offers is a very good option too, and saves a lot of time.
Check Renfe for trains
http://www.renfe.es
takes 2h40, cost from 73,60euros (web offers from 30euros but in christmas swho knows..)
and the site of the company doing Madrid-Malaga
http://www.daibus.es/
cost 21,80 and takes about 6h
If you stay in Malaga you may still enjoy good weather if you are not unlucky and still visit this nice city or visit Granada and some other places of Andalucia.
From Malaga to Algeciras,
by train need to take two trains,
first one to Bobadilla or Antequera and then wait for a regional train to get to Algeciras
by bus
http://www.ctsa-portillo.com/
probalby faster than trains, there is a direct bus that takes 1h45.
about Morocco, seems there are harder controls by spanish police seeking for drugs and illegal inmmigrants but the border is crossed daily for hundred of people.
I have not specific idea of what to see in Morrocco, ask in the Tripadvisor forums.
As it is not beach season you may consider spend your time in spain between madrid and Sevilla, for example. From both places you will have trains and bus connections to Algeciras.
some links
malaga
http://www.malagaturismo.com/home.jsp
malaga bus station
http://www.estabus.emtsam.es/
sevilla
http://exploreseville.com/
http://www.sevilla.org/turismo/paginas_es/portada.asp
madrid
http://www.esmadrid.com/
main bus station
http://www.estacionautobusesmadrid.com
I hope this helps a bit, you may ask me again for more details and questions whenever you want.
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