MALAGA ARRIVAL

We arrived in Malaga before dawn, which was earlier than planned to deconflict with other ships’ arrival times.

Malaga is a large city with over 500K people and a modern cruise terminal.  The terminal is about 1/2 mile from a few waterfront shops and restaurants and about 1 mile from the busier part of the city.   HAL offered a shuttle bus to Plaza de la Marina in the city center, about a 1 1/4 mile walk.

HAL EXCURSION

Our tour started at 6 AM – sorta – There was a two-hour time change last night so the usual 8 AM meeting time, already pretty early, was effectively 6 AM.

Our tour met in the Theatre at 8 AM, and there was a short line to register for the tour and get our “Dots”.

Here is the description of the HAL tour

Best of Cordoba

Departs: 8:15 AM (Waitlisted) Approximately 8½ Hours Adult $189.95; Child $149.95

The mighty Roman Empire established Cordoba around the time that it became clear that inland Andalusia could be reached by way of the navigable Guadalquivir River. Today, only three of the thirteen gates of the city’s original ancient Roman walls are still standing.

Despite its auspicious start, Cordoba did not reach its prime until the 10th century AD, during the time of Muslim domination in Iberia. Draped in splendor, Cordoba became one of the political, cultural, and economic leaders of the world. Because of its strategic importance, Cordoba seemed the logical place to build a very large mosque — a primer for those who intended to make the haj to Mecca.

Astonishingly, when Catholicism rose to overthrow the power of Islam, rather than destroying the mosque, the Catholic Church simply built a cathedral inside it. So today you will enter a forest of columns that belong to the mosque and discover in their midst a Catholic cathedral — this is a stunning and bizarre piece of art and architecture and its impact is not to be missed.

Complete your time in Cordoba with a walking tour through the Jewish Quarter, where the narrow and winding streets hide many important and traditional buildings. Your guide will point out the Mudejar Synagogue and the quarter’s many references to water — Arabian engineering was crucial for the development of the area’s supply. Lunch is served at a local restaurant before you return to Málaga.

MEETING FOR OUR TOUR

A week ago they announced that they would be more strict about people leaving the theatre early.  We didn’t notice anything different in the theatre while we were waiting, and once our tour group number was called, we left immediately, but by the time we arrived on our bus, we were the 2nd to last to board.   It’s no big deal for us as we prefer the last row.

We realized that getting a tour dot is not required to get on your HAL tour bus.  Many people never go to the theatre for a dot and go directly to the pier.  They can easily find their bus and board immediately.  When this happens, the bus may be “oversold” as the HAL staff may give out more dots than seats are remaining.  If this happens, the latercomers are directed to another bus.   HAL has tried to eliminate this by not allowing people to leave the theatre once they get a dot, but there isn’t much they can do if people are determined to beat the system.

When you leave the cruise terminal, you will see the HAL shuttle and tour buses close to the door.  The meeting place for private tours is off to the right as you leave, along with one of the hop-on / hop-off bus stops.

HEADING TO CORDOBA

Leaving Malaga behind, we headed north on the A-45 highway connecting Malaga to Cordoba.  We were greeted with a blend of coastal landscapes, rolling hills, olive groves, vineyards, and picturesque countryside villages.  After about 90 minutes, we stopped for a break at a modern rest stop before continuing to Cordoba, where we arrived around 11 a.m.

CORDOBA JEWISH QUARTER

After we left our bus, we headed into the Jewish Quarter with Salvador, our guide.  We walked through narrow, labyrinthine streets lined with whitewashed houses adorned with colorful flower pots.  The Jewish synagogue in Cordoba is one of Spain’s few remaining medieval synagogues.  We enjoyed the intricate Moorish-style arches, Hebrew inscriptions, and stunning decorative elements.

The only restroom available was inside a gift shop, requiring a 50-cent euro coin.  We always keep some local coins from previous trips for situations like this.

MEZQUITA-CATHEDRAL

The trip’s highlight was our visit to the Mezquita Cathedral, a remarkable symbol of the merging of Islamic and Christian cultures.  Originally constructed as a mosque during the Islamic rule of Al-Andalus, it was later transformed into a Christian Cathedral in the 13th century.  This unique blend of architectural styles and influences creates a harmonious tapestry that reflects the complex history of Cordoba.  Admission was €13, which was included in our excursion price.  If you are going alone, you can buy your tickets online in advance HERE.  The line to the entrance was about 50 yards long when we joined, but it moved quickly and only took about five minutes.  Men had to remove their hats, but women could leave them on.

Once inside, we were in the former mosque with its forest of horseshoe arches supported by many columns, creating a sight that seemed to stretch endlessly before our eyes.  Each column told a story, with different styles and materials representing the mosque’s construction eras.

The Mezquita Cathedral is large and crowded with tourists.  We were given radio earpieces so our guide could talk to us throughout our visit, even though we were separated and the background crowd noise was loud.  At the heart of the Mezquita-Catedral lies the surprising and magnificent addition—the Renaissance cathedral.  In stark contrast to the Islamic architecture that surrounds it, the Cathedral’s elaborate chapels, ornate altarpieces, and stunning domes showcase the grandeur of Christian art and design.

LUNCH

We were here about 1 hour before heading to the Taberna Seneca for lunch.  Our group of about 35 people was spread across a large room at tables for four.  The lunch was three courses:  tomato soup, roast beef, and pineapple cake, but as normal with large groups, the meal took longer than we would probably take on our own.

ROMAN BRIDGE

After lunch, we continued to explore the Jewish Quarter before heading to the Roman Bridge, locally known as Puente Romano, which crosses over the Guadalquivir River.  This bridge stands as an iconic symbol of Cordoba’s ancient roots. Initially constructed in the 1st century BC, it was a vital link in the Roman road network, connecting Cordoba with other parts of the Roman Empire.

The bridge’s construction is a testament to the engineering prowess of the Roman Empire.  The bridge comprises 16 arches and showcases a harmonious blend of Roman and Moorish architectural elements.  Once we had crossed the bridge, we met our bus for our drive back to Malaga.

MALAGA DUTY-FREE

The duty-free shop is after the security station in the cruise terminal.  If you wanted to buy wine or liquor, you would be on the honor system to declare your purchase before boarding the ship.

OCTOPUS

As we sailed away, we got a good look at the 414-foot luxury yacht Octopus, which is available for charter at $2,200,000 per week.  This comes with two helicopters and a submarine!   More HERE