Alicante or Malaga in February?

holidaysforme

We have found some great value flights for both places for next February. One for four nights, one for five.
Normally able to go away for a week in Feb, but have to save leave for a longer than usual holiday in Summer next year.
We need this to be a budget break.

We would we treating this as a city break, more than a beach holiday. I know the weather at that time of year is warmish rather than hot in both places. Looking for a bit of culture, shopping, lots of nice food and decent priced self catering apartment in the centre of both Cities.

We would take a day trip to one of the resorts, maybe Fuengeroila from Malaga, or Benidorm or Denia from. Alicante.

Anyway, both are cities with beaches which we love, both Great flights from localish airport and both appear to be similar cost wise for eating out, shopping, accomadation etc.

Which one should we go for?

I'm going to book the flights tonight. Any thoughts or opinions very welcome. Thanks:)

Harald

I would recommend Benidorm only if you after, let's say, "industrial style" holiday. Using other words - if you want to spend most of your time next to swimming poll with drink with umbrella - that's place for you.
If not, especially if you need nice place to walk around and see places - stay away.
It's hideous place with a huge wall of enormous hotels.
But, there's a lot of nice places around - Altea, Calpe, Villajoyosa etc.
In February you may want to move further southwest, like Malaga or Marbella.

martindow

There's a lot to see in and around Malaga which has good transport links including lots of cheap flights. I've been there is February when it was very pleasant in the sunshine, but in the evening the temperature dropped quite low. There is a greater chance of rain and cloud at that time of year when I imagine it would not feel warm at all.

Make sure that wherever you say has heating. I have never been so cold as I was in in a hotel is Algeciras which is about as far south as you can go in Spain.

AlexMac

Another vote for Malaga and its surrounds. We've flown there in February these past three years and stayed in Nerja, but also for a few days in both Ronda and Marbella, with a few day trips to Malaga (the old town) and Granada . I don't know Almeria and it's over 50 years since I was in Denia when I hitched through Spain from the UK, so I can't compare!

Have a look at Tripadvisor Forums for each place for a feel of what others think. Another advantage is that Malaga has great public transport links- also well described on Tripadvisor's forum. So as well as saving on taxi-fare (although these are reasonable) and as an alternative to chilling in a resort, you could get to Nerja, Ronda, Seville, Marbella (whose old centre is charming and confounded our assumptions) or even Granada.

We discovered one 'Moneysavingexpert' tip this year -maybe of less interest to you if you prefer self-catering...
- we tried, and failed to negotiate a discount last year on the room rate at the posh Hotel Balcon de Europa in our favourite Nerja (an hour from malaga by car or a 50-60 Euro taxi although there are buses).
- but discovered this year when friends opted to join us, that Monarch did packages there, which were really good value. Even though we'd already got a surprisingly cheap flight and a car-hire package from BA from our local LCY for our two week stay in the region, Monarch gave us 5 hotel nights in a sea view room which significantly undercut the hotel's own rate by about 30%. And our friends package including flights was very good value

So maybe look at packages before you buy flight only; But while I agree you'll have a great time, you'll be lucky if its warm enough to spend time on the beach- there were a few sun-worshippers out, but it was too cold to swim in Feb; and so while I agree that the Costa del Sol (Malaga region) is nicer and warmer than the Costa Blanca (Benidorm), it will be tee-shirt weather rather than bikinis. We did manage to eat out on every day on the beach in both Marbella and Nerja, but a couple of days were very blowy, and nights were cool enough for a sweater if you wished to eat outside

Ganga

Another vote for Malaga and its surrounds. We've flown there in February these past three years and stayed in Nerja, but also for a few days in both Ronda and Marbella, with a few day trips to Malaga (the old town) and Granada . I don't know Almeria and it's over 50 years since I was in Denia when I hitched through Spain from the UK, so I can't compare!

It must have been fun hitching thru Spain in those days,how many donkeys actually stopped to pick you up ( only joking but transport must have been scarce in the countryside )

Ganga

Hobsons_Choice

Alicante is actually really nice for a city break - most people fly in and bus straight out from the airport, but the city is lovely with plenty to do and easy transport to (not just Benidorm) other towns in the area.
Great beach too!

holidaysforme

martindow wrote: »

There's a lot to see in and around Malaga which has good transport links including lots of cheap flights. I've been there is February when it was very pleasant in the sunshine, but in the evening the temperature dropped quite low. There is a greater chance of rain and cloud at that time of year when I imagine it would not feel warm at all.

Make sure that wherever you say has heating. I have never been so cold as I was in in a hotel is Algeciras which is about as far south as you can go in Spain.

Thanks. We needed heating in the evening this February in Tenerife. The temprature seemed to drop really quickly after the sun went in.

holidaysforme

AlexMac wrote: »

Another vote for Malaga and its surrounds. We've flown there in February these past three years and stayed in Nerja, but also for a few days in both Ronda and Marbella, with a few day trips to Malaga (the old town) and Granada . I don't know Almeria and it's over 50 years since I was in Denia when I hitched through Spain from the UK, so I can't compare!

Have a look at Tripadvisor Forums for each place for a feel of what others think. Another advantage is that Malaga has great public transport links- also well described on Tripadvisor's forum. So as well as saving on taxi-fare (although these are reasonable) and as an alternative to chilling in a resort, you could get to Nerja, Ronda, Seville, Marbella (whose old centre is charming and confounded our assumptions) or even Granada.

We discovered one 'Moneysavingexpert' tip this year -maybe of less interest to you if you prefer self-catering...
- we tried, and failed to negotiate a discount last year on the room rate at the posh Hotel Balcon de Europa in our favourite Nerja (an hour from malaga by car or a 50-60 Euro taxi although there are buses).
- but discovered this year when friends opted to join us, that Monarch did packages there, which were really good value. Even though we'd already got a surprisingly cheap flight and a car-hire package from BA from our local LCY for our two week stay in the region, Monarch gave us 5 hotel nights in a sea view room which significantly undercut the hotel's own rate by about 30%. And our friends package including flights was very good value

So maybe look at packages before you buy flight only; But while I agree you'll have a great time, you'll be lucky if its warm enough to spend time on the beach- there were a few sun-worshippers out, but it was too cold to swim in Feb; and so while I agree that the Costa del Sol (Malaga region) is nicer and warmer than the Costa Blanca (Benidorm), it will be tee-shirt weather rather than bikinis. We did manage to eat out on every day on the beach in both Marbella and Nerja, but a couple of days were very blowy, and nights were cool enough for a sweater if you wished to eat outside

Very happy with T shirt weather in Feb in Mainland Spain. We won't look at packages as the flights are cheap and we want to self cater.
Thanks for all the info. Very useful.

melanzana

Malaga.

The city is amazing and has a fabulous walkway newly built down by the port plus the Picasso museum. Lovely beach area within walking distance. Tons of eateries/tapas. Fabulous shopping, the cathedral, and much more besides. I love it.

You can do a day trip to Granada. Up early, prebook the entry tickets, and get the bus from the bus station near El Corte Ingles, it's much quicker than the train.

For a short break like that Malaga is the business, and the bus from the airport to the city is only a couple of euros too.

holidaysforme

melanzana wrote: »

Malaga.

The city is amazing and has a fabulous walkway newly built down by the port plus the Picasso museum. Lovely beach area within walking distance. Tons of eateries/tapas. Fabulous shopping, the cathedral, and much more besides. I love it.

You can do a day trip to Granada. Up early, prebook the entry tickets, and get the bus from the bus station near El Corte Ingles, it's much quicker than the train.

For a short break like that Malaga is the business, and the bus from the airport to the city is only a couple of euros too.

I think Malaga is ticking all the boxes.:) Never thought of a trip to Granada. That would be fantastic. Malaga flights are slightly better times than Alicante as well.