Wine trail · Spain

Andalusia Coastal Route

1. Museo de Malaga - Phoenician Origins 1 2. Museo del Vino Malaga - 5,000 Years of Wine History 2 3. Telmo Rodriguez Molino Real - Mountain Wine Revival 3 4. Cueva de Siete Palacios - Phoenician Museum Almunécar 4 5. Necropolis Laurita - 8th Century BC Phoenician Tombs 5 6. Necropolis Puente de Noy - Later Phoenician Burials 6 7. Archaeological Museum of Granada - Phoenician Collection 7 10 km 1. Museo de Malaga - Phoenician Origins 1 2. Museo del Vino Malaga - 5,000 Years of Wine History 2 3. Telmo Rodriguez Molino Real - Mountain Wine Revival 3 4. Cueva de Siete Palacios - Phoenician Museum Almunécar 4 5. Necropolis Laurita - 8th Century BC Phoenician Tombs 5 6. Necropolis Puente de Noy - Later Phoenician Burials 6 7. Archaeological Museum of Granada - Phoenician Collection 7 20 km

Follow ancient Phoenician trade routes along Andalucía's coast from Málaga to Almuñécar.

4days

Moderateeffort

7stops

Chapter 6 of Phoenician Wine Trail · Spain

The stops

  1. Tour · Free Museo de Malaga - Phoenician Origins Andalucia's largest museum, housed in the 19th-century Palacio de la Aduana. 15,000+ archaeological items span 8th century BC to Middle Ages. The Phoenician collection includes a 5th-century BC sarcophagus, grave goods from Chorreras necropolis, and evidence of Malaka's role as a Phoenician colony.
  2. Tour · Price: low Museo del Vino Malaga - 5,000 Years of Wine History Housed in the 18th-century Biedmas Palace, this museum traces Malaga wine from Phoenicians through Greeks, Romans, Moors, and the modern era. 400+ lithographs from the 19th-20th centuries. Entry (€5) includes tasting of two D.O. Malaga wines. Audio guide available in multiple languages.
  3. Tasting · Price: high Telmo Rodriguez Molino Real - Mountain Wine Revival Legendary winemaker Telmo Rodriguez revived Malaga's "mountain wines" with Molino Real. Nine hectares on impossible slate slopes between 350-1,000m altitude. Moscatel de Alejandria grapes dried under sun (asoleo) yield intense sweet wine. 10 kilos of grapes become 1 liter of wine.
  4. Tour · Price: low Cueva de Siete Palacios - Phoenician Museum Almunécar The 'Cave of Seven Palaces' is actually the basement of a 1st-century AD Roman palace built using an arch and vault system. Now houses the Archaeological Museum with Phoenician, Roman, and Islamic artifacts. The Egyptian grey marble funerary urn of Apophis I (16th c. BC) is the oldest written document on the Iberian Peninsula.
  5. Tour · Price: low Necropolis Laurita - 8th Century BC Phoenician Tombs On Cerro de San Cristobal, this 8th-7th century BC necropolis is the oldest Phoenician-Punic remain in Granada province. Twenty burial chambers held cremated remains in Egyptian alabaster urns, along with Greek vases, jewelry, and Phoenician pottery. Discovery in 1962 sparked investigation of Spain's entire Phoenician coast.
  6. Tour · Price: low Necropolis Puente de Noy - Later Phoenician Burials The later of Almunécar's two Phoenician cemeteries, Puente de Noy shows the evolution of burial practices over several centuries. Together with Laurita, these necropolises document 600 years of Phoenician presence at ancient Sexi.
  7. Tour · Price: low Archaeological Museum of Granada - Phoenician Collection Housed in the 16th-century Casa de Castril, the museum's fourth room presents colonization and the Iberian world. Luxurious objects from Almunécar's Laurita Necropolis show exotic goods arriving on Andalusian shores. The Phoenician aristocracy's grave goods reveal the wealth of Mediterranean trade.

The story

Explore Sexi's fish-salting factories, cliff-side necropolises, and sweet Moscatel wines from terraced vineyards the Phoenicians would recognize.

Plan the trip

Getting there and around

Safety
Very safe. Mountain roads require attention. Summer heat - carry water. Beach currents - swim marked areas only.
Parking
Málaga museum €1.50/hr. Almuñécar town €1-2/hr. Dimobe free. Beach areas free/paid seasonal.
Transport
Car essential. A-7 coastal motorway. Málaga-Almuñécar 1 hour. Mountain roads to Dimobe winding.
Accessibility
Museums accessible. Necropolis not accessible (steep paths). Dimobe not accessible (hillside).

Where to stay

Notes
Málaga best base (airport, variety). Almuñécar for beach atmosphere. Book 1 month ahead Jun-Aug.
Budget
Málaga hostels €20-30/bed. Almuñécar budget €50-70/night.
Splurge
Room Mate Larios Málaga €150-220. Boutique Almuñécar villas €180-300.
Mid-range
Málaga hotels €80-120. Almuñécar beachfront €90-140.

What it costs

Per day
€60-90/day mid-range. €40/day budget. €140+/day luxury.
Ways to spend less
Museums mostly €1.50-3 or free. Beach lunches €10-15. Dimobe €15. Drive yourself vs tours. Menu del día lunch €12.

Where to eat

Must-try dishes
Espetos (grilled sardines), pescaíto frito, gazpacho, ajoblanco, gambas de Almuñécar, tropical fruits.
Food and wine
Fried fish with Málaga white. Sardines with Moscatel seco. Tropical fruit with Pedro Ximénez.
Recommended tables
El Tintero Málaga (auction-style), Los Geranios Almuñécar €25-35, beach chiringuitos €15-25.

If your time is short

Do not miss
  • Almuñécar necropolis
  • Cave museum
  • Fish factory
  • Dimobe
Recommended
  • Museo Málaga
  • Beach time
Skip if time is short
  • Alpujarras

Mistakes to avoid

  • Don't skip Dimobe booking
  • Don't drive Alpujarras unprepared
  • Don't visit museums Monday (closed)
  • Don't expect Málaga crowds at Almuñécar sites
  • Don't swim unmarked beaches

Worth stopping for

  • Necropolis: golden hour 6-7pm
  • Cave museum: no flash, fast lens
  • Beach factory: sunrise for empty shots

More trails in this chapter