From Málaga Airport, which is SW of Málaga, follow signs in the first instance for Málaga. This will bring you to the N340/A7/E15(Spanish road number/European road number). This is the main road running up and down the Mediterranean coast of Spain (although not always actually on the coast).
(NB There is currently some confusion about road numbering. The N340 coast road is currently being turned into a (free) motorway. Generally speaking, the original N340 follows the coast and goes through all the coastal towns. The duplicate motorway runs inland on viaducts and through tunnels. When this project started, the motorway was designated as N340 and the original road re-designated as N340a (N340a 'Costa'). However, it has now been decided to call the motorway A7. This change has been implemented on the large overhead signs, but not on the kilometre markers at the side of the road. The old road, where duplicated by the motorway, remains N340a. The European road number has not, however, changed and remains as E15 and follows the motorway where it exists. (Behind Marbella, which is in the opposite direction to the direction you need to follow, there are actually parallel to each other aN340, an A7 and an A7P (a private toll road)!)
After a fairly short distance (c2km) there will be signs to take you off the road into Málaga town - do not follow these. You want the 'Ronda de Málaga', which is the Málaga by-pass. Follow signs for Motril (A7) or Almería (A7) - Do not at this stage follow the signs for Granada or Sevilla or Cordoba (these take you to Granada via the inland N331/A359/A92).
The Ronda de Málaga skirts Málaga in the hills on the inland side of Málaga and then carries on inland parallel with the coast as a motorway (all called A7/E15). Follow this motorway as far as it goes, which at the moment is just past Nerja, and then you will be sent back to the coast road (N340/E15) following signs for Motril/Almuñecar/Almería.
(If you find yourself at this point at about lunchtime or suppertime) you could leave the motorway before Nerja at the exit at Kilometre 285 signed for Cómpeta and Torrox and go back to the coast road (N340a Costa). Don't stop in Torrox Costa (the unappealing seaside part of inland Torrox) but continue towards Nerja. Between Torrox Costa and Nerja there are some beach-side restaurants. Look out for a large beached boat and a tent sign. After lunch/supper carry on towards Nerja and Almuñecar on the N340. Nerja also has supermarkets if you need to lay in supplies.
Carry on past Almuñecar and about 10 minutes after Almuñecar you should see Salobreña. It is a white town on a prominent rock surmounted by a Moorish castle and will be on your right. It juts out of a coastal plain, which also has some largish blocks of flats by the sea in the distance.
About 1 km after the Salobreña turn off (just after Kilometre Post 328) there will be another turn off signed for Granada. Take this (N323/E902) towards Granada.
At this point you will have travelled about 100km from Málaga Airport.
The N323/E902 goes straight inland towards the Sierra Nevada following the gorge and valley of the river Guadalféo as far as Velez Benaudalla.
When you see the Rules dam ahead, get ready to turn off the N323/E902 just after Kilometre Post 180. This takes you over an arched bridge across the Guadalféo. This is the second turning for Velez Benaudalla and takes you on to the A346. At the point that you turn, the sign mentions Velez Benaudalla and in smaller letters 'Las Alpujarras', but not Órgiva. As soon as you get over the bridge you turn left, and this is signed for Órgiva.
Follow the A346 as far as Km 0 (about 12km from the turn). You go through a short tunnel and turn left over the Guadalféo again.
This is the A348 and should be signed for Lanjarón and Órgiva - you are, in fact, at this point on the edge of Órgiva.
View from the A346
Follow the road as it goes up into Órgiva. You will encounter three sets of traffic lights:
- at the Mirasierra Bar
- at the Autoservicio DIA (a small supermarket on your left)
and outside the Alma Alpujarreña Hotel/bar/restaurant.
The last set of lights is just before a junction with a church on the corner.
Turn left at this junction (still the main road). After 50m the road curves to the right and after about 180m there is a bar/hotel/restaurant on your right called the Mirasol. Just by the Mirasol is a small BP filling station.
Our representative will meet you at the Mirasol and take you to the house.
(The Mirasol is at 36 degrees 54.117 min North and 3 degrees 25.543 min West)
The
Mirasol
Otherwise:
Drive through the BP station (ie you go straight on while the main road goes left and crosses the Rio Chico on a high bridge) Reset your trip odometer to 0 at the BP station and go straight ahead for 900m.
Towards the end of the 900m there will be a turning left going down to a small bridge over the Rio Chico with a house on the right by the turning. Go past this junction straight ahead (actually a slight squiggle in the road) for about 25m. On the other side of the Rio Chico you will see a group of eucalyptus trees and a field with a double gate. There is a small lay-by at this point where you can park. Cross the river bed on foot (there will be no visible water probably). Casa Rosada is behind the eucalyptus trees on the left. There is a reddish-brown wall with a double gate and a palm tree beside the gate.
Car Hire
We usually hire from Malaga Car Hire who are in England. Their number is UK (0 20) 83 98 26 62. They have an arrangement at Málaga Airport with Marinsa Car Hire and you get a discount off Marinsa rates. If you book soon enough you can pay Málaga Car Hire in sterling in advance rather than paying Marinsa when you get there and this speeds up the transaction at the Marinsa depot at Málaga Airport. You will need about €50 in cash as a fuel deposit. You will get this back in cash if you return the car with a full tank.
When you arrive at Málaga Airport there will be a number of car hire reps loitering at the exit from the arrivals baggage reclaim area. If a Marinsa/Niza Cars rep is not in evidence, turn right out of the baggage reclaim area doors, go out of the terminal doors and turn right. (Don't go into the basement of the baggage hall where the car hire booths are). About 60 metres along the footway is where the car hire minibuses stop. There are lots of different names but just look out for the Marinsa/Niza Cars minibus, which will take you to their depot on the airport approach road.
Shopping on the way
If you want to pick up supplies on the way, there is a supermarket complex at Kilometre 272 on the A7 , or, if you go via Nerja, there are two supermarkets on the N340a (the coast road) as you leave Nerja going towards Almuñecar.
Returning to the airport
Coming back, the turning off the A7 for the airport is at Kilometre 235 and is signed 'Aeropuerto' and 'Torremolinos'. There are two petrol stations between the turn-off and the airport slip-road.
Important note:
At summer
weekends and public holidays there is a traffic management system on the N323/E902.
This allocates 2 lanes to the traffic from Granada to the coast in the morning
and one to the traffic from the coast to Granada. In the evening the system
operates the other way round. When the traffic to the coast has 2 lanes, you
are not allowed to turn left on to the N323 when arriving on the N346 from Órgiva.
One used to be able to avoid this by going through Velez Benaudalla but that
road is sometimes temporarily cut for works to extend the A44 to Motril. If it is closed
you will have to turn on to the N323 in the direction of Granada and turn back at
the first exit. Avoid this by taking the A348 from Órgiva through Lanjaron
to the A44/N323/E902. If travelling to Malaga Airport on a weekend morning allow
half an hour extra for traffic.