First stop: Málaga, Spain

Málaga is located in southern Spain, on the Costa del Sol (Coast of the Sun) on the northern side of the Mediterranean Sea. It lies about 100 km east of the Strait of Gibraltar and about 130 km north of Africa. It is a city filled with culture, architecture and is the home of some of the oldest cathedrals in Europe. Pablo Picasso was born in Málaga and his work is displayed at several museums throughout the city. February boasts the Carnivals that precede Lent and are full of color, costumes, parties and parades. The temperature in February ranges from 45 to 65F. A typical February day is sunny with a bit of winter chill still hanging about.

We have chosen to spend the majority of our time at the Royal Oasis Club at Pueblo Quinta, just outside Málaga on the coast. The suites are beautiful and the resort is wonderfully romantic! The cooler weather lends itself nicely to the many excursions to museums and Carnival that are on our agenda. While we fully intend to spend some quality time of the beach, this will likely be exploring and taking long walks along the coast. We want to focus our time will focus on relaxing and exploring local culture and restaurants.

Speaking of food... You can't travel to a new country without trying all the new and different foods offered! We are excited to do a tapas tour while in Malaga as well as sample some of the local cuisine such as fried fish. Málaga's greatest claim to fame is undoubtedly its fried fish, acknowledged as the best in Spain!

Second stop: Canary Islands, Spain

The Canary Islands are a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are legally recognized as a nationality of Spain. Gran Canaria is the most populated island and contains one of the shared capitals of the Canary Islands, Palmas de Gran Canaria. The island has both the populous capital as well as many national parks. The mountainous terrain in the center of the island is ideal for hiking and discovering the wildlife and nature of the island. Carnival is also in full swing prior to Lent and is celebrated with parades, costumes and street fairs. When it comes to sunshine, the Canary Islands are caught in a kind of weather warp, with an eternal spring-summer climate. Temperatures in February range from 70 - 80F.

The milder, warmer climate of the Canary Islands in February will allow for some relaxing beach time. We will be staying on the southern coast of Gran Canaria at the Cala Blanca Resort. With the abundance of national parks, we definitely plan on seeing parts of the island through hiking; however, we are also looking forward to the Carnival activities in Palmas de Gran Canaria. Of course, enjoying the fantastic views and accommodations at our resort are on the agenda as well!

Of course, we can't be in Spain during one of the largest celebrations of the year - Carnival - and not attend! Similar to Mardi Gras, Carnival is one huge, colorful costume party - largely unplanned and unannounced - that occurs in the streets of the shared capitals of the Canary Islands, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Santa Cruz de Tenerife. We are looking forward to experiencing Carnival and being a part of one of the biggest and most well-known parties in the World!