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Traveling & Tango in Southern Spain

The beach time, Malaga

For years, friends have mentioned how fantastic southern Spain is, the people, the food, and the beach lifestyle. Subsequently, when planning this year’s travels, we decided it was an auspicious time to visit, as we planned on living in Valencia. The cities we chose to visit are Malaga, Granada, Seville, Cadiz, and Cordoba.

Flying directly from Buenos Aires to Madrid with a 2-hour layover, then onward to Madrid, wreaks havoc on your body and sleep.

As soon as we could check into the Malaga apartment, we did so and finally were able to collapse on the bed and take an overdue nap. Refreshed, we explored the city first, finding an excellent small cafe with coffee and food. The day’s special was chicken tacos and a salad. Tasted fresh.

Traveling

Previously, we had contacted a Facebook group about tango in Malaga and received a message inviting us to the milonga on Saturday. Meanwhile, we explored the city that afternoon, enjoying the sun’s warmth, and toured the city on a hop-on, hop-off bus, getting a sense of the city.

Up on the roof, Malaga

Discovering Malaga, it’s a beautiful city with an antique section in the downtown area and a few prime beach locations. It’s also a smaller and manageable city, as public transportation is inexpensive at 1.40€ a ride. Taxis, Uber, Cádify, and Bolt are other options. There are also Lime scooters and Yego Motorscooters.

Diavovering Malaga

We walked the city, exploring the old section and stopping for a coffee and some tapas later in the day.  Visiting museums and beaches, and walking extensively in the city day and night.

Malaga is a safe city, lots of Guardia [police] walking around, on bicycles, on horses, on motorcycles, and in cars. But like any city, it is essential to remember to be aware of where you are.


We found the milonga,  La Llaves de Tango, enchanting as it was held in a small space. Our host Gianni and his partner Paula were celebrating the 9th anniversary of their milonga on the Saturday night we attended.  The milonga started at 21, and we arrived a bit later. The DJ, Paula, played mainly some old Tango orchestras from the 20s and 30s. We danced on the wooden floor, mingling with local dancers and foreign visitors.

Dancing at La Llave del Tango, Malaga

Later in the evening, to celebrate, there was a giant anniversary cake shared by all with a bit of bubbly.

The milonga ended at 23.30.

A few people we met informed us that there was another milonga in Marbella, a town south of Malaga. Still, as appealing as it sounded, we could not go, as we would be leaving Malaga for Granada.

Train station

A few days later, we left by train for Granada. This experience was repeated from the previous year, as we didn’t buy advance tickets to visit the Alhambra.

This year, I bought tickets in February for our time in May. Really glad I did this, because this spectacular historical space is totally booked months in advance. We could tour the Nasrids Palace both during the day, and this experience was even more magical at night, as only 300 people are admitted versus the 8000 per day.

A Lesson Learned

Needless to say, it was a phenomenal experience.

Yes, we found tango in Granada and could attend a Wednesday night milonga at a famous local pub called La Tertulia. We could walk from our centrally located hotel in Old Town, but the weather at 2400 feet differs. It was much colder here than in Malaga.

Vista from the Alhambra

We later learned that this no-host milonga at the Bar Tertulia has a tradition of no breaks in the music [similar to Zeytuna Milonga, Gurap Dinar is hosted in Istanbul] 

Here we met Beguina and Rafa through a mutual friend. She was recommended as the person who is knowledgeable  about the local tango scene
That evening, Rafa had invited Dj.

This space has a history of hosting poetry readings, music, and tango, and rumor is that the bar is owned by a man from Argentina.
The bar space is oblong, with slippery wooden floors replete with a red velvet divan on the left side. There is a small bar area in the middle with a few tables and chairs on the opposite side of the bar. The walls are covered in old photographs and posters. On the back wall sits a mural approximately 10 feet long, which portrays a seated group of people observing the room in somber ochre colors.

The crew at Bar La Tertulia, Granada

Quite an eccentric space to dance tango, as most people are there to meet a friend and drink. We danced tango and chatted with a few folks. It happened to be a different night of tango.

Up until now in our travels, we have experienced incredible food and warmer weather. It’s a fantastic combination, then add in the wonderful nature of the people in Andalucía, and all becomes enchanting.

Spain has many contrasts in its languages, people, and food. Andalucía [southern]  is very different from Catalonia [northern] in the manner of their speech, their openness to strangers, and the food.

Nightview at the Alhambra

In Andalucía, the buses are filled with loud, cheerful conversations, while our experiences in Barcelona or Girona, both Catalan-speaking are often tranquil and never very loud.

And The Differences

Observing life in Malaga and Granada, people like to party, and do so with pride and in the style of these Andalucían cities. My palate is not yet knowledgeable enough about the food to define the taste differences. Always olives and bread with tomatoes.

We continue our exploration of Spain by train, and the next stop is Cadiz.

Abrazo

Ruth y Maximo at Alhambra

Links:

https://gitelink.com/spain/regional-guide.htm

https://www.lallavedeltango.com/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1406038166364436/

https://www.spain.info/en/destination/malaga/

https://www.lovegranada.com/guides/things-to-do-granada/

Tapas Bar, Granada
Lion fountain at the Alhambra
Spring in Malaga

Departing to the north

rainy rooftops in buneos aires

My umbrella collapsed due to the wind’s force and the rain’s intensity. It was time to depart from Buenos Aires for a milder climate.

Leaving Argentina

Usually, in mid-April, starting in 2022, we leave Argentina. This is our pattern. The southern hemisphere begins its autumn season, filling the once-blue sky with clouds and rain, bringing the chill winds of the south.

This year, we are leaving at the end of the month, as I am hopeful the northern hemisphere will be a bit warmer by then.

rubber tree near recoleta cementary

I looked at the weather app on my phone and saw that temperatures were in the low 70s during the day but dropped to the high 50s at night. Sunshine, lots of sun.

I hate being cold. I remember when my dad said the same sentence, and I chuckled, thinking of that memory of him.

fall on montevideo
Memories

I remember the joy of downhill skiing on freshly groomed corduroy snow slopes on a twenty-five-degree morning on a sunny day. The crisp air made the day feel all sparkly. The run was relatively empty, and skiing down the hill made me feel a sense of joy inside as I named this feeling, the white out of my soul. No thinking, just doing and just being in the moment.

Now, that’s how I feel when I dance tango. The bliss from dancing tango, in my soul, is just happiness and connection.

Ironically, I still need specialized clothes and shoes, but I no longer get cold. Instead, I need to remember to bring a shawl, as social clubs are usually kept a bit chilly.

Ironically, I still need specialized clothes and shoes, but I no longer get cold. Instead, I need to remember to bring a shawl, as social clubs are usually kept a bit chilly.

friends over for dinner
Packing it up!

Luckily, these clothes are easy to roll into packing cubes, but the shoes are a bit trickier. I will travel with only four pairs of tango shoes; as a traveler, I’m trying to practice the art of ‘less is more’. [Doing with less; if anything is needed, we can shop.]

Less clothing, less weight. Less poundage for my partner to carry. My job is to pack the suitcases, and his is to carry them.

bathroom contents to be packed

Looking around this apartment, I reflect on the sweet times we have enjoyed here. We’ve cooked dinner for friends, practiced a few new tango steps, and I have listened to the strains of the bandoneon as my partner practiced. The five months of living here have passed by so quickly. It was wonderful.

As I looked out the window to check if it was raining, I thought. I’m ready to depart from Buenos Aires, knowing we’ll return in December. 

It’s time for new adventures.

me and maximo

Gallery of goodbyes

me and Julia
the cake at the goodbye
the girls
Maximo and Joanna Maddaox
tango shoes

What’s new? Milonga Elites

Milonga Elite
A Ride to the Elite

There hadn’t been an announcement of a manifestation, but traffic was snarled and moving at a snail’s pace. My taxi was crawling along Avenida San Juan. We were stopping at every red light. I watched as the meter changed and the price increased. 

While living in this city, I transformed myself from an impatient Americano into a porteño. Now, I can sit in the taxi and enjoy the ride while chatting with the driver. It’s a more fatalistic approach to living life in Argentina.  A friend often remarks, “You are a porteño, but you were born in the wrong city!”

After a costly taxi ride from Barrio Norte to Balavena,  I arrived at the location and paid 15,000 pesos for this ride. It’s about twice the normal rate! Ouch!

And The Music

Getting into the elevator, I listened to the music that wafted down from the second floor. The doors open into a familiar scene of tango couples moving around on the well-worn floor, close in each other’s arms.

After being greeted by the organizer, Hugo Gimigliano, with a big bear hug and another hug from his partner, Julia Doynel, I noted the Milonga Elite was in full swing.

With approximately 11 male taxi dancers, ranging from professional to tango maestros, these women paid 25,000 pesos to dance for two hours with these fantastic dancers. There were familiar faces, including dancers from Turkey, Mexico, and the United States, as well as several local women.

For Two Hours

For two hours, every woman danced as much as she wished. Dancing at this milonga differs significantly from others, as there is no social break for conversation. “I’m only dancing,” said my friend Olga. But then she admitted that she was a bit tired, too.

Dancing continuously for two hours is a lot of work. This experience is very different than dancing at a regular milonga, where you can take a break, have a glass of wine, sit out for a few dances, and then return to the dancing.


After an hour of dancing, I was exhausted and decided to sit out a few dances. Watching this group dance was beautiful, as most women wore smiles on their faces. They were enjoying themselves dancing instead of sitting a lot.

For Some Women

For some women, it’s a difficult transition to make from dancing continually for two hours versus a regular milinga where you only dance for fifteen minutes in two hours. Many of these women now only attend this milonga, and a few have started to shun the regular milongas.

Yes, the experience of the Milongas Elite is rewarding and worthwhile. 

It’s an excellent example of the creativity that can be achieved by changing a milonga’s dynamics.

A woman goes to a milonga to dance with a man.

In Milonga Elite

In this Milonga Elite, women choose the man they wish to dance with. These women dance with the best of the best for two hours rotating partners.

And yes, medialunas are served when dancing is finished.

Currently, this milonga takes place every Tuesday from 3 to 5 pm at Maza 457.

Reservations are required.

Organizer: Hugo Gimigliano

Tango Guapo on Facebook

If you wish to make a reservation, contact on WhatsApp +54 9 11 4197-0517

Traveling Tango

Creator of Tango Experiences

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