Trip to Southern Spain

Both Granada and Cordoba are sufficiently small to be accessible by foot.

Ahem?? Granada airport to town is something like 15kms….

Other than that:

Malaga LEMG: check the NOTAM, during summer they are usually closed to VFR traffic (you don’t say wether you’ll be VFR or IFR) on most/all days of the week. It’s expensive once you’ve added up landing, parking and handling fees. Upside – you have all the services at your disposal, rental cars, taxis, train.

Malaga LEAX: small VFR only field in the middle of nowhere. You will need to arrange transportation and going into Malaga and back by taxi probably works out to about the same as flying into LEMG.

Granada LEGR: yep, that’s the civil one, cheap landing fees, AFAIK no handling required. Bus and taxi avail to go to town. Also rental cars, it’s an international airport.

Cordoba LEBA: small, quiet field relatively close to town (but too far to walk), no CAT, therefore limited services. Taxis usually available, or call one.

Sevilla LEZL: like LEMG expensive and pretty unpleasant from a GA POV. Endless walk (unless the handler takes you) from the GA apron to the offices and main terminal. Upside: int’l aiport, all services. Also, check NOTAMs, they may also have VFR restrictions.

Sevilla La Juliana LEJU: small field west of Seville in the middle of nowhere. Skydiving center for a British operation. Cheap and nice, but you would have to arrange transport, there are no services (other than a little restaurant) on the field, and like Malaga, a taxi to and from town would probably cost the same as landing at the main aiport.

Jerez LEJR: more or less like LEGR, cheaper that Malaga and Seville. All services, int’l airport. Check NOTAMs for poss restrictions

Gibralatar LXGB: contact them, they need(ed) 48hrs PPR and a signed briefing doc faxed back to them. No overnight parking for GA (may have changed, the last time I was there, they had WIP on the apron). Remember, that going there you are leaving the EU, so can only go and come via ‘ports of entry’ (no big deal, LEMG, LEZL, LEGR and LEJR all are, but you’ll pay the fees again).

All of the above have Avgas.

As for refuelling on he way: there are several options on the way, but avoid Valencia LEVC at all cost! That place is a GA nightmare, with parking literally miles away from the fuel station and terminal.

HTH

172driver wrote:

Ahem?? Granada airport to town is something like 15kms….

Yeah sure you need a taxi to get into the city, but then you’re better off without a car…

If I had to do a fuel stop, you can bet I would 100% do it in France (and not in Spain!), no matter if Perpignan is a little inconvienent due to its layout. And I agree: Beziers would be the very best option (if that doesn’t give you too long a second leg).

Alright. Then even Montpellier might be an option. Very good for GA.

On the subject of Ampuriabrava:

I was there years ago and can’t really contribute to todays conditions but I must say I want to go back there some day. At the time it was run by an Englishman who unfortunately died later in a crash.

What struck me about Ampuriabrava is the great area where it is. With a rental car you can visit some really interesting places like the Dali Museum at Figueras or the very pictoresque towns of Cadaques and Roses. Ampuriabrava itself is a typical tourist town not much worth a visit, but the area around is very nice indeed. And if you happen to like or be interested in Salvador Dali, it is the place to go, both the museum (at Figueras) and the place he lived (near Cadaques) are close by.

Emir wrote:

I’ll add just a bit of clarification:
- I’ll fly IFR with exception if I decide to make short VFR hops between adjacent airports
- I use Jet A1 (DA42)
- general plan is to land somewhere south, rent a car and drive around because I hope for some scenic driving

In this case, Malaga or Granada (cheaper) are your best options. Jet A1 obviously available at either.