The area
The accommodation is situated in Mijas Golf on the
Costa del Sol, in the Andalucia region of Southern Spain.
Round & about
Fuengirola
Fuengirola, a short drive by car, is as busy or as quiet as you want to make it. This large town has everything you would need for your shopping and social life whilst in Spain. A popular weekly market is held on Tuesdays, selling everything from fruit, vegetables and spices to clothing, ceramics, leather and giftware. There is also a daily market of fresh produce (fish, meat, fruit and veg). Siesta time is a good opportunity to wander around the 'old' part of this diverse town. Night time is an experience in Fuengirola; the town really comes alive with locals and visitors sampling the excellent restaurants and popular bars.
Mijas
The lovely Spanish hillside village of Mijas is a short drive away high in the mountains with views not to be missed. A quiet village, offering traditional bars and restaurants with plenty of Spanish history thrown in. It is famous for the charming 'donkey taxis' in which the locals will be delighted to take you and show you their picturesque village. There are some quaint shops and the famous 'smallest bullring in all of Spain'. When you visit Mijas village be sure to venture beyond the main street into the old and winding streets to catch a glimpse of rural Spanish life.
La Cala de Mijas Costa
The resort of La Cala is a 10 minute drive through the hills (in the opposite direction to Fuengirola). With its award-winning beach, this small, quiet resort has plenty of restaurants and bars and is one of the nicest beaches on the Costa del Sol. La Cala also has a busy market every Saturday, on the road through the hills from the apartment.
Benalmadena
Benalmadena Marina is excellent for night shopping and offers very good restaurants, bars and clubs surrounded by the huge luxury yachts and motor boats moored at the Marina. Tivoli World one of Spain's largest amusement parks located in Benalmadena and will keep the whole family entertained for hours, as will the Sea Life Centre at the Marina. A ride on the new Benalmadena Cable Car from next door to Tivoli World up to the top of Calomorro mountain is a lazy way to quickly get excellent views over the local area.
Malaga
Malaga is the gateway to the Costa del Sol and the first place most tourists see on their holiday. The apartment is a 15 minute drive from Malaga airport. Malaga is a modern city with all the usual attractions including a vibrant street life and night life but it also retains its historical roots and has a delightful 'old part of town. If you like modern art the Museo Picasso Malaga (Picasso Museum) opened in October 2003. The museum is one of only three musuems in the world dedicated to Picasso and has over 200 pieces of his work on display.
Marbella
About 25 minutes by car from the apartment, Marbella offers the best of the old and the new. You can wander around the seafront and the harbour and admire the deluxe yachts and motor boats or relax on the long sandy beach. The Paseo Maritimo, which stretches along Marbella's seafront and either side of the town, offers an abundance of places to relax and to eat and drink whilst watching the world go by. The Avenida del Mar with its Picasso sculptures, fountains and flowers is worth a visit. So is the charming 'Orange square' in the old part of town, Casco Antiguo, which is just a short stroll via Parque de la Alameda on the sea front. The old town with its little squares and narrow streets provides a glimpse of a more traditional way of Andalucian life.
Puerto Banus
Puerto Banus is a fishing port that offers sophistication, designer shopping, night clubs, discos, piano bars, fabulous restaurants and an unforgettable marina with incredible boats. The whole place buzzes with atmosphere day and night. There is an excellent market selling 'everything', which is held every Saturday mornings at Puerto Banus bull ring – 20 minutes from Mijas Golf.
Cordoba
First settled in Roman times, Cordoba is a beautiful city on the banks of the Guadalquivir. With its myriad of tiny narrow streets, the city's sights are best seen on foot and visited in spring or autumn to avoid the extreme temperatures. This medieval town is immediately north of the river and houses the Mezquita, the Great Mosque. Built by the Moors between the 8th and 10th century, as well as being one of the largest mosques in the world, it also surprisingly houses a Christian cathedral which was added in the 15th century on the orders of Emperor Carlos V. The Jewish Quarter, the Juderia, which is also in the medieval part of the city, offers tiny streets and attractive white houses with patios and courtyards full of flowers and the ever popular Bullfighting Musuem.
Ronda
Set high in the mountains, the journey to Ronda provides a breathtaking ride to this Spanish mountain village which is steeped in history. The town itself is divided into a new and old quarter by a split in the El Tajo gorge. Ronda is great for wandering around and seeking out small tapas bars to try out the Spanish cuisine whilst you admire both the architecture and the town's dramatic location.
Sevilla
Sevilla is the capital of Andalucia. Despite its size Sevilla is an ideal city to explore on foot and offers a rich choice of art and monuments to visit that reflect its Roman, Moorish and Christian history. The cathedral is a good place to start your sightseeing from.
Granada
The main reason tourists visit Granada is to see the Alhambra Palace. The Palace is simply the most famous example of the Moorish influence in Spain and is on UNESCO's list of world heritage sites. For lovers of history, this is one place that shouldn't be missed.
Gibraltar
Further afield, Gibraltar is well worth a visit for tax free shopping, and a tour around the Rock which should include meeting the Gibraltar apes and looking at the caves and old military installations in the Upper Rock Nature Reserve. You can take also a cable car ride for a view of the Bahia de Algeciras.
Further information
For more information about:
Mijas, visit www.mijas.es
Malaga, visit www.malaga.es
Andalucia, visit www.andalucia.com
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