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Fuengirola
Most famous for its 5 miles of sandy blue flag
beaches and being one of the most popular tourist
destinations in Europe, Fuengirola is at the heart
of the Costa del Sol. Boasting a wide promenade
interspersed with palm trees, benches and colorful
flower displays, the beachfront offers visitors the
chance to soak up the sun and watch the world go by.
The huge array of water sports on offer can be
obtained from just about any point on the
beachfront.
The town boasts an eclectic choice of cuisine with
everything being available from traditional
Andalucian dishes to the great British fry up. Of
particular high quality are the local fish dishes
available from beachfront cafe bars through to high
class restaurants. |
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Benalmadena
is made up of three different villages - in the
hills is Benalmadena Pueblo, a beautiful and
traditional Andalucian village with narrow streets
of whitewashed houses. Arroyo de la Miel is closer
to the coast and is a small but modern and
fashionable town of shops and businesses that is
popular with tourists.
Along the coast, is Benalmadena Costa which is quickly becoming one of
the most sought after locations for holidaying on
Spain's glorious Costa del Sol with a 9km long beach
and a 2km long promenade.
These three centres to the resort offer everything
the holidaymaker needs, from amusements and
attractions for all the family to a nightlife that
lasts to the early hours of the morning. Peace and
tranquillity can be found in Benalmadena Pueblo,
where it is best to park the car and walk around the
narrow streets. La Paloma Park in Benalmadena Costa
boats 200,000 square meters of gardens and is a
haven for wildlife. Benalmadena boasts one of the
best marina's in the world and the largest on this
coast, eclipsing even the famed Puerto Banus near
Marbella. The marina complex is a hive of activity
with beautifully styled apartments overlooking
covered walkways that take you past shops, bars and
numerous restaurants.
Michael Schumacher has a large
apartment and moors his yacht here. The Kaleidoscope
bar in the marina complex is reputedly owned by
Antonio Banderas, a native of Benalmadena who
regularly visits the town with his wife, Melanie
Griffiths. |
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Puerto Banus
Puerto Banus is located just west of Marbella, It is the
place to be pampered yacht side and ogle those fabulous
luxury yachts while sipping a drink at one of the many open
air restaurants and bars. The setting is close to ideal,
with its impressive mountain backdrop and ocean views. Since
its inception some forty years ago, the port has steadily
grown and now features a casino, commercial shopping centre,
a Corte Ingles department store, marine observatory and a
multi cinema with films shown with their original
soundtrack.
Nightlife buzzes at Puerto Banus with your choice of
alfresco bars (Sinatra's bar is a must), piano clubs and
discos. During the day it is a shoppers (and window
shoppers) dream with all of the world renowned fashion
houses present, in addition to small, interesting shops and
boutiques. |
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Marbella Marbella’s motto is "A Way of Life" and, this luxurious
resort town seems to have it all. It is, one of Europe’s most exclusive
holiday resorts and once again, is rising to the fore as a favourite
location with the rich and famous, as well as more ordinary folk who are
willing to pay just a little bit extra for southern Spain’s answer to St
Tropez.
The shopping is fantastic and anyone with a shoe fetish beware! The 5
beaches, Tapas bars and restaurants are superb. Among its delights is
the Old town with its spotlessly clean alleys, squares and smart shops
and restaurants. The must visit is Plaza Los Naranjos ¬ Orange Square.
The Museo de Grabado Espanol Contemporaneo displays some of Picasso’s
least known works. Marbella is less than 10 minutes drive from the
apartment and there is easy car parking in the centre. Alternatively it
is a c. 10 Euro taxis ride.
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Malaga
Easily overlooked in ones haste to reach the beaches of the Costa del
Sol, Malaga has many fine features and a wealth of history dating back
3,000 years when it was founded as a Phoenician Colony. Since then the
city has grown to some 600,000 inhabitants and has been ruled at various
times by the Romans, the Moors and Carthaginians.
It is a vital port and industrial centre in Southern Spain, but retains
charm and sophistication when one reaches the quieter back streets
filled with tapas bars and bodegas. The birthplace of Pablo Picasso, the
city has a museum dedicated to this fine artist's work and the house
where he lived can be visited on Plaza de la Merced. |
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Cordoba
Cordoba was founded by the Romans and due to its strategic
importance as the highest navigable point of the Guadalquivir River, it
became a port city of great importance, used for shipping Spanish olive
oil, wine and wheat back to Ancient Rome.
The Romans built the mighty
bridge crossing the river, now called "El Puente Romano". But Cordoba's
hour of greatest glory was when it became the capital of the Moorish
kingdom of El-Andalus, and this was when work began on the Great Mosque,
or "Mezquita", which – after several centuries of additions and
enlargements – became one of the largest in all of Islam. When the city
was re-conquered by the Christians in 1236, the new rulers of the city
were so awed by its beauty that they left it standing, building their
cathedral in the midst of its rows of arches and columns, and creating
the extraordinary church-mosque we see today.
As well as the unique mosque-cathedral, Cordoba's treasures include the
Alcazar, or Fortress, built by the Christians in 1328; the Calahorra
Fort, originally built by the Arabs, which guards the Roman Bridge, on
the far side of the river from the Mezquita, and the ancient Jewish
Synagogue, now a museum. Cordoba's medieval quarter, once the home of
the Jewish community, is called "La Judería" (The Jewry), a labyrinth of
winding, narrow streets, shady flower-filled courtyards and picturesque
squares such as La Plaza del Potro. In early May, homeowners proudly
festoon their patios with flowers to compete for the city's "most
beautiful courtyard" contest. |
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Jerez
Jerez de la Frontera became famous throughout the world for its sweet
wines named after the town, which the British pronounced "sherry". It is
called "de la Frontera" because it once stood on the frontier between
the Moorish and the Christian realms. Jerez is also famous, throughout
the world, for its fine horses and brilliant singers and dancers of
flamenco.
The distinctive wine in Jerez has been exported for centuries, it was
even praised by Shakespeare. It is distinctive because the strong sun
gives the grapes a high sugar content. British merchants have been
involved in the wine trade here for centuries, producing and shipping a
fortified wine known as sherry. Famous names of these dynasties can be
seen here over the doors of the bodegas; Sandeman, John Harvey, Domecq,
Gonzalez Byass.
The Spanish word bodega means "cellar", but it has the generical meaning
of "wine manufacturer". You can take a guided tour of the many Jerez
bodegas. Some of the companies such as Gonzalez Byass, Pedro Domecq and
Sandeman – British winemakers have been active here for centuries, which
is why many of the names have an Anglo-Saxon ring to them – provided
guided tours of the cellars on weekdays, followed by sampling of the
various types of wine produced.
But Jerez is also world famous for its magnificent dancing horses, which
you can see at the Real Escuela Andaluza de Arte Equestre – the Royal
Andalucian School of Equestrian Art, at Avenida de Abrantes (Tel: +34
956 311111). On Thursday mornings there is a spectacular display of
dressage.
The town has a markedly aristocratic flavor with wide streets and
squares. The 11th century Moorish fortress, or Alcazaba, has been
partially restored. Of special interest is its church, originally built
by the Arabs as a mosque. The Sacristy of the Cathedral del Salvador is
home to a lovely painting by Zurbarán, The Sleeping Girl. Jerez
celebrates its famous Horse Fair at the beginning of May each year. |
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Ronda
Spectacularly located, Ronda is one of the oldest cities of Spain.
Its origin, according to archaeological findings in the old city space
belongs to the Neolithic age. Despite of this, the presence of the human
being in this land can be explained at a previous time. Proof of this
are the sites found at caves, the most important being the one found at
the Pileta's Cave, which is one of the best cave paintings examples of
all the Palaeolithic age in Andalucía.
Ronda was home to the Moors until the late 15th Century when the
Catholic Monarchs conquered the town. Deep economical and cultural
changes took place following this time and some of the most the defining
moments in Ronda's history came in the 18th century with the building of
the Famous Puenta Nuevo, or New Bridge, built across the deep Tajos
Gorge and the Bullring. |
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