Fuengirola Travel Guide

Basically a ribbon development, Fuengirola sprawls for 6½ mls along the beach, extending 1½ mls inland at its widest point. The resort has the feel of a mini-Benidorm, with thickly spread, high-rise buildings catering for the vast influx of mainly British tourists. However, it still boasts a large fishing fleet, and the narrow, generally busy coast road is pleasant enough, stretching the length of the beach. The bustling central tourist-orientated area covers 4 mls of beach front which is roughly divided by the marina and extends rather chaotically inland for ½ ml; city-centre driving is certainly not for the faint of heart or those with a fear of parallel parking.Fuengirola is situated on Spain’s S coast, roughly midway between Torremolinos (to the E) and Marbella (to the W). It is 19 mls SW of Malaga; 16 mls SW of Malaga airport.

 

Basically a ribbon development, Fuengirola sprawls for 6½ mls along the beach, extending 1½ mls inland at its widest point. The resort has the feel of a mini-Benidorm, with thickly spread, high-rise buildings catering for the vast influx of mainly British tourists. However, it still boasts a large fishing fleet, and the narrow, generally busy coast road is pleasant enough, stretching the length of the beach. The bustling central tourist-orientated area covers 4 mls of beach front which is roughly divided by the marina and extends rather chaotically inland for ½ ml; city-centre driving is certainly not for the faint of heart or those with a fear of parallel parking.

Fuengirola is situated on Spain’s S coast, roughly midway between Torremolinos (to the E) and Marbella (to the W). It is 19 mls SW of Malaga; 16 mls SW of Malaga airport.

Benalmadena Travel Guide

Sandwiched between the resorts of Fuengirola and Torremolinos, Benalmadena is another of the Costa’s home-grown tourist resorts.
The municipality is actually divided into three separate smaller towns. The first is Benalmadena Pueblo (village), which is located on the mountain side. It is a typical Andalusian village with heavy Moorish influences characterised by winding narrow streets and white-washed homes.

It has a wide variety of amenities including museums, a castle, sports centre, shops, bars and restaurants. One of the most popular attractions in Benalmadena Pueblo is the unique Castillo de Colomares, the town’s lookout castle. It represents architecture from five centuries and despite the haphazard result, it is well worth a visit. Arroyo de la Miel is the second town and lies between Benalmadena Pueblo and Benalmadena Costa. This is where most of the population in the area live and where the majority of businesses are located. It too, has a wide variety of amenities including a sports complex, bilingual library as well as a selection of bars and restaurants.
The world famous theme park, Tivoli World is also located here. The area has an array of differing attractions such as its own casino, nightclubs and golf course.

Benalmadena Costa has 9kms of coastline with beautiful beaches and coves. It also boasts a fully equipped marina with more than 1,000 berths. The Paseo Maritimo in Benalmadena Costa is lined with small shops and bars.
At night the port in Benalmadena is illuminated with such great effect that it has been awarded the Blue Flag accolade.
Locality:
Situated on the S coast of Spain, in the centre of the Costa del Sol, Benalmadena is 14½ mls SW of Malaga town and 12 mls SW of Malaga airport. It is postioned on the coast, backed by hills of the Sierra Mijas.
Benalmadena offers a wide range for the holiday maker, from the upmarket casino-going, yachting crowd to more budget-minded self-catering sun, sea and sand lovers.

It consists mainly of families in the summer and mature holidaymakers in the winter. The beaches are not as good as in neighbouring resorts with short stretches of sand, some of which is imported, are interspersed with rocky outcrops. At the W end, the sandy sections are very narrow and close to the busy main road.
Attractions consist of:
An archaeology museum with exhibits of Neolithic finds from the local area, plus artefacts from pre-Columbian Mexico and Central America.
The mid-size amusement park “Tivoli World” in Arroyo de la Miel has themed Wild West and flamenco shows and a cable-car ride.
The large Paloma Park which has a children’s play area.

Selwo Marina dolphinarium. At the marina, there’s the Sealife Centre (boasting the biggest shark collection in Europe) and the yacht club, which has water-sports facilities. Local golf course.
Benalmadena Pueblo has a museum, walled gardens around the church, a monument to Columbus (Castillo de Comares) and the Jardin de las Aguilas, a sanctuary for birds of prey.
Walking, mountain-biking and horse-riding in the mountains behind the resort is also pupular.

Costa Del Sol Travel Guide

One of the most popular holiday haunts for British tourists is the coast of Andalucia known as the Costa del Sol that runs from Nerja to Gibraltar . Resorts boisterous and elegant offer every amenity and facility imaginable, all within one hour of Malaga Airport . Miles of sandy beaches, rows of hotels, and over 320 days of sunshine every year. There is something on offer here for everyone. The coastal resorts of Torremolinos, Fuengirola and Marbella are amongst the most popular. Further down the coast are quieter areas that are still developing, such as that of Estepona, a quaint town with a wonderful seafront and a prosperous future in the holiday marketplace.

Since the 1950′s this area has been a popular destination, attracting more and more people each year. The airport, roads, rail and other facilities have grown in accordance with demand. The attraction to holiday and live here is still there. The lifestyle is ‘ideal’ and you can get out of it, what you put in. Golfers who wish to play on first class courses in dry, sunny weather will find all that they want on the Costa del Sol. There are in fact some of the best courses in the world. If sight-seeing is part of your agenda then this wonderful area has much to offer.

 

Within a short distance are major cities worth seeing and on the other extreme are tiny white-washed villages clinging to the mountain sides. Not far from the crowded beaches are true Spanish villages such as Casares , Ronda , Manilva and Sabinillas , all locked in time. Along the coast, tourists of all nationalities are made welcome and there are few places that do not understand English.