Sherie & I have been coming to the Costa Del Sol now for over 35 years. Initially for holidays or short breaks due to the easy accessibility, regular flights to and from Malaga International Airport and very reasonable flight prices plus the fabulous climate & weather all year round.
We originate from Newcastle Upon Tyne in the North East of England, and don’t get us wrong, we still love the UK and especially our home town but the summers are very short and winters very long. Whereas Spain and especially the Costa Del Sol you have 325 days of sunshine. The temperature rarely drops below 10 degree and in July/August/September it can be a very warm 30 degree. With Spring and Autumn matching a great summer in the North Easts of England,
We also love snow skiing and après ski and this passion can be fulfilled in the winter months in the gorgeous Sierra Nevada a 2.5 hour drive from our home in Mijas Costa. Skiing in the morning and then sunbathing on the beach & swimming in the Mediteranean Sea in the afternoon. How cool is that?
Sherie loves to horse ride and loves hacking out in the rugged countryside with friends, finding the real Spanish ventas, these are rural establishments scattered throughout Spain where they serve lovely local food and drinks at very reasonable prices.
I also play golf and need I say more, with over 100 golf courses in Andalucia we are spolt for choice. It is by far the most concentration of golf clubs anywhere in Europe, so you can see why it’s so popular & visited by so many people throughout the year.
Unfortunately I am allergic to horses so if I want to join Sherie and the others I have to drive, which normally entails driving along country lanes and dirt tracks, but the rewards are always fabulous.
Many golfers come to Andalucia to enjoy these courses and after a good round, they can then enjoy the nightlife especially in the towns of Marbella and Fuengirola. Served best once they’ve won of course!
We take our two dogs, Pip & Pedro for a walk every morning in the hills above where we live and the views are spectacular. At the weekend we take them for much longer walks in the campo (Spanish countryside) or along the coastal board walk. This boardwalk is running along the coastline and eventually will run from Nerja to Estapona. But at the moment it has only been build in a few areas, with our area Mijas Costa being one of them.
Pip and Pedro are rescue dogs, Bodegueros which are a Spanish Jack Russell Terrier, bred in Spain to keep the Bodegas (wineries) clear of vermin.
As I said earlier we have been coming to Mijas Costa on the Costa Del Sol since 1986 and in February 2007 we made the permanent move to Mijas Costa which is in our eyes the perfect destination.
20-25 minutes to Malaga Airport, this means holiday makers don’t need to hire a car as public transport covers the area or a taxi ride will not break the bank.
You are equal distance between Fuengirola and Marbella where great shops, stores restaurants beach activives culture etc can be found. As there are a high percentage of permanent residents residing in Mijas Costa, all of the amenities remain open all year round.
There are an abundance of good courses, tennis clubs, beaches and beach activities, beautiful walks, community group activities, historic buildings, multi cultural restaurants cafes, bars etc the list is endless.
Once we settled in Mijas Costa permanently we decided once a year we would travel around Spain and stay in another town/city for a long weekend. We have found some lovely towns and cities and experienced many great times building lots of wonderful memories. There are many fabulous towns and cities in Andalucia to visit without travelling for more than 2-3 hours.
Seville is the capital and largest city in Andalucia and offers numerous tourist attractions and things to do. We saw the Alcazar Real de Seville which is the Royal Palace of Seville. We also saw Seville Cathedral and the Giralda which is one of the largest Cathedrals in the world with quite a surprise when you enter. There is also the Plaza de Espana which is the main square in Seville, we saw numerous other attractions, too many to mention now.
One long weekend was in Cordoba another beautiful Spanish City, we were actually there during the Fiesta de Los Patios de Cordoba which ia a celebration of local architecture, flowers and flamenco. Home owners and businesses decorate their patios with blooms and baskets of flowers and are open to the public for certain hours of each day. Cordoba has many attractions too numerous to mention, but a must for horse lovers is the Royal Stables.
Jerez de La Frontera was another destination and another wonderful city. The Sherry had to be drunk and we also visited the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art which is a famous riding school with horse shows and a carriage museum. But my favourite weened spent in Jerez was for the Moto GP the Spanish motorcycle Grand Prix, absolutely brilliant.
We have also visited Granada a couple of times and visited the Alhambra Palace and many other attraction. You will also find when you order a drink in a bar they always give you a Tapa with it. Granada is one of the few places in Spain that keeps the tapas tradition where a plate of food is served for free when you order a drink. Absolutely perfect.
There are many more areas which we also need to visit and that is another reason that we settled in Mijas Costa in the Costa Del Sol, as a lot of these cities and towns are only a 2.5 -3 hour drive away.
Other areas of interest are
Tarifa
Estepona
Sotogrande
Nerja
