Can be expensive and when it rains, it certainly rains !
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
Spain conjures up in my mind, lots of high rise concrete buildings, thousands of holiday makers and definitely not the sort of place we usually go for holidays. But as we hadn’t been and this opinion was gleaned from holiday brochures, then we decided to try it for ourselves.
First dip into Spain, we flew to Portugal (cowards!) and were taken by coach to just over the border to Cost de la Luz. It was the first time Thomson’s had used this quite new hotel, and we had a lovely quiet holiday enjoying walking along miles of deserted beach and watching the fishing boats coming home at night.
Last November we got braver! Marbella was our destination. Whilst in Malta in April we had purchased a Time Share apartment and through Interval International we could have “Getaway” breaks, so we found a great deal and booked up our break, found flights on the internet and even booked a taxi to collect us at the airport.
So singing “We’re all off to sunny Spain” we departed on another holiday.
Malaga Airport deserves a review all to itself, but passport control was easy because of the EU and so was collecting our cases, but we walked what seemed like miles. The taxi driver was waiting and off we went. He drove FAST, and used the Toll roads which we had been advised to miss if we were driving ourselves, so we soon arrived at our aparthotel.
Even though by now it was dark, it seemed impressive with a fantastic entrance, reception went smoothly and we were off in the lift to our home for the next week. After opening the cases and changing, we went out to find a shop for the basics for breakfast the next day. Unfortunately we turned the wrong direction and walked quite a distance before we found a LIDL! It seemed that Saturday and by now it was 9.00pm was the busy time for families to shop. But we managed to get the basics for breakfast and queued at the checkout – some things never change do they! Everyone was very friendly and waited patiently. What we didn’t know then, but do now, all the supermarkets were closed on a Sunday, and we should have got enough to last until Monday!
Everyone seems to eat late in Spain so that wasn’t a problem and we had a nice meal as by then we were feeling hungry. On the following nights we tried out various restaurants, and always had lovely meals but they were sometimes quite expensive. But I hear you say they were in Marbella what do they expect?
The fish restaurants were great, although occasionally I felt the fish was looking rather reproachfully at me, I do prefer mine without eyes! Usually we try to eat local food but we did try a Thai restaurant, called Lemongrass, which was just off the main Avenue Ricardo Soriano, on the corner of Ortega y Gasset and Ramon Gomez de la Serna. Fantastic. Expensive. What a way to spend an evening. If you’re ever in Marbella do try it. Not all the waiters spoke English, so it is helpful if you have a smattering of Spanish! They do appreciate it when you try and even help you pronounce it correctly.
We did eventually find loads of Mercado’s – supermarkets and they were well stocked, and also some Bakers with tempting bread and cakes, it was easy to shop and buy food if you planned to cook for yourself. The one day after spending about a week’s food budget on one evening meal, I decided it was obscene doing this so would cook in the apartment, which was very fitted out even a dishwasher and washing machine. The “pescado blanco” had another name on it I didn’t recognise, I should have had my dictionary with me- I thought white fish was white fish. This one was EEL! It was an experience, very nice but very bony, glad I was eating in privacy to remove all the bones. Perhaps I should have bought the chicken! The wines are plentiful and you have to choose what suits your pocket and type you like best.
Enough of food, it is something I love though and can make a holiday special.
The Aparthotel was called the Sultan Club de Marbella, and I have since seen it advertised in Sovereign and there were some people from Germany and Sweden staying, but it was very quiet in November. A short walk down the road led to the Promenade and Beach, or in the opposite direction onto the main road and along to the Shops. We had a huge corner balcony and could just see the sea off one side and looked over to Puerto Banus on the main side. Sitting out at breakfast time we could watch all the comings and goings and in the early evening some magnificent sunsets.
Marbella became a famous resort because a Spanish marques told his rich family and friends how wonderful it was. One of his nephew’s Prince Alfonso of Liechtenstein bought a farm near the beach then started developing it by building chalets surrounded by wonderful gardens and in 1953 it opened as the Marbella Club. It became the “in” place for the rich and titled. You can stay there at a cost beyond my means!! So sorry I can’t report on it. Since then a lot of luxury homes have been built and large hotels and blocks of apartments, between the sea and the mountains, which are called Sierra Blanca, this is responsible for the mild climate in winter. With of course Golf courses for those who like to play in a warm climate.
It is no longer well known as a fishing port, the harbour was full of cruisers and yachts, some were quite luxurious, but for REAL LUXURY, visit just along the coast to Puerto Banus, which still comes under the title of Marbella in some holiday brochures, where we sat with a coffee and watched the rich and famous relax on their boats, or drive by in snazzy cars. There was a huge department store called El Corte Ingles which had everything under one roof, if you are into shopping whilst on holiday. We also found one in Marbella which we had passed the first night but thought it was just a furniture store, the food hall was huge and below street level!
Back to Marbella, the Promenade is a lovely place to start and you can walk miles, the famous part is called the Golden Mile, stopping for coffee or food at one of the many cafes, sitting outside and looking out to sea. The views up to the hills are fantastic or just looking out to sea. One day there was a Sailing Cruise ship moored which caused a lot of interest. On a Sunday afternoon whole families complete with the dogs promenade along here. Whenever you’ve had enough take a road up towards the town and enjoy the shops, (or just the shade on one side of the street), many are really high class and have just one dress or one or two pieces of jewellery in the window and my husband said if you have to ask the price you can’t afford it, so I didn’t go in them! But there are innumerable other shops, and certainly plenty with clothes and gifts at affordable prices. I must admit I did feel rather undressed having walked along the beach in shorts and T shirt, and then we went into the town, the local people are so smart! There are loads of crossings and along the main road at regular intervals clocks interchanging with the temperature, so you can tell when it’s getting time to head back for your siesta. A lot of the shops did close and reopened about 4pm until 9pm. We found a beautiful fountain made of tiled pictures which was featured on "A place in the sun" recently. A lot of the benches were also made in tiles and depicted different parts of Marbella.
I do love walking along the beach and paddling in the sea, which we did and it was warm enough in November, the sand is dark and coarse and walking is quite hard in bare feet! But helps burn off the calories after over eating! But we also enjoyed the Old Town. We stumbled into it one day and walked around for an hour or so and found it so fascinating that we returned another morning. It’s an absolute warren of narrow streets and quaint little houses mostly with an array of colourful flowers in pots outside their doors. It is well preserved and everywhere was exceptionally clean. The Orange Tree Square is the centre of the Old Town and there are some lovely old churches dating back to the 15th. Century. The Tourist information people were very helpful too. There are various places to eat although we didn’t go back at night because it was quite a walk but certainly if we return in the lighter nights we will try some out. There are fortifications built by the Moors, and suddenly you step out of the Old Town and see a very modern looking bridge and gardens below with lots of seats tempting you to take a rest. On some of the buildings are maps of the Old Town made in tiles so if you are lost it’s certainly helpful!
We loved our holiday in Marbella and would recommend it to friends, but if you are on a tight budget then perhaps it isn’t the place to stay but is well worth a visit.
Spain was obviously sorry to see us leave because the heavens opened and it cried very large and very wet tears, we were glad it was the taxi driver taking us back as by then it was a thunder storm and the roads were awful!
So our final song was “The rain in Spain falls mainly on Marbella!”
Would I try Spain again? YES, but it’s going to be the Time Share experience next in Malta, roll on the end of April.
very helpful
very helpful
helpful
helpful
