Archive for Things To Do
The Virgen del Carmen Processions: Don’t Miss this Breathtaking Cultural Event
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For those of you who enjoy taking in a little Spanish culture during your holidays, I highly recommend you take a couple of hours this Saturday (16th July) to go and see one of the many “Virgen del Carmen” processions taking place along the Coast.
Last year I went along to the Virgen del Carmen procession in Los Boliches – just a 15 minute drive from the hotel – and thoroughly enjoyed the experience (follow the link to the blog post I wrote).
I won’t provide a long winded explanation of what this day represents – you can see this post about the Virgen del Carmen celebrations for that – but I will quickly explain a little about the reason for this colourful and emotional event.
The Virgen del Carmen, or Stella Maris, as she is often referred to is the patron saint of fishermen and of the Spanish Navy! If you visit one of the processions which take place in most of the “traditional” fishing villages along the Coast – Los Boliches, Benalmádena,La Carrihuelain Torremolinos, Marbella and Estepona, to name but a few – you will witness the pure devotion the local villagers towards their patron saint.
The processions usually start off in the afternoon as the fishermen carry their “Virgen” – which is usually handcrafted in wood and porcelain Read More→
Have You Experienced the “Night of San Juan”?
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Traditional Bonfire for San Juan
Next Thursday the 23rd June, the beaches of Benalmádena – and many other Spanish towns and cities – will come alive to celebrate the Night of San Juan.
This not-to-be-missed date on the local festivities calendar coincides (nearly…) with the summer solstice; the perfect way to celebrate the arrival of the summer!
Fire is the protagonist of this magical night as hoards of people head to the beach to build bonfires and watch the impressive firework displays up and down the coastline. If you’re staying at Sunset Beach Club and you’re lucky enough to have an east facing view (towards the Marina), don’t miss the firework display programmed for 1am (night of the 23rd to 24th June) at the Bil-Bil Castle.
If you don’t have a room facing east, you can always take a stroll to the end of the promenade in front of the hotel; from there you will have panoramic views of the firework display.
Don’t be alarmed by all the people you see on the beaches, the Night of San Juan is extremely popular amongst locals and parties go on until early hours of the morning. Read More→
Scuba Diving Season has Started! (Video)
Posted by: | CommentsHere’s a short video I took as I spotted some clients taking scuba diving lessons in the main pool here at Sunset Beach Club; it was a little overcast so they had the pool to themselves!
Scuba diving season has officially started and we are lucky enough here at Sunset Beach Club to have our very own dive centre on site! Run by Scuba Tours, one of the longest running dive organisations on the Costa del Sol, the team of qualifies instructors are available to answer guest queries about their fantastic selection of excursions and PADI courses.
Apart from initial lessons in our pool, guests who sign up for an excursion can experience an entry level dive at a site that is within a few steps of the hotel. Those who are looking for a little more adventure can choose from 15 different dive sites situated along the Coast, including reefs, wrecks and caverns!
There’s something for everyone. Guests can choose from the following:
- Day Excursions (Beginners and advanced)
- PADI Courses (From beginner to professional level)
- Special Kids Programmes (from 8 years of age)
For more information about Scuba diving lessons and excursions, pop into the “dive shack” located by the pool at Sunset Beach Club or visit the Scuba Tours website on www.divinginspain.com . Alternatively, just ask at our Leisure Desk.
La Noche en Blanco de Malaga 2011: A Unique Cultural Event
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Next Saturday the 14th May, the city of Malaga will organise the fourth edition of “La Noche en Blanco” (literally translated as The White Night), a unique cultural event in which citizens and visitors can enjoy art exhibitions, stage shows, live music and audiovisuals in more than 100 points around the city. The great news is that all these events will have FREE admission!
This year, social networks (Facebook, Twitter and Youtube) take center stage as many of the projects being developed for “La Noche en Blanco” this year are the result of the numerous ideas and proposals made by the the citizens of Málaga through these Social Media channels. In addition, following the event via Twitter and Facebook will allow you to know which places have the longest queues – so that they can be avoided – and which ones have less affluence.
This fourth edition of The White Night promises to be the most spectacular to date.This year there will be 130 free activities – compared to 111 last year – which will take place in 100 locations. More than 60 institutions and organizations (public and private) supported the event last year, attracting 153.546 people; this year the authorities expect to surpass this figure. Read More→
Fuengirola Celebrates its “Feria Internacional de Los Pueblos”
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La Feria Internacional de Los Pueblos
Our neighbouring town of Fuengirola is getting ready to celebrate its “Feria Internacional de Los Pueblos” (International Peoples Fair). This unique event dates back to 1994 and was started as a way to showcase the different customs, folklore, gastronomy and cultural, historic and tourist attractions of the inhabitants of this multicultural town.
As from next Friday the 29th April and up until the 2nd May, visitors and locals alike can head down to the local fair ground in Fuengirola and enjoy the multitude of stands; there are more than 30 different countries represented at the fair!
Visiting the Feria Internacional de Los Pueblos is like travelling around the world in just 4 days! All five senses will be at work as you experience the following:
- The sounds of the traditional music of each culture, played by authentic groups which, in many cases, have actually flown in from their country of origin.
- The amazing smells and aromas from the different food posts where visitors can taste traditional argentinian “parilladas” (barbecues), delicious Moroccan pastries, exotic Asian dishes and traditional foods from around Spain.
- Traditional dances with their typical colourful costumes.
At each stand, visitors to the fair will have the chance to purchase typical products from each represented country and even obtain specific tourist information about the country or area being promoted.
Entrance to the “Feria” is free and we thoroughly recommend you take a trip down to this fascinating fair and enjoy a fun- multicultural- day of music, dancing and delicious food!
Semana Santa (Holy Week): An Experience Not to be Missed!
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This weekend sees the official start of Semana Santa (Holy Week); Towns and cities all over the country – especially in Andalucia – celebrate this Easter week with a profound devotion and passion. If you’ve never attended one of the amazing processions, I highly recommend you make an effort to experience it – at least once – you won’t regret it!
What Exactly Happens in Holy Week?
Good question. We won’t go into the intricate details and history of these religious festivities here; what I will tell you is that it’s a time where Christians show extreme devotion to their faith.
The highlight of Semana Santa is the processions. In Andalucia, most towns and cities will have a series of processions which take place throughout the week; starting on Palm Sunday and continuing until Resurrection Sunday.
If you really want to experience the traditional Semana Santa, we recommend you visit Málaga: thousands of locals and tourists line the streets to watch the different “cofradías” (brotherhoods) parade their impressive “Tronos” (Thrones) through the city. Some of these impressive structures weigh up to 5000 kilos and need 200+ men to carry them! Routes can last up to eight hours with each man carrying an equivalent of 25 or 30 kilos on their shoulders during this time: that’s devotion! Read More→
National Fire Fighter’s Festivity in Benalmádena: A Fun Day Out for All the Family
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The well known Tivoli World amusement park in Benalmadena will be the venue for the III National Fire Fighter’s Festivity to be held tomorrow (Saturday 2nd April 2011). Organizers are hoping to attract more than 10,000 visitors to this unique event which promises to be a fun and educational day out for all the family.
This event has become one of the most important on the national calendar as it also includes the III National Fire Fighter’s Challenge of Benalmadena. Attracting fire fighters from all over Spain, the challenge determines the “top” Fire Fighting unit of the country. Should be fun to watch!
The event organisers have made a big effort to provide a wide range of educational activities which will allow visitors the opportunity to learn about the difficult and commendable job that fire fighters undertake on a daily basis.
The doors to Tivoli World will open at 10:30 am tomorrow morning for a fun packed day which will end at 8:00 pm in the evening. Here’s a list of some of the activities planned throughout the day:
- Live music
- Presentations and demonstrations
- Thermal vision demonstrations (I’ve got to try that!)
- Children’s Fireman fancy dress competition
- The National Fire Fighter’s Challenge (Fire fighter’s from all over Spain taking part)
- Rolling simulator – visitors will be able to experience a car rolling (I’ll give that one a miss!)
- Canine rescue demonstration
- Children’s Fireman Challenge
- Vehicle exhibit
- Red Cross catastrophe demonstration
I’m definitely going to go….how about you?
From this Thursday – 17th March – and until Sunday, visitors to Benalmadena Marina will be able to enjoy the 3rd “Feria del Marisco (Shellfish Festival). For the 3rd year running, the Town hall’s tourism office together with the Benalmadena Port Authority have organised this popular event with the aim of promoting the towns extensive gastronomic offering.
Throughout the 4 days of the festival, anyone who visits the Port can sample some of the best shellfish at spectacular prices. Just to give you an idea, these are the prices of some of the portions – or “raciones” as we refer to them here –
Boiled Prawns – €3
“Concha Fina” (a type of clam) – €3
Grilled Prawns – €8
Steamed Mussels – €3
Clams – €5
This is just a sample of the delicacies that you’ll be able to try; the restaurants that are taking part in the festival are planning to offer more than 20 different types of shellfish and dishes whose main ingredient is shellfish.
Anyone wanting to enjoy some of the best shellfish at “recession” prices can do so as from Thursday at the following participating restaurants in the Marina: El Arrecife, Carretero, El Trasmallo, Alborada, Calamar, Ventorillo La Perra, El Rincón Asturiano, El Faro, La Taberna Marinera de Juan y Pepi, Los Mellizos y El Mero.
So what do you think, are you up for it?
A Fun Day Out at the Races: The Winter Season Starts at the Mijas Racecourse
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The Mijas Racecourse will be opening for its 2011 winter season next month (February), having been closed for its annual break.
Horse racing enthusiasts will be happy to know that the winter programme includes 6 race days between February and April (see programme below). Entrance are only €5 per race or a season ticket can be purchased for €20; children and teenagers under 18 are allowed free entry.
The Mijas Racecourse has fantastic facilities which cater for all the family. There are bars and restaurants for the adults as well as a wide range of activities for children, including bouncing castles! Races during the winter months start at 11am and the Racecourse has free parking available for all visitors.
The Race programme for this winter is as follows:
Sunday 13th February – 11am
Sunday 20th February – 11am
Friday 25th February – 4pm
Sunday 27th February – 11am
Sunday 6th March – 11am
Friday 22nd April – 4pm
Enjoy the races! Make sure you don’t bet too much on the horses! 
The Arab Baths in Benalmadena: A Treat for the Senses
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Stressed out and in need of some R&R? Staying here at Sunset should help; however, if you need a little boost, I highly recommend a quick visit to the “Agua de Oriente” Arab baths in Benalmádena.
The Arab Baths are located in the centre of Benalmadena (just next to the Marina) and a mere 20 minute walk from Sunset Beach Club. Inspired by the Nazari architecture of XI century Granada, this impressive “Oasis” of relaxation is a real treat to the senses. I think the following phrase on the “Agua de Oriente” website describes the experience perfectly:
“A journey into the past, to discover a world of sensasions”
The traditional word for this type of Arab Bath is “Hammam” and in the next few paragraphs, I’ll provide you with a brief explanation of what you can expect on your visit – just in case you’ve never been before.
The “Hammam” Experience
As you can see by the photos, lighting and architecture are key components of the Hammam experience. When you enter the baths you are, literally, transported into another time period. Read More→
