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Although not the high season here on the Costa del Sol, Christmas time offers lots of interesting things to keep the whole family entertained.

Our guests often ask us for recommendations on things to do at this time of year so we’ve decided to put together this list which includes activities and specific places you can visit during the holidays. Although the title of this post specifically states Benalmadena, you’ll find that out list wanders a little further down the Coast; that being said, all of these places are well connected by public transport. If you’re planning on visiting the Coast this Christmas I’m sure you’ll find something of interest on the list. Here goes…

#1 Visit one of the many tradition Christmas Markets on the Coast . You’ve got two nice markets here in Benalmadena but a trip to Malaga’s city centre is also highly recommended as they too have a popular market.

#2 Selwo Marina is open form the 22^nd December 2012 to the 6^th January 2013 and offers a great day out for all the family. With a spectacular Dolphin show and the only Penguinarium in Andalucia, it’s definitely one to put on your list.

#3 Time to head in to Málaga city centre and see the impressive Christmas light display. You can get the train from Arroyo de la Miel straight into the centre of Málaga; easy and cheap! Well worth a visit! Read More…

Next Sunday the 16th December 2012, Arroyo de la Miel will celebrate its 30th ‘Carrera Urbana del Pavo’ (literally translated as The Urban Turkey Race!). This fun event was started 30 years ago as a way to foment running amongst the Benalmadena population, allowing both visitors and locals the opportunity to discover the pleasures of running.

The ‘Carrera del Pavo’ is a massively popular event – last year there were 1900 participants – and attracts runners of all ages; this year there will be 22 different categories, 11 for men and another 11 for women. The organisers will also be handing out lots of prizes including one for each of the first 5 participants (in each category) to cross the finish line.

The race consists of a 4.5 km urban run through the streets of Arroyo de la Miel. Starting off at the ‘Polideportivo Arroyo de la Miel’ at 11am participants will make their way through this urban race course and head for the finish line at the feria ground next to Paloma Park. Everyone is welcome to enter; however, entries must be received by the 14^th December due to the use of a new computer system this year which will read bar codes on each participant as they cross the finish line.

We must admit that we were curious as to why they called it the ‘Turkey Race’… apparently, when this traditional race was first held 30 years ago, it involved running after a live turkey and the winner got to take it home! Nowadays the winners still get a turkey as a prize… just that now, its frozen!

From Sunset Beach Club we’d like to wish all the participants the best of luck!

Christmas is fast approaching and you can really start to feel the magic of the festive season; the streets are decorated with colourful lights and local shops and businesses are getting into the Christmas spirit with shop fronts showing off wonderful gifts and products which are sure to attract passers by!

There’s nothing quite like a good Christmas Market to get into the festive spirit and we’re happy to report that there are quite a few locations for you to choose from this year. These markets are a great opportunity to buy interesting gifts and treats to take home as well as a chance to sample delicious sweets, cakes, and other wonderful local products, so typical at this time of year. Read More…

Delicious looking food at the Colombian Stand last year...

Christmas is just around the corner and Benalmadena is getting ready for a festive season full of activities for all the family. The fun starts this coming weekend (8^th December) with the fabulous Festival of Christmas Traditions.

Located in the Plaza dela Mezquitathe Festival starts at 12 noon and goes on until 8 pm. You’ll find stalls representing 16 countries and offering typical Christmas products, entertainment and lots more surprises! Read More…

Benalmadena 'Healthy Living' Walking Routes

If you enjoy a good and healthy walk when you visit Benalmadena on holiday, we’ve got some great little walking routes which you must try; no need to worry about your fitness levels as there is something for everyone!

Benalmadena is actually a member of the Spanish Healthy Cities Network (Red Española de Ciudades Saludables) and a couple of years ago the town hall decided to set up a 23 km walking route connecting the 3 main areas of the town, Benalmadena Costa, Arroyo de la Miel and Benalmadena Pueblo (town). Read More…

The thinner knotted churros found 'up north'

Have you ever tried ‘Churros’? No idea what we’re talking about? Stick around as we’re about to tell everything you need to know about this delicious Spanish treat!

A ‘Churro’ – sometimes referred to as a Spanish doughnut – is a popular fried dough snack which is normally eaten for breakfast accompanied by a bowl of thick hot chocolate or a good café con leche. The ingredients for the typical churro couldn’t be simpler: A mixture of flour, water and salt. Once the mixture is prepared it goes into a ‘churrera’ (special churro making machine) which then squeezes the doughy mixture into a large fryer where it’ll remain until crispy and crunchy – this usually takes about  30 seconds! Read More…

A while back we asked our Facebook fans to name their favourite bars in Benalmádena. Forty six people replied with their top choices so we thought we’d include them here on the blog in case future guests are in need of some recommendations as to the best places to enjoy their favourite drink!

We’ve prepared the list in order of most mentions; that doesn’t mean one is better than the other but does give you an idea of which are most popular amongst Sunset Beach Club guests   Read More…

Many of our guests ask us the best method of transport to travel from Málaga Airport to Sunset Beach Club; the good news is that there are various ways to get to Benalmádena, including taxi, bus, hire car or even by train.

The quickest and easiest way is by car – be it rental car or taxi – so we decided to show you the way in a slightly different format…A Timelapse video!

Whilst filming our recent series of promotional videos for Sunset Beach Club, our video producer decided to mount a small (Gopro) camera onto the bonnet of his car and shoot a Timelapse video of the journey from the Malaga Airport Terminal to the entrance of Sunset Beach Club.

Just a bit of fun and proof that you can get fromMálagaAirportto Sunset Beach Club in just over 1 minute

Poster for the Virgen de la Cruz Fair

There are just a few days to go until the official opening of one of the most important festivities in Benalmadena’s calendar: The Fair in honour of the ‘Virgen de la Cruz’.

The town hall has prepared a full programme of events for all tastes and ages, including religious acts, fun activities and sports events. Although the official start date for the fair is the 14^th August, the festivities start this Friday the 10^th August with the ‘Verbena de Santo Domingo’ (A street fair) and the election of the queen’s of the fair in the Auditorium.

On Sunday the 12^th August the traditional ‘Romería’ (A procession involving horses, carts and beautifully dressed locals) takes place from 10:30 am in the ‘Plaza de España’. The whole procession will make its way down to the Finca Casablanca Rustic Park where the town hall will prepare a large – and free – paella for all participants and spectators to enjoy. Read More…

ScubaTours, the dive centre located within the Sunset Beach Club facilities has recently been awarded the 5 star Dive Resort rating from PADI. This fantastic onsite facility was already a registered PADI dive centre but the new distinction serves as recognition of the courses which have been taught over recent years.

Our dive centre has certified many divers in the popular Open Water Dive and Advanced Diver qualifications; however, it has also taught many specialty courses such as photography, wreck diving (in nearby Gibraltar), search and recovery, underwater navigation and many more. This is fantastic news for Sunset Beach Club and Scuba Tours as guests who stay with us and want to take a scuba diving course can feel confident that they are receiving instruction from a registered and recommended official PADI dive centre (we’re actually listed on the PADI website :-)).

But the good news does not stop there. On the 1^st November 2012 Scuba Tours will receive the rating of PADI 5 star IDC Resort. This is in recognition of the facilities they can offer to run an IDC (Instructor Development Course). This is fantastic as this will be the only IDC centre in the area that offers full instructor training facilities on site: Accommodation, conference rooms, swimming pool, storage and an open water dive site just metres away.

Please click on this link for more information about diving courses at Sunset Beach Club .