by Justin | Jul 13, 2011 | Holiday Tips, On the Costa del Sol, Things To Do, What's On
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 (more…)
by Justin | Jul 8, 2011 | At Sunset, What's On
Yesterday afternoon, I managed to creep into the Moonlight theatre and watch the last dress rehearsal before tonight’s debut performance of “The Lion King”.
Our entertainment team have been working hard – often rehearsing for hours after work – to prepare this fantastic tribute to the West End classic. I took loads of photos, many of which are in the gallery below; as you can see, the team really worked hard on the costumes and I am sure you’ll agree that they’ve done a brilliant job! It’s obviously going to be a popular show with the little ones but I highly recommend at to everyone as the music, dancing, costumes and spectacular lighting are really impressive! (more…)
by Justin | Jul 7, 2011 | On the Costa del Sol, What's On
Next Tuesday the 12th July sees the start of the 52nd edition of the famous Nerja Caves Festival, one of the most important music and dance events on the Costa del Sol.
Since the opening of this spectacular cave in 1960, this Festival has been held every year, attracting artists and musicians from all over the world. Thanks to its incomparable beauty and exceptional acoustics, the Nerja Caves attract thousands of spectators every year – approximately 800 people are seated every night in the “Sala de Ballet” auditorium to enjoy the very best music and dance shows.
This year, the festival will be split into four separate parts: An evening of Flamenco, an evening dedicated to music of the world, an evening of Spanish dance and opera and last, but by no means least, a lyrical concert.
The programme for the 5 day event is as follows:
Tuesday 12th July at 10 pm – Flamenco Evening
The Festival starts with a true andalucian flavour; Málaga flamenco dancer, Rocio Molina’s show “Danzaora”, winner of the 2010 Dance Prize. (more…)
by Justin | Jun 30, 2011 | Local News
Speed limit back to 120 kph
A couple of months ago I posted about the new speed limit which was coming into effect as from the 7th March 2011. Well, 4 months later and a whole load of dosh spent on new stickers for all motorway signs, the Spanish government has decided to reinstate the old speed limit of 120kph!
As you’ll probably remember, the reason for the original reduction was that it would save energy and money due to the high price of oil at the time. As it stands today, oil prices are pretty much the same as they were 4 months ago and whilst various drivers associations are happy that they’ll be able to shoot down the motorway at 120kph again, there are many who are up in arms about the decision; namely, environmental groups and families of car crash victims.
So what now? Well, for starters, road crews will be busy removing stickers on over 6000 road signs on the eve of July 1st! Apparently, this little exercise will cost the tax payer over 200,000 Euros… but it’s not all bad news; the estimated fuel savings during the past 4 months are estimated at approx. 450 million Euros 🙂
So if you’re planning on coming out to Spain on holiday this summer, as from Friday (1st July) you’ll be able to drive at 120 kph on all motorways; just make sure you don’t go over that speed, for the sake of other drivers and the old purse strings (the police are going to be keen to recuperate some of the “supposed” lost income in traffic fines over the past 4 months) 😉
by Justin | Jun 28, 2011 | Hotel News, Kids & Teens
Aqua gym in the main pool
The summer season has officially started here at Sunset Beach Club! The weather is amazing with lots of sunshine and hot temperatures in the 30`s (ºC).
Anyone planning on visiting us over the summer will be happy to know that we now have our complete activities and entertainment programme available on our website.
You’ll find information about all activities and shows that will be available over the next few months. There’s plenty of fun in stall for the kids aged 5 to 12, with the ever popular Pirate’s Day being the highlight of the week for this age group. (more…)
by Justin | Jun 22, 2011 | On the Costa del Sol, What's On
We’ve got a busy week ahead of us: On Thursday evening we’ve got the Night of San Juan celebrations to look forward to and Friday sees the start of the fair in Arroyo de la Miel!
For those of you who have yet to experience a true Spanish fair, this weekend is your chance to cross that off your list of things to do. (more…)
