National Fire Fighter’s Festivity in Benalmádena: A Fun Day Out for All the Family

Fire fighters festivity in BenalmadenaThe 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?

 

Enjoy the Best Shellfish at “Recession” Prices: Head over to the “Feria del Marisco” in Benalmadena

feria del marisco

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?

The Thyssen Museum of Málaga Opens its Doors on 25th March

Thyssen Museum in Malaga

"La Buenaventura" by Julio Romero de Torres - one of the paintings being exhibited in the Museum

We’ve finally got a date for the official opening of the much-awaited Thyssen Museum of Málaga: The 24th March 2011 is the chosen date for the inauguration of Baroness Thyssen’s latest project.

The general public will have to wait one more day – Friday 25th March – in order to be able to enjoy the impressive collection which will be exhibited in the Palacio de Villalón, a XVI century building located in the historical heart of Málaga. This beautiful building has been completely renovated and fitted out for cultural exhibitions – Málaga Town Hall has already invested more than 15 million euros on this ambitious project.

For the first three days of operation, entrance to the museum will be free of charge; a great opportunity for locals and tourists to enjoy fine art at a great price…free!

The museum will have a permanent collection and three temporary exhibitions. The permanent collection is made up of 230 works of art from the Carmen Thyssen-Bornemisza collection covering Spanish art from the XIX. Visitors will be able to enjoy works of art from painters such as Sorolla, Zurbarán, Zuloaga, Romero de Torresy and Málaga favourites such as Gómes Gil, Moreno Carbonero o Barrón.

The series of three temporary exhibitions programmed for 2011 will start with “From Picasso to Tàpies” and will include pieces from Picasso, Torres-García, Saura and Tàpies. In September the museum will introduce work from Monet with “Monet: The house amongst the roses”. The final instalment of exhibitions will take place in November with “Sorolla in Andalucia”; 80 paintings from the Valencian artist’s repertoire.

Opening times are the following:

Tuesday to Friday – 10am to 10pm

Saturday and Sunday – 10 am to 9pm

Monday – Closed

Bioparc in Fuengirola Organises Educational Workshops and Activities for all the Family

Bioparc Fuengirola

Bioparc in Fuengirola

Next week is half term here in Andalucía (we call it Semana Blanca) and many children will be off school. Because of this, the Bioparc in Fuengirola (Zoo) has decided to put on some extra activities targeted mainly at children – although no reason why adults can’t join in!

If you’re staying at Sunset Beach Club for half term next week and haven’t visited the Bioparc in Fuengirola yet, this is the perfect chance to do so.

Between the 1st and 4th of March, visitors to the park will be able to enjoy free guided tours in the morning (for parents and their children); in the afternoon, there will be special educational workshops designed to explain to visitors, in an easy and non-techie way, facts about protected and endangered species which face extinction.

A visit to the Bioparc is a great day out for all the family. The park is very well maintained and a lot of care and attention has gone in to ensuring a fantastic experience for kids and adults alike.

If you’d like more information, please stop by our Leisure Desk where Annemie and Susanna will be able to help you.

Malaga’s New Automobile Museum: A Car Lover’s Paradise!

Malaga Car MuseumAs from the end of last summer, Malaga city has a new museum: The “Museo Automovilístico de Málaga” (Malaga Automobile Museum). Located in the Tabacalera building, the old tobacco factory, this modern installation has 6000 m2 dedicated to one of the most important car collections in Europe. This is more than a regular trip to a museum, it’s an experience that will provide fun, entertainment, art and culture to all visitors.

The museum is divided into various themed areas which exhibit a collection of more than 90 cars like the Toyota Harrier Singapore, all restored to incredibly high standards (the collection actually has 120 models; however, only 90 are available for the public to view). These themed areas transport visitors on a trip through time – 3 centuries – showing and illustrating the evolution of the automotive industry, both aesthetically and mechanically. (more…)

A Fun Day Out at the Races: The Winter Season Starts at the Mijas Racecourse

mijas racecourse

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! 😉