Costa del Sol
Nov 27th, 2006, 10:02 AM
#1
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Costa del Sol
We were thinking about taking a 2 week trip to the Costa del Sol area of Spain this winter. However, some people have told us that the hotels are not all that they are advertised to be. Any advise or tales to tell about this area?
Nov 27th, 2006, 10:27 AM
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Well - people don;t usually go to the Cost del Sol in winter since it's too cold for swimming or the beach. You can probably golf and play tennis - if you pick a nice resort that has those facilities.
It all depends on what you want to do and how much you want to spend. In some places there are masses of impersonal, tacky high rise hotels - but there are some beuatiful properties if you're willing to pay for them. (Check out Puento romano and other similar near Marbella.)
It all depends on what you want to do and how much you want to spend. In some places there are masses of impersonal, tacky high rise hotels - but there are some beuatiful properties if you're willing to pay for them. (Check out Puento romano and other similar near Marbella.)
Nov 27th, 2006, 11:00 AM
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Actually, winter is a great time to visit the Costa del Sol. At least you'll have a little breathing room, but nytraveler is correct in that the water can be a little chilly.
Since you are planning on spending two weeks in the area, then some of the properties I recommend you check out are:
La Villa Marbella in the old town of Marbella (http://www.innsofspain.com/hotelview.aspx?h=1328) closed 19 - 27 December.
Casa de los Bates, Motril-Salobrena
(http://www.innsofspain.com/hotelview.aspx?h=1014)
Cortijo La Reina, Colmenar, 20 km from Malaga.
(http://www.innsofspain.com/hotelview.aspx?h=1186)
Hacienda San Jose, Mijas, in the countryside, 25 km from Malaga. Only 7 rooms.
(http://www.innsofspain.com/hotelview.aspx?h=1163)
AC Málaga Palacio, in the heart of the city.
(http://www.hotelacmalagapalacio.com/)
Molino de Santillán, Carretera de Macharaviaya km 3, Rincón de la Victoria/Málaga.
(http://www.molinodesantillan.es/)
You can also check the Parador de Málaga del Golf (Torremolinos) and Parador de Málaga-Gibralfaro (Malaga).
Since you are planning on spending two weeks in the area, then some of the properties I recommend you check out are:
La Villa Marbella in the old town of Marbella (http://www.innsofspain.com/hotelview.aspx?h=1328) closed 19 - 27 December.
Casa de los Bates, Motril-Salobrena
(http://www.innsofspain.com/hotelview.aspx?h=1014)
Cortijo La Reina, Colmenar, 20 km from Malaga.
(http://www.innsofspain.com/hotelview.aspx?h=1186)
Hacienda San Jose, Mijas, in the countryside, 25 km from Malaga. Only 7 rooms.
(http://www.innsofspain.com/hotelview.aspx?h=1163)
AC Málaga Palacio, in the heart of the city.
(http://www.hotelacmalagapalacio.com/)
Molino de Santillán, Carretera de Macharaviaya km 3, Rincón de la Victoria/Málaga.
(http://www.molinodesantillan.es/)
You can also check the Parador de Málaga del Golf (Torremolinos) and Parador de Málaga-Gibralfaro (Malaga).
Nov 27th, 2006, 11:23 AM
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I suggest you check trip advisor to see which hotels have good reviews. Where to go depends on what you are looking for. Lots of people visit the Costa del Sol in the winter. I suggest that you stay somewhere with good transportation, or hire a car to explore the area. Torremolinos and Benalmadena are busy, lots of high rises, clubs, bars etc. Fuengirola is flat, nice promenard, quieter than Torremolinos but still a lot of hotels, bars etc. I am actually going there for a few nights at the end of March. Marbella is prettier but a lot more expensive.
For myself, I looked for a good hotel, preferably with an indoor pool. I found trip advisor to be a great help.
Carolena
For myself, I looked for a good hotel, preferably with an indoor pool. I found trip advisor to be a great help.
Carolena
Nov 28th, 2006, 07:40 AM
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Thanks for the tips. We are not beach people, we just want to get to a nicer climate for a few weeks. We live in the northeast. Trip advisor was the site that made me think twice. But some of those sites attract mostly the complainers. We like to wander villages and just see the sites and eat some local food.
Nov 28th, 2006, 09:29 AM
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It came out recently that some hotels PAY people to give them a good review on trip advisor and some people will give bad reviews if they don't get money from a hotel so I don't know how accurate they are.
Lots of old people from around Europe (notably UK) winter on the Costa del Sol. It should hopefully be warm there (around 15.C) though the nights are cold. There are a number of trips available usually, Gibraltar, Norocco, sometimes Portugal, and various Spanish towns though the further north you go, the colder it will be. A train runs along the coast from Malaga to Fuengirola. Note. Often shops shut from around midday to about 2:30pm.
I've been in high rise hotels there. Nothing wrong with them.
Lots of old people from around Europe (notably UK) winter on the Costa del Sol. It should hopefully be warm there (around 15.C) though the nights are cold. There are a number of trips available usually, Gibraltar, Norocco, sometimes Portugal, and various Spanish towns though the further north you go, the colder it will be. A train runs along the coast from Malaga to Fuengirola. Note. Often shops shut from around midday to about 2:30pm.
I've been in high rise hotels there. Nothing wrong with them.
Nov 28th, 2006, 07:36 PM
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We've stayed at the Marriott Marbella Beach Resort twice and would go back in a heartbeat. Marriott also has another newer resort near this one. These are very large units (2-3 bedrooms) fully equipped with kitchen and laundry facilities. I'm sure you could goggle them to check them out. It's a great base for touring the area, but you will need to rent a car for these properties.
Nov 29th, 2006, 04:43 AM
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Joan, not sure where you're coming from - the north east of where ? If the US, you may not be aware that you need to choose your resort & hotel carefully on the Costa del Sol. It was one of the first places to open up to mass British tourism in the 60s/70s & a lot of places are high rise hellholes full of 'English-style' pubs & chip shops. Although the winter is not the main season I think there's still a certain amount of year-round stag/hen party business these days. As others have said, some resorts offer quite cheap accommodation over the winter so attract a lot of retired people on extended stays (a month or severa1) - those places would be quieter but still maybe too 'English'.
May 9th, 2007, 09:32 AM
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Considering the quantity of high-rise and lager -and-chips there is on the Costa Del Sol, it's amazingly easy to get away from the "hell-holes" too. The coastal strip is only a couple of miles wide, and inland there are beautiful villages and stunning scenery. Even on the coast, there are plenty of unspoilt places. When I was last in Estepona, I stayed at Albero Lodge, which I found through www.littlehotelsofspain.co.uk. It was in a lovely leafy spot, five minutes walk from a near-virgin beach. I was there in winter too: maybe it gets busier in summer, bit not too busy I bet.
