I am trying the find the best place to spend 4-5 nights on the Costa del Sol in September. First we thought of going to Torremolinos but have read negative reports in the guide books. We want to stay on the beach and we will have a car for visiting other places in the region. Any suggestions?

Mary, my recommendation is Nerja, which is on the beach about forty five minutes east of Malaga. It is very different from Torremolinos. We have been there twice, each time for two weeks and we loved it. Email me if you are interested and I can give you my opinions on hotels, restaurants, etc. <BR>Happy travels!

Mary, I agree with Judi. We stayed in Nerja a year and half ago and loved it. It is relatively small, but pretty. It has a lot of excellent places to eat. We stayed at Hotel Europa, which is beautiful and facing to the ocean. Despite the excellent location and comfort it offers, it is very reasonable. We paid about $85 per night, but maybe because it was winter. Ask you if you have any questions. <BR> <BR>Hitomi

Mary, <BR> <BR>Forget the guide books. I have been <BR>to torremolinos twice. We stayed at <BR>the Melia Torremolinos. It right on <BR>the beach and a very nice and clean <BR>hotel. It is very crowded in summer, <BR>but shouln't be too bad in September. <BR>All along the beach there are restaurants with outside dining - one <BR>after the other - and quite good. <BR>Very fresh seafood and lovely views <BR>of the ocean. People dine late 9:00-10:00. After dinner, people stroll <BR>down the walk adjacent to the beach. It is a very nice experience. <BR>If you walk a few blocks into town you <BR>will find very few tourists. There <BR>are wonderful little shops and restaurants where the locals eat (inexpensive). A nice side trip you <BR>can do in a long day is Granada. The <BR>drive is beautiful. On the left are the mountains. On the right is the Mediterrean. Granada is a beautiful <BR>city. The Alhambra is not to be missed. <BR>Another nice trip in the opposite direction is Seville. Very quaint city. <BR> <BR> <BR>

Mary, I forgot the most interesting side trip of all - if you are daring - <BR>drive to Gibralter. From Gibralter you <BR>take the ferry across the Strait of Gibralter to Tangier and visit the Casbah! Guided tours are arranged from your hotel. <BR>You walk through the winding, narrow <BR>streets of the Casbah. The guide explains the history (it was a hide-out <BR>for thieves). Its a little scary but <BR>safe and exciting. <BR>

Was the trip by ferry to Tangiers from Gilbraltar doable as a day trip? We have very limited time as we are on a cruise and Gilbraltar is only a stop for eight hours! Is there anything special to see in Gilbraltar if the ferry to Tangiers is not an option?

Oops! That last question about Tangiers was from me to Laura or anyone else that might know the answer. Sorry!

Hey, we saw the Hotel Europa in Nerja and it was beautiful, but there wasn't a whole lot to the town. We stayed in the Hotel Fuerte in Marbella which was reasonably priced (@120/night) and a truly fabulous hotel, with entertainment in two stages, a fitness facility, several restaurants, pastry room, splurge and get the rooms with the water views/balcony, really beautiful and right on the board walk

Mary, Elizabeth has a valid point. If you are looking for what the Hotel Fuerte has to offer you won't find it in Nerja. If you plan to do day trips and/or lounge on the beach, Nerja would be fine. In the evenings we would eat a leisurely meal at one of the fine restaurants, join the paseo on the Balcon for awhile, then go to the Irish Harp Bar for a Bailey's and some good conversation. We are more interested in talking with people than being passively entertained. My idea of a great vacation may not be the same as yours. BTW Granada and Ronda are easy day trips from Nerja as are Marbella and Puerto Banus.

IMO Fuengirola is a better beach resort than Torremolinos, less tacky.Its a little farther down the coast. <BR>Nerja is great, but not really a resort in that it's not tacky at all. <BR>To explain, in resorts English is spoken & everything is twice the price, unless you walk back into the non touristy parts.Also they mostly have little of interest apart from the beach as most of them were built only recently. <BR>Don't forget Malaga!The beach is at the edge of town, the port is in the centre, <BR>so it gets less tourists, but it's a very interesting old place & is at the airport.You could to get the local train down the coast to Torremolinos etc. for a day on the beach. <BR>