Marbella & Madrid
First stop was Marbella which was reached via Malaga, about an hour’s flight from Madrid but also served by several direct flights from the UK. I stayed in the 5 Star Guadulpin Marbella Hotel, a short stroll from the golden beaches. The service was excellent, staff friendly and my room spacious and tastefully decorated. The balcony Jacuzzi was sublime, with spectacular views of the ocean.
Marbella consists of 3 areas – the long stretches of beach with a promenade affording pleasant strolls and dotted with cafes and restaurants along the way; the modern part of the city with boutiques and a top class conference centre and the Old Town.
The Old Town was my favourite part as walking along narrow cobbled streets and being passed by a horse cart made me feel like I was in a time gone by. The traditional Spanish architecture was lovely and it had a wonderful feeling of family and contentment with life. On Sunday’s the shops do not open, streets are quiet and all you hear is the sounds of families gathering together for lunch. Worth a visit but if you want to experience the unique little shops and cafes, return on a weekday.
A must if you are in the area is a visit to Mijas, a small, traditional white-washed Andalucian village up in the mountains. Donkey carts, cobbled streets and plenty of shopping awaits as this village opens its arms to tourists. You can visit the wine museum and enjoy wine tasting in quaint surroundings.
Another stop worth making is Puerto Banus, 15 minutes from Marbella itself. This is the equivalent of Monte Carlo on the Costa del Sol and a playground for the rich and famous. The marina is dotted with vessels that can only be termed as super yachts and the shops lining the small streets and walkways are only the elite of the fashion and cosmetic houses.
Some things to bear in mind regarding the Costa del Sol: the weather is fantastic – 320 days of sunshine per year and winter is very mild. The hotels are in abundance and range from 3 Star to outstanding 5 Star and there are numerous top golf courses in the area, plenty of other activities and excellent shopping.
After these lovely few days on the coast, I headed inland to the capital of Spain, Madrid. Here we encountered a bustling, cosmopolitan city with more of the traditional European city feel. My hotel was the 4 Star Hotel Victoria 4, which was located right in the Sol district. This was very central with Puerta Del Sol and Plaza Mayor a few minutes’ walk from our hotel, as was Gran Via.
I would highly recommend the hop-on, hop-off Madrid Sightseeing bus when in Madrid. You can purchase a day pass for EUR16 and this will take you on 2 different routes – the Historic and Modern Madrid. They stop at all the major sights and it’s a great way to get the lay of the land with commentary as you go. You will see some outstanding architecture and view the spectacular fountains Madrid has in abundance.
If you are interested in art, visit some of the many art museums in the city – the Prado Museum is the most well known and entrance is free from 6-8pm. Shopping is amazing and due to the traditional Spanish siesta time, shops are open until about 10pm every night!
An excellent rail network connects Madrid to well know cities like Barcelona, Seville and many more. The medieval, walled town of Toledo is also easily reached in just 30 minutes and well worth a visit. There were some great markets outside the city gates but upon entering we were taken back to medieval times when the Christians, Jews and Moslems lived here. Take the tour bus from the station as this includes commentary and your return trip to the station.
I loved my trip to Spain. There is something about the Spanish people that made the places I visited feel warm and welcoming. I look forward to my next visit.