Activities

The Costa del Sol is also known as the Costa del Golf. The region offers an unparalleled selection of top-quality golf courses, perfectly located between the mountains and the sea.

Golf enthusiasts will be in their element here, thanks to the mild climate with an average of 320 days of sunshine per year, making the Costa del Sol an ideal destination for year-round golfing pleasure.

The region has more than 60 golf courses along the Mediterranean coast. Less than a ten-minute drive from our apartment are two golf courses:
The Chapparal Golf Club and Cerrado del Águila Golf, both with beautiful fairways and greens.

El Caminito del Rey (70 kilometers from our apartment) is, in my opinion, the most beautiful hiking trail in Andalusia.

We are going to go back in time to delve into the history of El Caminito del Rey, or the King's Path. In the 19th century, they wanted to build a power station near the Choro and Gaitanejo waterfalls. Construction took about 20 years. A path was built against the rocks so thatdonkeys could carry the building materials to the power station. Once construction was complete, the path fell into disuse and disrepair.
This made El Caminito del Rey more attractive to daredevils, which led to (sometimes fatal) accidents. The path was declared the most dangerous path in Europe and even one of the most dangerous in the world. The path was closed and the fines for trespassing were extremely high.

In 2006, it was decided to restore El Caminito del Rey and turn it into a tourist attraction. A wider path was constructed with sturdy fences and handrails. Less dangerous, but just as beautiful thanks to the stunning views, cliffs up to 400 meters high, and additional elevation changes. The old paths can still be seen beneath the current walking trails. Every day, 1,000 hikers are allowed to visit, with or without a guide. Reserve your tickets in advance. Despite the number of visitors, this hiking trail is definitely worth a visit.

Tip!
Before you reach the entrance to Camanito, you first have to walk about 2.7 km to the start of the gorge. Take this into account when planning the start time of your excursion and allow an extra hour. Afterwards, it is still a strenuous walk of about 2 km to get back to the shuttle bus that will take you to your car.

Tip!
Once you have started the hike, there are no more restrooms or opportunities to buy drinks.

In Andalusia, we have natural landscapes that leave everyone speechless. One of these is Monte Calamorro, located in Benalmádena. The summit of Monte Calamorro is the highest point in Benalmádena, at an altitude of almost 800 meters above sea level. The Benalmádena Cable Car takes you to the top in 15 minutes, and from there you can enjoy views of the Costa del Sol, the Sierra Nevada (the southernmost snow-capped mountain range in Europe) and, on clear days, Gibraltar and the African coast. At the top of Monte Calamorro there is a show featuring birds of prey. Impressive and well worth seeing.

Tip!
The bird show is not included in the price of the cable car. Fundacion Valle de las Aguilas is a bird sanctuary for birds of prey in this area. They depend on the shows and gifts/donations from animal lovers for their existence. Tickets can be purchased at the entrance to the bird show. Check the website to see if the bird show times match up with the cable car.

Tip!
The birds will not land on the right side of the grandstand, so keep that in mind when choosing a seat.

Aceites Molisur, a working olive oil factory, is located just under 23 kilometers from our apartment. You can book a tour there to see the process from tree to bottle and taste the olive oil with different pressings.

Production began in 2003. From its inception, this family business had one mission: to produce extra virgin olive oil using a combination of traditional techniques and the latest technologies.The company works exclusively with organic olives from the Guadalhorce Valley. The olives here are unique in terms of aroma, color, and sweet, fruity flavor.

Tip!
While you're there, try the jam they make with olive oil. 

Markets
There are many markets in the area every day of the week. I can't describe them all, because there are too many and you can find them all over the internet.

A special market is the flea market on Saturdays at the Recinto Ferial grounds in Fuengirola. Together with the one in Torremolinos, this flea market is the largest on the Costa del Sol and offers a huge range of goods. Opening hours: from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

A few minutes from our apartment, you will find an Aldi (Las Lagunas de Mijas) and the Miramar (Fuengirola) for your groceries. This is a covered shopping center with a large Carrefour. Ten minutes away is an El Corte Ingles Outlet and various stores such as Jysk, Mediamarkt, and Decathlon. In Fuengirola, you will find the shopping street parallel to the boulevard.