There are so many places of interest within easy driving distance of the apartment that it is difficult to know where to begin.
Fuengirola is
perhaps best known for its eight kilometres of sandy beaches, with wide
promenades, palm trees interspersed with colourful flower beds and a bustling
town centre. It is particularly popular with Spanish nationals, many of
whom own summer apartments here to escape the intense heat of the Spanish
interior in the summer and the biting cold in the
winter.
Mijas, one of the so called "white villages", is just
up the road from the apartment. It is a
typical Andalucían village,
perched on the side of a hill with white sugar cube houses and spectacular views
to the coast and surrounding wooded mountains. In the height of the
season, it is probably best visited in the evening when the tourist coaches have
departed. Other "white villages" a little farther to the West
include Ojén, Monda, Guaro, Coín and Tolox.
Villages which can be reached easily travelling up the Guadalahorce valley include Cártama, Pizzara which has a museum exhibiting archaeological artefacts from many eras, including Roman and Moorish, and Carratracca, known as the 'Diamond of Malaga' which has been famous since Roman times for its sulphur water spas which are open from June to October each year. Carratracca is also famous for its Easter passion play which is performed in the bullring on Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
Also nearby is Alhaurín el Grande which has monuments showing its long history including a 12th century Moorish archway Arcos de Cobertizo and three Roman columns in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento. One of the town's favourite attractions is the Moorish Cork Mill - El Molino Morisco de los Corchos which has continued to be occupied and used and to which visitors are welcome.
If you wish to find out about events happening in the area throughout the year, visit andalucia.com.
Ronda is within an easy day trip from the apartment and besides being famous for its spectacular scenery has many interesting sites, the Almocábar door, the Mondragón Palace, the Casa Gigante, the Roman Theatre of Acipino, the Santa Mariá la Mayor Church, the Santo Domingo el Puente Nuevo Convent, the Arabic Baths etc.. It also boasts the oldest, (or second oldest?) bullring in Spain.
Day coach (and boat) excursions are available to Cueta, Cordoba, Gibraltar, Granada, Jerez, Nerja & Frigiliana, Seville and even Tangiers. These are run by tour operators in Fuengirola with whom coach pick up arrangements can be made.
For the nature lover there are many fascinating
ecological areas
to visit in Málaga province . Around one hours drive to the north towards
Antiquera there
are the unique limestone formations at El
Torcal Park which with the Spring and Autumn rains explodes with
colourful plant life. Also around one hours drive north, but a little to
the west are the man made lakes at El
Choro, so called Málaga's Lake District. Here in the summer you can
always find a quiet place to sunbathe, swim and picnic and in the winter one can
eat in a delightful lakeside restaurant beside a blazing log fire
.
A little further to the north is the Lagoon of Fuente
de Piedra which is one of the largest natural lagoons in Spain and is home
to many wild birds most notably pink flamingos. The optimum time to see
the flamingos is towards the end of January when they return from their winter
quarters in Africa to spend the spring and summer months breeding in the
Lagoon.
Nearer to the
apartment
and en route to Ronda, the Natural Park of Sierra de las Nieves
offers a rich landscape with a wide variety of flora and fauna. In its
villages, Alozaina, Casarabonela, Guaro, Istán, Monda, Ojén, Tolox and
Yunquera, it also reminds one of this regions history, from Neolithic times
through the Romans, Muslims, Moors and Christians. The rugged
landscape provided the ideal refuge for the legendary bandits.
If you prefer more formal gardens, then you will be rewarded by visits to Los Jardines de La Concepción around 8 km north of Málaga or El Retiro de Fray Alonso de Chirriana or El Retiro for short, not far from the airport at Málaga. Los Jardines de La Concepción is a tropical paradise with fountains and streams. At El Retiro, amongst impressive gardens where white peacocks strut, one can see some of nature's most beautiful birds which live in more than sixty aviaries. Of particular interest are the 40 endangered species which are being bred for re-introduction into the wild.
The Lew Hoad Campo de Tenis (pictured on the left) is itself a botanical
wonderland. The gardens, planted with 4,000 rare trees and shrubs imported from
all over the world, are home to a variety of bird life. Orchid, jacaranda,
willow, eucalyptus, palms and exotic lotus blossoms perfume the air and, in the
Moorish-style ponds, Koi carp and African frogs (which provide an evening chorus
for the apartment) disport themselves among the
water lilies.