Closing 2017!
A weeks holiday in the sun was the perfect way to bring 2017 to an end. Being in mainland Spain in Benalmadena for 3 days last year didn’t really count due to flying home early, however, this time round was just perfect. Flying into Malaga Airport late in the evening, jumping on our coach that took what almost felt like a full day with all the drop offs the driver had to make, after what felt like a full day say two hours later we made it to our self catering resort in Aloha just twenty minutes walk north of Puerto Banus.
Arriving late in the night, no one was there to greet us but where told the keys would be left in a safety deposit box under a specific code, after a while of trying to access the key everyone was tired and hungry so once we arrived at our home for the week we dropped our bags and headed back to the pizzeria that was beside the initial reception area, got a feed and went straight to sleep to be up early to see what the surrounding areas had to offer.
Staying in a two bed villa with an enclosed roof terrace packed in with stunning views over the Spanish hills and sea, what more could you want on a crisp Sunday morning? Sun starting to rise and the birds beginning to sing we got showered and changed and headed for a walk to find a breakfast spot and supermarket so that we could get our essentials for the week ahead.
Fuelled for the day ahead and groceries bought and unpacked back at the villa we headed to the nearest bus stop at the bottom of Aloha and jumped on the first bus we seen, taken us through the local residency and to the town of San Pedro. A little beach fronted town with many local crafts shops on streets above we spent hours walking about and watching the world go by. Hours later, jumping back on the bus and hopping off at the ever so popular Puerto Banus Harbour for dinner.
Walking alongside the harbour, beside all the designer shops like Dior, Gucci and Jimmy Choo, seeing all the people arriving for their dinner reservations in their Ferraris, Porsches, Lamborghinis and Bentleys. I personally could have sat for hours and people watched. Grabbing dinner in an American Diner called Jacks Smokehouse the meal was delicious, finishing off with an ice cream in Hagen Dias. Followed by a short twenty minute dander back to the villa, for a well needed nights kip to prepare for what the rest of the week had in store. Perfect first day don’t you think?
The next morning, we headed back down to the harbour to get the catamaran to Marbella for part of the day. We explored the beautiful streets of the old town and as you can see above I photographed every inch of them, walking back down the seafront where we watched the sun go down as the catamaran came back across the port to get us. Finishing the evening with a lovely Italian meal along the Puerto Banus Harbour completing the night with a few beverages in the local bar.
Mijas being one of my sought after Spanish villages I hoped to one day make it and on this holiday it was made to happen. Taking two buses after getting the catamaran back to Marbella, we made it to the tiny, peaceful and quaint village set in the middle of Spanish Mountains with full views over Malaga, Fuengirola, Marbella and Puerto Banus. Mijas isn’t a very tourist based village therefore all the locals will stop and talk to you trying to invite you in for a cups of tea. Walking the residential streets snapping photos along the way and stopping in round the local crafts shops finishing off having a nosey round the local chocolate factory before getting the buses back to Marbella.
Having a few rest days in between, relaxing in the sun on our villas roof terrace and walking the resort and local town of Aloha taking trips back and forth the harbour we finished our trip on a high. Me personally because every time I was walking the harbour and walking past the LiuJo Milano store I kept eyeing up a black handbag and after a week of walking by I finally purchased my first LiuJo handbag. Closing my week holiday with style, we had our last meal back in Joes Smokehouse heading back to pack for our midday flight home to Northern Ireland.
