Spanish Property Hunt Blog 3

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Tuesday 27th January: a fine warm day - at last. We took a short drive up the hill behind the apartment block to the nearby village of Pueblo Benaldamena and spent most of the day there enjoying the sun and the views. In the evening we took the excellent train service to Los Biloches, two stops towards Fuengirola to try to find a restaurant that had been recommended to us. We didn't find it but ended up in a pleasant place close to the beach where we had a nice dinner. Waiting on the elevated platform at Los Biloches for our return train was very cold as there was a strong wind blowing. Fortunately the wind was behind us when we arrived at our stop and helped blow us up the hill back to Casa Liz.

Wednesday 28th January: another day, another "white village". Casares Pueblo up in the hills behind Estepona which had been recommended to us as a place to visit by Aaron the property consultant. Casares was quite spectacular, a seemingly random jumble of spotless white houses grouped together under a former Moorish castle and church with very narrow, steep streets and Griffon Vultures circling overhead (one of their last habitats in Europe). A good lunch at a small cafe near the castle then we drove downhill to Estepona for a look around and to stroll along its long promenade. Then on to our hotel located a mile out of town where we checked in and afterwards walked to a nearby beachside shopping centre where we had a super meal: probably far better and certainly much cheaper than we would have had in the hotel.

Off to Gibralter in the morning.

More photos and a map at the bottom of this page, and if you click on any of the photos you will get an enlarged image

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Photos

Buddhist stupa in Benalmadena
Not really what one expects to find in a prime location which is otherwise given over to rampant property development

The church of Santo Domingo Benalmadena Pueblo
This is what one expects to find in a prime location: a beautiful church, built in 1621

Another unexpected development in a prime location
A fantasy castle in minature commemorating Christopher Columbus - who wasn't even from this area

Castillo Colombares
Built between 1987 and 1994 to commemorate Christopher Colombus's discovery of the New World

Trainee figurehead
Columbus's flagship having just acquired a new figurehead. Still under training though, and must be taught that the figurehead always looks ahead from the ship's prow and not astern

Cactus brain
Some comedian thought it would look amusing to have a cactus growing out of my head.

Property hunting on the Costa del Sol
So many properties, so little time......to sit back, drink coffee and enjoy the view and the weather

Los Boliches beachfront Fuengirola
And that IS a bull silhouette on the hill..... something to do with Andalusian symbolism.

It's a big world out there
View from Casares Castillo

Beady eyes
Griffon vultures over Casares

Home guard on Sierra Crestellina
Griffon vulture over its mountain home above Casares