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Slow Boat to China - Chinese at the water's edge, where you can eat and drink at less than £15 per head! Mandarin Palace - Chinese on the water's edge again. El Capitano ~ Same as above but better food. Parapiros - International style cuisine. Ciao - Top quality Italian adjacent to El Capitano. The Mexican - Speaks for itself! La Traviata - Italian, speciality fillet steak on skewer. La Pergola - Mediterranean grill. The Jolly Sailor - Bar serving good homemade burgers and surf & turf. |
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Where to go:- The obvious place to go when you go to Spain is the beach, all the beaches are clean, but look carefully to find the best ones. The major towns within about 2 hours drive are: Estepona, San Pedro, Marbella, Malaga, Gibraltar and Ronda. All these place are interesting to visit. Estepona is quite a small town with a lovely beach front promenade and nice restaurants, it has a great market in the harbour on Sundays. San Pedro is a bigger town about a mile from the beach with interesting shopping and restaurants, Marbella is a much bigger town with loads of attractions (it even has its own MacDonald's ), Malaga is the very big and very exciting (the atmosphere and the fiestas are meant to be magic), Gibraltar is the place to go for a bargain because all the shopping is tax free and Ronda is a town high up in the hills with magnificent views and good restaurants, the best thing to do if you want to see Ronda properly is to take a horse and carriage ~ they cost around 4000pts which is £20 or $30.
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What to buy:- To buy food, there are a few supermarkets that immediately come to mind; SuperSol and Mercadona which are just 2 minutes drive eastwards from the Port itself in Sabanillas. Further afield is Carrefour which is the other side of Estepona and the best of these for a big shop. If you want to shop for things other than food, then the best place to do it is in a market. There are lots of markets selling a variety of goods; there is a market in Manilva (Sunday), Estepona Port (Sunday), Estepona town centre (Wed) and Puerto Banus (Saturday). The markets sell a range of food and gifts, including things that will appeal to tourists like leather goods, imitation designer goods and sportswear. The market in Estepona town centre sells fresh fish, meat, fruit and vegetables and the quality is very good, recommended for a visit. Important shops ~ There is a pharmacy in Sabinillas, near Duquesa, and there is a small minimarket in the marina, opposite the entrance door to the apartment building, which offers a good range at reasonable prices. |
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Things to do:- One of the best things to do in the Summer, when it is extremely hot, is to hire a pedalo from Estepona beach. They cost about 10 Euros (£8) for 1 hour, going out on one really cools you down and is great fun. Another great thing to do when it is really hot is to go to the Roman Baths which are near the Roman Oasis Manilva. You go into a small building and then into the water via some steps. Once you are in there you can stand and swim around the underground tunnels for as long as you like. Some people may be put off by the smell, don’t be because the water in the baths is constantly flowing and is always clean. After all this activity you can go down into the Port to get an ice cream or sorbet from Garibaldi’s, have a refreshing drink in one of the bars or just chill out in one of the pools (if you rent a house then it will either have a community pool or an individual pool, if you rent somewhere without a pool then you can go to the Duquesa Golf & Country Club which has charges unless you use their catering facilities. Cycling and Walking:- Just inland from Duquesa is a vast wilderness called the “Campo”. In the campo are lots of wild dogs and a few farmers houses, but don’t be put off. The “Campo” is a great place to cycle or walk in because you can go wherever you want, the terrain for mountain biking, loose gravel and hardpack, is perfect, and for walkers the scenery should delight. Unfortunately there are no maps of the “Campo” available because the tracks keep changing. Other sports:- Golf is the obvious sport to mention, simply go into the Club Shop down at the Duquesa Golf club and ask to play a round of either 9 or 18 holes, buggys are available. Tennis courts can also be booked from the Club Shop. For more information on golf see the golf page. Malaga:- Is the major coastal city of Andalucia, the Spanish mainland's most southerly region with over 100 miles of Mediterranean coastline, 320 days of annual sunshine and Europe’s most evenly balanced Climate. This area of Spain richly deserves the title of Costa del Sol. It is an area of year round attractions with a variety of seaside towns, fascinating countryside and major historical cities that can be easily visited on a day's trip from the coast. The Costa del Sol abounds with attractions; safe beaches, many marinas, water sports of all kinds, excellent and inexpensive restaurants, bars in abundance, golf courses, both coastal and inland, swimming pools and tropical gardens, winter snow skiing and a night life that starts at dusk and is still going as the sun rises again the next day. Although an area that has grown rapidly with tourism over the past 40 years, we still do not have to look far to see and feel the almost untouched Andalucia. The Costa del Sol, an area of sun, fun and serenity.
You will need to show your passport when entering and leaving. Licensed guides in taxi minibuses are based just inside Gibraltar and they provide a good value guided tour of the town, the rock and the caves lasting about three hours and costing around £18 per person. Sterling as well as Euros are accepted in Gibraltar. |
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| Eating Out ~The Andalucians love their food, eating is a social event in Spain, even a morning coffee break at work is more often than not taken at a local busy bar round the corner. Your choice of eating out is unlimited in both price and style. English fish and chips, roast beef and Yorkshire pudding and fast food restaurants can always be found around one corner, as can small Spanish bars offering ‘menu del dia’ consisting of a three course meal with bread and wine for as little as 8 Euros. Tapas, small portions of many different dishes is and Andalucian tradition and an inexpensive way to try a variety of local foods. If variety is the spice of life, then the Costa del Sol has spice in abundance. Local seafood, Italian pasta, Indian curries, country soups, paella, Indonesian cuisine, together with some of the most up market restaurants to be found anywhere in the world. This is millionaire dining at an affordable price. | ||
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| After Dark ~ it starts for some around 9 p.m, a stroll on the seafront, a coffee and a brandy at the beach bar watching the world go by and can end for others at 9 a.m. the a next day, exiting from a night of club into the early morning sun. For twelve hours you can have fun and go out and go home at any time you please. Normal bars close around 1 am. The disco and piano bars usually start getting busy around 11 p.m. and go through until 4 a.m. Live music bars and clubs open around 9 p.m. and close around 2 a.m. | ||
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Money ~ Local currency is
of course the Euro. Banks and exchange points are the
best places to exchange currency. Banks are open from 8.30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Monday to Friday, and until 1 p.m. Saturday during the winter months.
Currency exchanges have much longer opening hours, but these can vary.
Most banks have 24 hour cash points that accept the majority of major
credit and charge cards.
There is a bank & cash machine at Duquesa. |
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Communication ~ Post
offices (correos) can be found in every town and village, they have the
same opening times as the banks. Post boxes are yellow and situated
sometimes rather haphazardly, stamps can be purchased from tobacconists,
as well as the post office. Telephones are plentiful.
To dial the UK, the access code is 00 followed by the UK country code of 44, then dial as you would do in the UK but take off the first 0. |
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| Business Hours and Holidays ~ Shops normally do not open on Sundays, except for some smaller supermarkets and gift shops. Normal Monday to Saturday opening times are around 9-10 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and again between 4-5 p.m. to 8-9 p.m. The public holiday for Andalucia, in addition to the changing dates for Easter and Whitsun, are as follows: Jan 1st and 6th, Feb 28th, Mar 19th, May 1st, June 24th, July 25th, Aug 15th, Oct 12th, Nov 1st, Dec 8th and 25th. In addition each town has its own local holidays. | ||
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| Getting Around ~ Bus services are cheap and frequent, both local and long distances, enquire at the town's central bus station for details. There is one local rail link from Malaga to Fuengirola with numerous convenient stops on the way. It does not operate through the night, but during the day it is an interesting and inexpensive way to travel. Rail links to all major cities of Spain can be picked up at the central station in Malaga. Taxis are plentiful. They are white in colour and display a green light when available for hire, enquire about the cost before getting in and make sure you have details of exactly where you are going, as your pronunciation of a destination name may not be the same as the taxi drivers. | ||
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Car Hire ~ There are numerous car hire companies providing services at both Gibraltar and Malaga airports. Arrangements can be made in advance with P.T. Consultancy of Duquesa, tel (from UK) 0034 95127 6062, or e-mail ptconsultancy@telefonica.net. They will arrange for you to be met at the airport by the car hire representative displaying a placard bearing your name. It is a useful practice to sort out the arrangements for the return of the car with him while completing the paperwork. To hire a car you will need to show your passport and UK driving licence. You will be charged for a full tank of petrol and the car can be returned with a near empty tank. A credit card can be used for payment. For more information on car hire, please click here. Driving on the left needs extra attention especially when negotiating roundabouts and when re-joining the road after stopping, eg at a garage. Turning left from a major road is frequently done by using a right hand filter lane to pass over or under the main road, or via a ‘Stop’ sign at right angles to the main road. When driving from Malaga Airport to Duquesa for the first time, it is advisable to use the toll motorway route which is easy to follow. There is an alternative route which follows the coastline and passes through several urban areas. Spanish Police are allowed to stop cars and breathalyse drivers without necessarily witnessing an offence. They are also allowed to issue fixed penalty speeding tickets with on the spot payment of the fine. Having said that, they are generally very fair and courteous and tolerant with foreign drivers. It is always advisable to lock your car and remove or hide any personal effects when leaving it unattended. |
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| Health ~ Beware! You can be your own worst enemy, Take things in moderation, especially at first. Too much sun (even the Costa del Sol's winter sun can burn), too much drink and too little sleep are the main causes of holiday illness. If you do feel poorly or have an accident don't panic. Health care services are excellent, all towns have numerous chemists (farmacias) which, upon a brief description of your ailment, will prescribe something. There is always a duty chemist open 24 hours a day, just look at the list on any chemist's door. For more serious ailments or emergencies, it is best to already have taken out health insurance. This means free and first class treatment at any health centre on the coast, whether national health or private. We would recommend you apply for a form E111 at your Post Office. They can issue it on the spot and enables you to claim free medical services by reciprocal agreement with the UK National Health Service. | ||
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Duquesa
marina is well known on the Costa del Sol for its selection and quantity
of eateries and bars. Many tastes are catered for by the charming
waterfront restaurants ranging from bars serving tasty snacks, to
restaurants providing excellent silver service cuisine. English, Chinese,
Greek, Indian, Italian, Spanish and cosmopolitan tastes are adequately
catered for and many other restaurants can be found within a short drive
from the marina.
Pictured
left: Estepona Market. If you are prepared to
travel for more than 2 hours then there are lots of great places to visit:
Cordoba, Seville, Granada, Cadiz, Jerez and Algeciras. Cordoba and Seville
are much the same; they are both big cities with lots of amazing
architecture, things to do and restaurants. As in Ronda, the best thing to
do in Cordoba is to take a horse and carriage for about 4000pts, but I do
not advice this in Seville because there is lots of traffic. The landmarks
worth a visit are mainly in Seville, a trip to the tourist office to get a
map should get you going in the right direction. Cadiz is a very old town
situated on the Atlantic coast. The history behind it is fantastic and
some the architecture equally as impressive. However, some areas are
rather rundown and we couldn't find any good restaurants or shops as
promised by the guide books. If you are lucky enough to be down in Spain
when the Grand Prix is on at Jerez all we can say is go. We went and the
atmosphere was amazing. You can get tickets at the little kiosks dotted
around the car park.
Gibraltar
~ A leisurely drive to Gibraltar takes about 30 minutes from Duquesa.
You are advised to leave your car on the Spanish side of the border at La
Linea, and
walk through the customs post as there can be long delays at Spanish
customs when leaving Gibraltar.