Marbella Bonsai Museum
Marbella, a town with so many leisure and cultural attractions, couldn't lack a Bonsai Museum. But the museum of miniature trees in this town isn't just one more bonsai museum: it's one of the best in Europe, boasting the best collection of wild olive trees in the world.
The trees exhibited in Marbella strike visitors as a amazing from beginning to end, inviting us to brood on Mother Nature's works. There're outstanding specimens to look at, like the Chinese Hackberry, whose deciduous leaves are bright green, or a wild olive tree -"Acebuche"- that is 300 years old.
The Marbella Bonsai Museum also houses native species, living in the lavish natural surroundings. Some are endangered trees, like Spanish firs, yet all of them are beautiful and worth contemplating.
Visit Teba In Malaga
Teba, in the district of Guadalteba, stretches over an area made of small hills and is sheltered by the hills of Camorra, Camorrillo, San Cristóbal and Castillo. The Castillo is crowned by the Castle of La Estrella, a building that keeps part of the original Roman structure
The village has the typical whitewashed houses and some mansions like the one belonging to the Marquise of Grenina or the front of the house that used to be the residence of Empress Eugenia de Montijo. Also the façade of the Convent of San Francisco is very interesting.
The Church of Santa Cruz Real, with its red marble columns from nearby Torcal de Antequera, is worth a visit too. The interior houses a museum with an amazing collection of gold and silver articles and religious objects. Visitors who're interested in seeing prehistoric remains or the legacy left by the Iberians, Phoenicians, Romans and Muslims can go to the Municipal Archaeological Museum.
You can't leave Teba if you don't taste the delicious cheeses, homemade sweets, "porra tebena," fine asparagus made there.
Fishing and water sports enthusiasts will love the nearby Guadalteba reservoir. The Sierras del Castillo and Carmen invite visitors to go hang-gliding and paragliding.
Greenlife Golf Course, Marbella
Perfectly located, at the foot of the mountain and by the sea, Greenlife Golf is an exclusive resort where you realise that life is just great. It's a place to combine contemplation with sports in modern facilities and with the best service available.
Golfers will have a par-three nine-hole golf course at Greenlife Golf, whose relief and design welcome both beginners and expert players. There's also a practice course (36 mats and a 1,600sq m chipping area, a store, and a golf club and trolley rental.
Greenlife Golf also features clay tennis courts, a fitness centre, and a sauna. And then you can replenish your energy at El Lago Restaurant, a Michelin-starred place for sybarites between Hole 1 and Hole 2, whose terrace is one of the best in the area.
To stay for the night, you can choose between studio apartments for three, one-bedroom apartments, or suites. All of them are very comfortable and fully fitted, and they give access to the swimming pool.
Cerro Tavizna: A rocky destination in Montejaque
Cerro Tavizna is in the municipality of Montejaque, between the Sierra de Grazalema and the Guadiaro river valley. Our hiking choice today is this hill, 903m in height, to the northwest of the "lost mountain" that the Moors called Monte-Xaquez.
Part of a Jurassic carbonate rock formation, Cerro Tavizna gives shape to a steep rock with almost vertical strata. Enormous limestone blocks lie in its foothills, and next to it there is the famous cave named Hundidero, with an impressive underground path more than 4km long that leads to a second cave, Cueva del Gato.
The hill has little vegetation, consisting mainly of Mediterranean bushes. There are, however, numerous animal species, like peregrine falcon, eagle owl, kestrel, wild cat...
The landscape, the caves and the archaeological remains are of high interest. Cueva del Hundidero keeps cave paintings dating back to the Palaeolithic, and pottery, stone and bone artefacts have been found inside.
Raisins in the sun in Almachar
Like other villages in Axarquía, Málaga, Almáchar has the traditional Moorish layout, with steep, winding streets that climb up a small hill between the Almáchar and El Borge rivers.
Almachar's landscape is dotted with vineyards and grape-drying sheds. The village is part of the so-called "Raisin Tour," along with Comares, Cútar, El Borge, Moclinejo and Totalán. In Almachar there's even a museum dedicated to grape raisins. Located on 5 Plaza del Cristo, the museum shows how life in Almachar used to be in the early decades of the twentieth century.
The sixteenth-century Church of San Mateo, in Gothic-Renaissance style, with two chapels honouring Our Lady of Sorrows and Merciful Jesus, is worth a visit.
"Ajoblanco" is a dish that was first made in Almachar, which holds an "ajoblanco" festival in September. The local gastronomy offers products like cabbage and cold meats, and dishes such as stew, cod with orange or roasted-pepper salad.
Finca Siesta: A passion for horse riding
Horses, nature and comfort are the keys to success in Estepona's Finca Siesta, a charming place on the hill affording great views of both the sea and the mountains. It lies a few minutes' walk away from the beach and is close to Marbella as well -the Mecca of luxury tourism, boasting a zillion lifestyle centers and top-notch nightclubs.
There're a lot of things to do at Finca Siesta, but the one that's earned it a household name is horse riding. You can engage in a wide range of activities on Andalucian horses and other purebreds. The "finca" offers immersion and custom programmes depending on the rider's skill. In addition, the place holds horse riding competitions and shows that are worth attending.
If you're staying for the night, you can take a single or a double room, or an apartment. Whatever your choice, you'll find all the amenities you need, and you'll be satisfied. To take a break, you can swim in the pool or sunbathe in the solarium.
Last but not least, Finca Siesta features an elegant room for parties, meetings, and other social events. Holiday packages are available and special tours are organised upon request.
Restaurant: El Bocata:
El Bocata Express, a.k.a. EBE, in Marbella, can boast of serving more than forty different sandwiches, the stars being the potato tortilla with pepper sandwich or the steak sandwich with homemade seasonings. You can also taste small bites and foie- or ham-based dishes, drink a beer or one of the fifteen varieties of tea in the menu.
Delicious sandwiches and themed decoration bring a great number of regulars to this eatery in Marbella.
a two-floor nineteenth century building is home to EBE. The dining room is divided into modules dedicated to a different decade of the twentieth-century. Photos and objects take us to the 1940s, the years following the Spanish Civil War, or the 50s, when Marbella was a fishing town, or the 60s, when the first tourists arrived in town.
The second floor has three rooms: La Placa, an impressive archive with photos of Marbella; Grace Kelly in the Marbella Club, and Banús, which revisits the rise and golden years of Puerto Banús.
Carnival on the streets of Malaga
We're getting close to the most cheerful and playful fiesta of the year. Masks and fancy dresses, popular songs and fine jokes. Malaga is having its own version of Carnival: merrymaking on the streets, stunning transformations, loud noise, a thousands colours, lots of fun.
Celebrations begin in Málaga City in late January, but the official kick-off is on 14 February and, as usual, it'll be marked by the opening speech. On the same day, the Cervantes Theatre is playing host to the "Gran Gala del Mayor," while the God, Goddess, Prince and Princess Contest will take place in Plaza de la Constitucion.
The program includes a rich array of activities that'll reach their climax with the "Entierro del Boquerón" (Funeral Procession of the Anchovy) on Sunday 22. The activities include the Big Carnival Parade on Sunday 15, the Drag Queen Contest on Friday 20, or the Battle of Flowers on Saturday 21, among others.
Skina: A Michelin-star restaurant
A corner on Aduar Street, in Marbella -here you'll find the restaurant named Skina.Skina accommodates only twenty people at its five tables. It has been awarded one star by the 2009 Michelin guide, the classic guide to exceptional restaurants.
Skina's menu, which offers avant-garde recipes with Mediterranean flavours, is made of only a few, delicious, dishes like scallop salad with olive oil and melon dressing, oxtail croquette with apricot and chilled olive, and the traditional "porra antequerana" with roast tomato, muffin and anchovies.
The best main dishes served at Skina are the sea bass with rice and pine nuts, rose and saffron, and the suckling pig with textured apples. You can finish your meal with a superb dessert such as puzzle chocolate, jelly and cocoa cake with eucalyptus iced drink. The wine list is incredibly good too.
Skina is open from Monday to Saturday, from 7:30 till midnight (it's closed on Sundays and public holidays). Reservations are required in this eatery that you'll surely visit once and again.
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