Management owners testimonials – please click this link
Below you will find some testimonials about our management service from our owners, their property and the guests that stay in their second home, please feel free to comment:
Holiday Rentals on the Costa del Sol
February 3rd, 2012
Management owners testimonials – please click this link
Management owners testimonials – please click this link
February 12th, 2012
Stunning photos courtesy of FFA!
Stunning photos courtesy of FFA!
Some nice photos from our partners @ FFA http://www.fluentfinanceabroad.com/
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February 10th, 2012
Mountains of…Marbella?
Mountains of…Marbella?
Away from the yachts and glitz that encompasses the spirit that is upmarket Marbella, on the Costa del Sol, in the sunny south of Spain, you can do more than celebrity spotting if you venture a little way further north.
In the news this week is the little known mountainous region of Sierra de Las Nieves, not quite as breathtakingly immense as it’s similarly named cousin, the Sierra Nevada, but just as beautiful.
Binoculars, bikini and sturdy boots ready? Let’s go…
Where is it?
Fly into the international airport at Malaga and head to Marbella for some sun, shopping and to cast some envious glances at the elegant jet set and their superb yachts, moored as tightly as cars in the supermarket car park at home. Explore Puerto Banus and enjoy the restaurants and people watching, take in some winter sunshine and stay in your own first class cabin, how about trying some of these Marbella holiday rentals?
But what about some exercise too? North of Marbella you can also indulge your spirit – and enjoy some of the most unspoilt views and areas of Spain.
Mingling with the jet set at Puerto Banus, Marbella
Eco spirit
Awarded with UNESCO Biosphere Reserve protection, and an EDEN European Destination of Excellence since 2008, this rugged area of beauty is worth spending time getting to know.
The EDEN tag is only awarded to special places that promote sustainable tourism, a label that is so important today given climate change and intense awareness of our planet. You can explore this area and get a little walking under your belt – maybe reducing the belt?! – into the bargain.
The Bio sphere area of the Sierra de las Nieves
Walking with purpose
It gets better. From the 26th February until the 4th of March you can join in with the first Andalucian International Walking and Cultural Festival, the starting place is the little pueblo of El Burgo, a whitewashed mountain village surrounded by Almond and Olive groves, so typical of the area. Each day comprises walking trails for 2 different levels, depending on your fitness and whether you want to stroll or go for the burn!
What’s that? You like the idea but your partner would rather not? Then they can happily ignore the exercise and concentrate on the cultural side of the festival! Cookery demonstrations – Andalucian style of course! – or a quiet spot of bird watching in the hills….
Feathered friends
The biggest area of Spanish Fir – El Pinsapo – in the world is just the spot for nature loversand bird watchers. Species of this and other trees normally seen in the the cooler climate of Northern Europe are found here. Also Pine, Chestnut, Oak and Ash are prevalent. Bring your binoculars and between the tree tops and views expect to catch sight of:
- Peregrine Falcon
- Golden Eagle
- Bonelli Eagle
- Booted Eagle
- Short toed Eagle
- Goshawk
- Sparrow-hawk
- Crested Tit
- Great Spotted Woodpecker – or you might just hear him!
- Griffon Vulture – like a flying Barn Door.
Look out too for the Egyptian Mongoose – the only place in Europe where you can hope to see him.
Eagles – amongst the wild and varied birdlife
Village life
Besides El Burgo, the destination for the fiesta, there are eight more little villages to discover within the Biosphere – all traditional Andalucían pueblos and worth exploring for a slice of real Spanish life away from the Costa. They are:
- Tolox
- Casarabonela – visit the Moorish castle at the top of the village
- Monda
- Istan
- Ojen – take a trip to the Museum of Wine
- Guaro
- Yunquera
- Alozaina – once defended from an advance by the Moors by village women and kids throwing bee hives at their attackers!
Whitewashed cube-like houses, ancient churches, flower filled streets, tiny bars and cafés, a simple Hola will go a long way…soak up the rich and varied history, and maybe some local wine and tapas too! The food is simple and inspired by the wonderful countryside that surrounds you here.
Look out for traces of Roman and Moorish history in the architecture and waterways, and even further back to Neolithic times, discover the caves…
Los Flintstones
You might not see Fred and Barney but the caves in this area are well known.
Tolox allows you the chance to visit one where ancient pottery has been found and it’s also worth a visit for the ferruginous waters these days making it a much visited Spa town. Numerous caves are dotted around the area, so take the safe option and go for the guided tour as some of these are pretty well hidden – and can be dangerous. One famous chasm known as GESM - Grupo de Exploraciones Subterránea de Málaga - has a stomach lurching drop of nearly 2000 metres, the third deepest in the world. Hold on tightly to your belongings! Unsurprisingly, it has not yet been explored fully…
Other caves within the park are those known as:
- Cuevas del Moro
- Hoyos del Pilar
- Hoyos de Lifa
Although it sounds like a holiday from hell to me, potholing is also a popular pastime here, and there are many with varying drops up to over 130 metres, and more yet to be discovered, possibly deeper. I feel sick just thinking about it!
climb the highest peaks..
River deep, mountain high
From the depths of the caves and potholes, there are also some highs to discover. The thickly covered snow capped peaks in winter are dominated by La Torrecilla, rising to 1919 metres, and the surrounding mountains are a joy to walk and climb. Springtime will bring the smell and sight of new shoots of wild flowers and herbs. Babbling brooks and rivers create flora and fauna on an extraordinary level and in fact the area was once explored and studied by the Swiss botanist Pierre Edmond Boissier.
Others have since followed in his famous footsteps, and you can too! Whether you choose to join in the fun of the upcoming Andalucian International Walking and Cultural Festival, or just fancy exploring the villages mentioned earlier. It all makes a complete change form the glitz of Marbella, and provides you with a holiday of contrasts, you can walk in the snow capped mountains and sunbathe on the beach all in the same day! It’s all here waiting for you in the south of Spain – so why not give it a go?!
February 9th, 2012
The Brits are coming!
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The Brits are coming!
A new survey claims that Marbella is fast becoming one of the more popular destinations for British stag and hen parties
08.02.12 – 11:54 -
ASH BOLTON |
A group of lads from northern Ireland on a stag do in Marbella last weekend. / A. Bolton
Matching t-shirts, drink related shenanigans and boisterous behaviour. It’s fair to say that British stag and hen dos haven’t got the best reputation abroad. But a new survey suggests Marbella may be seeing a few more soon to be hitched visitors this year.
According to a survey by UK hen and stag company Redseven, the town is the third most popular destination after London and Brighton for hen parties. It claims bookings have jumped 63 per cent thanks to the popularity of the TV show ‘The Only Way is Essex’ (TOWIE). The ITV2 show filmed the cast jetting over to “Marbs” last year to enjoy the beaches and bars.
Ian Lucas, founder and CEO of Redseven, said: “Since ‘The Only Way is Essex’ cast flew out to Marbella we’ve seen a huge surge in bookings from those wanting to follow suit, and rightly so, since Marbella has a vibrant party scene and beautiful beaches to relax on the following day.”
But what do local businesses think about the reported increase in Brits wanting to let their hair down in “Marbs”? Jenna Callaghan, 30, from Cork, who has run Callaghan’s Bar in Marbella for eight years, said: “The stag and hen dos we have in the bar are well behaved but they tend to start the night off here and then head on to Puerto Banús at night. So it might be a different story there. But if Marbella is becoming more popular that can only be a good thing as it is bringing more money in. There’s an image that Marbella is quite expensive, but it actually isn’t.”
This is something 28-year-old Patrick Clifford agrees with. Patrick, from Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, who spent last weekend in Marbella on a stag do, said: “It’s a nice place and it’s cheaper to drink than Dublin. We’ve spent most of the time in Marbella rather than Puerto Banús as it’s more expensive there.”
Another business owner who is happy to see more stags and hens in Marbella is Ruth Stevenson who runs the Blue Palm café. She said: “We’ve had a lot more hen than stags over the years and a lot of the women bring their mums with them. People tend to stay in Marbella as it’s quite cheap but head to Puerto Banús in the evening for the night-life.” Ruth admitted she hasn’t noticed an increase in numbers recently but agreed it would be good news for the local economy. She added: “We don’t have many in December and January but from the spring we have at least one every weekend. “If it is becoming more popular this is good news as it is extra money for local businesses. I’ve never had a problem here and if they get drunk or loud I ask them to keep the noise down.”
Three miles west along the Golden Mile is where most of the Brits end up, according to Lina Hodgkins. The marketing director for Linekers Group, who operate seven bars, clubs and restaurants in Puerto Banús, said the group saw around 1,000 stag and hen revellers every weekend. She said: “I’ve been doing this for six years now and every year we have been up 100 per cent year on the previous year. We’ve already got 10,000 people booked on hen, stag dos and girlie weekends away (for 2012) and are struggling to keep up. Most of the cast booked into Linkers and TIBU Night Club in the summer so yes the show has made a difference and this is good for the economy.”
Russell Soden, 40, co-proprietor of Terra Blues in Puerto Banús, added: “Any extra business at this time of economic crisis has to be a good thing because a lot of bars are really struggling, but it may have a very damaging lasting effect on the way the area is looked at. The golden era of film stars etc. has been gone for years. They’ve been replaced by rich footballers and now it’s the reality TV “stars”. Twenty years ago you might have said “did you see Sean Connery in the port?” Now its more like “did you see Amy Childs?”
