by Justin | Jul 13, 2011 | Holiday Tips, On the Costa del Sol, Things To Do, What's On
For those of you who enjoy taking in a little Spanish culture during your holidays, I highly recommend you take a couple of hours this Saturday (16th July) to go and see one of the many “Virgen del Carmen” processions taking place along the Coast.
Last year I went along to the Virgen del Carmen procession in Los Boliches – just a 15 minute drive from the hotel – and thoroughly enjoyed the experience (follow the link to the blog post I wrote).
I won’t provide a long winded explanation of what this day represents – you can see this post about the Virgen del Carmen celebrations for that – but I will quickly explain a little about the reason for this colourful and emotional event.
The Virgen del Carmen, or Stella Maris, as she is often referred to is the patron saint of fishermen and of the Spanish Navy! If you visit one of the processions which take place in most of the “traditional” fishing villages along the Coast – Los Boliches, Benalmádena,La Carrihuelain Torremolinos, Marbella and Estepona, to name but a few – you will witness the pure devotion the local villagers towards their patron saint.
The processions usually start off in the afternoon as the fishermen carry their “Virgen” – which is usually handcrafted in wood and porcelain (more…)
by Justin | Jul 8, 2011 | At Sunset, What's On
Yesterday afternoon, I managed to creep into the Moonlight theatre and watch the last dress rehearsal before tonight’s debut performance of “The Lion King”.
Our entertainment team have been working hard – often rehearsing for hours after work – to prepare this fantastic tribute to the West End classic. I took loads of photos, many of which are in the gallery below; as you can see, the team really worked hard on the costumes and I am sure you’ll agree that they’ve done a brilliant job! It’s obviously going to be a popular show with the little ones but I highly recommend at to everyone as the music, dancing, costumes and spectacular lighting are really impressive! (more…)
by Justin | Jul 7, 2011 | On the Costa del Sol, What's On
Next Tuesday the 12th July sees the start of the 52nd edition of the famous Nerja Caves Festival, one of the most important music and dance events on the Costa del Sol.
Since the opening of this spectacular cave in 1960, this Festival has been held every year, attracting artists and musicians from all over the world. Thanks to its incomparable beauty and exceptional acoustics, the Nerja Caves attract thousands of spectators every year – approximately 800 people are seated every night in the “Sala de Ballet” auditorium to enjoy the very best music and dance shows.
This year, the festival will be split into four separate parts: An evening of Flamenco, an evening dedicated to music of the world, an evening of Spanish dance and opera and last, but by no means least, a lyrical concert.
The programme for the 5 day event is as follows:
Tuesday 12th July at 10 pm – Flamenco Evening
The Festival starts with a true andalucian flavour; Málaga flamenco dancer, Rocio Molina’s show “Danzaora”, winner of the 2010 Dance Prize. (more…)
by Justin | Jun 22, 2011 | On the Costa del Sol, What's On
We’ve got a busy week ahead of us: On Thursday evening we’ve got the Night of San Juan celebrations to look forward to and Friday sees the start of the fair in Arroyo de la Miel!
For those of you who have yet to experience a true Spanish fair, this weekend is your chance to cross that off your list of things to do. (more…)
by Justin | Jun 9, 2011 | On the Costa del Sol, What's On
It looks like Mijas is the place to be at the moment. Last week the pretty white village hosted their popular Blues Festival and this weekend, residents and visitors alike can enjoy the 23rd edition of the Mijas International Festival.
This colourful event is ideal for all the family, with lots of activities for kids and plenty of food and drink for the adults!
There will be twenty different nationalities taking part in this years festival with the celebrations taking place in three separate zones: The blue zone in the La Muralla Gardens; the red zone in Plaza Virgen de la Peña (in front of the Townhall) and the green zone in Plaza de la Constitución.
Each of these stages will be provide live entertainment in the form of musical performances and traditional dances; we’re talking Mexican Mariachis, Celtic music, Indian dances and, of course, Flamenco music and dance.
As well as the three stages, visitors will be able to wonder around the 19 different stands, each representing a different culture or country; typical foods, drinks and traditional handmade goods will all be available for people to purchase. I hear they are also going to have 2 giant Argentinian and Uruguayan BBQ’s; those guys don’t mess around when it comes to BBQ’s… a definite must!
If you like street parades, make sure you don’t miss some of the fantastic ethnical street parades planned over the weekend: Dragons from Korea, Colombian Carnival as well as parades from Bolivia, Senegal and a whole host of other countries!
The fun starts at 9pm on Friday the 10th June and continues until Sunday evening (12th June). Please note that in Saturday and Sunday the Festival kicks off at 1:30pm.
Entrance to the Festival is Free and the Town Hall have arranged special parking areas with free shuttles; they are obviously expecting large crowds!
Definitely a good option if you’re looking to do something different this weekend!
If you do happen to go, please let us know what you thought of the Festival.
by Justin | Jun 8, 2011 | Eating & Drinking, On the Costa del Sol, What's On
Our neighbouring town of Torremolinos celebrates the 24th edition of its annual “Día del Pescaito” where tourists and visitors to the famous La Carihuela strip will be treated to 12.000 kilos of fish delicacies from the Málaga region.
It’s a thoroughly recommended couple of hours where you’ll be able to try some of the famous and typical fried fish dishes which La Carihuela is famous for. Best part is that it’s all free – and you get to wash it all down with a cool beer!
The party starts at 1 pm and goes on until 5 pm; I recommend you get there early if you don’t want to miss out! This event is organised by the Torremolinos Tourism Delegation with the collaboration of the local business associations of La Carihuela-Montemar and has become one of the town’s most popular celebrations.
Live music and young hosts dressed in typical costumes handing out free flowers contribute to a very enjoyable afternoon on the Carihuela!
