Sunset Beach Club
by Justin | Aug 5, 2011 | On the Costa del Sol, What's On
There’s just one week to go! Next Friday the 12th August 2011, the city of Málaga celebrates its yearly “Feria” (Fair) in which citizens and visitors indulge in good old fashioned fun: Dancing, singing, drinking (in moderation!), eating all contribute to making this one of the most popular festivities in all of Andalucía, if not Spain.
Originally established to commemorate the re-conquest of the city by Isabella and Ferdinand in 1487, the “Feria de Málaga” boasts an average yearly attendance of 3 million people! (That’s some party ;-)).
The fair officially starts on Friday 12th August at midnight with the “Pregon” (opening speech) which is usually carried out by a famous personality; this year the honour falls on local singing sensation, Pablo Alborán. Following the “Pregon” there will be a firework display and a free concert with Pablo Alborán. All the above takes place on theLa Malagueta beach. (more…)
by Justin | Aug 3, 2011 | On the Costa del Sol, What's On
Get ready to Rock this Friday evening with the amazing Queen Tribute Concert which will be held in the El Pinillo Beach inMarbella.
It will be 25 years to the day since Queen and Freddy Mercury played to an audience of 25,000 people inMarbella’s football stadium (I was there!!!!). So, a quarter of a century laterMarbellawill once again “Rock” to the amazing music of Queen.
The headline act for this amazing tribute are Gary Mullen & The Works, who will be performing their acclaimed international show “One Night of Queen”. Regarded as the most successful Queen tribute band in the world – they’ve played sell out concerts all over the world including to 45,000 die hard queen fans at London’s Hyde Park – they recreate Queen’s songs and live performances to perfection (See video below).
You’ll be able to hear all your Queen favourites: We Will Rock You; Bohemian Rhapsody; A Kind Of Magic;Barcelona;RadioGaGa and lots more… Soprano Ruth Kerr will also make an appearance to join Gary Mullen & The Works on stage to sing the classic hit “Barcelona”; a rendition put together especially for Friday’s concert. (more…)
by Justin | Aug 2, 2011 | On the Costa del Sol, Things To Do, What's On
We’re in for a real treat this Thursday evening (4th August) as contemporary Jazz artist, Jamie Cullum, takes to the stage in the amazing setting of Sohail Castle in Fuengirola.
Known for his passionate and energetic live performances, the 31 year old visits the Costa del Sol for what will be his only show in Andalucia (even more of a reason to go!). The foundations of Sohail Castle will be literally shacking as he performs songs from his own albums as well as hits from other famous artists.
Although his music is rooted in Jazz, he delves into a vibrant mix of pop, rock ‘n roll and jazz. He’ll be pounding away at his piano, but if we are lucky, we’ll also be able to sample his talents on the guitar and drums too! An interesting fact: Jamie never works to a set list in his live performances, it’s all improvised! Should make for a very entertaining evening…
The doors of Sohail Castle will open to the public at 8:30pm and the show starts at 10pm. If you’re looking for tickets, you can buy them online at www.ticketmaster.es or at any El Corte Inglés department store. Prices start at €35 if you buy before the event and go up to €45 on the night.
Note: If you’re heading to the Costa del Solspecially to see the concert and you are looking for somewhere to stay, you can check our availability on www.sunsetbeachclub.com
by Justin | Jul 26, 2011 | Eating & Drinking
"El Tintero" - On the beachfront in El Palo
There are plenty of amazing restaurants and beach bars up and down theCosta del Solwhere you can sample some of the most amazing fish dishes; however, today I am going to tell you about a famous restaurant on the beaches of El Palo, just to the East of Málaga: El Tintero.
The El Tintero Restaurant has become somewhat of a landmark in Málaga. It looks like your everyday “chiringuito” offering a wide range of delicious fresh fish; however, after you’ve spent a few minutes at your table – with a bit of luck, overlooking thebayofMálaga– you’ll realise that El Tintero offers a “different” and refreshing eating experience… (more…)
by Justin | Jul 21, 2011 | Hotel News
Raheem with a some of his caricatures
Many of you will recognise him a the “Cartoon Guy” who sits by the pool area during these warm summer days and delights children and adults alike, with his fantastic caricatures.
His name is Raheem Jabbar and he is our resident artist. He spends his time at Sunset Beach Club creating fun and memorable caricatures which provide many of our guests with a memorable souvenir of their fun packed holiday. Yes, you have to pay for the privilege but Raheem’s prices are very reasonable and as you will learn later in this post, you are getting a caricature from a true artist! – Might even be worth something in the future 😉
Anyway, that’s not what this post is about; there’s no doubt that Raheem is extremely talented at drawing caricatures, but there is a lot more to his artistic talent… (more…)
by Justin | Jul 19, 2011 | On the Costa del Sol, What's On
Dusk at Sohail Castle...
I’ve got some good news for all you beer lovers out there; as from next Thursday the 21st July, the Sohail Castle in Fuengirola will be the venue for the 4th Beer Festival (Bierfest).
For 10 days, visitors will be able to sample some of the finest German beers. This year, the organisers of the event have tried to make things a little more “international” by setting up various stands with a wide variety of foods from around the world.
Obviously, there will be a German stand with their frikadellen, chucrut and wide variety of German sausages, but you will also be able to try a whole range of Moroccan delicacies; an authentic Argentine “Parrillada” (BBQ); some spicy Mexican food and even fresh sea food. With hunger no longer being a problem, you might want to head over to the Cocktails stand and try a cool and refreshing Mojito – or whatever tickles your fancy.
On the 24th and 31st July, there will be Formula One races and theSohailCastle will be the perfect place to watch the top motor sport event! There will be a large TV screen so that visitors can watch their favourite drivers without giving up their delicious German beer.
The fair starts at 7:00 pm from Monday to Friday and at 12:00 pm on Saturday and Sunday; entrance is free 😉
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 30, 2011 | Local News
Speed limit back to 120 kph
A couple of months ago I posted about the new speed limit which was coming into effect as from the 7th March 2011. Well, 4 months later and a whole load of dosh spent on new stickers for all motorway signs, the Spanish government has decided to reinstate the old speed limit of 120kph!
As you’ll probably remember, the reason for the original reduction was that it would save energy and money due to the high price of oil at the time. As it stands today, oil prices are pretty much the same as they were 4 months ago and whilst various drivers associations are happy that they’ll be able to shoot down the motorway at 120kph again, there are many who are up in arms about the decision; namely, environmental groups and families of car crash victims.
So what now? Well, for starters, road crews will be busy removing stickers on over 6000 road signs on the eve of July 1st! Apparently, this little exercise will cost the tax payer over 200,000 Euros… but it’s not all bad news; the estimated fuel savings during the past 4 months are estimated at approx. 450 million Euros 🙂
So if you’re planning on coming out to Spain on holiday this summer, as from Friday (1st July) you’ll be able to drive at 120 kph on all motorways; just make sure you don’t go over that speed, for the sake of other drivers and the old purse strings (the police are going to be keen to recuperate some of the “supposed” lost income in traffic fines over the past 4 months) 😉
